Santa Paula Unified School District News
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We are excited to welcome students back for the 2023-2024 school year! The first day of school is on Wednesday, August 9, 2023. In order for your student to return to school, we need for parents/guardians to complete the “Annual Update” process before the new school year begins. This process applies to students who are continuing onto the next grade level in our school district.
All new students who have not ever attended school in SPUSD will complete the “Pre-enrollment” process.
Annual Update: Applies to returning students who are continuing in the district.
Pre-enrollment: Applies to students who are new to the district.
Instructions for Completing the Annual Update- Returning Student Enrollment
1. Go to https://spusd.vcoe.org
2. Login to Parent Connection with your pin and password. If you do not have this information, please call your school site to obtain your pin and password.
3. Once you successfully logged in and can see your child’s profile, click on the tab on the top right that is labeled: Annual Update, then click “edit” next to the text in red.
4. Everything in red needs to be updated
5. When everything is successfully updated and entered, the red text colors will turn to green and will allow parents to submit their registration.
For any questions related to pre-enrollment or the annual update process, please contact your child’s school site first. You may also call SPUSD’s enrollment hotline at: (805) 933-8900 or send an email to: enrollment@santapaulausd.org
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Beginning on Tuesday, June 20, 2023, free lunch for children and teens 18 and under will be served at the Blanchard Community Library here in Santa Paula.
Lunch will be served on a first come, first served basis weekly: Monday-Thursday from 11:15 a.m.- 12:30 p.m. through July 20, 2023. In-person dining only. No registration required.
Please note that there will be no meals served on July 3rd and 4th.
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✨Get to know SPUSD!
We would like to share some information about Dr. Edd C. Bond, Santa Paula Unified School District’s Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources and Employee Development.
Dr. Bond has been in public education for the past 27 years. Prior to becoming a teacher, he worked in business and served in the army. He began as an elementary school teacher before moving into administration. He worked as a middle school assistant principal and principal in Compton before moving to Ventura County in 2013.
In Oxnard, he served as a middle school principal and human resources director. In 2020, Dr. Bond came to Santa Paula to serve as SPUSD’s Executive Director of Certificated Human Resources. He currently serves as the SPUSD Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources and Employee Development.
Dr. Bond received his bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Cal State Long Beach, his master's degree in Educational Administration from Cal State Dominguez Hills, and his doctor of education degree in K-12 Leadership from the University of Southern California.
Dr. Bond has been a Santa Paula resident since 2014. He enjoys hiking, traveling, spending time with friends and family, and playing golf. He is happy to be a part of the great things that are happening in our school district.
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We will be conducting our yearly fire alarm testing at Santa Paula High School all day beginning on Monday, July 24, 2023 through Friday, July 28, 2023.
Please be aware that the testing is very loud. There is no need to be alarmed, nor is there a need to call 911, SPHS, or the SPUSD District Office.
Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we work to ensure our schools are safe!
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✨Get to know SPUSD!
We would like to share some information about Ms. Lori Toms, SPUSD Director of Budget and Finance.
Ms. Toms has over 20 years of experience working for the banking industry serving as a Bank Secrecy Act Officer, Regulatory Compliance Manager, and Auditor/Business Control Manager. She has also worked for Kinko’s Inc. Headquarters for 8 years as the Manager of the Revenue and Cash group in the Corporate Accounting department.
Ms. Toms served as the SPUSD Business Services Supervisor from 2014-2018. She has been in her current role as the SPUSD Director of Budget and Finance for 5 years now.
In her free time, she can be found perusing book stores, visiting museums, or taking in a concert or play.
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The Festival of Books took place this past Friday, 6/23, and it was nice seeing attendees selecting free books (there were 10,000 to choose from) to take home and taking part in the various activities available.
A huge thank you to all of the local organizations for helping make this event a success by providing some really great resources for our guests!
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✨Get to know SPUSD!
We would like to share some information about Mrs. Alice Pacheco, McKevett Elementary School Principal.
Mrs. Pacheco has been working in education for 33 years. While attending Cal State
University Bakersfield, she worked in a classified position as an instructional assistant and as a community contact liaison for approximately 4 years. After receiving her bachelor’s degree and teaching credential, she taught grades K-6 for 10 years. Her administrative career began in 2004 where she worked as an assistant principal and then school principal.
Ms. Pacheco began working for SPUSD in 2014 as the school principal at Glen City Elementary and is now finishing up her 5th year at McKevett.
She enjoys spending time with her family, camping, watching TV, and going to concerts. She is married and has three children.
