collage of four classroom photos with bulletin board, student writing, and teacher

March 12, 2023

In EUSD, every student is a communicator! Over the next several weeks, students in our Dual Language Immersion Program will be presenting projects that will demonstrate their proficiency in English and Spanish – a significant milestone on their path to biliteracy! 

The dual language presentations for 5th- and 8th-graders were introduced last year. EUSD dual language coaches were looking for ways to showcase their students’ abilities to communicate in English and Spanish, and collaborated with STEM and science teacher coaches to present the ideas to classroom teachers. What resulted are incredibly in-depth science presentations from 5th-graders on the Escondido watershed and social students presentations from 8th-graders on Manifest Destiny.

“It’s a thrilling experience for the kids,” said Guadalupe Hernandez, one of the two district dual language coaches.

The dual language program’s project-based learning unit exemplifies the knowledge and skills our students must have to prepare for college and life in a technological society, said EUSD dual language coach José Hernández. Students had to gather, comprehend, evaluate, synthesize, and summarize information and ideas to develop a solution to a real-world problem.

“The greatest satisfaction of watching the 5th-grade dual language program presentations was learning from students how they had to learn to work together by reading, writing, listening, and speaking in English and Spanish to a panel of adults, including administrators, teachers, and coaches,” José Hernández said. “I was so proud to see students having the ganas, or desire, to be in front of an audience to share their prototypes and solutions to protecting the Escondido watershed.”

EUSD fully implemented our dual language program in 2016, and it’s available at five of our schools – Glen View, Pioneer, Farr Avenue, and Lincoln elementary schools and Mission Middle. Visit our website to learn more about our Dual Language Immersion Program and the benefits of biliteracy.

Here are this week’s updates and reminders.  

Family engagement: The next session in the EUSD Family and Community Engagement Virtual Learning Series is Wednesday, March 15. The topic for this workshop is “Developing Healthy Habits.” The workshop will be delivered live via Zoom in Spanish at 5 p.m.; the meeting ID is 880 2409 4772 and the passcode is familias. The session will be delivered live via Zoom in English at 6:30 p.m.; the meeting ID is 865 4096 7002 and the passcode is families. No registration is required. 

Time change: The days are about to get longer – as in longer daylight hours! Yes, it’s time to spring forward, as brighter days are on the horizon. Hopefully you remember that daylight saving time began at 2 a.m. this morning, Sunday, March 12. Your clocks should have moved forward one hour on Saturday night. 

Save a seat for TK: We are proud to offer a full-day Transitional Kindergarten program, which provides a bridge between preschool and kindergarten in a vibrant, nurturing, and supportive environment. This play-based program meets the needs of our very young students at their level, and it makes them excited about coming to school. TK serves children who do not meet the age eligibility for regular Kindergarten. With TK, 4-year-olds get a gift of classroom time that will help them build a strong foundation for success in school. TK students also are eligible to participate in EUSD’s after-school enrichment programs. Save a seat for your little learner now through the New Student Registration webpage! TK is offered at all 17 elementary schools in EUSD. Students who turn 5 between September 2, 2023, and June 2, 2024, are eligible for TK for the 2023-2024 school year. 

play area of TK classroom with small table and play kitchen

Student Excellence Awards: In EUSD, we believe in the importance of recognizing students for their hard work and success in their school life. Among the ways we honor our students is through the Student Excellence Awards, which are presented at Board of Education meetings. Each school site team honors three students who have demonstrated excellence through positive character traits, special talents, academic achievement, or a special recognition or award received in the community. At the most recent Board of Education meeting on March 7, the principals of Central Elementary, Pioneer Elementary, and Mission Middle introduced nine outstanding representatives of the EUSD student community. Join me in congratulating this month’s Student Excellence Award recipients: Central 5th-graders Genesis Mejia, Abimael Lorenzo, and Kennedy Moralez; Pioneer 5th-graders Jaren Samson, Linda Short, Lucero Villagran Murillo; and Mission 6th-graders Edna Pantoja and 8th-graders Carlos Albelda and Shanelle Audelo.

Your voice matters: We value input from our parents and guardians, especially your participation in EUSD’s annual LCAP Priorities Survey. This survey focuses on specific priority areas, including student achievement, family engagement, interventions and enrichment, social and emotional supports, and safety. The LCAP is a blueprint tied to state funding that describes how our schools support the success of all students and spending priorities for such initiatives. This survey seeks feedback on current performance, areas for improvement, allocation of resources, and future goals. Responses are anonymous. The survey is open here through March 19. Thank you for your time and input.

– Luis Rankins-Ibarra, Ed.D., Superintendent of Schools