SAUSD E-Blast for January 26, 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.
SAUSD HONORED FOR INCREASING STUDENT ACCESS TO ADVANCED PLACEMENT (AP) 
  
The Santa Ana Unified School District (SAUSD) has been named to the 8th Annual AP District Honor Roll, which recognizes school districts that are committed to increasing access to Advanced Placement for underrepresented students, while also maintaining or increasing the percentage of students earning AP Exam scores of 3 or higher. Santa Ana is one of 4 school districts in the county to be given this honor, and is also one of 3 districts statewide that have received the award multiple years while working with an AP student population of 30% or more underrepresented minority students and 30% or more low-income students. To read more, click here.
SAUSD SHOWCASES PROGRAMS, SERVICES DURING SCHOOL OF CHOICE FAIR     
  
Representatives from more than 50 SAUSD schools and district departments showcased their campuses, programs and services to the public during the School of Choice Fair on January 20, 2018 at MainPlace Mall. The event highlighted SAUSD's innovative and award-winning programs, and coincided with the start of the 2018-19 enrollment period and the district's 130th anniversary year. "We wanted the community to come out to see all the wonderful things that are happening at our schools," said Valerie Amezcua, President of the SAUSD Board of Education. "Each and every school is different. We are showcasing everything that we have going on." To view photos, click here.  
HUNDREDS TAKE PART IN DISTRICT SPEECH AND DEBATE TOURNAMENT

Hundreds of SAUSD students took part in the Speech and Debate Tournament on January 20, 2018. Congratulations to 1st place winner Esqueda, 2nd place winner Santiago, and 3rd place winner Carr, in the Small School Division. In the Large School Division, congratulations to 1st place winner Advanced Learning Academy, 2nd place winner MacArthur, and 3rd place winner Sierra Preparatory. The District's Speech and Debate program, which is supported by the Kiwanis Club of Santa Ana, continues to grow under the leadership of Sal Tinajero, who was recently named California Educator of the Year by the National Speech & Debate Association. To view the award ceremonies for the elementary and intermediate levels, click here
Kelly Crowe-Yrarrazaval, left, and Joseph Vasil, right.
DISTRICT EMPLOYEES OF THE MONTH FOR JANUARY 2018 NAMED   

The Board of Education this week recognized Kelly Crowe-Yrarrazaval as Certificated Employee of the Month for January 2018, and Joseph Vasil as the District's Classified Employee of the Month for January 2018. Crowe-Yrarrazaval is a counselor at Willard Intermediate School; click here to watch a video about her. Vasil is a School Office Manager at McFadden Intermediate School; click here to watch a video about him. Congratulations to both.
BOARD APPROVES KEY MANAGEMENT REPLACEMENTS
  
Changes are coming to the SAUSD management team. Congratulations to those who have recently joined the District or have been promoted to a new assignment, including: Daniel Allen, Ed.D.: Assistant Superintendent, Teaching and Learning; Theresa Davis: Assistant Principal, Madison/Santiago K- 8 Schools; Josie Castillo: Assistant Principal, Heninger/Carr K- 8 Schools; Paul Valerio: Coordinator of Special Education; and Johnny Leuta: Manager of Accounting.
NEARLY 200 CENTURY STUDENTS HONORED FOR COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

The Kiwanis Club of Santa Ana recognized nearly 200 Century High School juniors and seniors who have performed at least 80 hours of community service at their 5th annual Good Citizens recognition ceremony this week - representing nearly 25% of the CHS junior and senior class. Students were recognized with a luncheon and presented with a certificate. "It was very inspiring to see so many students engaged in community service," said Principal Jonathan Swanson. "We appreciate the Kiwanis' support in recognizing these students for their contributions."
DISTRICT RELEASES 'WE CARE' VIDEO TO ENCOURAGE STUDENTS 
TO SEEK HELP 
  
The District this week debuted a new video titled "We Care" to show support for SAUSD students who may be experiencing stress and going through a difficult time. The video features the Board of Education, Superintendent Dr. Stefanie Phillips, staff, and students telling viewers: "We Care. Get Help." It's a proactive measure to let students know that they can reach out to staff members to ask for help, and is also a way to inform students that the District has resources and contacts available to help them. To view the video, click here.
LCAP SURVEY AVAILABLE ONLINE THROUGH 
FEBRUARY 16
  
To capture the voice of all stakeholders, the District is requesting the public's participation in a brief survey to help determine how effective SAUSD is in achieving its Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) goals. The survey should take less than 10 minutes to complete, and all information is anonymous. The survey will be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from Friday, January 19, 2018 to February 16, 2018. To take it, click here. Please share your input into this new phase of LCAP. 
BOARD HIGHLIGHTS 
  
The Board of Education held its Regular meeting on January 23, 2018. 

The meeting began with the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance by Patrice Ibarra, a student from Lathrop Intermediate School.  After, student ambassadors from Middle College, Saddleback, and Segerstrom high schools and REACH Academy gave reports about their campuses.

The Board also honored Certificated Employee of the Month for January 2018 Kelly Crowe-Yrarrazaval, and Classified Employee of the Month for January 2018, Joseph Vasil.

In addition, presentations were given on the Annual Financial Audit Report for Fiscal year 2016-17 and the 2016-17 Measure G Independent Financial and Performance Audit Report. The Board also adopted resolutions proclaiming February 2018 as both School Counselor Month, and African American History Month.  

To watch the meeting, click here. The next Regular Meeting of the Board of Education will be held on Tuesday, February 13, 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
UPCOMING EVENTS 
DEADLINE TO APPLY FOR MINI GRANTS FROM SANTA ANA PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOUNDATION EXTENDED    
  
Each year, the Santa Ana Public Schools Foundation offers mini grants to Santa Ana Unified School District educators to support innovative projects for students and to provide special opportunities for which no other funding exists, with the goal of enhancing achievement. Examples include: instructional projects, classroom equipment, special events or activities for students, and specialized classroom supplies. The deadline to apply is February 16, 2018. Don't miss out on applying for one of these grants. Applications are available on the SAPSF website, here.
TIPS DEPARTMENT TO HOST SPECIAL EVENT FEATURING ERIN GRUWELL  
  
SAUSD's Training, Induction and Professional Support (TIPS) department invites the SAUSD community to a special event titled "Erin Gruwell: An ordinary teacher with an extraordinary experience," from 4 to 5:30 p.m on February 21, 2018 at the Delhi Community Center, 505 E. Central Ave. in Santa Ana. Gruwell is a teacher, education activist, and founder of the Freedom Writers Foundation, who has earned an award-winning reputation for her steadfast commitment to the future of education. In 2007, Paramount Pictures released "Freedom Writers," based on the Freedom Writers Diary, a New York Times bestseller that chronicled Erin's extraordinary journey with her 150 high school students who dubbed themselves the "Freedom Writers" in homage to Civil Rights activists the Freedom Riders. Seating is limited. Registration is required. To register, click here.  
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 before or on February 22, 2018.
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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 theresa.cisneros@sausd.us 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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