The Horizon
September 2024
Over the past few weeks, I have been reminded of my gratitude for our students, staff, and community. Our ability to face obstacles and become stronger together sets Jurupa Unified apart.
September was busy and marked by numerous challenges. The month began with extreme heat and devastating wildfires in neighboring cities that affected air quality. Like school districts across our state and nation, we were confronted with frightening social media threats that disrupted our community’s sense of safety. Thankfully, every one of the threats reported in our community was determined to be non-credible.
I am grateful for the hard work and diligence of our Riverside County Sheriff’s Office, which resulted in multiple arrests in connection with these threats throughout the region. I also am thankful for the students who spoke up and reported the threats. We must continue to work together to maintain the safety of schools and we thank all of you for your continued support in that effort.
I also want to share details of some of the many safety measures in place in JUSD. These include:
A single point of entry at our campuses during school hours
Enhanced gates and perimeter fencing; which have been added at some schools using Measure EE bond dollars
A requirement for visitors to sign in and show their identification when entering a school (This includes our staff, who must wear their official JUSD ID when at a school site)
The use of software to monitor and alert us concerning online content accessed at school or on our devices
School Resource Officers (SROs) who regularly patrol our sites (We have one of the highest ratios of School Resource Officers (SROs) per student compared to surrounding districts)
Emergency drills conducted regularly at our school sites
Active assailant training available for staff
Many of our school facilities are more than 50-60 years old and need further enhancements when funding becomes available. Districtwide security measures - including cameras, additional perimeter fencing, and other security enhancements – are listed among the top priorities for funding that would be available through Measure V if voters approve the bond measure in November.
We always endeavor to provide our community with accurate and timely information about safety concerns at our schools. Factual information and updates are provided to the school community as information becomes available and law enforcement investigators permit us to share. Some details from ongoing investigations cannot be shared with the school community; however, the District makes every effort to be as transparent as the circumstances allow.
Campus safety is essential as we aim to provide the very best learning environment for our students. Please encourage your students to say something if they see something or hear something. Reporting issues of concern directly to law enforcement and/or school administrators will ensure the matter is quickly addressed. Thank you for your continued support.
Helpful Honda distributes free books to students
Earlier this month, special visitors clad in blue brought the joy of reading to students at Ina Arbuckle Elementary School.
As one of their famous “Random Acts of Helpfulness,” the SoCal Honda Dealers’ Helpful Guys (and Gals) gave every student at Ina Arbuckle Elementary School their own new book. Ina was the first school to host a Helpful Honda Free Book Fair, with more planned throughout Southern California this fall.
“Every grade level received a special book …that they got to take home and keep, and put their name in it and save it,” said Ina Arbuckle Elementary School Principal Tina Herrera. “We’re really pushing literacy…and so to have this, it was amazing. Some of our students don’t get new books…Now they get to take these books home, and it’s awesome.”
Joining in the fun at the book fair were Board of Education President Joseph Navarro, Trustee Karen Bradford, MA, and Superintendent, Dr. Trenton Hansen.
JUSD agriculture pathways teach leadership while working on the farm
Senior Stefani Rivera plans to pursue a career as an ultrasound technician, but the skills she learned in the Agriculture Science pathway at Jurupa Valley High School helped her get out of her comfort zone.
“I fell in love with agriculture. It’s actually really fun. You get to (meet) people in the class,” Stefani said.
At Rubidoux High School, students also gain the confidence to speak in front of their peers to pitch their candidacy and run for an officer position in the school’s Future Farmers of America (FFA) chapter.
Jurupa Unified School District receives an Agricultural Career Technical Education (Ag CTE) Incentive Grant annually. These dollars help fund the agriculture pathways and FFA chapters at Rubidoux and Jurupa Valley High School. In the 2023-2024 school year, JUSD was awarded $32,775 for these programs. The incentive grant is facilitated through FFA and is based on how much the programs accomplish in a school year, the number of students enrolled, course requirements, and other determining factors. These programs teach students more than just agriculture and horticulture.
Tony Martinez, the Career Technical Education (CTE) Residential and Commercial Construction pathway teacher at Patriot High School recalled how a former senior in his class went from being disinterested in construction to building a shed with his grandfather.
“We were building walls for a shed… it must have sparked an interest in him. So on a weekend, his grandpa was wanting to go buy a toolshed at Home Depot or Lowe’s and he (the student) told his grandpa, ‘I’ve learned how to build a shed in my construction class at school, let's do it together’ and his grandpa didn’t believe him. He convinced his grandpa, they went to the hardware store, bought the material, and they built a shed between the two of them...his grandpa was so proud of him. That right there really inspires me to work hard and make sure that my students are engaged, and most importantly that they leave my program having learned how to do things like that. It’s really rewarding” Mr. Martinez said.
Mr. Martinez has an extensive career with Jurupa Unified School District, having worked for the school district for 26 years in various roles: grounds substitute, equipment operator, maintenance employee, and maintenance supervisor. Mr. Martinez retired from his maintenance supervisor role to obtain the Riverside County of Education’s (RCOE) credential to teach Residential and Commercial Construction at Patriot High School.
Dr. Shayna Golbaf is Jurupa Unified's new Community Schools Coordinator under the Parent Involvement and Community Outreach Department (P.I.C.O.). She is a vital bridge between parents, principals, teachers on special assignment (TSAs), and students. We recently interviewed Dr. Golbaf to provide more insight into her new role and introduce her to our Jurupa community.
What did you do before joining JUSD this year?
“I was a principal for the last five years in Upland and we transitioned to become a community school about three years ago. After 54 apartments burned down across the street from our school, I realized that night...what the power of a community is. In that journey... it became such a passion.”
How does your role support community schools?
“Making sure that our students and families feel engaged but that they also are equipped with the knowledge to be academically successful…(and) removing any barrier that a student might have.”
How do you help the TSAs at the school sites?
“We (the TSAs and I) got to have two days together this summer, which was great to get to know them and really find our focuses for the year... But we also have once a month, where we get together and we really plan.”
JUSD in the News
The Riverside Record recently published a story about Measure V, a facilities bond measure that will appear on the November ballot. You can read the story here.
The JUSD Family Reading Challenge is Back!
JUSD believes in Literacy Without Limits to prepare our students for successful futures. Reading with your child is a wonderful way to promote literacy while you spend quality time together. Our Superintendent, Dr. Hansen, is challenging elementary school families to read with their students at least 10 minutes each night. Parents can log reading information on our Family Reading Challenge form: bit.ly/JUSDReadingChallenge24.
Class and school weekly winners will be announced on our social media leaderboards. School winners and top readers will be announced monthly. Grand Prize winners will be announced at the end of the challenge in December. We also will award mystery prizes throughout the challenge.
Let's get reading, JUSD!
Culture of Kindness
JUSD honors National Bullying Prevention Month with our Culture of Kindness campaign. Schools will be participating in fun activities that support kindness and empathy. Look for information from your child's school on planned activities and follow the JUSD social media channels to see Kindness in Action in our school community.
Nutrition Services Team Honored
At the September 16 Board of Education meeting, our Riverside County Library System partners honored Nutrition Services Director Missy Poirier and the Nutrition Services team for their work to provide summer meals for the Lunch at the Library program.
Thank you to Missy and team for ensuring our students have nutritious meals, even during the summer break.
