The Hueneme Channel

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It has been wonderful to welcome our students back to school! Getting our campuses ready for the first day is truly a team effort, and I am incredibly grateful to our extraordinary Hueneme team for all they did to prepare for our students. From cleaning and preparing our campuses, prepping to serve meals, moving furniture and delivering materials, to our counselors, psychologists, social workers, health staff, teachers, administrators, office teams, and so many others—everyone played an important role in helping us start the year strong.

We kicked off the week by welcoming our newest teachers at New Teacher Orientation on Monday, and on Tuesday, I had the privilege of welcoming all of our staff back at our annual districtwide back-to-school celebration, SHINE. This year’s theme, “Launching Potential: Together We Soar,” reflects the important work we do together every day to help each of our students reach their full potential. It was a wonderful way to reconnect, celebrate our staff, and officially launch the new school year together.

Once students arrived, I had the opportunity to visit 8 of our 11 schools and spend some time in our TK classrooms. It was so much fun to see some of our youngest learners settling into school! I look forward to visiting the TK classrooms at our remaining schools soon and cannot wait to begin visiting classrooms at all grade levels throughout the District.

Back-to-School Nights are also just around the corner! These evenings are a great opportunity to visit your child’s classroom, meet their teacher, and learn more about what to expect during the school year. Schools will be sharing their Back-to-School Night dates and schedules soon, so please be on the lookout for information from your school.

Finally, be sure to download the ParentSquare app if you have not already done so. ParentSquare is one of the primary tools Hueneme ESD uses to communicate important information with families at both the school and District level. The app is free and available through Google Play and the Apple App Store.

We are off to a great start, and I look forward to a wonderful year of learning, growth, and connection with our students, staff, and families!

During the SHINE back-to-school gathering, we were thrilled to recognize our 2025-2026 Employees of the Year, celebrating their remarkable service and dedication to our students and community. This year's honorees are:

• Classified Employee of the Year: Maria Alarcon - Office Manager, Hueneme Elementary School

• Certificated Employee of the Year: Audrey Ontiveros - Teacher, Charles F. Blackstock Junior High School

• Administrator of the Year: Maria Granado - Principal, Fred L. Williams Elementary School

Our honorees will be formally recognized at the Board of Education meeting on August 24th.

We also celebrated loyalty and commitment by presenting Longevity Awards to staff members marking 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40 years of service with our district. Their decades of commitment and expertise form the backbone of our school community.

Congratulations to all of our award recipients, and thank you to every member of our team for everything you do to help our district SHINE!

Certificated Employee of the Year - Audrey Ontiveros

Administrator of the Year - Maria Granado

The new school year is officially underway, and the energy across our campuses has been nothing short of inspiring. From the bright smiles at drop-off to the bustling hallways and buzzing classrooms, the first day of the 2026-2027 school year was a huge success.

We are confident that this momentum will carry us into a remarkable year filled with growth, achievement, and strong community connections.

As we settle into the new school year, keeping our campuses safe remains our highest priority. We encourage students, staff, families, and community members to use WeTIP, our 24/7 anonymous reporting system, to report any safety concerns or suspicious activity.

WeTip provides a safe, completely anonymous way to share information about potential threats, bullying, vandalism, mental health concerns, or any behavior that compromises school safety. Every report is investigated immediately by district administration and, when appropriate, local law enforcement.

To submit a report or learn more about how the system works, click here to visit the WeTip Information page on our district website.

Have a great weekend!

Dr. Christine Walker, Superintendent