Mrs. Pacheco believes that the key to academic success is students, parents, and school staff working together towards the same goal. Mrs. Pacheco has dedicated her career to making sure children have a positive educational experience and success.
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Get to know SPUSD!
We would like to share some information about Dr. David Moore, Santa Paula Unified School District’s Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services.
Dr. Moore has served in education for 29 years as a Kindergarten, 6th-grade, and middle school teacher. Over the last 19 years, Dr. Moore has led schools as an assistant principal and principal at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Following Dr. Moore’s 11 years as a site leader, he moved to the district office and has served as Coordinator of Instruction, Executive Director of Educational Services and Special Education, and currently serves as the Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services.
Dr. Moore earned his Bachelor of Music Degree with an emphasis in Vocal Performance and Choral Conducting from Azusa Pacific University. He has a Master of Science Degree in K-12 Organizational Leadership from Pepperdine University and a Doctoral Degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Southern California. Dr. Moore has extensive training and knowledge in student literacy and literacy instruction. Dr. Moore has four grown children, four grandchildren, and counting! He is proud to be a part of the Santa Paula Unified School District.
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Congratulations to the 2022-2023 Santa Paula Unified School District retirees!
We thank you for your dedication and years of service to the students, parents, and community of Santa Paula. We wish each and every one of you a happy and fulfilling retirement!
Estella Arguelles- 19 years
Debra Chessani- 15 years
Noel Escajeda- 19 years
Debora Gonzales- 9 years
John Gonzalez- 10 years
Kathleen Hatfield- 37 years
Ramona Camarillo-Lopez- 6 years
Randy Miller- 25 years
Alice Montes- 8 years
Rozanne Rocksvold- 17 years
Irene Sandoval- 16 years
Nancy Sopp- 24 years
Teresa Trujillo- 40 years
Scott Yamahata- 5 years
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Glen City Elementary's Multilingual Culmination Ceremony took place yesterday evening and current kindergarten students in the Dual Language Immersion (DLI) Program, as well as last year's DLI kindergarten students, received medals for embarking on their DLI journey and laying the foundation for their bilingual and biliterate superpowers!
Emergent Bilinguals that were reclassified from English learner (EL) status to Fluent English Proficient (RFEP) status and were not able to make it to a previous district-wide celebration were also celebrated.
A huge thank you to Dr. César Morales, Ventura County Superintendent of Schools, for joining us.
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If your 6th grade student does not currently have their Tdap vaccine, please join us for a FREE Tdap Vaccine Clinic at Fillmore on May 25, 2023 from 4:00-7:00 p.m.
There will be another opportunity in Oxnard on May 31st. Please see the flyers linked below for more information.
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Barbara Webster Elementary’s The Environmental Show featured fourth grade students singing and speaking to the audience about things they can do to be healthier and make the world a happier place yesterday, May 18, 2023.
They promoted composting, saving energy, conserving water, being cautious about eating highly processed foods, and so much more!
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Dear SPUSD Community,
It was reported today, May 18, 2023, that a student might have a weapon on campus at Santa Paula High School. The SPPD, SRO, Administration, and security worked together to search the individual in question and their belongings. It is confirmed that nothing was found.
Safety of our students and staff is of the utmost importance.
Respectfully,
Jeffrey Weinstein, Superintendent
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The Rotary Club of Santa Paula's 2023 Scholarship Celebration took place last night and a whopping $39,000 in scholarships were awarded to local students! SPUSD students from Renaissance High School and Santa Paula High School received the following awards:
Academic Scholarship Award: Luis Avila, Gabriela Nolasco, Roselyn Gil, Karmen Parra, Alondra Leal, Mariah Hernandez, Karen Magana, Daisy Vaca, and Lorena Mondragon.
Renaissance Scholarship Award: Angelina DeLaMora
Music Scholarship Award: Gael Gonzales (Not pictured)
Vocational Studies Scholarship Award: Melissa Magana
IOFF Wes Easley Memorial Scholarship Award: Rose Segovia (Not pictured)
Anne Henderson Community Service Scholarship Award: Rayleen Meza
Janette Cole Memorial Scholarship Award: Samantha Ivanez
Congratulations to all!
