ARUSD Newsletter - Summer 2023

ALUM ROCK NEWS

UPDATES FROM & FOR OUR COMMUNITY

JOIN US for a Day of Summer Fun!

We hope you'll save the date to join ARUSD and our partners Kidango and SOMOS Mayfair as we celebrate the opening of the César Chávez Early Learning Center with a FREE Community Fair on Friday, July 21 from 1:00-5:00pm. The CCELC is a first-of-its-kind holistic, inclusive, and loving learning space for our earliest learners and their families, giving children a strong start in school and life.

This historic grand opening will include fun for the whole family, including free food and drinks, games, raffle prizes, a farmers market, a petting zoo, and more. Don’t miss this day of summer fun! Learn more and register for the event at kidango.me/cc

Environmental Justice for Earth Day

To celebrate Earth Day, we were excited to launch a one-of-a-kind program at Russo/McEntee Academy focused on environmental justice, sustainability, and family engagement. Students will have access to on-campus environmental education, and State grant funding will allow them to visit Bay Area parks and enjoy the beauty of nature in all its glory!

Russo/McEntee was recently awarded $700,000 through California's Outdoor Equity Program (OEP), which increases access to outdoor experiences for residents in lowincome urban and rural communities. This grant will also support a school garden where students can learn to grow their own food, a therapeutic garden to improve student mental health, and an environmentally-focused curriculum.

Learn more at russomcentee.arusd.org

We Want the Copita!

Our Copita 2023 soccer tournament at Independence High School was a huge success, with LUCHA Elementary winning the Elementary Cup, Ocala taking the Middle School Girls Cup, and Joseph George coming out on top in the Middle School Boys Cup. All of our kids are winners, and they showed it on the field. Special thanks to Board of Trustees President Minh Pham for joining us and sharing these photos!

Marching in the Mayfair for César Chávez

On Thursday, March 30th, our students and staff were proud to join our community in the 30th Anniversary March to honor the legacy of Cé Chá h i f k i h who began his organizing career right here in San featured performances from ARUSD's youth mari speech from César Chávez' grandson, Anthony.

Watch a video of the march from the School of Arts & Culture at Mexican Heritage Plaza

Volunteer Jubilee

We recently held our annual Volunteer Jubilee at Mt. Pleasant High School, where we honored our SPARC parents and our wonderful school volunteers Each school selected parents to be recognized, and the district's youth mariachi band gave a performance at the ceremony! Thanks to all the ARUSD staff who helped put this fun event together.

Dreaming of a Bright Future Ahead!

It’s that time of year again, when graduations have us looking forward to the next steps in the education journeys of our students...

We’re also excited to see so many kids taking advantage of summer programs to avoid learning loss and stay engaged with school!

A message from the Superintendent

Dear Alum Rock Community,

Thank you for reading our Summer Newsletter! In case you were not aware, we are currently conducting a feasibility study for workforce housing at two potential sites — Renaissance Academy at Mathson and the District Office. These projects would provide much-needed housing options to help us recruit and retain high quality educators for our schools and students The feasibility study should be completed in the next 2-3 months. Look for a report coming soon on all of the work being done to upgrade and enhance our facilities thanks to your support!

Warmest regards,

Dr Hilaria Bauer Superintendent