We want to take a moment to express our deepest gratitude for the incredible staff at El Diamante. Their tireless efforts in educating and supporting our students do not go unnoticed. Each day, they make a meaningful impact—nurturing future generations with care, dedication, and professionalism.

The staff consistently demonstrate perseverance, integrity, courage, and kindness—qualities that set a powerful example for our students and reflect the true spirit of what it means to be a Miner. Through their actions and unwavering commitment, they inspire our entire school community to strive for excellence.

We are proud and grateful for the educators and support staff who serve as the heart of our school. Their work makes a lasting difference in the lives of our students every single day.

Madison Named Miner of the Year! We are proud to announce that Madison Butterfield has been named this year’s Miner of the Year! Madison truly represents what it means to be a Miner—an outstanding student, actively involved in both extra- and co-curricular activities, and a dedicated, positive force in our school community.

Additional honors include:

• Paulina Dominguez-Vela – Most School Spirited

• Mia Cervantes Ruiz and Kiara Seechan Calhoun – Most Talented

• Joseph Bediwi – Fan Favorite

Congratulations to all of our Miner of the Year contestants and winners! It was exciting to see them showcase their unique talents and school spirit throughout the week.

Prestigious College Night Scholarships - Diego Medina-Gutierrez and Grace Yates, two of our amazing seniors at EDHS, have been named recipients of the College Night Scholarship—a $1,000 award renewable for up to four years. They are the 21st and 22nd recipients of this honor.

Diego, our Class of 2025 Valedictorian, will attend Stanford University to study public policy. A first-generation college student, he has held numerous leadership roles including ASB president and Visalia Unified’s student board representative. Inspired by his background, he aims to become an immigration attorney. He credits College Night for helping him navigate the college application process and achieve admission to top universities.

Grace, who will study biochemistry at Fresno State through the Smittcamp Honors College, is also a top scholar and leader, serving as ASB vice president and soccer team captain. With aspirations to become a physician, she has interned with UCSF Fresno and volunteered at Kaweah Health. She says College Night was crucial in expanding her college options and helping her gain admission to seven UC campuses.

Congressman Fong -Congressman Fong recently visited senior Joanna Lee to personally congratulate her on her acceptance to the U.S. Naval Academy. This prestigious appointment reflects Joanna’s exceptional commitment, leadership, and academic excellence.

We are incredibly proud of her accomplishment and excited to see all that she will achieve in the future.

State Seal of Civic Engagement - Our AVID junior classes recently completed powerful civic assignments, with many students earning the prestigious State Seal of Civic Engagement. A select groups of students took their work a step further, presenting their projects in front of parents and community members at the VUSD Boardroom.

It was inspiring to see our students confidently share their ideas and hard work—they truly represented El Diamante with pride and professionalism.

A big thank you to AVID teacher Sarah Elder for her guidance and dedication in supporting our students through this meaningful experience!

VUSD Art Exhibit - We are thrilled to share the incredible success of our students at Friday evening’s 2025 High School Art Exhibition, held at The Creative Center. The event brought together students, families, and art teachers from across VUSD to celebrate the talents of our high school artists in a juried showcase.

El Diamante had an outstanding evening, with several students receiving top honors:

• Ashton Salgado – Best in Show | Glass trophy + $200 gift card

• Estevan Benavente – Director’s Award | Glass trophy + $100 gift card

• Gage Bianchi – People’s First President’s Award | Glass trophy + $100 gift card

• Valaynah Saesee – 1st Place in 2D Art | Ribbon + $50 gift card

• Savannah Madrid – 2nd Place | Ribbon

• Serenity Xiong – 3rd Place | Ribbon

• Elijah Sanchez – 2nd Place in 2D Art | Ribbon

• Jaidyne Mayo – Best in Class (10th Grade)

• Stormy Medeiros – Best in School: El Diamante

• Iyla Zamudio – Painting Subcategory Award

• Isabella Rodriguez – Drawing Subcategory Award

• Christopher Garcia – Printmaking Subcategory Award

• Makenna Wilkinson - 3rd Place in 3D Art | Ribbon

Special congratulations to Ashton Salgado, who received the highest honor of the evening with the Best in Show award!

