Garden Grove City Council Honors Walton Science Students

This week, the Garden Grove City Council recognized Walton Intermediate teacher Chris Borado and her team of students who won the NASA TechRise Challenge and are leading an experiment on the NASA high-altitude balloon launch this summer. These students have gained real-world academic skills (Goal 1) and demonstrated a high level of motivation (Goal 2A) and we are so proud of their success!

Mark Twain hosted special Mother's Day Fashion Show

Our Special Education Center at Mark Twain hosted a beautiful Mother's Day Fashion Show as a special way to honor the Mark Twain moms and all they do for their children! This was a wonderful way to support the whole child and the whole family and just one example of the amazing climate and culture (Goal 2C) at Mark Twain.

Woodbury Elementary Hosts Special Olympics Event

Woodbury Elementary School hosted a Special Olympics event this week which brought general education and special education students together for a fun morning of relays, basketball, soccer, volleyball and other fun games. Woodbury is recognized as a Unified Champion School by the Special Olympics of Southern California for its unified physical education program and a variety of unified initiatives throughout the year which showcase the abilities of ALL students. We know this program strengthens empathy and supports the physical and emotional wellbeing (Goal 2B) of all Woodbury students!

Santiago Students Earn Gates Scholarships

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: A huge congratulations to Santiago High School students Roberto Guarneros and Nathan Nguyen who earned the Bill Gates Scholarship which is a full ride to college for six years. This is a huge accomplishment, and these two scholars are wonderful examples of what you can achieve with hard work and are on their personal paths to lifelong success (Goal 3)!

Roberto is a leader on campus: National Honor Society President, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Vice-President, Team Captain for Cross Country and Track, AVID Class Ambassador, CSF member, Key Club member and Red Cross member. His achievements include Honor Roll for 4 years, AP Scholar with Honor Roll, National Hispanic Recognition Program, MVP for Track (11th), and CIF for Cross Country and Track (11-12th). Roberto has completed 7 AP courses and has a 4.24 GPA and plans to attend Berkeley in the fall.

Nathan is also a highly-involved student leader: Friday Night Lights Treasurer and Youth Ambassador, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Treasurer, Rho Kappa Publicity Chair, CSF member, and a member of Vietnamese Society Association (VSA). His achievement include Honor roll for 4 years, Scholar of the Quarter, representative at State of the District 2023, AP Scholar, and student speaker at Santiago’s Early College Academy (ECA) celebration. As Santiago’s Co-Salutatorian, Nathan is graduating high school with 42 dual enrollment college credits from the ECA program. He has a 4.37 and has also completed 7 AP courses. Nathan will attend UCI in the fall to major in Computer Science.

Riverdale Elementary Recognized as Apple Distinguished School

During its Open House this week, Riverdale Elementary School received a special certificate of recognition for being an Apple Distinguished School. Dr. Jacqueline Sanderlin from Apple, Board of Education President Walter Muneton, and Assistant Superintendent Lisa Swartz congratulated the Riverdale school community for this prestigious distinction! Riverdale has a 1:1 iPad program and students use technology daily to create presentations, publish e-books, create movies, learn code, produce a student-led news broadcast, and strengthen their academic skills (Goal 1) across all content areas. There are approximately 725 Apple Distinguished Schools in 26 countries across the globe!

GGUSD Celebrates Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month and all month long we will be highlighting AAPI staff and students on social media. GGUSD is proud of our diverse population and we love celebrating the culture and traditions of our communities.

GGUSD Elementary Students Shine in Academic Pentathlon

Russell Elementary Language Academy had two teams of students competing in the Orange County Academic Pentathlon competitions. Students have spent the past 9 months preparing, studying Music and Art History, Literature, Algebra, Chemistry and the American Revolution. Together Russell students won 40 individual medals, first place and second place in Super Quiz, first place overall and fifth place overall. We are so proud of our students for the academic growth (Goal 1) and personal skills (Goal 2) they have gained this year.

GGUSD Celebrates School Nurses and Teachers

May 10 is recognized as National School Nurse Day and GGUSD is grateful for our fabulous school nurses who work hard to support children's physical and mental well-being (Goal 2). Our school nurses play a vital role in ensuring the health and wellness of our students and staff, creating a welcoming and supportive climate in our schools, and providing essential health services that enrich the lives of our entire community.

May 10 is also CA Day of the Teacher and GGUSD is beyond proud of our exceptional teachers and librarians who work hard to equip all students with the academic skills (Goal 1) and personal skills (Goal 2) for lifelong success (Goal 3). GGUSD has the MOST AMAZING teachers and our students flourish under their guidance, support and dedication.

GGUSD Music Teacher Wins Prestigious CMA Award

Garden Grove Unified School District Choir Teacher Dr. Nora Hernandez is being recognized by the Country Music Association Foundation at the 2023 Music Teachers of Excellence Awards on September 19 in Nashville. Hernandez is the only teacher in California, and one of only 30 teachers across the nation, to receive the elite recognition which celebrates teachers who have a tremendous positive impact on their students and use the power of music to improve the lives of students. Hernandez has been a music teacher in GGUSD for eight years and teaches choir and general music at Monroe and Russell Elementary Language Academies and choir at Fitz Intermediate School.

Rancho Alamitos Teacher Wins Grant for Soccer Program

Last week Rancho Alamitos High School teacher Theresa Nguyen received a surprise visit from California Casualty that came with a $1,000 check for the school’s soccer program. Theresa had won the California Casualty Thomas R. Brown Athletics Grant she applied for through GGEA. We love our amazing teachers who consistently work hard to provide students with opportunities and to equip them with the academic skills (Goal 1) and personal skills (Goal 2) for lifelong success (Goal 3)!

Pacifica PTSA Honors Mariner Community

Pacifica High School’s PTSA honored members of the Mariner school community during their Honorary Service Awards event recently. The Outstanding Teachers who were recognized include Mrs. Parrott, Ms. Ross, and Mr. Haslip. Mr. Leneker was honored as an Outstanding Community Volunteer and Assistant Principal Ibarra was honored as Outstanding Administrator. Students and families attended to cheer on their honorees! We love seeing how our families work alongside school staff to support the school in providing a top-notch learning environment (Goal 1) and a safe and welcoming school community for all (Goal 2).

GGUSD Community Dinner Honors Our Partners

The Garden Grove School Administrator's Association hosted its 25th annual Community Dinner this week to honor and express our gratitude to GGUSD's incredible community partners: our proud parents, local law enforcement and firefighters, elected and appointed officials, non-profit representatives and many other fabulous community partners. The GGUSD community is STRONG! Thank you to our community partners who work alongside us to equip all students with the academic skills (Goal 1) and personal skills (Goal 2) for lifelong success (Goal 3)! The dinner featured awesome student performances from the Bolsa Grande High School String Quartet, Bolsa Grande High School Pianists, Bell Intermediate and Advanced Dance, Monroe Elementary Language Academy Chorus and Santiago High School Concert Band. It was a wonderful evening that strengthened our shared commitment to supporting GGUSD students! #GGUSDPride

GGUSD Thanks TOSAs on Day of the Teacher

On CA Day of the Teacher, GGUSD’s Superintendent, Assistant Superintendents and Directors honored the district’s amazing Teachers on Special Assignment who provide invaluable support to teachers across the district. With a fun “Gilligan’s Island” themed celebration, district leaders expressed their gratitude for our TOSAs who are truly anchored in the Garden Grove Way and help guide our ship of 2,000+ educators to ensure our students can achieve lifelong success!