March 19, 2023
In EUSD, every student is a STEM scholar! Opportunities for deep exploration of STEM – science, technology, engineering, and math – are open to every student in and out of the classroom. We are thrilled to highlight this commitment to STEM with one of our district’s signature annual events, STEM Challenge Day. This event brings together scholars from every EUSD school to tackle math and engineering challenges in an environment that’s equally fun and competitive.
The second annual STEM Challenge Day was an overwhelming success, with nearly 200 students spending a rainy Saturday morning March 11 at Rincon Middle School collaborating on puzzles, problems, programming, and more! Teams of 5th- and 8th-graders representing all 24 competed in challenges in math and science, drones, robotics, and engineering. STEM Challenge Day is a reimagining of EUSD’s long-running Math Field Day, and now incorporates dazzling engineering activities with our partners from Treobytes. Students trained for weeks with teacher coaches and with mentors from Treobytes.
It was thrilling to watch the energy and collaboration among students, as they asked teammates, “Can someone please check my evidence?”; “Double check, double check!”; and “How much time do we have left?”
Congratulations to all of the participants, and special thanks to teachers, coaches, and support staff who came together to make this STEM Challenge Day a success! Here are the winning teams:
5th grade Math and Science: First place, North Broadway; Second Place, L.R. Green; Third Place, Reidy Creek.
8th grade Math and Science: First place, Quantum Academy; Second Place, Bear Valley, Third Place, Rincon.
5th grade Robotics: First place, Quantum Academy; Second Place, Reidy Creek; Third Place, Oak Hill.
8th grade Engineering: First place, Limitless Learning Academy; Second Place, Mission; Third place, Quantum Academy.
5th grade Drones: First place, Glen View; Second Place, Central; Third Place, Miller.
Here are this week’s updates and reminders.
Your voice matters: There’s still time to share your input on district priorities through the annual LCAP Priorities Survey, open through tonight, Sunday, March 19. Follow this link to complete the survey. We want your feedback on 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. We appreciate your time and input!
Final trimester: It’s hard to believe that we are in the last trimester of the 2022-2023 school year! Trimester 2 report cards were distributed on Friday, March 10 – in person for K-5 students and mailed for middle school students. We are proud of your accomplishments and efforts so far this year. In order to ensure a strong finish, families are encouraged to support steady attendance, good study habits, and student self-advocacy – do not hesitate to ask for help from your child’s classroom teacher and school’s support staff. In addition, as a reminder, the California State Library tutoring and assistance with an assignment thanks to its HelpNow program. This live, real-time homework assistance is available 24 hours a day by laptop, tablet, or phone from qualified tutors using state curriculum and standards. Students can receive tutoring in reading, writing, math, science, and social studies. The service is free for all California K-12 students. Follow this link to get started. All HelpNow tutors have a bachelor’s degree, have passed a proficiency exam for the subject in which they are tutoring, have cleared reference and background checks, and are supervised regularly.
Spring break: We are less than two weeks away from spring break in EUSD, which is scheduled for Thursday, March 30, through Monday, April 10. We look forward to students’ return to campus on Tuesday, April 11. As a reminder, Wednesday, March 29, is a minimum day for students. Check this bell schedule for your school’s release time. The district office will be closed to the public from Monday, April 3, through Friday, April 7.
High school hiring event: We are pleased to share that our Human Resources team will be bringing its convenient hiring events to our neighbors in the Escondido Union High School District in an effort to recruit graduating seniors to join our district as full-time employees and aspiring educators. The event is scheduled for 3:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 28, at Orange Glen High School, 2200 Glenridge Road. The event is open to EUHSD students only. View this flyer for complete details and registration information. This event is geared toward seniors interested in working as paraeducators in K-8 classrooms and joining the Palomar Paraeducator Partnership, a new program that supports paraeducators in earning a college degree.
– Luis Rankins-Ibarra, Ed.D., Superintendent of Schools