Representatives from the Morongo Unified School District traveled to San Francisco to accept the Golden Bell Award, a prestigious honor that promotes excellence in education. The award was won by Yucca Valley Elementary School for their groundbreaking Outdoor Classroom Project.

The California School Boards Association Golden Bell Awards recognizes outstanding programs and governance practices of school boards of education in school districts throughout California. Golden Bell Awards reflect the depth and breadth of education programs that address students’ changing needs.

This year, 230 entries in 21 categories were received. Experts from school districts and county offices of education comprised a 54-member judging panel, and a total of 52 delegates and board members across the state conducted in person or virtual validations.

The Outdoor Classroom Project at YVES was launched in 2019 as part of a comprehensive plan to increase student engagement and achievement. The project aimed to provide physical spaces for learning outdoors and a platform for project based learning and environmental education with opportunities for community and family partnerships.

Three different garden areas were developed on campus as part of the project. Outdoor seating areas were designated for different classrooms, high-quality outdoor equipment was provided for creative play for kindergarten and t-k students and a garden reading area was established for students.

For more information on the Golden Bell Awards visit http://awards.csba.org/golden-bell/.

The winter festivities were in full-force this week at schools throughout the district. Onaga Elementary School hosted a Winter Wonderland event with their ELOP students that featured ornament making, cookie decorating, a holiday Bingo for Books and hot chocolate.

Participants were treated to a special performance of holiday songs by the ELOP students!

The Morongo USD would like to give a special thanks to all the community members that helped make this a joyful holiday season for our students.

Santa and the Twentynine Palms Rotary Club visited Twentynine Palms Elementary School, Oasis Elementary School and Palm Vista Elementary School to give books to elementary school students. Some of the classes even got a magical book reading from Santa's elves.

The City of Twentynine Palms Mayor Steven Bilderain also visited Twentynine Palms Elementary School to give the kids in our Special Day Program toys for Christmas!

Educators at Palms Vista Elementary school hosted a Bingo for Books event last week encouraging literacy for young students and their families. Over 100 people attended and played bingo for the chance to win books.

At the end of the event everyone got at least three new books to take home.

As they played, parents and guardians were also invited to a presentation to learn about resources to support students' reading journeys at home. Teachers taught parents how to navigate Footsteps 2 Brilliance programs. Footsteps 2 Brilliance allows students to engage in early literacy learning on a fun and engaging game-based platform that is accessible on-line or as an app download. These fun activities support the development of print concept, phonemic awareness, phonics and word recognition.

Way to go MUSD readers! In 5 months our TK-3rd grade students have read over 6,000,000 words!

Be on the lookout for a flyer that will go home announcing a Winter Break Reading Challenge for San Bernardino County. You could win some fabulous prizes for being the top readers in the County! Have a great Winter Break and keep reading!

Morongo USD values the input of all our educational partners as we prepare for the 2024-25 school year. The Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) survey is for 4th through 12th grade students, parents/guardians, and certificated and classified staff. The survey will remain open for responses until March 8, 2024. We need your help to evaluate our progress within the state’s priorities to evaluate and create next year’s LCAP. Please complete the survey below at your earliest convenience.

Last school year, 3rd through 8th grade and 11th-grade students took the 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐚 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 (CAASPP) in English Language Arts and Mathematics. 5th, 8th, and 11th-grade students were also administered the 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐚 𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐓𝐞𝐬𝐭 (CAST). All students who are designated English Learners (EL) were administered the 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐚 (ELPAC). All student state test scores are now available in the Illuminate Portal.

𝐓𝐨 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞, go to https://portal.morongousd.com and click on Illuminate. After clicking on Illuminate, students can use the same login information they use to access their school computers.

At Morongo USD, we understand the pivotal role parents play in their child's educational journey. That's why we are thrilled to introduce a groundbreaking enhancement to our Student Information System and parent portal – seamless Video Conferencing integration through ParentVUE! You can now join scheduled meetings with your child's teachers and administrators with the click of a button! Our integrated video conferencing brings the classroom to your living room, enabling real-time communication that fosters a collaborative and engaging learning environment.

🔒 Secure and Private: We prioritize the safety and privacy of your family. Our video conferencing feature on ParentVUE is secure and encrypted, providing a safe space for meaningful conversations about your child's education.

🌐 Bridging the Gap: Whether you're a busy working parent or managing multiple schedules, our integrated solution bridges the communication gap. Stay involved in your child's education effortlessly, fostering a strong partnership between home and school.

🎯 Empower Your Parenting: Receive real-time updates on assignments, grades and attendance, all within the ParentVUE portal. The integration of video conferencing amplifies your ability to actively participate in your child's academic journey, promoting a holistic understanding of their educational experience.

Hello parents, are you looking for part time and or full-time work? The Morongo USD has many opportunities for those who are seeking employment.

We currently have openings for an instructional assistant, noon supervisor, campus supervisor, nutritional service worker, general maintenance and classified substitute. If you are interested in applying click on the button below.

If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to the Human Resources Department at 760-367-9191 ext. 4225.

It's the holiday season and that means it's time for Winter Break! As a reminder, schools will be out from Dec. 18 to Jan. 1 with classes resuming on Jan. 2.

We at the school district wish all of you a safe and happy holiday season.

Click on the link below to download our new app. The app has some useful features for MUSD families including contact information, up-to-date news from the district and more.

Website: www.morongousd.com

Location: 5715 Utah Trail, Twentynine Palms, CA, USA

Phone: 760-367-9191

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OfficialMUSD

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morongousd/

X: @Dr_Vargas_MUSD and https://twitter.com/MorongoUnified

December 15, 2023