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On Tuesday, May 2, 2023, a group of students from Santa Paula High School graduated from the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division’s Pre-Engineering Program.During the 15-week program, students learned about various types of engineering through hands-on experiences.Mr. Jeffrey Weinstein, SPUSD Superintendent, congratulated them in his opening remarks during the ceremony.Not only did the program graduates receive a certificate of achievement, but also a letter of recommendation!Congratulations to the next generation of engineers: Michelle Baltazar, Jorge Barajas, Fernando Galindo, Yahir Hernandez, Joseph Jimenez, Brandon Magana, Brandon Martinez, Madilyn Olvera, Christopher Ramirez, Lindsey Ramirez, Eduardo Valdovinos, and Daisy Zepeda.
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We would like to thank the Santa Paula Rotary Club for continuing the tradition of honoring some of our 11th grade students from Santa Paula H.S. this year with the Junior Achievement Award! This special award is given to the highest achieving junior student in every academic/elective content area.
Students received a special certificate and a gift card to Rabalais during the Rotary luncheon yesterday, 4/24. Above, you will find a list of students and the teachers/staff that nominated them.
Congratulations!
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On April 24th, 2023, Mr. Joaquin Licea, SPUSD Director of Technology, and Mr. Michael Colmenares, SPUSD Network & Systems Manager, met with five students from Santa Paula High School who have been selected to participate in the very first work-based learning experience serving as IT student interns.
They will be working with the SPUSD Technology Services department to address Chromebook repairs and more!
This internship will allow for students to apply crucial skills found in IT Support employment opportunities. This has come about through a collaboration between Mr. James Haas, Cybersecurity teacher at SPHS, Mrs. Christina Gonzalez-Ornelas, SPUSD Director of College & Career Readiness and Student Achievement, Mr. Michael Miller, Career Technical Education Counselor, and Mr. Joaquin Licea, SPUSD Director of Technology.
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You’re invited! On Thursday, May 4, 2023 from 6 p.m.- 8 p.m., Isbell Middle School will be hosting a STEAM Fest! At this event, there will be hands-on activities available to engage students, parents, friends, and family in the content areas of science, technology, engineering, arts, and math. There will be a handful of experiences for guests to engage and learn from. Participants will be engaged in different activities that will encourage creativity, team work, critical thinking skills, while boosting curiosity in real world situations. The STEAM Fest will be an event that allows individuals to connect problem solving to real world solutions, all while having fun!
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Dear SPUSD Community,
Here is an update regarding safety at SPHS and throughout the district. Last night, we became aware of a social media and/or group chat exchanges between multiple SPHS students regarding a rumor about a school shooting (see email string w/ ParentSquare information sent out to SPHS & RHS parents). All reports were sent to the Santa Paula Police Department and investigated by detectives. The police were contacted but could not substantiate the threat, as noted in the message that went out to staff, parents and students. There will be an additional police presence at the high schools as well as police patrols at the elementary schools and our SRO Gutierrez will be at the middle school. This morning there will also be an increased presence of District Office staff at the high schools and middle school.
After the message went out last night, SPPD continued to look into reports and notified me that there were no new threats and that all rumored information was non-specific and no origin could be established. All reports were taken seriously. Information came in from multiple sources and were second, third, and fourth hand. These were immediately sent over to the SPPD. SPPD visited homes & spoke with many individuals who reported information and spoke with all sources of information. No new information has surfaced today as verified by the SPPD Chief of Police.
As we end our week, we thank you for your commitment and dedication to students. We know that security and safety measures work because of people and the established relationships that we have with students. Please be visible at your door as you welcome students into your class. This will help with making students feel at ease and it will also increase the visibility of staff across the campus. We welcome any staff member who would like to voluntarily assist with supervision and break time.
To report a tip anonymously, here is the phone number. Tips can also anonymously be submitted electronically using the WeTip form that can be found at https://mobile.catapultems.com/santa-paula-usd/Sites. This will be shared again with students and parents. We will also make sure that this information is more visible throughout the campus on bulletin boards, offices, etc.
Respectfully,
Jeffrey Weinstein, Superintendent
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✨Get to know SPUSD!
We would like to share some information about Georgina “Gina” Ramirez, Ed. D., SPUSD Assistant Superintendent of English Language Services and Community Engagement.
Dr. Ramirez was born in Mexico City and is one of five sisters. She is the second oldest and the only one that attended college. Her parents had a dream that they would become somebody and after her dad passed away when she was 13, she made it her mission to finish school. She is married and has four beautiful children. She also has a daughter in law and a granddaughter.
Education has always been very important to her. No one can take away our education and therefore, she feels that she has a moral obligation to provide our students with the highest quality education possible.
