Reef-Sunset Unified School District

November 2021 Newsletter

Superintendent's Message

Dear Reef-Sunset Community, 

We are honored to have the opportunity to serve you. As we approach the holiday season, I wish to reiterate our commitment to advancing the education of our students in a safe and positive environment. Our district anticipates the excitement that a new year will bring with new dreams, plans and accomplishments.

Working together has been crucial, and we are grateful for the support you have provided us. Students, staff and families have stepped up to the plate. Our leadership team has reinforced the programs that make our district a center of progress for a better future, and we want to share updates on achievements and new leaders.

At the same time, we welcome the expansion of the COVID-19 vaccine availability, allowing children of 5 years of age and older to receive the vaccine. We encourage parents and guardians to have their children vaccinated if eligible. It is the most efficient method to protect everyone’s health, keep the schools open and save lives. 

Thank you for your continuous support. 

Sincerely, 

Pat Sanchez 

Superintendent

Vaccination to Protect Against COVID-19 Available for Children Ages 5-11

Health authorities have taken action and now children as young as 5 years old to 11 years old are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. We recognize the advice of health experts and encourage parents and guardians to get their children vaccinated. It is a crucial way to protect the wellbeing of students, staff and families, and save lives. We want to keep our schools open and safe! Thank you for doing your part.  

Please click here to access information about vaccination opportunities and resources provided by Kings County.

Watch this video to learn about pediatric COVID-19 vaccines.

The Family Engagement Center is Here for You!

The efforts to support our school community have reached a higher level with the new “Family Engagement Center” at RSUSD. Jicela Soto is the Director of this program, recently created to provide guidance, workshops and assistance to parents and students. 

The areas of interest are many! Services offered include academic support for students, training for parents to help their children, housing resources, immigration and citizenship services, family counseling, English as a Second Language classes, and more.  

One of the main goals of the Family Engagement Center is to create opportunities to advance parents’ knowledge about how the education system works, improving their capacity to be proactive and attend to the students’ needs in order to facilitate progress with their academic achievements and social-emotional experience. Together, we can move ahead towards a brighter future! 

For more information, send an email to familyengagementcenter@gmail.com and also visit our website.

 Please watch the video below for a special message from Ms. Soto. 

Human Resources Department: Initiatives to Help the District Thrive 

As of October 2021, Fred Guerrero is the new Executive Director of Human Resources. Previously, he devoted eight years to Reef-Sunset Middle School, as Principal. 

“The Human Resources Department is responsible for recruiting, selecting and maintaining a highly professional staff for all schools and departments,” explains Mr. Guerrero. The policies of the H.R. Department align with the goals and strategies of the district, focusing on providing a rigorous and collaborative learning experience for our students. 

Mr. Guerrero is committed to pursuing every effort, opportunity and resource to establish the best team of professionals for our schools. The evaluation process of certificated and classified staff is particularly important. The H.R. Department organizes the appropriate information for the schools’ personnel in a timely fashion. “We are all on the same team, working together for the benefit of the students and to serve the school community. That’s why we are here. It is crucial to join efforts and move forward, to keep our campuses open, making sure our schools are safe,” points out Mr. Guerrero. He praised RSUSD staff for the thorough job they have done implementing safety protocols to protect everyone’s health in all the district’s facilities.   

He emphasizes that all decisions are student-driven. “We want to make sure that students and families are taken care of, and their needs are met,” says Mr. Guerrero. “Dream big, work hard, give back are my personal core values,” he states, that inspire his actions in this new role supporting Reef-Sunset Unified School District. 

Business Services at RSUSD: Working to Support Students, Staff and Community

Raul Luna has returned to the district as of July 2021 as the new Executive Director of Business Services. He welcomes the opportunity to serve the students, staff and community in his new capacity. Mr. Luna was the previous Fiscal Manager of the RSUSD Business Services Department. 

The Business Services Department plays a vital role in allowing Reef-Sunset Unified School District to provide a quality education to our students. “We are dedicated to maximizing our financial resources to assist staff in obtaining the tools they need to be successful educators,” explains Mr. Luna, adding: “We strive to be client focused and customer service oriented.” 

Currently the Business Services Department is undergoing a change in overall process and procedures to make sure they are providing the best possible workflow efficiency for our staff. They have enlisted the help of Informed K12, which assists school districts in the automation of frequently used forms. Informed K12 will help them digitize and install workflows for the commonly used request forms that flow through the department, which include leave request, timecards, facility request, extra compensation forms and reimbursements.  

“We hope this new project will create an easier process for staff to submit their vital documents to us and improve efficiency and turnaround times. Also, we are reviewing established procedures that impact staff when it comes to procurement by improving the ability to request other forms of payments to purchase goods and services,” points out Mr. Luna. They are expanding the list of vendors to improve product selection and delivery times. A great example of this is the rolling out of Amazon Business Prime to sites. “We hope our partnership with Amazon will allow for a greater selection of items and quicker delivery times for staff,” says Mr. Luna. 

Business Services will continue to review processes and fiscal controls to make sure we are always there to effectively support all district staff, students and the community. 

For more information, please call (559) 386-9083.