Our EUSD students and staff are amazing! On Saturday, November 9, EUSD had seven teams—Central, Del Dios, Farr, Mission, Pioneer, Reidy Creek, and Rincon—compete in the FIRST LEGO League Qualifying Event, showcasing their talents in robot performance, innovation projects, and core values. Our teams impressed the judges with their LEGO Spike Prime robot designs, innovative real-world solutions, and commitment to the FIRST philosophies of gracious professionalism and “cooperation.” It is impressive that our EUSD teams, many of whom are competing for the first time, took away 3 of the 5 trophies, and 4 teams are moving on to the Regional competition that will take place in December. A huge thank you goes to the EUSD teachers who coached these teams in our after-school enrichment program. The time and effort it takes to make this experience possible for our students is remarkable. We’re proud to announce our results:
Coaching Award - Dennis Zanesco and Bo Thomas of Mission
Core Values Award - Reidy Creek
Innovation Project Award - Mission
Rising All-Star Award - Del Dios
Motivation Award - Central
Congratulations to our Regional Qualifiers: Reidy Creek, Central, Mission, Del Dios, and Rincon.
With great appreciation to our community for supporting our Proposition E Bond Measure in 2014, we are excited to announce that on Tuesday, November 19, we will begin construction on new buildings at Mission Middle School. If you are in the area and see a large crane behind the school, that is our construction team assembling the pre-made classrooms that will become the first of two new classroom buildings. The addition of these buildings will allow us to remove the older portable classrooms at this school and give our students and staff modern learning spaces.
Here are this week’s updates and reminders.
Report cards: The first trimester of the 2024-2025 school year ended November 15. First trimester report cards will be issued Friday, November 22. Report cards for elementary school students will be distributed at school. Report cards for middle school students will be delivered by mail.
Thanksgiving recess: As a reminder, Friday, November 22, is a minimum day for students. The 2024 Thanksgiving break is scheduled for Monday, November 25, through Friday, November 29. All EUSD schools and the district office will be closed. We have much to be thankful for in EUSD, and we are especially grateful for all of our dedicated families. We wish you a peaceful Thanksgiving week – full of joy, rest, good food, and fun!
Honor a Caring Heart: The nomination window is now open for the annual Caring Hearts Awards (PDF), presented by the dedicated group of volunteers behind the Escondido Education Foundation. Directions and forms are now available in all school offices, at the front desk of the Carilyn Gilbert Education Center, 2310 Aldergrove Avenue, and online here: Caring Hearts Awards Nomination form (PDF). These awards recognize members of the education community who work under the radar while doing extraordinary work on behalf of students – directly supporting EUSD children in helping them find success and acceptance. These “caring hearts” do not seek recognition for themselves, and the foundation is in need of your nominations for the Caring Hearts Awards. The nominee can be any school staff member, parent volunteer, community member, or community organization. Anyone may submit a nomination. I encourage you to take a minute to think of all the individuals and organizations who go above and beyond in their support of students. Nominations are due by 4 p.m. December 16 at the district office. The awards will be presented at the annual foundation dinner on February 7. Check the foundation website for future updates.
Fishing for a cause: EUSD is a proud member of the Kiwanis Club of Escondido – Hidden Valley, which supports a number of programs in our community with a focus on making a positive impact on the lives of children. We are pleased to invite our families to attend the club’s Trout Derby fundraiser on Saturday and Sunday, November 23 and November 24, at Dixon Lake. All proceeds support programs in Escondido. The park entrance fee is $6 per vehicle. The fishing derby entry fee is $20 for adults, and $14 for children and seniors. This family-friendly event also includes free Kiddie Ponds on the pier for children 7 and younger. View this Kiwanis Charity Trout Derby flyer for complete details (PDF). In addition, numerous volunteer opportunities are available at the event; to get involved, contact the club by email.
¡Camp Exprésate!: Join the CCAE Theatricals group for ¡Camp Exprésate!, where students will act, sing, dance, and create. ¡Camp Exprésate! Runs November 25-27, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and will be hosted at Reidy Creek Elementary School. See this Camp ¡Expresate! Flyer for additional information (PDF). Financial assistance is available!
Breakfast and Lunch Menus: All EUSD students have access to no-cost breakfast and lunch. Families can view our new online menus. Select your school and menu to see what is being served every day.
And Remember, Every Day Counts in EUSD!
– Luis Rankins-Ibarra, Superintendent of Schools