Saddleback Valley Unified School District
April 20, 2018
Esperanza Pancake Breakfast - Sunday April 22
8:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Esperanza Education Center
25121 Pradera Drive, Mission Viejo
Students from Esperanza Education Center host an annual Pancake Breakfast to raise funds for special projects that improve their Education Center. The students really enjoy coming to the district office to sell tickets, and the funds raised this year will be used to renovate their garden and outdoor learning space. Tickets are still available and may be purchased at the door the morning of the event.
School Information
La Paz Wins $25,000 for Music Program
Through the ScholarShare 529 Scholar Dollars Grant sponsored by the California Department of Treasury, the La Paz Intermediate Music Program placed 2nd in the voting competition and will receive a $25,000 grant! La Paz's outstanding music program has been selected eight times over the past ten years to participate in the prestigious Monterey Next Generation Jazz Festival, and both their band and orchestra have received excellent and superior ratings during the various regional competitions.

With the grant money, La Paz will make needed repairs and purchase new instruments, which will allow all music students to play instruments of their choosing and ensure the continuation of the music program for generations to come.

Congratulations La Paz, and thank you to all who voted!
2018 OC Artist of the Year Nominees
The OC Register partnerships with Orange County Music and Dance, along with the Orange County Department of Education, are proud to announce the semi-finalists for the 2018 OC Artist of the Year. SVUSD is proud to announce that we have three students who have been named into this elite group:

Ben Sellers, a senior at Mission Viejo High School, is among the top 14 to be selected as a semi-finalist out of 72 nominees in the vocal music category. Ben's specialty is in the non-classical and musical theater category. Ben shares that,
"Creating music is a big part of my life. As stated earlier, beyond singing, I also play guitar, piano, mandolin and banjo. I also have composed music before for my school's theater production, "A Midsummer Night's Dream." I also have written some of my own songs and would like to continue doing that in the future."

Devoree Shields , a senior at Mission Viejo High School, is among the top 13 to be selected as a semi-finalist out of 106 nominees in the theater acting category. Devoree states, "High school theater has introduced me to types of people I would have never encountered before...Working closely with people of different beliefs, backgrounds, ethnicities and sexual orientations provides me with the most valuable experience I could ever ask for - becoming a more understanding human being."
 
Hannah Kantoris, a senior at El Toro High School, was selected as one of the top 7 out of 33 nominees in the 3D visual arts category. Hannah's specialty is in sculpting and metalwork. Hannah says, "My artwork consists mostly of figurative mixed media ceramic sculptures. I pull a lot of inspiration from nature and living organisms. I enjoy creating pieces that are realistic or look lively."

You may read more about the 2018 OC Artist of the Year awards by accessing the following links:

eSports For Education
eSports are not only extremely popular and a lot of fun, they also provide an environment for learning critical skills for career success. That's part of why SVUSD schools are participating in the new Orange County High School eSports League. Education experts agree that it takes a lot of work and dedication to master strategic games like League of Legends (the platform used by the OC High School eSports League.) While playing, students are actively learning 21st century skills and problem-solving, and they're also understanding how to connect their own problem-solving with a whole community of players. Watch these videos with interviews from UCI professors, teachers, and STEM professionals, or, visit the League website to understand more:


El Toro, Laguna Hills and Mission Viejo High Schools are wrapping up their first season of eSports shortly. It's been fun to witness the students' excitement at playing a favorite online game against rival school teams, along with the teacher/mentor/team general manger's enthusiasm for learning at the same time. OCDE Superintendent Al Mijares is supporter of the league as well, and you may read his article on eSports here:

2018 CABE Teachership Awards
The annual California Association for Bilingual Education (CABE) Conference was held in Sacramento the week of March 18, 2018. Five aspiring bilingual teachers were awarded teachership awards, and three of them are currently student teaching within SVUSD. These students are enrolled in UC Irvine's School of Education MAT program.  Margarita Rodriguez, Karina Calderon and Jennifer Chavez-Lanza, are completing their student teaching in the two-way Spanish immersion classrooms at Gates Elementary School.

Megan Gibbs and Marco Castillo, both recipients of a teachership award in 2014, are strong advocates in the field and have mentored many bilingual undergraduates from UCI. Megan is also a master teacher for many UCI bilingual student teachers enrolled in the MAT program. Both Megan and Marco teach at Gates Elementary School, our well known and award-winning two-way Spanish immersion school, and are strong partners for many UCI students completing fieldwork hours at the graduate and undergraduate level in the School of Education.



