November 17, 2023
As a district, we have thousands of reasons to be grateful this Thanksgiving. We are thankful for our students, with their seemingly boundless curiosity and joy. We are thankful for our parents and guardians, with their commitment to wanting the best for their children. We are thankful for our colleagues, whose collaboration from all corners of the district provides an extraordinary learning experience.
Our scholars inspire us and fill us with hope for a bright future. Thank you for sharing your children with EUSD!
We wish you a meaningful holiday with family and friends. All EUSD schools and the district office will be closed Monday, November 20, through Friday, November 24. We look forward to seeing students back on campus Monday, November 27. Every Student Weekly will return following Thanksgiving break.
Here are this week’s updates and reminders.
Rugby clinic: Save the date for a free rugby clinic! Our friends at Orange Glen High School and the Police Athletic League are teaming up with Major League Rugby’s San Diego Legion, a professional rugby union team, to provide a free Learn To Play rugby clinic from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday, December 9, at the Orange Glen High School stadium. All Escondido students between the ages of 13 and 18 are invited to participate. With rugby being introduced at EUSD schools, this clinic provides an excellent opportunity for personal and athletic growth. Complete this form online to register. For additional information, email EscondidoRugby@gmail.com.
Robotics results: EUSD’s seven FIRST LEGO League robotics teams were surrounded by supporters – families, teachers, and school administrators and staff – at their first ever competition, the FLL Southern California Qualifying Tournament on November 11. Fielding teams for the Challenge division for grades 4 through 8 were Bernardo, Glen View, Miller, Pioneer, and Reidy Creek elementary schools and Rincon and Mission middle schools. Our students have so much to be proud of; they succeeded in running their robots on the competition table, presenting their innovation projects to a panel, and demonstrating FLL core values throughout the day. The teams from Bernardo, Glen View, Miller, Pioneer, and Reidy Creek qualified to move on to the Regional Tournament in December. Three of the EUSD teams received special awards: Breakthrough Award, Glen View Robotic Gators; Rising All Star Award, Bernardo’s Hungry Hungry Blockheads; and Motivate Award, Pioneer Bots. A special thank you goes out to the EUSD teachers who made this program possible by leading after-school enrichment classes in FIRST LEGO robotics.
Honor a Caring Heart: The nomination window is now open for the annual Caring Hearts Awards, presented by the dedicated group of volunteers behind the Escondido Education Foundation. Directions and forms are now available in all school offices, at the front desk of the Carilyn Gilbert Education Center, 2310 Aldergrove Avenue, and online at this link. These awards recognize members of the education community who work under the radar while doing extraordinary work on behalf of students – directly supporting EUSD children in helping them find success and acceptance. These “caring hearts” do not seek recognition for themselves, and the foundation is in need of your nominations for the Caring Hearts Awards. The nominee can be any school staff member, parent volunteer, community member, or community organization. Anyone may submit a nomination. I encourage you to take a minute to think of all the individuals and organizations who go above and beyond in their support of students. Nominations are due by 4 p.m. December 18 at the district office. The awards will be presented at the annual foundation dinner on February 9. Check the foundation website for future updates.
Staying healthy: Cold and flu season is here, and we encourage you to review this video of county health officials sharing their top tips for staying healthy. When students miss school, they are missed by the caring adults on campus. However, for the health and wellness of all students and employees, it’s important to keep your child home if they are feeling sick or experiencing symptoms of a virus. Prevention is often the best medicine! Flu and COVID vaccines are available at retail pharmacies, public health centers, and community clinics. To find a location, visit the county website or call 2-1-1 San Diego.
– Luis Rankins-Ibarra, Superintendent of Schools