As we approach the celebration of Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, we take a moment to reflect on the enduring legacy a man who dedicated his life to equality, justice and the betterment of our society. Dr. King’s vision resonates strongly with our school district’s motto: “Our Students. Our Community. Our Future.”

In honoring Dr. King’s dream, we acknowledge the pivotal role that education plays in shaping the future. As parents, your support is instrumental in nurturing an environment where our students can learn, grow and thrive. Dr. King also envisioned a community where diversity is celebrated, and individuals of varied backgrounds come together in unity. Our school district is a microcosm of this broader community, and your engagement and collaboration contribute significantly to fostering a sense of togetherness. On this occasion, let us collectively reaffirm our commitment to creating a future where the principles of equality and justice endure.

Thank you for being part of our school district’s journey. Your commitment to “Our Students. Our Community. Our Future.” is the driving force behind the continued success of our students. Wishing you a meaningful and reflective Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Go Morongo USD!

Superintendent, Dr. Patricio Vargas

School boards play a crucial and often overlooked role in the support of students and families. Morongo USD is proud to observe School Board Recognition Month each January in acknowledgment of the selfless service of school board members who aim to provide a better, safer and more welcoming learning environment for students in our community each and every day.

Thank you MUSD Board of Education for your outstanding work in serving our young people!

The MUSD Board of Education recognized amazing high school seniors who qualified for the California State Seal of Biliteracy. Traditionally, students in the MUSD are assessed for the seal in the winter but this year students had the option of being assessed in the fall so they could include the accolade in their college applications.

The Seal of Biliteracy can be earned by students showing proficiency in a language other then their first language; English speakers would demonstrate proficiency in another language of their choosing and English-learning students can earn the seal by showing proficiency in English.

This fall Andrea Tene Meza was the first Twentynine Palms High School student to ever qualify for the seal. Five students at Yucca Valley High School qualified including William Armstrong, Jadyn Fenenoz, Daniel Mills, Joseph Natzel and Hannah Ross.

The Twentynine Palms High School Crochet Club crocheted and knitted 77 scarfs for the needy this winter!

The TPHS crochet club was founded in 2014 and began doing their annual scarf project in 2018. Club members crochet scarves throughout the year. In December, volunteer club members meet early one weekend morning at the four corners in Twentynine Palms; the four corners is the intersection of Adobe Road and Twentynine Palms Highway. They then tie the scarves to crosswalks, trees, benches and anything else they can find in the area. Anyone in need can take one of the scarves.

"This year we have about 12 students actively in the club crocheting and knitting," said club advisory and TPHS library technician Lisa Soliz. "Its a great way to get students to get off their phones, work with their hands and think about others in the community.

This year The club distributed the scarves on Dec. 16 and Soliz said that its always an exciting day for the students.

"As we were tying up the scarves we saw a family come and take some and it was so exciting for the students," Soliz said. "Its great for them to see their hard work pay off."

Fifth and sixth grade artists in the Morongo USD are displaying their abstract art pieces inspired by local artist James O’Keefe in a local show, Shape of Color presented by Groundwork Arts.

Groundwork Arts is an innovative arts education program that brings local artists into our schools to work directly with students.

The show is on display now at the 29 Palms Visitor Center and will be up until April 4. Stop in today to support our amazing student artists!

Twentynine Palms High School graduate Aiden Sullivan recently announced his commitment to Oregon State University to play for their Division 1 Pac-12 football team. The Twentynine Palms native was the star linebacker for the Wildcats up-until he graduated in 2021. Since then he's shined on the Butte College team and he was recruited by several schools this season before committing to OSU.

We are so proud of Sullivan's success and we can't wait to see what he does with the Oregon State Beavers!

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.

Now that we have all returned from winter break, it’s time for students to delve into the next i-Ready benchmark. The window for the benchmark will be from Jan. 8 to Jan. 26.

i- Ready Diagnostics are not standardized tests. They are used internally to see what areas students are thriving in and the areas that may need some extra attention. We urge all K-8th grade students to do their best!

Preparing students for benchmarks can be a challenging task, but there are several tips that you can take to help students succeed. The first step is to ensure that they get enough rest and sleep and eat a healthy breakfast on the days of the test. You can also encourage your child to review their notes and practice answering sample questions before the exam. Additionally, it's important to help your child stay calm and confident by reminding them that they have been learning and preparing for this moment and that they are capable of doing well. Finally, please make sure your child attends school regularly and arrives on time, as missing classes may negatively impact their performance on the test. Together, we can help our students succeed!

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.

The Morongo USD Board of Education recognized Behavioral Instructional Assistant Satore Mark at their regular board meeting last night for her outstanding work with students in the district. Satore works with students at her home site, PLUS, as well at students at Twentynine Palms Junior High School and Condor Elementary School.

"Satore has been flexible and tireless in her daily support of her home site of PLUS, as well as her willingness to loan her behavioral expertise and daily physical presence at TPJHS and CES," said PLUS Principal Andrea Gordon. "Unbelievably, she has extra energy to spare for the Home Hospital program! Satore is one amazing employee!"

On January 9 we celebrated National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day and we wanted to take a moment to highlight the amazing School Resource Officers that help keep our students safe!

SRO’s are deputies with the Morongo Basin Sheriff's Station that are contracted by the Morongo USD and assigned to work on all matters related to the school district. School Resource Officers provide law-enforcement services to students, families and school faculty on and off campus. Their regular duties include patrols of school campus sites and surrounding neighborhoods, investigations of juvenile related crimes and working in collaboration with the school committee members as a resource for safety and security.

Deputy Joshua Merrell serves as the SRO for the east-end of the Morongo Basin and Deputy Michael Lomboy serves as the SRO for the west-end.

Deputy Merrell graduated from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department academy in 2019. He was assigned to West Valley Detention Center, and then transferred to Morongo Basin Station in 2020. Deputy Merrell successfully completed his field patrol training and has continued his training in numerous areas.

Deputy Lomboy graduated from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s academy in 2017 and was assigned to the West Valley Detention Center for approximately seven months before being transferred to the Morongo Basin Sheriff’s station in June 2018. Deputy Lomboy completed his field training shortly after and began his career as a deputy sheriff on patrol. Deputy Lomboy was selected for the Narcotic Division’s Marijuana Team during the successful county-wide detail Operation Hammer Strike. Deputy Lomboy has continued his training and experience in numerous law-enforcement subjects over the past four years.

Thank you Deputy Merrell and Deputy Lomboy for all that you do to protect our students!

All schools will be closed on January 15, 2024 in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

The MUSD Board of Education will be holding it's next regular board meeting on Feb. 13 at Joshua Tree Elementary School. Open session will start at 6 p.m.

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

January 12, 2024