The Horizon
February 2025
We are moving into a very busy time of the school year, with testing, graduations, promotions, and other spring activities just around the corner. These last weeks of winter can be hectic, but the hard work our students, teachers, and staff put in now will significantly impact our students’ futures. Keep going!
Earlier this month, we reviewed our progress at the midway point. Regular evaluation of our academic and support programs allows us to reflect on how best to provide the highest quality education possible for every student. Although we still have areas where we would like to improve, we can also celebrate several significant achievements. Our chronic absenteeism rate has declined by an incredible 6.9 percent over last year! We also saw a decline in our suspension rate and a remarkable 9.1 percent increase in our College/Career Indicator, which measures our graduates’ ability to be successful in the future. In addition, Nueva Vista High School was one of just 74 continuation high schools statewide (out of 429 in California) to be named a Model Continuation High School.
The positive culture and active learning taking place at all school sites is another way we can measure our success. In this month’s newsletter, we will explore just a few of the programs and people that make Jurupa Unified an exemplary school district.
We are very grateful to the dedicated members of our African American Parent Advisory Council (AAPAC) who have worked hard to support equity in our district. This past month, the group supported literacy efforts, Black History Month activities, and student engagement. You can read more about their work in this month’s newsletter.
JUSD also has several opportunities for students to learn about different languages and cultures. One example is our French language and culture program offered at Rubidoux High School. You can learn more about this program in this month’s newsletter. Très bien!
Literacy Without Limits continues to be a focus for our district, and I am pleased to share that our spring Family Reading Challenge starts NOW! Elementary school families can log minutes together on this form: https://bit.ly/JUSDReadingChallenge24. I am so proud that our families read more than 197,000 minutes in the fall. Let’s get to 400,000 minutes read for the year!
As always, thank you for supporting student success. Together, we are making a difference.
JUSD's African American Parent Advisory Council supports all students
Ms. Hamblin’s second-grade class was full of smiles and questions earlier this month when the African American Parent Advisory Council (AAPAC) visited. The Del Sol Academy students were captivated by Vice President Syleah Charles’ reading of “Dancing in the Wings” by Debbie Allen. The story taught students the importance of kindness and pursuing their dreams despite what others might say.
AAPAC is similar to district advisory councils, school site councils, and other parent groups in that they all give information and feedback. The African American Parent Advisory Council represents African American and Black – including Afro-Latino – students and families in Jurupa Unified.
“We understand that where diversity exists, it allows for equity to have a chance and for inclusiveness to actually have an opportunity to become a reality,” said AAPAC President Turhan J.B. Davis.
AAPAC’s goal is to not only advocate for students but to enrich the community with culture and stand together as a group to have a two-way access point with the District.
Rubidoux High School's French Café connects students to the French Culture
Bonjour, comment allez-vous ? (Hello, how are you?)
The Rubidoux High School classroom bursts with chatter as students pair off to talk during class, a behavior that is routinely encouraged by their teacher. Why? Because these students are practicing their conversational skills in French.
Madame Arlette Ogiamien (also known as Madame O) teaches French I through IV (or Advanced Placement (AP) French) and is proud of how advanced her students have become.
“I think I’ve grown a lot since French I and - I feel pretty good in this class,” said Samantha Ilagan, a junior in Madame O’s French III class.
Many of Madame O’s students join her class as freshmen. By their senior year, students can become fluent in French and many have passed the AP French exam.
“I like the interactive stuff that we do, for example, some little flashcards that we have that are related to our vocabulary. And, I also like the fact that we are doing gestures to remember our vocabulary. That helps me personally because I’m more of a visual learner.” Samantha said.
African American Parent Advisory Council member standout
Patriot High School Social Studies teacher Marissa King wears a lot of hats on campus. As a U.S. History, Mexican American Studies, and Ethnic Studies teacher she created a nine-page series of informational fact sheets to share with our JUSD community in honor of Black History Month.
Ms. King, who also is a parent and the Cultural Education Chair for the African American Parent Advisory Council (AAPAC), created the fact sheets to educate and inform others. The documents cover various topics, from local African American historical figures to African American contributions to geography, biology, medicine, the military, and more.
