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HUSD News Archive |
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News ArchiveSummary - click link for full news story
From Green to Gold - Winners
Recently, all HUSD K-12 students were invited to participate in a contest to create mascots for use in district Energy Conservation publications. With the motto “From Green to Gold,” and under the theme of Recycling, Resource Conservation, and Renewable Resources, the district received over 200 entries. Nine entries were awarded cash prizes, and the first place winners’ creations will be featured in publications and in costumes, such as you see above for “Captain Conservation.”. The winners were presented with certificates and checks at the March 17, 2009, Governing Board meeting:
WVHS Arts Dept to preform High School Musical
West Valley High School Arts Dept will be presenting Disney's High School Musical March 12,13, 19, 20 at 7pm and March 14 and 21 at 2pm. Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for under 12. All seats are reserved and you can make reservations by calling 951 765 6420. This is the stage version of the popular Disney movie. It has all the songs that people love. We have worked hard to recreate the dances from the movie with some special surprises. We were lucky enough to rent costumes from the company that does the actual movies. The show is about 2 hours with the intermission. At the show the audience will be able to buy t shirts with the actual HSM logo on them for only $15. The cast and crew have been working on this show since December. They had to start working out because this is such a physical show. We have a rock band that plays the show every performance. We are making a documentary of our show "The Making of High School Musical" which will be sent to the Disney channel. Tahquitz High School Earns First CIF Playoff Victory!
Tahquitz High School’s Boys Soccer team earned a spot into the CIF Southern Section playoffs in their first year as a Varsity program. Earning that spot was anything but easy because of the fierce competition they faced in the Mountain Pass League. The Titans had to compete without any Seniors and with only three starting Juniors on their roster. Overall, Tahquitz finished the season 12-9-3, and 6-5-3 in league. Having a record above .500 allowed the Titans to earn an “at-large” berth in the CIF Southern Section Division VI Playoffs. The Titans were scheduled to play against North Hollywood’s Oakwood High School in a wild-card match on Wednesday, February 18th. Tahquitz dominated the match early on by putting constant pressure on Oakwood’s defense and by taking numerous shots on their goalkeeper. Defender Ryan found the back of the net on a set play right before the half. Midfielders Alejandro and Brandon finished off the second half by scoring a goal a piece. The final score was Tahquitz three, Oakwood nothing. The shutout marked goalkeeper Emmanuel eleventh shutout of the year. The victory against Oakwood is historic for Tahquitz High School, their first-ever victory in the post season. The Titans were not able to advance past the first round, but they played an impressive match against the number one ranked team in division VI. The boys soccer team is very young, yet, through hard work and dedication they were able to accomplish their goal of earning a spot in the CIF Playoffs in their first year as a Varsity Soccer program. The win against Oakwood was an added bonus to an already terrific soccer season. West Valley High School wins Riverside County Academic Decathlon
Two Hemet high schools took first and second place in the Riverside County Academic Decathlon, and will advance to the state competition in Sacramento March 13-16, 2009. West Valley High School unseated Hemet High as champions this year, breaking a 10-year winning streak for Hemet High School. The West Valley High Academic Decathlon team won the Riverside County competition for the first time in school history. West Valley High narrowly edged out Hemet High to finish first among the twenty-three teams representing Riverside County. West Valley students have been studying and preparing for the event since last May, when they were selected to be on the 2008/2009 team. Seniors Janie, Cristal, Kyle, Morgan, Blanca, Kelsi and Andrew and Juniors Kaylee and Samuel brought twenty-one individual medals in the categories of science, history, mathematics, interview, speech, music, art, economics, and literature, in addition to winning the county Super Quiz and overall highest score. Senior Andrew was singled out for best prepared speech, which he delivered at the awards ceremony about the difficulties he experienced as a foster child, and Kaylee was the overall school highest scorer in the ten events, which also included an essay competition. However, on February 11, Tracey Rivas at RCOE received a phone call from the Executive Director of the California Academic Decathlon regarding an invitation to Hemet High School to compete at the State Competition in March. Teams are invited based on their scores and Hemet's score was one of the highest 22 scores in the state which allows them the opportunity to be invited to compete. Dave Powell and the Hemet High Academic Decathlon team will be making their arrangements and will join our county’s first place team, Bill Valenzuela and West Valley High School, in Sacramento for the California Academic Decathlon Competition. The Hemet High School Academic Decathlon team consists of: John, Kirsten, Ryan, Nicholas, Taylor, Zaid, Zachery, Eileen, and Edwin. This is very exciting news for the Hemet Unified School District. Our district has a lot to be proud of. We wish both the West Valley and Hemet High School teams the best of luck! Hemet High Girls Volleyball Team - Highest GPA in Riverside County
