August 30, 2018
#GGUSDPRIDE E-newsletter
The #GGUSDPride E-newsletter features many of the great things happening in GGUSD.   
Send your photos to pio_department@ggusd.us to highlight your school or students in the e-newsletter.

GGUSD Begins 2018-19 School Year with New Opportunities for Students
The 2018-2019 school year began on August 29 with increased opportunities for the students at Garden Grove Unified School District (see link below for more details on the new opportunities). 

Administrators, teachers, and staff rolled out the red carpet at several schools and welcomed students with smiles, cheers, posters, high-fives, and festive photo booths to celebrate the first day of school.
Welcome Back from Our Superintendent

MUST WATCH VIDEO: Superintendent Gabriela Mafi welcomes staff, students, and families to the 2018-2019 school year. Also included: fun highlights from the 2018-2019 keynote event. It's going to be our best year yet!  #GGUSDPride   #ChooseGGUSD

A Huge Thank You to Our Many Helping Hands in GGUSD
Before our athletes can take the field at the new Michael A. Monsoor Memorial Stadium, it has to be groomed and maintained. That responsibility belongs to field maintenance crew members Mike and Tony, who also maintain the other athletic fields at Garden Grove High as well as the six other high schools in the district. They have done a tremendous job in keeping the turf at Monsoor Memorial Stadium clean and safe for all of our student-athletes.
Our terrific Transportation team had a blast coming together last week for our annual bus wash to make sure GGUSD's transportation fleet was nice and clean for students on the first day of school!  #ChooseGGUSD
A Visit from the Board President
Before school even began, GGUSD Board of Education President Bob Harden spent some time at Heritage Computer Science Immersion Academy for a teacher training with Code to the Future, which is providing resources as Heritage begins its first year as a Computer Immersion Academy. President Harden also visited Los Amigos High to get a look at the remodeled and renovated campus that includes new furniture in the art rooms, new computers for the graphic design classes, new tables and chairs in the commons, new tools for the engineering classroom, some Lobo themed art, and more! 
GGUSD Students Perform in Hollywood on America's Got Talent
Six students from GGUSD are currently competing on NBC’s hit show America’s Got Talent as part of the Voices of Hope Children’s Choir , a spectacular group of 70 students ranging in age from five to seventeen. After their performance of “A Million Dreams” in the quarter-finals, Voices of Hope earned a coveted spot on the show’s semi-finals that will air September 4.
Students who are members of Voices of Hope include Jade Bruce, junior at Garden Grove High School; Autumn Rasmussen, freshman at Garden Grove High School; Ashley Aguirre, sixth grader at Eisenhower Elementary School; Isaias Aguirre, second grader at Eisenhower Elementary School; Evelyn Nguyen, seventh grader at Bell Intermediate School; and Madeline Nguyen, sixth grader at Patton Elementary School.
Best of luck to the Voices of Hope Children's Choir and their mission to inspire others with their positive songs and break down economic barriers that may limit access to music!
Top Talents from Bolsa Grande
Over the summer, Bolsa Grande High School’s ASB attended the annual Orange County Leadership (OCL) Camp held at UC Santa Barbara. With their skit inspired by Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Bolsa students put their own modern twist by incorporating a public service announcement about how cell phones and technology negatively affect their lives. After weeks of hard work, the students delivered an outstanding skit in front of over 2,000 students. Their performance earned first place out of the 48 schools. Way to Go Matadors! #GGUSDPride
The Voice of Garden Grove

Garden Grove High School (GGHS) student Aiga Fuimano (top) was named the "Voice of Garden Grove 2018" on Aug 16 after her beautiful performance of "Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)" by Hillsong United. GGHS student Jessica Torres (bottom) earned second place with her performance of "You Say" by Lauren Tangle. Both students won scholarship money and funds for GGHS's choir program led by Kari Galeener.
School Improvement Spotlight

Several schools began the new school year with new shade structures like the one pictured above at Irvine Intermediate School and playground equipment like the one recently installed and pictured above at Morningside Elementary School.