“A lot of (the content) is taking the success of the learning experiences in my classroom and finding opportunities to share with the larger community.” Ms. King said.
The material came from many places. Some sources include the Civil Rights Institute People’s History of the Inland Empire, the National Museum of African American History & Culture, the National Archive, and Black Voice News.
Ms. King fine-tuned the information from the conversations with her students about what interests them, what they wanted the community to know, and the work that the AAPAC is actively doing.
Sandra Franco-Valencia's kindness and positivity is felt at Peralta Elementary
Students gather around Sandra Franco-Valencia during recess, eagerly waving and greeting her as a she patrols the playground, ensuring students are safe and respectful. She is their trusted Activity Supervisor and Activity Facilitator for Think Together at Peralta Elementary School.
Ms. Franco-Valencia enjoys working with students, staff, and parents by actively helping, and overseeing drop-off, lunch, and recess. The Jurupa Unified School District recently recognized her as the District Classified Employee of the Year. We interviewed Ms. Franco-Valencia about her accomplishments, her current positions, and her extensive history with several volunteer groups for JUSD.
Can you tell us about your history with JUSD?
“I've been working for the district for about three years as an Activity Supervisor and one year as an Activity Facilitator.
I’m Peralta’s Classified Ambassador. I'm the bridge between the community and our district. Also, I'm part of the Classified Leadership Academy.”
“I'm lucky to be part of the Panda Family, my second home. I love my job. The staff here are wonderful, beautiful human beings. (The) parents and students are amazing.”
What other projects or groups have you been a part of?
“I was a parent volunteer for more than 10 years, with four different schools; Stone Avenue’s Dual Immersion (DI) program, Peralta Elementary School’s Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), Mission Middle School’s South Korean Exchange Student Program / English Learner Advisory Committee (ELAC), Rubidoux High School’s ELAC, District English Learner Advisory Committee (DELAC) school representative, and School Site Council (SSC).
(I was also a) Measure EE Citizens’ Oversight Committee former member, (and) Café Literario former student.”
Thank you to the Youth Advisory Council under Supervisor Karen Spiegel for coordinating this event and spreading kindness to our community!
Spring JUSD Family Reading Challenge
Just in time for Read Across America: The JUSD Family Reading Challenge is back! Elementary school families can log their reading minutes NOW until 4 p.m. May 2. 📖
Schools with the most minutes read each week will be featured on social media. We will make our first leaderboard announcement the week of March 10.
Who will be the Family Reading Challenge Champions of the Year?
Be sure to follow JUSD Superintendent Dr. Hansen on Facebook (@JUSD Superintendent) and Instagram (@JUSD_SUPT) for updates and mystery prize announcements.🤔🔎
Jurupa Valley and Rubidoux High School students receive State FFA Degree
A round of applause for the following students 👏:
🐑 Destiny White, senior at Jurupa Valley High School
🐑 Andrae Evangelista, senior at Rubidoux High School
🐖 Jaelyne Romero, junior at Rubidoux High School
🐖 Mateo Sanchez, senior at Rubidoux High School
Next Level Saturdays
JUSD students in grades 7-11 are invited to participate in Next Level Saturdays. The final session will be held March 15th, 2025, from 8 AM to 12 PM. This free academic seminar is designed to equip students with essential skills for college and career readiness while addressing test anxiety. Each session includes a nutritious breakfast and a catered lunch. Students attending all three events can win exciting giveaways. This is a wonderful opportunity for your child to gain confidence and develop lifelong academic skills. Don’t miss out—enroll today through JUSD Parent Connect!
Next Level Summer
All TK-6th grade JUSD students are invited to attend our free, Next Level Summer program (formerly LEAP). Registration is open now-March 11.
Classes are from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. each day, with Think Together programming available from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Meals will be provided.
Students will have daily hands-on fun and learning with JUSD teachers June 3- June 27 (the program will not be in session on June 19, the Juneteenth holiday).
Sign your student up today at: https://bit.ly/JUSDParentConnection.