SAUSD E-Blast for February 16, 2018 
The weekly e-blast is designed to keep the Santa Ana Unified School District Community informed of district and educational information, recognitions, opportunities, and resources.  Please feel free to share with others  who  are not on the SAUSD distribution list.
NEW SPRING EDITION OF SAUSD DISTRICT MAGAZINE HOT OFF THE PRESS    

A new edition of the Santa Ana Unified School District's Pathways Magazine is now available online. Click here to access the flip book, and to read more about District news, events and accolades. The February issue highlights a range of topics, from the recent School of Choice Fair, to the 2018 Classified Employees of the Year, to the District's We Care video and beyond.


SAUSD SCHOOLS PARTICIPATE IN SPECIAL OLYMPICS SOUTHERN CAL ORANGE COUNTY REGION
SAUSD hosted the Southern California Orange County Regional Special Olympics at the Santa Ana Public School Sports Complex, February 15. Early in the day, students from elementary schools throughout Santa Ana came to compete and demonstrate their physical abilities, participate and celebrate with their teachers, parents and fans. Later in the afternoon, Special needs students from SAUSD Intermediate and High Schools came to take part in the Track and Field portion of the days events, taking part in running races on the track and testing their strength in the softball throw competition on the adjoining fields. A fun, inclusive day was had by all, and awards were like icing on the cake for these excited athletes. 
SADDLEBACK BASKETBALL TEAMS TO ATTEND NBA ALL-STAR WEEKEND FESTIVITY WITH ADIDAS 

Saddleback High School was selected among 10 schools in LA and Orange County to be an Adidas Legacy School. As a legacy school, students on the Boys and Girls Basketball Team received all-expense paid uniforms and shoes. In addition, students were able to design their own uniforms and shoes for next year. To top it off, students will get to experience the excitement of the NBA All-star weekend in Los Angeles, where they will attend a VIP Adidas event and meet popular NBA players including Houston's James Harden.
CENTURY HIGH SCHOOL ENCOURAGES LUNCHTIME BUDDIES     
 
Century High School's Higher Education Center
partnered-up with the school's Centurion Buddies to organize "No One Eats Alone @ CHS," a student led lunchtime activity.  This event emphasized the importance of friendship connection and inclusion. The student leaders are Yatziri Salgado (Senior, Difference Maker Scholarship Recipient) and Monica Tavassoli (Junior, Disney's Dreamers and Doers Honoree). During this activity, student
hostesses hosted more than fifty students who would normally be alone during lunch time. Dr. Swanson, counselors, program and students leaders were present to engage students and to build relationships. " We are happy to be a part of this national activity which raises the awareness of the importance of reaching out and making all CHS students feel welcome," said Jonathan Swanson, CHS Principal, Ed.D.  "I am especially proud that our Centurion Buddies, a student led group, is taking the initiative for this activity." Swanson finalized.
JEFFERSON ELEMENTARY TOSA NAMED CERTIFICATED EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH

Congratulations to Maria Sandoval, Teacher on Special Assignment at Jefferson Elementary School, for being selected Certificated Employee of the Month for February 2018. "Ms. Sandoval is one of the most hardworking, dedicated, and compassionate teachers that I have the pleasure of working with," said Aimee Kenaley, Teacher at Jefferson. "I have known her for 17 years. She was an excellent Dual Language Immersion Teacher and now TOSA. She makes parents feel comfortable," said Dr. Fernando Duran, Principal of Jefferson Elementary. To learn more about Ms. Sandoval, please click here to watch a video.
MADISON ELEMENTARY AUTISM PARAPROFESSIONAL NAMED CLASSIFIED EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH

Congratulations to Eneida Arambulo, Autism Paraprofessional at Madison Elementary School, for being selected Classified Employee of the Month for February 2018. "She is absolutely fantastic with a smile on her face and great attitude," said Lisa Solomon, Principal of Madison Elementary School. "Our students are so lucky to have her." To learn more about Ms. Arambulo, please click here to watch a video.
SANTIAGO TEACHER NAMED 2018 OUTSTANDING SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER

Erik Petersen   has been selected as 2018 California Council for the Social Studies Middle School Outstanding Teacher Award. "This well deserved honor speaks to the long hours of work Mr. Petersen puts into designing engaging lessons that build a culture of high achievement here at Santiago School K-8," said Norris Perez, Principal of Santiago. "We are thankful for his creativity and positive spirit that he shares with our Santiago learning community."
SANTA ANA VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL CYBERPATRIOT TEAM ADVANCES TO SEMIFINAL

A team of students from Santa Ana Valley High School is headed to the Semifinals of CyberPatriot - the Air Force Association's (AFA) National Youth Cyber Defense Competition. Established by AFA in 2009, the CyberPatriot National Youth Cyber Education Program is designed to excite, educate, and motivate students toward careers in cybersecurity and other science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines critical to our nation's future.
 
