GGUSD Celebrates March Employees of the Month

At its meeting on Tuesday, GGUSD's Board of Education recognized our March Employees of the Month!

Tyler Casalini of Los Amigos High School is our Certificated Employee of the Month! Since joining the district in 2022, he has inspired students in Art, Digital Media, Photography and Multimedia Design with his passion, positivity and commitment to ensuring every student feels seen and valued.

Trang Vo of Cook Elementary School is our Classified Employee of the Month! A bilingual Vietnamese School Community Liaison since 2008, she fosters a warm, welcoming environment and builds meaningful connections with families, students and staff.

Congratulations to both on this well-deserved honor!

GGUSD Celebrates Two Orange County Classified Employees of the Year!

Garden Grove Unified School District is proud to share that Paul Dalmas, electrician, and Debbie Guevara, Student Supervision Assistant at Parkview Elementary, have been named Classified Employees of the Year by the Orange County Department of Education, earning two of the nine honoree spots countywide.

Superintendent Gabriela Mafi surprised both employees at their work sites this week to share the exciting news and thank them for their outstanding dedication to GGUSD students, staff, and schools.

Debbie Guevara has supported the Parkview Elementary community for 29 years, helping create a safe, welcoming campus by building strong connections with students and families and ensuring every child starts the day feeling supported.

Paul Dalmas brings more than 25 years of experience as a journeyman electrician, using his technical expertise to maintain complex electrical systems and keep GGUSD campuses running smoothly.

Both honorees will be recognized during Classified School Employee Week, May 17–23, and will advance to consideration at the state level through the California Department of Education Classified Employee of the Year Program.

Congratulations to these outstanding employees for representing GGUSD with excellence!

GGUSD Honors 2026 Spelling Bee Champions

Big congratulations to our 2026 Spelling Bee Champions! Earlier this week, the Board of Education proudly celebrated Hill Elementary sixth grader Sophia Hua, who clinched the Elementary Spelling Bee Champion title with the word “plagiarize,” and Jordan Intermediate eighth grader Minh Do, who surpassed 39 intermediate competitors with the championship word “echidna”—and went on to place an impressive 10th in the countywide Spelling Bee!

The Board enjoyed celebrating these amazing scholars with their families and school staff! We are so proud of these outstanding scholars for representing GGUSD with excellence, confidence, and a love of learning!

GGUSD Visual & Performing Arts Hosts Annual Orchestra Festival

GGUSD proudly showcased the incredible talent of its young musicians at the recent Intermediate Orchestra Festival, where students from across the district came together to share their passion for music and perform!

From powerful harmonies to beautifully coordinated performances, students demonstrated the dedication, teamwork, and creativity that make GGUSD’s Visual and Performing Arts programs so special. The festival provided a memorable opportunity for musicians to grow their skills, build confidence, and experience the joy of performing together.

GGUSD is proud of every student who took the stage and grateful to the teachers and families who support their musical journeys. Bravo to our outstanding intermediate orchestra students for an unforgettable celebration of music!

La Quinta High School Competes in California DECA Conference

Students from La Quinta High School recently showcased their business knowledge and professionalism at the California DECA State Career Development Conference in Anaheim, competing alongside some of the top student leaders from across the state.

Thirty students represented La Quinta in a wide range of competitive events including Marketing Communications, Accounting, Entrepreneurship, Hotel & Lodging Management, Human Resources and more. Participants tackled challenging role-play scenarios and exams designed to test real-world business and leadership skills.

Several Aztecs delivered standout performances, with six students finishing in the Top 10 of their events. Three students earned podium finishes:

Ethan – 1st Place in Accounting

Jasmeet – 1st Place in Restaurant & Food Service Management

Kayla – 2nd Place in Quick Serve Restaurant Management

Beyond the competitions, students also attended leadership workshops and connected with peers from across California, gaining valuable insights into the world of business.

GGUSD is proud of these scholars for representing La Quinta with focus, integrity and Aztec pride while building real-world skills that will serve them well into the future.

GGUSD Hosts Unified Soccer Tournament

Last Friday, secondary students from our special education programs joined our Unified Sports teams for the annual GGUSD Soccer Tournament at La Quinta High School. Students had the opportunity to showcase their soccer skills while enjoying a day of teamwork and friendly competition.

Unified Sports promotes social inclusion through shared sports training and competition. By bringing together athletes of all abilities on the same team, it creates meaningful opportunities for connection and collaboration. Inspired by the idea that training and playing together builds understanding, Unified Sports continues to foster friendship, teamwork, and a strong sense of community both on and off the field.

Intermediate Students Shine at Intermediate Band Festival

The music was harmonious at the recent Intermediate Band Festival! Students from across the district's 10 intermediate schools came together to showcase their musical talents, performing impressive pieces that reflected months of dedication, practice, and teamwork.

Students enjoyed a morning filled with energy and school pride as young musicians took the stage with confidence. Events like the Intermediate Band Festival give students the chance to grow as performers while celebrating the power of music education and collaboration.

GGUSD is proud of every student who participated and grateful to the dedicated music educators who inspire the next generation of performers.