We’re also proud to share that Elijah Sanchez and Iyla Zamudio each sold one of their paintings to an art collector attending the event. In addition, Estevan Benavente was invited back to be a guest artist and exhibit more work from his portfolio. Elijah’s piece also made an impression on Golden West’s 3D art teacher, Mrs. Thompson, who plans to teach his project in her class as a source of inspiration.

This year marked our strongest showing yet. El Diamante students took home three of the four top crystal trophies and earned the most awards of the evening. We are especially proud of our seniors who made this their final high school exhibition — what a way to finish!

Retail Food Idustry Tour - This past week, 20 of our retail food service and production students participated in an exciting industry tour at Texas Roadhouse! They gained valuable insights into the restaurant business, explored behind-the-scenes food safety practices, and were even treated to a delicious steak lunch. One highlight of the visit was learning a few of the restaurant’s signature line dances.

Of course, the crowd favorite was the famous rolls and cinnamon butter! Several of our adult students are now planning to apply for summer jobs at Texas Roadhouse. Overall, it was a fantastic experience, and students are eager for more industry tours in the near future.

🏆 Sports Highlights 🏆

• Jaden Castillo and Madison Butterfield both captured the title of League Champion in Diving—a huge accomplishment and testament to their hard work and talent!

• Isaiah Groff also made waves, earning 3rd place in league for diving—congratulations on a strong finish!

• In swim, Joanna Lee dominated the pool, becoming League Champion in the 100 Backstroke and earning 2nd place in the Individual Medley.

• The Girls Medley Relay and 400 Free Relay teams both placed 3rd in league, showing great teamwork and competitive spirit!

• Softball celebrated Teacher Appreciation Night, honoring our educators in a fun and meaningful way. teacher appreciation

• Big shoutout to Jazzy for launching a home run, lighting up the field with excitement! Homerun

• And a special thank you to Nathalia, who led the softball team’s Food Drive Collection, making a positive impact off the field.

• The Stunt Team made school history by competing in their first-ever Section Championship Tournament! Though they fell to Atascadero (4–12), this marks an exciting milestone for the program’s future.

Teacher and Staff Appreciation (5/5-5/9) -We’re excited to celebrate our incredible teachers and staff during Appreciation Week! From May 5th through May 9th, we’ll be showing our gratitude with thoughtful treats and tokens of appreciation each day. Thank you for the care, dedication, and impact you make every single day!

Orchestra (5/5) - Join us for a special evening of music as the orchestras of LJ Williams and El Diamante High School perform together in concert. The event will take place on Monday at 7:00 p.m. in the LJ Williams Theater. A $5.00 donation at the door is kindly requested to support our music programs. Don’t miss this celebration of student talent!

AP Testing - AP Testing is here! Students will be taking AP exams over the next two weeks. Please remind them to bring their chromebooks FULLY CHARGED, their charger, Student ID, and College Board login information. Please see the AP Exam schedule below.

Prom (5/10) - The Visalia Unified School District Presents Prom 2025 - A Night on the Bayou. It is on Saturday, May 10th at the Visalia Convention Center.

Senior Scholarship Night (5/8) - Senior Scholarship Night is on May 8th at 6:30 p.m. in the EDHS Theater. Scholarship recipients need to arrive at the theater at 6:00 p.m.

We are excitece to celebrate the achievements of the Class of 2025. Each scholarship awarded represents years of dedication, hard work, and resilience. These students have shown what it means to strive for excellence, and their future is full of promise. Congratulations to all—this is just the beginning

School Saftery Initiative - Our District continues to prioritize the safety of our students and staff through ongoing investments in training, updated protocols, and enhanced security equipment.

Key highlights of the School Security Enhancement Initiative include:
🔹 Pilot Program Launch – New Verkada Intercom systems were deployed at multiple sites starting in January 2024.
🔹 New Security Equipment – Features include an annunciator button, camera, microphone & speaker, and an integrated card reader for improved security.
🔹 System Integration – Enhanced coordination with existing cameras, door controllers, and office viewing monitors.
🔹 District-Wide Rollout – Campuses will remain locked at all times, with intercom systems installed at most sites and iPad distribution in progress. A full protocol launch is planned for the 2025–2026 school year.
🔹 Training & Support – Virtual and in-person training sessions will be available for school and administrative sites in June and July.

For full details, please review the attached flyer.