Group photo at Swami's Beach in Encinitas.

In EUSD, Every Day Counts for our students and our families. We have several critical community partners that help us to deliver on our commitment to offer authentic learning experiences for all of our students.  One of these partnerships also includes opportunities for our families to engage in learning, alongside their children.  

The Get Out In Nature (GOIN) Program inspires families to connect, learn, and explore the wonders of nature together! With the support of our incredible partners at the Nature Collective, families across our district are diving into coastal adventures in San Diego County. Highlights from this month include:

  • Families from Pioneer and Rose schools ventured to the San Elijo Lagoon and Nature Center, discovering the beauty of local wildlife and habitats.

  • Orange Glen and Glen View families took part in the King’s Tide event at Swami’s Beach, marveling at tide pools and the magic of the ocean’s rhythms.

Families find a sea star.Families learn from Nature Collective ambassadors.

Minimum Day Change:  Please update your 2024-2025 school calendars, as there has been a change in our minimum days.  Instead of our minimum day on January 17, 2025, the day has shifted to December 20, 2024, the Friday before our Winter Break.  Please mark your calendars with these important changes.  View the minimum day schedules following this link.

Here are this week’s updates and reminders.

6th Grade Camp (Camp Cuyamaca) Spots Still Available: There are still a few spots available, so we have opened the interest form back up until December 13. As a reminder, EUSD is offering a NO COST, 5-day/4 night camp experience for 6th-grade students during Spring Break (April 14-18, 2025). Sixth graders will have the chance to explore Cuyamaca Outdoor School in the Cleveland National Forest. The program incorporates trail experiences and citizen scientist projects to create hands-on learning that is meaningful, memorable, and fun. For many students, the weeklong, overnight experience transforms how they feel about science and themselves as learners. If you have already completed the form for your child, there is no need to complete the form again. Complete the interest form here.

eSports Virtual Championship: The Fall Season of our eSports league is coming to an epic conclusion! Mark your calendars because all middle schools will battle it out in the Virtual eSports Championship on Wednesday, December 11, from 3-6 PM. The event will be livestreamed from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Cheer on our talented gamers as they showcase their skills and teamwork in this exciting competition. Don’t miss the action—it's game time! See the flyer for more details:  Fall 2024 eSports Championship (PDF)

Honor a Caring Heart: The nomination window is 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 the printable Caring Hearts Award nomination form is online at this link (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. 

School Choice: The School Choice application window for the 2025-2026 school year will be open Tuesday, December 3, through Friday, January 31. Typically, students attend the schools that serve the neighborhood attendance areas in which they live. School Choice is an opportunity for families to apply for an intradistrict transfer for their child to attend a school other than their neighborhood school of residence, such as one of EUSD’s specialty schools:

  • Quantum Academy, a project-based learning school of choice for grades 4 through 8. Students live by Quantum’s five core values: lead with empathy, ask questions and seek answers, create, impact the community, and perseverance. 

  • Limitless Learning Academy, a blended learning school of choice in which students are provided a variety of educational opportunities virtually and in person. Students receive live instruction via Zoom, personalized academic supports, and enrichment activities that can be done independently at home or in person on campus,

  • Dual Language Immersion at Farr, Glen View, Lincoln, and Pioneer, with a pathway to continue at Mission Middle School. The program begins in TK and follows an instructional model that is designed to promote bilingualism, biliteracy, and biculturalism for students whose primary language is English, as well as those whose primary language is Spanish.

  • Conway Academy of Expeditionary Learning, follows the expeditionary learning model, or EL Model, which is a project-based learning approach with the core of the work's emphasis on authentic, multidisciplinary experiential learning and integration of rigorous content with real-world experiences that foster relational character development, and empower students to make the world a better place.

Explore all of our schools online. School Choice details and application links can be found on our website.

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