10.30.26 COMMUNITY CONNECTION

The students take Dr. Velez on a tour of their garden beds, showing off their strawberries and carrots and even introducing her to Winnie, the garden’s goose mascot! Along the way, they share what makes the Garden Club such a special part of their school.

A special thank you to the Barnett Elementary School PTO and Garden Chair Brittany Totah, whose support plays an important role in helping the garden grow and thrive!

Walk & Talk with Dr. Velez follows TVUSD Superintendent Dr. Kimberly Velez as she visits schools across the district, connects with students, and hears directly about their experiences. Through fun and meaningful conversations, the series gives students a chance to share their perspectives and highlights the people and moments that make each of our schools special.

Temecula Valley Unified School District is proud to celebrate Great Oak High School senior Hayley Foo, whose groundbreaking scientific research has earned her top honors and unprecedented opportunities locally and internationally.

In March, Hayley represented TVUSD at the 2025–2026 Riverside County Science and Engineering Fair (RCSEF), securing a Bronze Medal for her project, "Structure-guided computational design of DNA tweezers for predicted recognition of the primary glioblastoma biomarkers S100A4 and midkine.” Her research focuses on the computational modeling of DNA tweezers, nanoscale molecular devices engineered to manipulate genetic material. While her current findings are computational, she plans to transition to hands-on laboratory validation during her college years.

Her impressive work didn't stop at the science fair. Following RCSEF, Hayley submitted her research paper for academic publication, successfully achieving indexing in prestigious global scientific databases, including PubMed and ScienceDirect.

Recognizing her contributions to computational biochemical design, the University of Tokyo in Japan invited her to present her findings on campus over the summer.

More recently, the Riverside County Office of Education (RCOE) selected Hayley to present her research to hundreds of peers at Student STEPCon at the Bourns Institute in Riverside on October 8th. Serving as a student ambassador, she answered questions about her journey to inspire the next generation of scientific researchers.

During the STEPCon event, Hayley connected with a visiting professor from the University of California, Riverside (UCR) Stem Cell Research Lab. Impressed by her work, the professor discussed strategies to move her computational DNA models into wet-lab experiments and invited her to apply for a competitive research position at the UCR lab during her senior year.

Please join us in congratulating Hayley Foo on her extraordinary accomplishments and wishing her the best of luck as she takes her research into the lab!

The TVUSD Community High Five Program gives parents, students, and community members an opportunity to recognize the dedicated employees who make a difference across TVUSD. Whether it's a kind gesture, exceptional support, or going the extra mile, a Community High Five is a simple way to celebrate a TVUSD employee and let them know their efforts are appreciated.

Fill out this quick form to send a Community High Five! The Communications Department will create and send a digital certificate to the employee with your message of appreciation. Each month, two High Fives will also be selected for our Community High Five Spotlight and featured in an upcoming edition of Community Connection.

Every year we ask our TVUSD families to complete a brief anonymous survey.

The survey assists the Governing Board and district/site leaders as we strive to continue to provide high quality, rigorous learning experiences, which meet the needs of all our learners, and prepare students for college and career readiness.

We ask that you would take a moment to partner with us and share your insights. Thank you in advance for your time and thoughtful responses.

Join us for an evening of learning and connection! The CAC is partnering with the Autism Society Inland Empire to share valuable insights and resources about autism and support families through education, advocacy, community programs, and more.

When: Wednesday, November 4, 2026
Time: 6:00–7:30 PM
Where: TVUSD Conference Rooms B & C

This training is hosted by the Community Advisory Committee (CAC) — a group of parents, educators, administrators, and community members dedicated to advocating for effective Special Education programs and services in TVUSD.

Open to all parents and caregivers — we hope to see you there!

The inaugural TVUSD Science Fair, originally scheduled for December 1, 2026, has been rescheduled to Friday, January 15, 2027.

The additional time will allow students to complete the required project approval process and give them more time after winter break to conduct experiments, finalize their research, and prepare their displays.

We appreciate everyone's flexibility and support as we prepare for this exciting opportunity for our middle and high school students!

📍 Event Details

• Date: Friday, January 15, 2027

• Location: TVUSD District Office, Conference Rooms B & C

• Address: 31350 Rancho Vista Road, Temecula

Interested in participating? Keep reading to learn more about the Science Fair and how students can get involved!

TVUSD is excited to launch our District Science Fair, open to all middle and high school students! Participating in the Science Fair is more than a competition, it’s an opportunity to explore something you’re curious about while building valuable college and career-ready skills. Students will strengthen their critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity, research, data analysis, communication, and presentation skills as they design and complete their own science or engineering investigation.

And the opportunity doesn’t stop at TVUSD! Winners of the District Science Fair will advance to the Riverside County Science and Engineering Fair, where they will have the opportunity to showcase their work alongside other young scientists and engineers from across the county.

No matter where your interests lie, the Science Fair is a chance to ask questions, solve problems, explore your ideas, and challenge yourself. Start with something you’re curious about and see where it takes you!

Ready to participate? Check out the flyer for registration information and important dates.

➡️ Visit the District Calendar webpage to explore our Community Events Calendar. This resource brings events from schools across the district together in one convenient place.

📲 Use the filter icon to narrow the calendar to one or more schools that matter most to your family.

➕ Events are added and updated throughout the year, so bookmark the page and check back often to see what’s coming up across the district!

Great things are happening in TVUSD classrooms, and the results are showing! 📚

Only 24% of eligible California schools earned a spot on the 2026 California Honor Roll, and 16 of them are right here in TVUSD!

This recognition highlights schools making a difference in student achievement, particularly in reading, writing, and math.

For our families, it's another reason to be proud of the schools their children attend. And for families exploring TVUSD, it's one more reason to get to know us!

Congratulations to the students, teachers, and staff at our 16 recognized schools! 🎉

Check below ⬇️ to see who made the list!

🖐️ Our next Staff High Five spotlight is Sarah Coquico, School Psychologist at Barnett Elementary. "Whether she is guiding case carriers through complex situations, partnering closely with families, or showing up with unwavering empathy for our students, Sarah makes everyone feel supported, heard, and valued. We are so blessed to have her on our team!"

Instagram Link | Facebook Link

Our students thrive because of the dedicated people who support them every day. From classrooms to offices to playgrounds, every role matters.

➡️ Join the TVUSD family and discover the rewarding opportunities waiting for you right here in our community.

Catch up on past newsletters by visiting the Community Connection Newsletter Archive webpage.

Temecula Valley Unified School District is committed to building strong partnerships with parents in support of all students. Part of this commitment includes ensuring that families are informed of their rights and the right to opt their children out of certain instructional activities or assessments, as provided under state and federal law. The Frequently Asked Questions document linked below is designed to clarify the legal requirements, district procedures, and options available to parents regarding opt-outs.

For more information, visit: Know Your Rights and TVUSD Annual Notification for Parents.

Location: 31350 Rancho Vista Road, Temecula, CA, USA
Phone: (951)676-2661