The Hemet High School Varsity Girls Volleyball team has the highest recorded GPA reported for the entire Riverside County 08-09. The Riverside County Office of Education will be presenting a plaque distinguishing them for this accomplishment on January 20th at the HUSD School Board Meeting. The Hemet Varsity Girls Volleyball Team has won this award for the past 3 consecutive years, this is an accomplishment that is unparalleled by any other sport here at Hemet HS. The team is surprisingly young with only four seniors graduating this year (all pictured in the back row). Congratulations to Coach Clint Knipscheer and the awesomely smart and talented girls that comprised this team A special congratulations to the senior and junior girls that have been apart of this very distinguished award for the past three years, you are all truly scholar athletes. New Stadium Opened at Tahquitz High School
On Friday, September 19, 2008, the Tahquitz Titans played their first football game in their new stadium. The stadium is behind the school, nestled in the mountain. It is a beautiful new state-of-the-art stadium complete with artificial turf and a surrounding track. Tahquitz Titans will be able to play football and soccer and hold track and field events in the new stadium. Principal Sue Richardson said, "We are very pleased with the grand opening of our stadium! Many weeks of planning went into this event and we had tremendous support from all stakeholders--students, parents, staff and the community. We look forward to having many exciting events in our stadium and will continue to strive for excellence in all of our efforts. Thank you to everyone who came out to support our school and team. We hope to see you at many THS events in the future." Visit the THS web site. HUSD Embarks on Energy conservation plan
The Hemet Unified School District Governing Board recognizes the importance of minimizing the district’s use of natural resources, providing a high quality environment promoting health and productivity and effectively managing all the district’s resources. In an effort to conserve energy and reduce expenditures throughout the district, this summer the Governing Board adopted an Energy, Water and Resources Conservation policy. This policy establishes a resource management program to develop strategies for implementing effective and sustainable resource practices, exploration of renewable and clean energy technologies, reduction of energy and water consumption, minimization of utility costs, reduction in the amount of consumable materials waste, encouragement of recycling and green procurement practices and overall promotion of conservation principals. Since the policy adoption, district employees have worked hard implementing resource conserving measures. Reducing the impact we make on our environment sets an example for our children and grandchildren and encourages them to conserve resources as a legacy for future generations. By taking a few minutes of each day to implement some simple individual and collective actions, we can do our small part here in Hemet Unified to conserve our resources and leave a better place for everyone. Please read more about the district’s policies, progress and future conservation plans on the Energy, Water and Resources Conservation page. Harmony Elementary Recognizes Veterans
On May 17, 2008 the students and staff at Harmony Elementary School gave special recognition and honor to our soldiers and veterans. Many students have mothers, fathers, siblings and other relatives serving, or having served, our country. Many staff also have relatives, including sons and daughters serving proudly. In tribute to these individuals Harmony Elementary had a Memorial Day ceremony. Students sang and played patriotic songs and music and Assistant Principal Carol Robilotta read a patriotic tribute poem. The staff assembled a banner to present to VFW Post #12023 members. The flag on the banner is made from the handprints of all 741 students. After the ceremony and banner presentation all the soldiers and veterans were invited to enjoy breakfast with the family member who invited them. Hemet Unified School District would like to salute all the dedicated and hard working soldiers and veterans! Thank you! Students Prepared for Kindergarten
The first week of summer, over 200 pre-school aged kids attended Hemet Unified School District's Kindergarten Camp. The camp was a week-long session geared toward preparing children who have never experienced preschool for kindergarten. The camp was sponsored by First Riverside, the Riverside County Children & Families Commission. It was held at all 15 elementary schools in the district. It is part of the HUSD's First 5 Riverside-funded school readiness program for children 0-5. "For two hours a day, kindergarten teachers focus on classroom activities, expectations and getting children comfortable with their setting. The pre-kindergarten camp helps ease first day of school anxieties, builds confidence and allows children to form a connection to school early," says Debbie Borboa, Hemet’s preschool coordinator. Other components of the district’s school readiness programs include training for early childhood professionals; a comprehensive program, including health and social services, parenting, family support services, and resource and referral; "Parents As Teachers" home-based preschool services; a center-based, half-day preschool class; kindergarten transition parent activities; parent workshops; a health fair and health outreach, including some vision, hearing, dental, nutrition and medical services; and literacy events. To help your student prepared for kindergarten, read the 10 Tips for Preparing Children for Kindergarten. To find out more about First 5 Riverside, the Riverside County Children & Families Commission, please visit their web site. Idyllwild School earns Distinguished School Honor