Led by Coach Minh Vu, the team of students from Santa Ana Valley High School excelled in the CyberPatriot X Open Division qualification rounds, demonstrating teamwork, critical thinking skills, and technical knowledge key to a successful career in cybersecurity. The team's performance earned it a spot in the Semifinal Round to be held this month. Following the Semifinals, the top 12 Open Division / 13 All Service Division teams will advance to the CyberPatriot X National Finals Competition in Baltimore, Md.
    
 
BOARD HIGHLIGHTS    

The Board received an update from our high school ambassadors on what is taking place on their campuses. The Board also recognized the Certificated and Classified Employee of the Month - Maria Sandoval and Eneida Arambulo. The Board recognized 91 year old Rafael Perez as an Outstanding Volunteer at Davis Elementary School. Mr. Perez has been volunteering at the school for 12 years. Presentations included an update on the Governor's Proposed Budget and Facilities Financing. The Board adopted a resolution proclaiming March 5-9  as National School Breakfast Week. All Board meetings can be viewed at www.sausd.us.

The next Regular Meeting of the Board of Education will be held on Tuesday, February 27, 2018, at 6:00 p.m.  
 
Members of the SAUSD Board of Education 
 
Valerie Amezcua, President
Rigo Rodriguez, Ph.D., Vice President
Alfonso Alvarez, Ed.D., Clerk
Cecilia "Ceci" Iglesias, Member
John Palacio, Member  
 
Stefanie P. Phillips, Ed.D., Superintendent
BOARD RECOGNIZES 91 YEAR OLD OUTSTANDING VOLUNTEER

Rafael Perez was recently recognized by the Santa Ana Unified School District Board of Education for being an outstanding volunteer who makes a difference in the lives of students at Davis Elementary. At 91 years old, Mr. Perez, referred to as "Abuelito" by all the students, has been volunteering for 12 years. "It is his love for children and education that motivates him to volunteer. Year after year, former students return to Davis to say hi to Mr. Perez and see how he is doing and to let him know how much they appreciated his help," said Robert Anguiano, Principal of Davis Elementary School.

VALLEY STUDENT NOMINATED TO NAVAL ACADEMY BY CONGRESSMAN

Santa Ana Police Athletic and Activity League student Grant Cuevas, a senior at Santa Ana Valley High School, was recently nominated by U.S. Congress Member Lou Correa for the Naval Academy. Congratulations to Grant! To read more about Grant, please visit the Santa Ana Police Officers Association Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/SantaAnaPoa/. 
 

UPCOMING EVENTS 
ANNUAL 5K 'WELLNESS RESOLUTION RUN' COMING FEBRUARY 24 
  
The Santa Ana Unified School District is proud to announce the return of the annual resolution run at Godinez Fundamental High School/Centennial Regional Park. SAUSD's yearly 5k fun run event will be held on Saturday, February 24, 2018 from 8 to 11 a.m. at Godinez Fundamental High School/Centennial Regional Park, 3002 Centennial Road in Santa Ana. Registration is limited to benefits-eligible employees only. To participate, click here to sign up on or before February 22, 2018. 
RSVP TODAY FOR ALUMNI MIXER 
IN HONOR OF DISTRICT'S 130TH ANNIVERSARY   

Calling all SAUSD alumni and supporters! Join us for a free all-class business networking mixer. Click here to reserve your spot.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD APPLICATION

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Your school news is important to us! To have your items considered for inclusion in our weekly eBlast and/or via other District media channels, please submit items to [email protected] by 5 p.m. Wednesdays for possible publication the following week. Due to space limitations, we may not be able to publish every item but will make every effort to share your news with the SAUSD community.
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