Message from the Superintendent
Dear AUSD Community,
Welcome back and happy new year to you and your families! This year’s break schedule afforded some downtime after the busy holiday season, so I hope your time away from school was both fun and relaxing. One thing I’ve learned over the years is that once we hit January, the rest of the school year flies by. Lunar New Year is right around the corner; soon after it will be time for spring break, and before you know it, we’ll be thinking about end-of-the-year ceremonies and summer break.
Did you make a New Year’s resolution this year? It probably doesn’t surprise you to know that most resolutions fail. But did you know that some statistics indicate that as many as 80% of resolutions fail before February? Instead of resolutions, I prefer to make COMMITMENTS.
What’s the difference? To me, there are big differences. A resolution is a promise made to oneself to do or not do something (i.e. eat healthier, watch less TV, exercise more, don’t go to sleep late), but it doesn’t require the same level of dedication as a commitment. A commitment involves a devotion to a cause and often an emotional tie to the end-result. In short, a resolution is an intention; a commitment is an action. A resolution is something you want to do; a commitment is something you will do.
So, let us all commit (or recommit) ourselves to being kind, compassionate, patient, and flexible. Let’s make commitments that represent who we are and what we stand for. We make a commitment to our families; we make a commitment to our teammates and to our friends; and we make a commitment to each other. How do we ensure we keep those commitments? We make small, achievable goals that align to our values and ask those we trust and respect to hold us accountable for our actions.
One commitment I know we all share is to make learning better and accessible for all our children. I am also making a commitment to focus on the positives, even on – or maybe especially on – those days that feel hard. In this week’s newsletter, we are sharing many positives to highlight the accomplishments of 2022 and the announcement of our first major awards of 2023: two California Distinguished Schools: Monterey Highlands and Repetto Schools. I’m sure there will be many more positives to come for our students, staff members, programs, and schools for 2023.
Before closing my message, I want to give a huge shout-out to our site staff members and to our Facilities team. This past week’s torrential rain was challenging for all of us. The students and staff members at our sites did an amazing job and were incredibly flexible as we dealt with leaks, room changes, and repairs. Thank you also to the parents for showing patience in the long drop-off lines and congested traffic around our campuses. Overall, we fared much better during the rainstorms than some of our neighbors. The real heroes of this past week were our maintenance and custodial staff members. They were proactive during the break to review potential issues and to address them before major problems could occur. They jumped into action, addressed all issues in a timely and efficient manner, and made sure areas were clean and sanitary for our students and staff members. Even the site with the most challenges had everything resolved by the end of the day and was ready to return to normal operations by the following morning. These staff members made a commitment to do everything in their power to ensure a safe and clean learning environment...and they kept their commitment.
I am excited about the new year and what 2023 will bring. As always, I am grateful for the partnerships with our families, staff members, and community, and for the strong commitment we share for the betterment of our children and their education.
Warmest regards,
Denise R. Jaramillo, Ed.D.
Superintendent
REMINDER: We are currently accepting applications for our 2022-2023 Spanish or Mandarin Dual Language Immersion Programs! Click HERE for more information. Give your child the gift of bilingualism!
Ynez School is up to 715 boxes for their school Cereal Box Domino Challenge at the school office. Can you help push that number to over 1,000? Reminder: After the event, all cereal will be donated to the ATA Food Pantry, so you'll be helping students as well as the community!
Grammy-winning musicians 123 Andrés surprised Fremont Spanish DI students on December 16th with a special performance. Their visit was sponsored by Los Amigos De Fremont as part of a celebration that included learning about a traditional posada and how various cultures celebrate the holiday season.
We're so proud of SGHS' Cheer Team. They did an awesome job helping to launch the 2023 Rose Parade on January 2nd. The team (along with coach Lourdes Arretche and athletic director Kirsten Nielsen) joined Tournament of Roses president Amy Wainscott on the parade's first float to open and then lead this year's parade.
Our PTAs do SO MUCH! Today, we'd like to shine the spotlight on MKHS' PTA (website). At last month's in-person PTA meeting, they took care of required business, but also hosted an art exhibition, recognized Reflections awardees, enjoyed a potluck, and held a Dessert Bake-Off contest. That was a very full and busy meeting!
Congratulations to the 23 parents who graduated from AHS Dream Center's inaugural Parent Education Academy workshop series. These dedicated parents attended weekly adult education classes from September through December, where they focused on English skill development and current community issues. We were especially inspired by the parents who spoke at the culmination on December 15th as they shared about their life journeys and areas of advocacy.
Do you know a local business owner? Please help us spread the word about how our Learning Independence for Transition (LIFT) students can help with their staffing shortages at NO COST to them through our trained (and supervised) student workers! Please download an informational flyer HERE. LIFT student workers are good for businesses, our students, and the community.
It's almost time for annual PTA Founders Day Awards Dinner and Silent Auction! Join us at the San Gabriel Hilton on February 17th (6:00pm) as we celebrate this year's honorees for all they do for our schools and students! Contact your local PTA for tickets. For more information or to check out highlights from last year's event, please click HERE.
AUSD Alumni Round-Up submissions are still be accepted HERE. Follow us on social media (@AlhambraUSD on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter) to see your post in the near future. Please spread the word to any alumni you know.
Alhambra Educational Foundation
Thank you to AEF for their generous donation of books for grades TK-3. In December, over 4,200 books were distributed, bringing AEF's total number of donated books to almost 43,000. Interested in supporting AEF? Visit their WEBSITE for more information.
Alhambra Latino Association
Applications are being accepted NOW through March 17th for ALA $1,000 scholarships. One recipient will be selected from EACH high school. To apply, scan the QR code in the graphic or visit their WEBSITE.
About AUSD
Email: AlhambraUSD@ausd.us
Website: www.ausd.us
Location: 1515 West Mission Road, Alhambra, CA, USA
Phone: (626) 943-3000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alhambrausd
Twitter: @alhambrausd