This year 839 elementary schools submitted applications and were identified for eligibility on the basis of their Academic Performance Index and Adequate Yearly Progress results.. Idyllwild School prepared and submitted their application for review. After their application was accepted, the school became a state-wide nominee. All nominees underwent a rigorous selection process, including a validation visit from the Riverside County Office of Education, coordinated by the California Department of Education. Idyllwild School met all the qualifications and was awarded the honor of being a 2008 California Distinguished School. Dr. Emily Shaw, Idyllwild School's principals said, "I believe that Idyllwild School is a very unique educational environment that has an extremely strong and active community base. We offer a variety of opportunities for students: Walk to Learn, Special Education Inclusion, smARTS, Science Olympiad, to name a few. All of these offerings, our small school atmosphere and our outstanding teachers clinched our recognition." Congratulations to all Idyllwild School Students and Staff! Visit the Idyllwild School web page to find out more about their school. Hemet High School FFA Pursues Excellence
Twenty-two members of the Hemet FFA Chapter, along with over 5,000 young men and women from across the state, attended the conference in April at the Fresno Convention Center. Hemet High’s FFA members met new friends, voted on issues affecting one of the largest youth organizations in the nation, and received numerous awards. Hemet members Raymund, Brian, Casey, Chris and Jessica were all honored for their achievements. Upon graduation, Levy will move-in with the other five state officers and travel throughout California promoting the Agriculture Industry, the FFA, and putting on leadership conferences to encourage FFA members to strive for their best and develop leadership skills. Congratulations to all Hemet High's FFA members! Visit the Hemet High FFA web page to find out more about their FFA program. Harmony Honors Soldiers & Veterans
After the ceremony and banner presentation all the soldiers and veterans were invited to enjoy breakfast with the family member who invited them. Hemet Unified School District would like to salute all the dedicated and hard working soldiers and veterans! Thank you! 2008 Elementary Honor Roll Tradition
This year 535 students, in grades 4-5, qualified for academic honor roll. Students must score proficient or advanced in English Language Arts and Math from the previous year’s testing on the California Standards Test. Students must also have a combined 3.5 GPA or greater in five academic areas of reading, math, written/oral communications, social science and science on their report card as of the 2nd trimester, which ended March 14, 2008. Hemet Unified School District would like to salute all the hard working honor roll honorees and their parents for a job well done this year! Measure E General Obligation Bond Program Complete!
The funds provided urgently needed modernization to 19 schools, classroom additions and funded the construction of six (6) new schools including Harmony, McSweeny, Jacob Wiens and Cawston Elementary Schools, Diamond Valley Middle School and the first phase of Tahquitz High School. The Measure “E” program helped construct over 500,000 square feet of school facilities and provided new school facilities for 6,200 students in addition to the upgrades to the existing 19 schools. Please read the Citizens' Oversight Committee Final Report on Measure E. Please visit the Measure E Citizens' Oversight Committee page for more information. Hemet High Choir Competes and Wins in San Francisco
In addition to ratings and rankings, Chamber Singers won the Outstanding Choir Award. This award is given to the choir with the highest overall score of any competing choir. Jazz Choir and Chamber Singers were also selected for Adjudicator Awards. These awards are given to choirs who earn an average score of 95 out of 100, or are unanimously selected by the adjudication panel. Finally, the choral department took home the Choral Sweepstakes Award, which is given to the school with the two highest scoring choirs in the competition. One San Francisco based judge gave us the following feedback: “I’m very impressed that such good, high-quality music teaching is going on at this school…[and am] very impressed with what I’m seeing here.” Congratulations to the 77 hard working students, chaperones, administrator and Choir director who made this trip such a success! Dartmouth Middle School Cheerleaders are Master Champions
Two teams of 41 girls worked hard all year to prepare for the Sharp International West Coast Championship. The team learned their competition routine in November and have been perfecting it to compete. All while maintaining at least a 2.0 grade point average and raising money to cover the competition costs. On Saturday, April 19, 2008 they attended the competition held at Magic Mountain. Both teams placed 2nd in their division but they also earned enough points to be named Master Champions, 2nd place among all the competitors, across divisions. Coach Tamra Campbell said, "These girls have worked so hard. I am so proud of them. They have been amazing to work with and I hope the best for them in the future." Congratulations to Coach Tamra and the DMS cheer teams for their hard work and dedication! Visit Dartmouth Middle School web site. HUSD Administration recognized for Outstanding support of middle schools
Recognition certificates were awarded to HUSD District Superintendent, Dr. Phil Pendley and HUSD Governing Board President Charlotte Jones. Pictured above are John Huber, Rancho Viejo Middle School Principal and John Wilder, Director of ELD/Language Assessment, representing Dr. Pendley and Mrs. Jones at the luncheon. Congratulations to Dr. Pendley and the Governing Board for their support of all the district's middle grade students! Hemet High Academic Decathlon Team Success Continues!
