Military Mom Surprises Children at School with Early Return from Kuwait

A SWEET SURPRISE: Bell Intermediate student Julian Labunog and Enders Elementary student Elizah Labunog received a sweet surprise this week when their mother, U.S. Army Reservist Dely Labunog, came home 2-weeks early after serving in Kuwait and Iraq for more than a year. Her husband Fabian Labunog worked with the school principals to coordinate the surprise return.

At Bell Intermediate, Dely dressed up in the school’s Roadrunner mascot to surprise Julian during his math lesson. His classmates cheered as the Roadrunner revealed herself while Julian was unknowingly teaching the mascot about math. Julian was thrilled to see his mom who he believed wasn’t coming home until October at the earliest. At Enders Elementary School, first grader Elizah Labunog was told a special visitor was here from the military, but she did not know it was her mom until she walked through her classroom door.

Dely who graduated from Rancho Alamitos High School has been in the service for 12 years.

Santa Ana Deputy Police Chief Visits Russell Elementary

Santa Ana Assistant Police Chief Rodriguez visited Russell Elementary School recently to share his story and experience with Russell scholars. He attended Russell as a child before moving on to Fitz Intermediate School. During the assembly, he talked about his journey, experience, and challenges as a former Russell Ram. He spoke about grit and perseverance which led to his success in college. Assistant Chief Rodriguez used to help serve breakfast when he was a student at Russell and wanted to serve breakfast now as an Assistant Chief. He made such a positive impact on Russell scholars and it was awesome to showcase a homegrown success story!

La Quinta High School Earns Top Rank for Esport Team

PlayVS, which partners with CIF-SS to sanction esports events in Southern California, has partnered with USA Today High School Sports to provide a first-of-its-kind ranking, and La Quinta is ranked 17th in the nation in the inaugural list! La Quinta High School was one of two schools in Orange County to make the list!

GGUSD Schools Host Back to School Nights

This month, several GGUSD schools hosted Back to School Night to highlight the rigorous instruction and awesome programs offered at their schools. It is always wonderful for teachers and staff to spend the evening connecting with families. Pictured above: Back to School Nights at Zeyen Elementary, Warren Elementary and Pacifica High School.

Hundreds Attend GGUSD's College Fair

2022 COLLEGE FAIR: It was a packed house at GGUSD's College Fair on Thursday night at the Great Wolf Lodge. Hundreds of students and their families had the opportunity to speak with university reps, collect information and begin mapping out their future college and career plans! GGUSD counselors and administrators were on hand to answer questions and provide guidance as students plan for the future!

Santiago Prepares for Match Up against Magnolia

Santiago High School beat Magnolia 50-15 on Thursday to improve to 3-1 this season. The Cavs will play Anaheim on Thursday at Monsoor stadium. Visit ggusdathletics.com for photos of the game.

Superintendent Mafi Joins Bus Driver for Morning Route

This week Superintendent Gabriela Mafi went on a ride along with bus driver Rosie Obregon as she picked up her Parkview students! At each stop, Dr. Mafi and Rosie were met with smiles from family members and happy students ready for the school day. Once they arrived at Parkview, the students were greeted by staff who were just as excited and happy to see the students. Our bus drivers are the first GGUSD staff members many of our students see each day and they do a wonderful job of creating a welcoming and caring environment.

SRO Support Dog Misha Spreads Joy at GGHS

Did you know GGUSD's School Resource Officers have 2 support dogs Misha and Nellie? We love seeing these dogs spread cheer to students across the district!

GGUSD Connects Families to Important Resources

DID YOU KNOW? New in 2022-23, GGUSD has five Family Resource Centers (one in each trustee area) to connect families to important assistance in areas like food, health care, housing, mental health counseling and more. Learn more about our Family Resource Centers and get a list of locations at https://ggusd.us/frc