Violette Students Deliver Incredible Performance of Finding Nemo

Violette Elementary students truly dazzled audiences with their spectacular performances of Finding Nemo! Through hard work, creativity, and teamwork, they brought the story to life and showcased the incredible talent thriving at Violette. The dedication of our students, teachers, and staff transformed the school into an underwater adventure, creating a dazzling deep-sea display!

Thanks to programs like Disney Musicals in Schools, our scholars have the chance to explore theater, storytelling, and the arts—skills that build confidence, spark creativity, and inspire a lifelong love of learning.

Students at Mark Twain Are Learning Skills for Success!

Students at Mark Twain Special Education Center enjoy a vibrant and supportive learning environment where every student can grow and thrive.

Their campus features life-skills spaces with cooking stations, dishwashers, washing machines, and dryers, helping students build independence in daily living. In addition, students can explore a calming sensory room, a specialized library full of engaging resources, and a fun recreation room designed for socialization and movement.

Through Mark Twain's ATP Works program, students gain hands-on experience and develop practical skills that prepare them for life beyond school. Every student at Mark Twain Special Education Center has access to a wide range of opportunities tailored to their abilities, passions, and goals. GGUSD is proud to nurture growth, confidence, and success for all!

Rancho Alamitos Welcomes Families to Campus for Open House

Last week, families and community members gathered at Rancho Alamitos High School for an exciting and engaging Open House celebration!

Visitors had the opportunity to explore classrooms, meet dedicated teachers and staff, and learn more about the outstanding academic programs, career pathways and extracurricular opportunities available to Vaqueros. From dynamic student performances to impressive displays of class projects, the evening highlighted the talent, creativity and hard work of Rancho students.

GGUSD is proud of the strong partnership between school and home that events like Open House help foster. Thank you to the families, staff and students who made the night such a wonderful success and for continuing to support a culture of excellence at Rancho Alamitos High School!

Rosita Elementary Celebrates 'Read Across America' Week

In celebration of Read Across America Week, students at Rosita Elementary were treated to a fun and tasty surprise! The Rosita PTO welcomed students in the morning with a special breakfast of “Green Eggs and Ham,” inspired by the beloved children's book by Dr. Seuss.

The festive treat brought smiles and laughter as students enjoyed the playful nod to one of the most iconic stories in children’s literature. Events like this help spark excitement around reading and remind students that books can inspire fun both in and out of the classroom.

GGUSD is grateful to the Rosita PTO for helping make Read Across America Week such a memorable experience for students while encouraging a lifelong love of reading!

Pre-Enroll Your Child for the 2026/27 School Year!

GGUSD has opened pre-enrollment for the 2026-27 school year. We encourage families registering children in Preschool, Transitional Kindergarten (TK) and Kindergarten to get started today!

Parents should pre-enroll online at enroll.ggusd.us and contact their child’s home school for support.

Webinar on Teen Mental Health in the Age of Social Media

Garden Grove Unified School District invites families to a special webinar on Teen Mental Health in the Social Media Age, presented in partnership with UC Irvine, UC Irvine Health and Assemblyman Tri Ta.

Hear from leading experts about how social media impacts adolescent well-being and learn about practical tools and resources to help support healthy, resilient teens.

RSVP: asmrc.org/gz/socialmedia

GGUSD Recognizes National School Social Work Week

This week, GGUSD celebrates our Social Workers, Mental Health Specialists and Interns for their incredible impact on students, families and our community!

GGUSD’s growing Social Work program continues to remove barriers, foster resilience and support student success through initiatives like the award-winning Aspire Program.

Thanks to your unwavering commitment, GGUSD students have access to life-changing support that aligns with our district’s three overarching goals: your focus on mental and emotional well-being (Goal 2) ensures that students can fully engage in their learning; by removing barriers and fostering resilience, you create the conditions for students to thrive academically (Goal 1); and your dedication to social-emotional learning equips students with the skills they need for success in school, career, and life (Goal 3).

GGUSD Honors Maintenance Workers Appreciation Day

We proudly recognize and celebrate the hard-working Maintenance, Operations & Facilities teams at GGUSD! The dedication of these teams keeps our schools safe, clean, and running smoothly for all students and staff. From repairing classrooms to maintaining our facilities, their behind-the-scenes efforts make a BIG impact every day! Join us in thanking our incredible maintenance workers for all they do!

GGUSD Recognizes March as Women's History Month

March is Women’s History Month, and Garden Grove Unified School District proudly celebrates the incredible contributions of women throughout history and in our own community.

Across GGUSD schools, students are learning about trailblazing women who have shaped our nation and the world through leadership, innovation, courage and service. From classroom lessons and student projects to special recognitions, our schools are honoring the achievements of women past and present.

GGUSD is especially grateful for the many women who make a lasting impact every day — including our dedicated teachers, staff, administrators and members of the Board of Education — who inspire excellence and open doors of opportunity for all students.

This month and always, GGUSD celebrates the strength, resilience and achievements of women in our schools and community.

Free Live-Chat Tutoring for All GGUSD Students

GGUSD has partnered with Varsity Tutors to offer FREE 24/7 live chat tutoring and one-hour tutoring sessions to support students in their academic success (Goal 1). The program is accessible from home through ClassLink using a district-provided device.