The Horizon
February 2026
Dear Jurupa Unified School District families:
We are now headed into spring and the last few months of the school year. I am so proud to see our students and staff giving their all as we move into testing season, followed by end-of-the-year activities such as promotion and graduations. Our entire JUSD community is working together to ensure every student can accomplish their goals so that they are prepared for a future full of possibilities.
Much has happened in the past month in our community and our nation. As we navigate challenges and obstacles, we are reminded of the power of our incredible JUSD team, standing together in unity to support every student we serve. Please know that we always keep students top of mind in every decision we make. Our students’ safety, well-being, and academic success remain our top priorities.
One way we support and engage our students is through active, hands-on learning opportunities. As an example, our Glen Avon Elementary School Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) students had the opportunity to learn from their high school peers during a special field trip to Patriot High School earlier this month. Meanwhile, students in Mr. Leach’s Auto II class at Jurupa Valley High School built a working EV vehicle that I had the opportunity to take for a test drive! These exciting experiences, and so many more, are just part of what makes Jurupa Unified unique and special. You can read more about these projects in this month’s newsletter.
JUSD also offers robust language programs. In fact, our district had the county’s highest number of students earning the California State of Biliteracy in two languages in addition to English, meaning they are triliterate. One of the additional languages taught in our district is American Sign Language. I am proud that our students are learning skills to prepare them for a global economy, while also learning about new cultures.
Our district’s outstanding educational programs would not be possible without the hard work of our talented educators. We are so grateful to the awesome educators who give their all for our students day in and day out. This month, we announced our incredible district teachers of the year. They are a shining example of Jurupa excellence. Congratulations to: Alexandra Rangel, Peralta Elementary School; Krystal Thiessen, Mission Middle School; and Heather McIntosh, Patriot High School.
Finally, we want to remind our elementary families that Read Across America reading activities will be taking place at your schools in the coming days. In addition, our spring Family Reading Challenge starts TODAY (February 27) and goes through 3 p.m. on April 17. Don’t forget to log your minutes…and remember, you can win prizes. Log your reading at: bit.ly/JUSDReadingChallenge. Our students have read an incredible 641,683 minutes since we started the Family Reading Challenge in 2023. Let’s make it a MILLION MINUTES!
SECRET PRIZE OPPORTUNITY ALERT:
Elementary students who answer this question and put the correct answer in the reading log will be entered into a drawing for a special prize:
Q: What is Dr. Hansen’s favorite Dr. Seuss book?
A: Oh, the Places You’ll Go!
I know our JUSD students will go far, powered by the support from our dedicated community. We are one Jurupa, and we are stronger together!
Sincerely,
Trenton Hansen, PhD
Superintendent
Jurupa Unified GATE Program
The idea of sitting in an AP (Advanced Placement) physics class and learning the formula for velocity would intimidate anyone, especially an elementary student.
It didn’t intimidate Briza Avila, a 6th-grade GATE (Gifted and Talented Education) student, on a field trip to Patriot High School earlier this month.
Briza says she enjoys the GATE enrichment activities because they challenge her.
Twenty-eight Glen Avon Elementary School GATE students visited Patriot High School classes to experience what it’s like to be a high school student. Students participated in various hands-on lessons in AP physics, AP psychology, honors biology, and an art class.
Jurupa Unified School District’s GATE program currently serves approximately 1,100 second to twelfth-grade students. The purpose of the GATE program is to support the social, emotional, and academic needs of gifted students.
“Academically, GATE students receive differentiated instruction that allows them to have more in-depth and complex (assignments),” said Donia Briones, Teacher on Special Assignment. “(Teachers) focus on academic discourse, executive functioning skills, inquiry-based projects that prepare (students) for the rigor that comes in high school, higher education, and beyond in their careers.”
GATE students might also feel a lot of pressure or anxiety from being a perfectionist, but teachers are trained to help students through those feelings, Ms. Briones said.
Students are eligible to join the GATE program through academic or cognitive testing, a referral from a parent, teacher, or administrator, or by demonstrating leadership, academic achievement, or creativity.
GATE students can also have exceptional aptitude in areas such as writing or creative art abilities. It doesn’t have to be math or science, said Cecilia Power, Glen Avon GATE Coordinator. “An exceptional student could be the one who’s always asking questions, who’s curious,” she said.
American Sign Language at Jurupa Valley High School
On a sunny Tuesday morning, Jurupa Valley High School students turned their desks to face one another to begin an assignment. Not one word is spoken, yet the room is full of conversation. Heads nod, palms are raised, and fingers sweep in various positions as they practice American Sign Language (ASL).
