June 5, 2018
#GGUSDPRIDE E-newsletter
The #GGUSDPride E-newsletter features many of the great things happening in GGUSD.   
Send your photos to pio_department@ggusd.us to highlight your school or students in the e-newsletter.
Celebrating Class of 2018 Graduates
With high school graduation around the corner, GGUSD is launching  #18in2018 . Our social media campaign is an 18-day countdown to graduation and an online celebration of some of our brightest college-bound scholars.

Santiago High School's Nhi To is as selfless as they come. Although she has created some amazing memorable high school experiences, which include passing all of her AP exams with fours and fives and becoming a co-valedictorian, her favorite moments have come through volunteering and mentoring. “There’s an inexplicable joy in helping others. No matter how long or early the event was, I always enjoyed the time I spent volunteering.” She was proud to participate in Red Cross Club and enjoyed watching it grow into one of the largest clubs at Santiago. Nhi is on her way to UCLA where she will major in Chemistry and hopes to one day become a researcher in a laboratory.
Russell Launches New Programs, Celebrates Student Success at Open House
Russell Elementary Language Academy welcomed hundreds of parents and students to the school's launch party last week to celebrate several exciting new programs, including the new Spanish dual language program, AVID college readiness program, and PBIS, positive behavior education program. The school also recognized students with a variety of important awards for academic excellence, earning the pathway to biliteracy award, demonstrating leadership, and many other student successes. Thank you to Board of Education President Bob Harden for attending the event and for all he has done to bring increased resources and programs to Russell. Another big thank you to Los Sanchez for sponsoring the event and donating their amazing food.
Equipping GGUSD's Future Teachers
Last year, GGUSD received a grant through the California Teaching Commission which allowed the district to create a pathway for classified employees to earn their teaching credential. The grant awarded up to $4,000 dollars per academic year for 40 GGUSD classified employees to earn their teaching credential in special education, math, and science. Interested employees submitted an application that met the criteria needed to be accepted at a university level and demonstrated a history of excellence in their current job classification, and completed a competitive interview process. GGUSD partnered with neighboring universities, including CSULB, which provided a co-hort for the candidate looking to be future special education teachers. The program is overseen through the office of Personnel Services and works in partnership with the Office of Special Education and 7-12 Educational Services to provide on-going support to our future teachers.
Free Summer Meals

GGUSD will once again offer a free Summer Meal program to serve families in need and help ensure that children do not go hungry when school is not in session. Last year, this program served more than 64,000 free meals. “For some of our students, school lunch is their primary source of food during the school year,” said Bob Harden, Board of Education president. “This program meets a real need to fight hunger for our children.”
Last year, GGUSD hosted a celebration to kick off the Summer Meal program at the Garden Grove library.
Project Gratitude Honors Heroes
Sixth grade students from Murdy Elementary School concluded a yearlong study about the power of gratitude with a special celebration May 31 that honored a group of heroes who have overcome life’s greatest challenges. T urning their gratitude into action, students sold handmade “Gratitude Project” key chains to raise money for the Veterans Canine Intelligence Academy which is led by U.S. Navy Seal Andy McTigue. Students presented Andy with a check for $1028 to help further his mission of supporting veterans with disabilities free of charge.  
Successful Special Games
More than 600 GGUSD students with special needs from 21 schools competed in Olympic-style events at the 49 th annual Special Games on Friday at Bolsa Grande High School in Garden Grove The event is hosted by the GGUSD Adapted Physical Education Department and the Special Olympics of Southern California. More than 600 students with special needs participate, along with more than 400 general education students who help host the sporting events and cheer for the athletes. Some of the Olympic events include the 50-meter dash, 100-meter dash, softball toss, soccer kick, football throw, volleyball, and much more. 
Paine's Well-Deserved Celebration
The school community of Thomas Paine Elementary recently celebrated the prestigious honor of being recognized as a 2018 California Distinguished School with a pancake breakfast. Students, staff, and parents gathered for a ceremony where the sponsor of the program, California Casualty, presented an award of recognition to the school. The crowd was fully engaged as Thomas Paine’s choir gave a special performance, and all cheered as GGUSD School Board President Bob Harden and Principal Martinez unfurled the California Distinguished School banner that will proudly fly at the school.
Former Student Gives Back

Former Enders Elementary student Dean Dang gave back to the Enders community as part of his Eagles Scout Project. He built two LEGO tables for the students and also helped raise $1,300 from the local community and donated it all to Enders! Thank you for your dedication Dean! 
Vaquero Pride

Rancho Alamitos unveiled the winning photos of the 2018  #WeAreRancho photo collage contest. Students were asked to submit pictures that best represent what makes Rancho an amazing place to be and the final product perfectly captures what it means to be a Vaquero! 
Brookhurst Students Show Compassion
Brookhurst Special Education Teacher Samantha Giles and her students read a story about Alexandra Scott, a four-year old girl who launched a lemonade stand to help find a cure for childhood cancer – a disease she was fighting. While she lost her battle to cancer, her legacy continued through Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation. Students at Brookhurst Elementary were so moved by her story, they were compelled to help the cause. Last week, Brookhurst teachers and students hosted their own lemonade stand, raising more than $652.84, thanks to their compassion and a lemonade donation from Jay’s Catering.
Career Day at McGarvin
Aircraft Mechanic, Nurse, FBI Specialist, Lawyer, Software Engineer, CEO, Superintendent, Paleontologist, and the list goes on. McGarvin Intermediate School students received a glimpse into many different professional industries during the school's Career Day last week. It's never too early to begin exploring your college and career goals. #GGUSDPride