She started kindergarten at Vernon Elementary School in November of 1974 when she had just arrived from Mexico City. She continued her education in Los Angeles and graduated from Sacred Heart of Jesus in Lincoln Heights. She attended Pasadena City College and earned an AA in General Education. She then graduated from San Diego State University with a BA in Bilingual Bicultural Education with an Emphasis in Spanish. The following year, she earned her BCLAD (Bilingual Crosscultural Language Acquisition Design). Additionally, she earned her first Masters in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) from the California State University of Los Angeles. Her second Masters was in Educational Leadership from California State University Channel Islands. Finally, she earned her Doctorate in Educational Leadership from California State University of Northridge.
Dr. Ramirez began her teaching career at Sunkist Elementary in La Puente for Bassett Unified School District in 1994 where she worked as a Bilingual Teacher for 1st and 2nd grade. In 1998, she moved to Santa Paula and began working for the Santa Paula Elementary School District as a kindergarten teacher at Grace Thille and then later moved to Glen City to teach kindergarten and 1st grade. After 9 years of teaching, she became the EL Specialist for the District. Then, she was the Migrant and ASPIRE Coordinator. She also had the opportunity to serve as an assistant principal and interim principal at Isbell Middle School. Later, she served as the Director of State and Federal Projects. She has spent 24 years working in the Santa Paula Unified School District.
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The 2nd Annual Cardinal Gala: Dinner Concert and Silent Auction took place this past Thursday, March 23rd. The Santa Paula High School Center Courts were beautifully illuminated that night. Guests enjoyed a dinner catered by Presto Pasta while enjoying the live music.
The event was well attended and featured music performed by the SPHS Jazz Ensemble, Concert Band, Wind Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, and Chamber Ensembles.
A big thank you to everyone who helped put this wonderful event together!
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✨Get to know SPUSD!
We would like to share some information about Mr. Danny Guzman, Santa Paula High School Assistant Principal.
As a native of Santa Paula and graduate of Santa Paula High School from the class of 1999, Mr. Danny Guzman considers himself blessed to be employed at his Alma Mater and is honored to service the local community he grew up in.
Mr. Guzman has been part of the Santa Paula Unified School District for over 18 years. Throughout his tenure, he has taken on various roles and responsibilities at SPHS which include working as a physical education/health teacher, area department chair, and as an athletic director for 11 years. He has served as a member of the CIF Transfer Rules Committee, CIF Public/Private School Committee, and served as Citrus Coast League President for various years.
Additionally, Mr. Guzman has been involved with various administrative support roles as well as extra-curricular activities such as the boys basketball coach (over 10 years) at various levels. For the last 3 years, he has served in the role of Assistant Principal in which he has enjoyed working with teachers and students in different academic capacities.
He began his collegiate educational career by attending Oxnard Community College in which he was a student athlete while playing on the men’s basketball team. Thereafter, he transferred to California State University Northridge where he earned his Bachelors of Science Degree in Kinesiology and completed his Single Subject Teaching Credential. After getting hired as a faculty member at SPHS, he attended Azusa Pacific University where he received a Master’s Degree in Kinesiology followed by earning his Administrative Services Credential from California State University of Channel Islands.
In his spare time, he enjoys staying physically active (as much as possible) often going on long walks and riding his bicycle. His greatest passion includes traveling, as he enjoys exploring different cultures throughout the world. He takes pride in serving his community and is passionate about helping build the leaders of tomorrow.
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On Wednesday, March 15, 2023, Mia Rogers, a second grade teacher at Glen City Elementary, was selected to ride alongside the U.S. Navy Blue Angels on a flight in a Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet jet during a visit to the Naval Air Station in Point Mugu, CA.The U.S. Navy Blue Angels and the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds have a Hometown Hero flight program that offers ride-along opportunities to members of the community. Ms. Rogers was nominated by Dr. Lydia Olivo, Renaissance High School Principal.Ms. Rogers was joined today by all Glen City Elementary second grade classes, including her own. Dr. Olivo was also present, along with a group of students from Renaissance High School.This was such an amazing experience for all!
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Please join us on Friday, March 24, 2023 from 5 p.m.- 7 p.m. to provide input on the Isbell Middle School construction project. We would like for you to share any ideas you may have regarding the design and construction. This is also a great opportunity to ask questions you may have regarding the project.
The meeting will take place at the Santa Paula Community Center located on the corner of where Steckel Dr. and Main St. intersect. Light refreshments will be provided.
We are also seeking feedback from you via the survey found at the link below or by scanning the QR code located on the flyer.
English survey link:
bit.ly/3XmRcow
Spanish survey link:
https://bit.ly/3Iiclfv