Students at JVHS can enroll in ASL classes, taught by Ms. Brooke Crump.
“I took ASL for four years in high school… and I absolutely fell in love with it. I decided I wanted to continue learning it in college, and I always had an interest in teaching. “ Ms. Crump said.
ASL has been offered at Jurupa Valley High School for seven years, six of which have been taught by Ms. Crump.
“(In) ASL I, we start building on all the foundational things; the alphabet, numbers, colors, all of the basic needs.” Ms. Crump said. “ (In) ASL II, we start digging in more. We use more classifiers, which are part of ASL grammar (handshapes that represent nouns that are used to describe objects aside from naming them). At the end of ASL, they’re able to have a conversation with someone.”
After completing ASL I and II, the students can decide to test for their State Seal of Biliteracy, which has been offered for ASL since 2021.In addition to ASL, Jurupa Unified School District offers French and Spanish. If students want to pursue ASL further, they can dual-enroll at Norco Community College and earn college credits.
Students have also earned a State Seal of Biliteracy in Arabic, Hindi, Punjabi, Russian, and Vietnamese.
“Knowing another language offers a deeper understanding of other people. It’s knowing how they feel, how they think, and being able to problem solve. Which are all essential as we live and work together,” said Ilsa Crocker, Coordinator of Multilingual Education.
Congratulations to our Jurupa Unified School District 2025-2026 Teachers of the Year!
These phenomenal educators are passionate about their students and school community.
This year’s honorees are:
Elementary School Teacher of the Year – Alexandra Rangel, Peralta Elementary School
Mrs. Rangel is the kind of person you can always count on. She does so much to support students and help them grow. Outside of her classroom, she is always stepping up for the school community as a whole and helps wherever needed. Mrs. Rangel works hard behind the scenes and leads by example through her dedication, reliability, and genuine care for students and coworkers, and she truly goes above and beyond every day.
Middle School Teacher of the Year – Krystal Thiessen, Mission Middle School
Ms. Thiessen does so much for Mission Middle School. She is the AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) Site Coordinator, Yearbook and Newspaper Advisor, 8th-Grade English Language Arts Data Team Lead, and the Chair of the Instructional Leadership site team. From coordinating spirit weeks, to planning college field trips and leading professional development programs, Ms. Thiessen continually invests in the Mission Middle School community. Her commitment to developing student leaders has made a tremendously positive impact on campus, and the MMS team appreciates her hard work and dedication to students and staff.
High School Teacher of the Year – Heather McIntosh, Patriot High School
Heather is a transformative leader and the architect of Patriot’s school-wide literacy initiative, skillfully "training the trainers" across all disciplines. As a collaborative team lead and a vital member of the Advanced Placement vertical alignment team, her impact is felt campus-wide. Heather also supervises two clubs and even provided personal funds for the "Warriors are Readers" program to ensure every student has access to books that inspire them. Beloved by her students, she balances academic mentorship with bi-weekly mental health check-ins, ensuring every Warrior feels seen, supported, and challenged. Heather’s selfless investment in Patriot’s campus culture embodies the spirit of an exemplary educator. Ms. “Mac” truly empowers every Warrior.
Our teachers and employees of the year will be recognized at the JUSD Celebrating Educations event in March.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of Black History Month, which is celebrated each February. In Jurupa Unified, students celebrate in a variety of ways to engage and educate students about Black Americans and their achievements and contributions throughout history.
“The 100 year (anniversary) of Black History Month is so important because (we) get to see how we have grown and progressed as a community and culture over the years,” said Kyah Davis, Jurupa Valley High School Black Student Union president. “You get to see how we have persevered despite adversity.”
Rubidoux High School’s Black Student Union hosted the second annual Black Student Union Summit in late February to unite African American high school students for a day of leadership development and community building. All JUSD high school Black Student Unions participated. The event is supported by the JUSD African American Parent Council (AAPAC).
“I think the Black Student Union Summit is important because we need to celebrate our Black students,” said Kelia Cage, Patriot High School Black Student Union advisor. “They need to celebrate their identity, their culture, and just feel like they aren’t left out. They need to be excited about who they are as individuals.”
Other schools celebrated Black History Month in their own way, using art, history, dance, and literature.
Jurupa Unified is proud to recognize and observe Black History Month and feature lessons and activities focused on African American history and culture. You can learn more about Black History Month at: https://asalh.org/black-history-month/about/
Congrats, Patriot High School Mock Trial
The verdict is in: ⚖️Our Patriot High School Mock Trial Team had a fabulous showing at the 44th Annual Riverside County Mock Trial Competition! PHS student Vincent Zepeda earned a 2nd Place Honor for Outstanding Defense Pretrial Motion Attorney. Way to go!
