Donning red-and-white striped hats and Green Eggs and Ham inspired clothing, thousands of students and staff members across the Santa Ana Unified School District (SAUSD) celebrated Read Across America from February 25-March 1, 2019. From hosting guest readers, to reading on the lawn, SAUSD schools marked the occasion in a myriad of ways. Read Across America is an annual reading motivation and awareness event that calls for every child in every community to celebrate reading on the birthday of beloved children's author Dr. Seuss. Research has shown that children who are motivated and spend more time reading do better in school. To view photos from SAUSD events, click here. 

Hundreds of SAUSD students, teachers and faculty members showcased their artistic programs and talents in Downtown Santa Ana on March 2, 2019 during the "Almas Soñadoras - Dreaming Souls: Youth Elevating the Arts" festival, a day of visual, performing, literary and cultural arts events created in collaboration between SAUSD and Downtown Santa Ana. From choirs, to mariachi bands, to dance teams, the students' creative spirit was on full display at the event, which was part of the larger Boca de Oro literary arts and culture festival taking place simultaneously in the Downtown area. "They were able to witness a true pipeline for what they could grow into," said Robyn MacNair, Visual and Performing Arts Coordinator. "The ripple effect lives on beyond this event." To read L.A. Times coverage of the event, click here. To view photos, click here. 

Two SAUSD teachers have been selected to take part in NASA's Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors (AAA) program, a professional development opportunity for high school science teachers designed to improve science teaching and learning, and increase student engagement in Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM). Joshua Gagnier, of Santa Ana High School, and Sandra Hightower, of Century High School, will receive training in astrophysics and planetary science, content and pedagogy. Training includes a week-long immersion experience at NASA's Flight Research Center Hangar 703 in Palmdale, California, with participation in research flights aboard NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA). 

 

Members of the SAUSD Board of Education 

 

A team of four teachers and Principal Ignacio Muñiz from McFadden Intermediate presented at the State CTE Conference, Educating for Careers, in Sacramento on March 4, 2019. Fifty educators from across California attended the presentation on "Designing Pathways for Intermediate School Success." "The McFadden staff were amazing," Don Isbell, Director of CTE for SAUSD, said. "They shared about the many STEM and digital media programs and courses that are options for students on campus. McFadden has one of the finest programs in California preparing students to be both college and career ready." SAUSD is leading the state in preparing intermediate school students to be college and career ready.

VALLEY STUDENTS WORK ON FREEDOM RIDE AMBASSADORS PROJECT

 

A group of 15 students from Santa Ana Valley High School have been working with the Freedom Ride Ambassador Project - a non-profit organization that focuses on the prevention/intervention of human trafficking. As a result, the students were recently featured at Ensure Justice 2019, a two-day conference hosted by Vanguard University in partnership with the Orange County Department of Education (OCDE), which brought together national experts to examine the paths of exploitation that can lead to human trafficking. The students presented their projects at the conference, which they will share with their classmates. OCDE has created a video about the topic featuring Santa Ana Valley students. To watch it, click here. 

SAUSD's School Climate Department along with the help of community partners, Project Kinship, Neutral Ground and the Orange County Department of Education, hosted EmpowHER, a conference for SAUSD female high school students at the USC Orange County Center. The conference was aimed to empower high school girls to become successful young women by building self-esteem, teaching self-awareness, and developing leadership skills through interactive workshops and an inspirational panel of speakers. To view photos, click here.

CARR TAKES TOP SPOT IN SAUSD HOCKEY TOURNAMENT

 

Eight SAUSD schools recently participated in an Intramural Street Hockey Tournament at Carr Intermediate School. There was a great turn out and friendly competition among all the schools.  Carr was the overall first place champion; Esqueda Elementary (K-8) came in second place and Mendez Fundamental Intermediate came in third. The tournament was supported by a partnership with the Anaheim Ducks. To view photos, click here.

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