The Horizon

Welcome back to the second edition of “Education in Action with Dr. Hansen.” This month, Dr. Hansen visited Rubidoux High School for their College Kickoff event.

JUSD high school counselors, community partners, and local colleges visited Rubidoux High School to present, share resources, and help our students with their financial aid and college applications.

Thank you to our JUSD staff and community for ensuring all our JUSD students districtwide have the opportunities to be successful after high school.

Jurupa Unified Parent University

Parents from various schools within the Jurupa Unified School District and community members settle into class, seated in chairs arranged in a circle to promote open communication and participation. Some know each other and their teacher, and others are attending for the first time. They are participating in a district-wide program, Parent University.

“Parent University is a six-week series of classes for our families and our community that focuses on different parenting strategies.” Teacher on Special Assignment Courtney Siegel said.

Community School Teachers on Special Assignment (TOSAs) are facilitating the Parent University classes at Glen Avon, Mission Bell, and the Parent Involvement and Community Outreach (P.I.C.O.) department.

Elementary courses offer various strategies, including setting boundaries, establishing rules at home, creating schedules, and engaging as an active participant in the school community. Additional courses offer college information to secondary students and their families.

“Family engagement is so important because when we’re including families in the academic process and in the teaching process… and giving them strategies to work with their children at home, it bridges the gap between home and school, and that’s one of our focuses as community schools,” Ms. Siegel said.

Jose Campos, Director of P.I.C.O., emphasized the impact that parents and families can have on their child’s education by getting involved and partnering with P.I.C.O.

“Parent University is a huge focus of our department. Research shows that students that are more engaged do better academically and socially… when parents are more involved. Children, their children, our children, do better academically and socially.” Mr. Campos said.

College and Career Kickoff Month

On a warm October morning, Rubidoux High students were focused on the future. Seniors worked on college applications and attended financial aid workshops. Later, students from all grade levels attended a lunchtime College and Career Fair.

Similar exciting activities took place across Jurupa Unified in celebration of College and Career Kickoff Month. Through a variety of hands-on activities, students of all ages begin to take charge of their futures.

High school students worked with guidance counselors from across the district to take steps toward realizing their college dreams. Students worked on financial aid forms, University of California, and California State University applications.

“It's important to have these workshops integrated into the school day so students have access to people who are knowledgeable about the applications, and that they’re comfortable asking questions,” said Rosio Merino, Rubidoux High School College and Career Counselor.

“College and career activities at schools provide students the opportunity to explore their options and receive the hands-on support that our students need in the safety of their classes,” said Jenna Saugstad, Coordinator of Career Technical Education.

Elementary schools hosted career day presentations, middle school students signed a banner committing to pursue college or career, and high school students participated in various financial aid and college application workshops throughout the month.

“Our elementary and secondary education departments work in tandem to create ways for students to find their niche and focus to align themselves… so we can guide students towards the future,” Ms. Saugstad said

During last year’s unprecedented firestorms and related Public Safety Power Shutoffs, Jurupa Unified was able to keep students in school and learning with the help of rented large-scale generators strong enough to power an entire campus.

With several JUSD schools in high or very high fire danger areas, we know another Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) event could happen anytime, and we want to be ready. A new partnership with Southern California Edison will help us prepare.

JUSD is one of only a few school districts in the region to receive a temporary on-site generator, which will automatically kick in if the power goes out. This generator, available to the district for the next five months, is housed at Peralta Elementary School, one of the campuses most often affected by PSPS events.

“The partnership between Southern California Edison and Jurupa Unified School District allows us to use the school site as a hub of resilience, ensuring our critical service of educating the community’s children can continue, powered by a backup power generator, even during a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) event,” noted Dana Toland, JUSD Director of Maintenance and Operations.

The SCE generator augments two additional generators purchased by JUSD last year to have on hand in the event of large-scale power outages, such as those we saw last school year. The $364,362.34 cost for the generators was paid for with Special Reserve Funding for Capital Projects, which are funds that can only be used for capital facility needs.

Ensuring schools are open for students is important, not only to maintain learning, but also because many families rely on school for multiple services, resources, and meals.

“For our community, ‘keeping the lights on’ means much more than simply maintaining learning continuity; it demonstrates our dedication to the community,” said Assistant Superintendent of Business Services Paula Ford. “Our schools are essential hubs where families rely on us for consistent access to nutrition, resources, and a safe environment–it is how we serve the whole child."

For more information about our partnership with SCE and tips for staying safe around generators and preparing for a PSPS event, please click here.

Parents: Did you know that as a California public school student, your child may be eligible to receive $500 to $1,500 for future higher education expenses? Funded by the State of California, funds in your California Kids Investment and Development Savings Program (CalKIDS) account can be used for a variety of qualified higher education expenses, such as tuition, books, computer equipment, and certain room and board expenses.

Checking your eligibility and claiming funds in your CalKIDS account is easy. All you need is your child’s 10-digit Statewide Student Identifier (SSID), which can be found through the “Demographics” section of your student’s profile in ParentConnect. For video instructions on accessing the SSID, please click here.

What are we learning in JUSD? Mira Loma Middle School students put their kinetic and potential energy knowledge to the test with their catapult science projects.

Students in Mr. Donovan’s class created mini catapults out of popsicle sticks and tape to propel a ping pong ball across the room, aiming for a trash can.

Watch the rest of the "What Are We Learning in JUSD" video series here to get a glimpse into what our students are learning.