The Horizon
November 2023
As our Thanksgiving and winter breaks approach, I would like to take a moment to say thank you to our hardworking students, our dedicated teachers, classified staff and administrators, and our supportive families and community. I am so grateful to all of you for your efforts to help us in our continued work to ensure that every student has the tools they need to succeed in school, in career, and in life.
Writer Ryunosuke Satoro said, “Individually we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.”
This is certainly true in Jurupa Unified. Each of you is an important part of our team and because of all of you, we are realizing our Vision for the Future. We not only are providing our students the high-quality educational programs they deserve, but also are ensuring they have the resources they need to grow and thrive.
I am especially proud of our efforts to promote literacy this year with our Literacy Without Limits campaign. Our JUSD Family Reading Challenge has been tremendously successful and I look forward to announcing the winners on my social media channels next month (Facebook: @JUSD Superintendent; Instagram or Twitter (X): @jusd_supt.)
We also held book-tasting events at school libraries across the district to encourage students to try different book genres. You can read more in this edition of The Horizon.
As we build minds and futures we also are working to build safe, modern, and welcoming school environments for all students. You can read more about our efforts to modernize campuses in this newsletter.
Indeed, there is much to be grateful for this Thanksgiving and all of us can be very proud of how far we have come. Although we undoubtedly will face challenges ahead, I am thankful we are on this journey together.
Districtwide Book Tasting events to promote literacy
As an elementary media center clerk, Narda Gonzalez normally does not wear a chef’s hat at work.
But as the proprietor of the “Good Book Cafe,” it’s part of her uniform.
Ms. Gonzalez transformed the Rustic Lane Elementary School Library last month into a “restaurant” complete with red checkered tablecloths and place settings. On the menu: a wide variety of books that students could sample at her “book tasting.”
“We give kids an opportunity to read different types of books that they probably have never read. We give them just a little snippet of it so they can then try different types of books and see what they like and what they don’t like,” she said.
School site modernizations and construction
Renovations of Jurupa Middle School and Troth Street Elementary School are now underway, continuing Jurupa Unified’s ongoing efforts to provide safe, modern, welcoming learning environments for all students.
The Jurupa Middle School project includes a campus-wide renovation of the 72-year-old school with remodels of 33 classrooms, new roofing, flooring, windows, doors, and lighting as well as new concrete pathways and landscaping. The project augments last year’s construction of a new front office and classroom building at the front of the school.
The Troth Street project includes a new multipurpose room (MPR), office, library, classroom renovations, and the construction of 12 new classrooms. Portable classrooms will be replaced with permanent buildings and new playground spaces also will be added to the 74-year-old school.
Community Schools TSA is bridging the gap between families and schools
Karmina Cook’s primary responsibility is to help develop the whole child at her school site. As a teacher on special assignment (TSA) for Community Schools, she provides resources for Ina Arbuckle Elementary families, students, and the community.
Ms. Cook has served as an educator in Jurupa Unified School District since 2015 and was previously a kindergarten teacher at Sunnyslope Elementary. Now in her first year as a TSA, she dedicates more of her time to helping her community at Ina Arbuckle.
Ina Arbuckle is one of 12 JUSD Community Schools, supported by a Community Schools Partnerships Programs grant. The Community School concept involves providing wraparound student and family services to support the whole child and the whole community.
