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This week marks the start of Classified School Employee Week, a special opportunity to recognize the individuals who work in essential, often unseen roles across the district. 

What is a “classified” school employee? In the simplest terms, it’s any employee who does not have a teaching credential. Classified employees are an important part of the education community. They support and nurture our students, families, and colleagues in countless ways – as paraeducators, librarians, technology specialists, clerks, administrative assistants, office managers, family liaisons, nutrition assistants, landscapers, tutors, electricians, payroll technicians, human resources assistants, and many more. They are on the frontlines and behind the scenes, and our district could not function without them. Please join me in celebrating this special group of education professionals!

Here are this week’s updates and reminders.

EUSD excitement: There’s been no shortage of special events this month around EUSD, and I’m happy to share some highlights. 

  • On May 5, the Helpful Honda team from San Diego Honda Dealers paid a visit to L.R. Green Elementary to surprise teacher Olivia Hannigan with $5,000 in classroom supplies. Mrs. Hannigan, who teaches children from across North County in L.R. Green’s Deaf and Hard of Hearing program, was nominated by her sister for the Honda’s Helpful Teacher Appreciation Awards. The donation included two dry-erase activity tables, an ASL area rug, a rocker chair, an office chair, ottomans, glow-in-the-dark supplies, an iPad Pro with Final Cut Pro, iPad stands, speaker and microphone, books, flashcards, magnets, and other supplies. Mrs. Hannigan ensures that her students, who range from Kindergartners to 5th-graders, have customized schoolwork that aligns with their grade level, cognitive abilities, language, and academic skills. Special thanks to CBS News 8 reporter Jeff Zevely for covering this heartwarming event. You can watch his feature story online and view photos on our Facebook page
  • We appreciate all of the students, families and employees who joined us for a bright and beautiful smART Festival last week at the California Center for the Arts. The festival featured thousands of pieces of two- and three-dimensional art created by our talented students, with all 24 schools and all grade levels represented. Special thanks goes out to our teachers and art docent volunteers for leading such creative and diverse art lessons for our students. Be sure to check out a photo album and event recap on our Facebook page.

COVID testing: Beginning this week, operating hours will be reduced for the district’s drive-through COVID testing program for students, employees, and their household members. Testing will be available Monday through Friday from 7 to 8 a.m and 2 to 4 p.m. at the Carilyn Gilbert Education Center, 2310 Aldergrove Avenue. To participate in the testing program, register here

State assessments: As the annual CAASPP testing continues in our schools, we appreciate your ongoing support in helping to ensure that students are well-prepared on testing days, with encouragement, a good night’s rest, and a healthy breakfast. Remind your students to bring their fully charged iPads to school, along with their preferred wired headphones. Schools will provide headphones, but students are allowed to bring their own wired headphones. Students in grades 3 through 8 take this computer-based assessment, which measures each student’s progress in English language arts and math.