Gates Principal, Yvonne Estling, and Student Teachers
Margarita Rodriguez, Jennifer Chavez-Lanza and Karina Calderon.
Toshiba and the National Science Teacher Association
"ExploraVision Honorable Mention Winners"
Congratulations to four teams from Mrs. Veravanich's third grade classroom at de Portola Elementary for their selection as 2017-2018 Toshiba and the National Science Teacher Association (NSTA) ExploraVision Honorable Mention Winners. The honorable mention award places these four team projects among the top 10% of all projects submitted in this national science competition. The judges for this competition are comprised of 50 NSTA members, and approximately 12 Ph.D. scientists from NASA, FDA, NIH and NSF. The purpose of the ExploraVision contest is for K-12 students to study NGSS standards and apply their learning through inventions that solve real-world problems with a strong emphasis on STEM.

Henry Nison, Faris Moubayed, and Douglas Martella invented a Healthcare Companion Dog that would assist children with special needs with tasks that some people take for granted within a classroom, and would also assist with wheelchair users in innovative ways.

Ava Helring and Clarke Haydon invented an UltraGrowth Greenhouse system that would be built on top of grocery stores with a special system that would allow stores to grow and sell fruits and vegetables.

Sophie Rubin Paz, Ellie Collins-Hordyk, Hayden Futrell, and Genevieve Boudreau invented a Faux Otter Sea Suit that would utilize 3D printing models to create a wet suit that mimics an otter's fur for divers.

Robert Cranmer, Harley Futrell, Elijah Bardowell, and Carleigh Miller invented KidsBook as a way to connect children with their parents and friends, and to encourage creativity and friendships that are positive and protected online.
SVUSD Area Music Concerts
In April there were two Area Music Concerts hosted at SVUSD schools, showcasing the wonderful musical talents of students from all levels. A total of four area music concerts were performed in March and April, as well as a district-wide choral showcase. A special thank you to Bertrand's Music for partnering with SVUSD to bring these concerts to family and friends.

On April 10, Trabuco Hills High School hosted a concert with band and orchestra groups from: Trabuco Hills High, Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate, Cielo Vista, Del Lago, Foothill Ranch, Melinda Heights, Trabuco and Trabuco Mesa Elementary schools.
The final concert took place on April 17 at Laguna Hills High school. The evening performances were by students from: Laguna Hills High, Los Alisos Intermediate, Linda Vista, Lomarena, San Joaquin and Valencia Elementary schools.
National Letters of Intent
Student athletes from Laguna Hills and Mission Viejo High schools, signed their letters of intent in April to play their sport as they continue their academic studies in college. These students join the other SVUSD student athletes who signed their letters in December and February. Congratulations to all!

LHHS
Kevin Catalan - Soccer - Vanguard University
Megan Casper - Softball - University of California, Riverside
Matt Hales - Swimming - Cornell University
Izzy Booth - Lacrosse - Lindenwood University, Belleville, Illinois
Maile Powell - Volleyball - University of Hawaii, Hilo
Erika Morris - Softball - Concordia Unversity
Maddie Allen - Softball - Humbolt State
Teah Thies - Softball - University of California, Santa Barbara
Jackie Crowe - Softball - Humbolt State
Taylor Ward - Softball - Presbyterian College, South Carolina
Mark Zuvich - Football - University of Southern California
Marcus Wood - Lacrosse - University of Nevada, Reno

MVHS
Sabrina Hartmann- Track & Field - Brigham Young University
Gavin Hollis - Swim - University of California, Santa Cruz
Ian Rose - Soccer - Westminster College
Community Services


















The Kid's Factory of Mission Viejo hosted "Bunny Days" at the Norman P. Murray Center on March 31st. Over 6,500 people came and enjoyed carnival games, spring crafts, an egg hunt and getting their photos taken with Mr. Bunny.
The Kid's Factory of Lake Forest have been participating in a "Kindness Campaign." The campaign rewards participants who have exemplified kindness, respect, and sportsmanship within our community programs. Students who have gone above and beyond are recognized with a certificate and are entered into a raffle to win a monthly prize.
Upcoming Events
April 24
April 26
May 28
June 3, 4, & 5
June 14
Esperanza Open House
Elementary Open House (Not Valencia)
Lomarena Elementary School play "Alice in Wonderland"
Memorial Day Holiday (District closed)
Last Day of School
District Information
Dr. Crystal Turner
Superintendent

              Board of Trustees

Amanda Morrell
President

Suzie R. Swartz
Vice President

Dr. Edward Wong
Clerk

Dolores Winchell
Dennis Walsh
Members

Daniel Choi
Student Board Member
The Saddleback Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees encourages community members to attend and participate in its business meetings whenever possible.

Closed session board business is typically conducted at 5:00 p.m. followed by open session business typically beginning at 6:00 p.m. Meetings are held in the SVUSD Education Center Board Room located at 25631 Peter A. Hartman Way, Mission Viejo.
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