You can read more about this year’s competition at:
https://www.rcoe.us/newsroom/posts/final-eight-high-school-teams-advance-to-mock-trial-quarterfinals-individual-honors-and-internships-awarded/
📸Photo Credit: Patriot High School
Spring JUSD Family Reading Challenge
The JUSD Family Reading Challenge is back in time for Read Across America Week!
The race to a MILLION MINUTES is on! Our students have read an incredible 641,683 minutes since we started the Family Reading Challenge in 2023. 🦈📖
Preschool and elementary families can participate by reading with your students and logging minutes read using the same link from last year: bit.ly/JUSDReadingChallenge
Families can start logging their reading minutes beginning this Friday, February 27th, up until 3 p.m. on April 17th.
Students who participate will have opportunities to win fun reading-themed prizes throughout the challenge.
Thank you to our families for supporting Literacy Without Limits.
Congratulations, Patriot High Dramatis Personae!
Congratulations to Patriot High School theatre students and theatre educator, Juana Rodriguez, who earned honors at the California Educational Theatre Association's theatre festival. 👏
The Dramatis Personae were awarded the Artistic Merit Award for Area 2 – Inland Empire for the production of "The Bugs," in addition to the following awards:
🎭Karlee Aguiar received the Adjudicator Award, the highest honor
🎭Braeden Hernandez and Adeley Ramirez received the Director's Award
🎭Samantha Banuelos received the $500 Vivian Bish Scholarship
Register Now for Next Level Summer
Jurupa Unified School District is pleased to offer free Summer Learning Programs for JUSD students. These programs are designed to support continued learning and fun while providing engaging, hands-on experiences for our JUSD students.
Summer programs will feature half-day academic instruction taught by credentialed JUSD teachers and will be hosted at all JUSD elementary school sites. Summer programs for Rustic Lane and Pacific Avenue Academy of Music students will be held at West Riverside, and transportation will be provided. Rustic Lane and PAAM students will attend Ready, Set, Go! on the PAAM campus.
Program Sessions and Dates
Families may enroll in one or more of the following sessions:
• Session 1 (Current TK–6 students): June 2–June 12, 2026
• Session 2 (Current TK–6 students): June 15–June 26, 2026
Enrollment is open through Sunday, March 8, 2026. Families must register by the deadline to secure a spot for their child.
Also this summer, we will offer Ready, Set, Go — New Program Offering (Incoming TK–8 students). This program will run July 27–July 31, 2026. Ready, Set, Go! is a new summer program designed to help incoming students build confidence, routines, and readiness for a successful start to the school year. Registration for this program is open through March 30.
All half-day academic programs meet the requirements of an Attendance Recovery Program. In addition, a free, non-academic program is available for families who need a full-day option (for more information and enrollment, please call: 951.571.9944).
Families may choose to have their child remain on campus after the half-day academic program for free enrichment programming, available until 4:30 p.m.
To enroll in either of the summer programs, please visit: https://bit.ly/JUSDParentConnection
Register Now for Spring Break Explorers!
JUSD is offering a free Spring Break student program for all TK–6 students, in partnership with Think Together.
The program will run March 23–27, 2026, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Students will have an opportunity to spend their Spring Break exploring, discovering, and participating in fun, hands-on activities. Breakfast, lunch, and supper will be provided daily at no cost.
Students may attend up to two optional field trips to the San Bernardino County Museum and the March Field Air Museum. Field trips qualify toward attendance recovery requirements.
Programs will be offered at the following sites:
- Camino Real
- Del Sol Academy
- Pedley
- Granite Hill & Mission Bell (at Granite Hill)
- Indian Hills & Peralta (at Indian Hills)
- Rustic Lane, Ina Arbuckle & Pacific Avenue (at Rustic Lane)
- Sky Country & Troth Street (at Sky Country)
- Glen Avon, Van Buren & Stone Avenue (at Stone Avenue)
- Sunnyslope
- West Riverside
JUSD will provide transportation for students attending the Spring Break program at a site other than their home school.
Please see the attached flyer for registration and the field trip interest form.
The following steps are required for registration:
Your student must be enrolled in Think Together to participate. If your child needs to enroll in Think Together, you can do so at www.thinktogether.org/enroll.
Complete the JUSD form at this link: https://bit.ly/JUSD26spring
Spring Break registration closes on March 6.