GGUSD Highlights Culinary and Hospitality Career Pathway

Each week, GGUSD showcases our outstanding CTE programs that provide intermediate and high school students with hundreds of engaging courses in 14 Career Pathways that focus on the real-world skills needed for high-paying, in-demand future careers (Goal 3).

This week, we want to share our NEW Career Pathway Video which showcases our Culinary and Hospitality Career Pathway. Please take a moment to watch this video to hear from CTE teachers and students about what they love most about these pathways. #GGUSDPride #GGUSDGoalGetters

GGUSD Celebrates Student Artwork in 46th Annual Art Show

Garden Grove Unified School District (GGUSD) hosted its 46th annual First Impressions Art Show to celebrate the artistic talent of hundreds of students from all grade levels from preschool to high school. Awards were presented in front of a packed room of parents, staff, and community members at the Garden Grove Community Center on Saturday, March 9, 2024, followed by the communitywide Art in the Park event which is hosted by GGUSD and the City of Garden Grove and showcases student artwork and musical performances.



More than 650 pieces of artwork were showcased at the First Impressions Art Show with dozens of awards presented including:

• Allen Elementary student Jillian Tran received the Mayor’s Award for her oil pastel painting called “Rainbow Rose.”
• Pacifica High School Student Jacky Ramirez received the President of the School Board Award for her graphite pencil drawing titled “Lean on Me.”
• Los Amigos High School Advanced Art students received the Superintendents’ Award for their 5-foot papier-mâché artwork called “Year of the Dragon.” Students include Elizabeth Baiza-Damacio, Hector Briseno Valdivia Jr., Jonathan Casillas, Mee Moua, Verenice Munoz, Han Nguyen, Amairani Roman, Jose Rodriguez, and Christopher Suarez.
• Paine Elementary School student Lauren Tran won PK-6 Best in Show for her acrylic painting entitled “In Vietnam.”
• Ralston Intermediate School student Angela Lee won 7-8 Best in Show for her charcoal self-portrait titled “Angela.”
• Santiago student Abraham Dominguez received 9-12 Best in Show for his crab created from recycled instruments.
• Murdy Elementary School’s Ian Gutierrez artwork was selected as the program cover for the 2024 State of the District Event as the winner of the The Garden Grove Way art contest.
• Bolsa Grande High School student Kristine Truong’s colored pencil drawing titled “Nightfall” was chosen for the program cover.

Bell Intermediate School Earns Top Award

This week, Bell Intermediate School was recognized among “California Schools to Watch” for 2024, the California Department of Education’s (CDE) top honor for high-performing middle schools. Bell is one of only four middle schools in Orange County and 52 middle schools from across the state to receive this recognition in 2024.

This marks the third designation as a School to Watch that Bell has received, having earned the 3-year designation in 2018 and 2021. To earn the designation, schools must complete an extensive application and host a site visit by middle school experts. Bell Intermediate School was also recently recognized as a 2024 CA Distinguished School for exceptional student performance.

Los Amigos High School is featured in KCAL's Class Act Spotlight

Los Amigos High School was featured live on KCAL's Class Act segment on Monday. Reporter Jasmine Viel visited the school to highlight its Early College Academy program which allows students to earn college credit while in high school. Nearly 60 seniors will earn their Associate's Degree in May through the program, which is offered in partnership with Golden West College. Jasmine Viel also highlighted the school's ASB, girls' flag football team, dance and cheer teams, as well as the journalism and yearbook class.

GGUSD Schools Promote Leadership and Literacy

This week, students from La Quinta High School traveled a short distance to make a big impact. Student leaders from La Quinta's Friday Night Live visited Paine Elementary School to share the joy of reading (Goal 1)! The younger students were inspired by the enthusiasm of the La Quinta students and enjoyed connecting with the high school students (Goal 2). The Friday Night Live team embraced the opportunity to encourage the elementary students to continue building their reading skills. It was great to see both literacy and leadership on display!

Doig Intermediate Showcases AVID Program

Recently, Doig Intermediate School had the unique opportunity to host the AVID Board of Directors, including Founder Mary Catherine Swanson, and the AVID Senior Leadership Team, including CEO Thuan Nguyen. The purpose of this visit was to create an experience for these distinguished guests to learn more about the implementation and opportunities that AVID Excel provides to emerging bilingual students.

The visit included a presentation by school and district personnel detailing their journey piloting and supporting AVID Excel, classroom observations, and a Q&A with educators and students. Doig is one of three AVID National Demonstration Schools in GGUSD.

GGUSD Hosts Unified Soccer Tournament

Last Friday secondary students from our moderate-severe special education programs as well as our Unified sports teams came together to show off their soccer skills in our annual GGUSD Soccer Games held at La Quinta High School. Unified sports is dedicated to promoting social inclusion through shared sports training and competition experiences. Unified Sports joins people with and without intellectual disabilities on the same team. It was inspired by a simple principle: training together and playing together is a quick path to friendship and understanding. #GGUSDPride #GGUSDGoalGetters