With this victory, Hemet High's team earns the opportunity to travel to Sacramento, California to compete in the 29th Annual California Academic Decathlon Finals during the week of March 7th. This year's theme is the Civil War. The students will compete in seven tests of academic strength and three communication skills events. This is an honor for the students, school and community. We wish them the best of luck! CONGRATULATIONS & GOOD LUCK BULLDOGS!!! Visit Hemet High's web site. Accepting Applications for Citizens' Oversight Committee for Measure TNo longer accepting applications (deadline was May 30, 2008). The Hemet Unified School District is soliciting applicants to fill two vacant positions and select an alternate on the Proposition 39 Citizens’ Oversight Committee for Measure T. The District is currently looking for at least one member who qualifies for Category V with a second member and an alternate appointed to represent any other category. Minimally, there must be one representative on the committee from each of the following categories:
Guidelines and applications for the Citizens' Oversight Committee may be obtained from the Superintendent’s Office by telephoning (951) 765-5100, Extension 1001 or Extension 1002.
The deadline to submit completed applications was 5:00 p.m. on Friday, May 30, 2008. Contact: Dr. Philip Pendley at 951-765-5100, Ext. 1000 or Karen Ashman at Ext. 1001 Visit the web page Citizens’ Oversight Committee. West Valley Wins Division IIIA Varsity Boys Basketball Title
Saturday, March 1, 2008 West Valley played at The Pond in Anaheim for the Division IIIA Varsity Boys Basketball title. In dramatic fashion, our West Valley High Mustangs were victorious over the Perris High School Panthers, clinching the CIF Division IIIA Title. Trailing by 6 points with less than 1 minute to play the team rallied to close the game on a 23-7 points run, winning the game 90-80 in overtime. This is West Valley's first CIF title in any of its sports and everyone is proud of the Mustangs. West Valley's coach, Chuck Peebles said, "They just refused to lose. I'm proud of them for that." West Valley has earned the chance to play in the 2008 CIF State Basketball Championships, Division I. The Mustangs played hard but were defeated by San Diego High School, in a close game. CONGRATULATIONS ON THE CIF TITLE & AN AWESOME 2008 BASKETBALL SEASON MUSTANGS!!! Visit West Valley's web site. Community Gives Christmas Joy to HUSD Students
The Pilgrim Congregational Church of Hemet donated a van full of gifts. Members of the congregation contribute gifts throughout the year for the donations. An anonymous group of valley residents, known as Santa's Brigrade, collects gifts throughout the year to donate to both school districts in the valley. Thank you for your kind donations to our students! HAPPY HOLIDAYS! Santa Fe Middle School Teacher selected "Educator of the Year"
Jeff Claborn, Santa Fe Middle School language arts and English as a second language teacher, was nominated for the award by Laurel Byrd, an Academic Coach in the Professional Development department at HUSD. Jeff was selected the Educator of the Year for Region 10. Region 10 encompasses Riverside, San Bernardino, Inyo and Mono Counties. He will be one of the 11 CLMS Educators competing for the 2007 CLMS Educator of the Year in Monterey in January 2008. Read the nomination remarks submitted to CLMS to find out more about Jeff and his exemplary teaching skills. CONGRATULATIONS MR. CLABORN! Hemet High Teacher Selected "Educator of the Year"
Kristin Dewit, Hemet High School math teacher, was nominated for the award by Hemet High School administration. Kristin was selected the Educator of the Year for Region 10. Region 10 encompasses Riverside, San Bernardino, Inyo and Mono Counties. She will be one of the 11 CLHS Educators competing for the 2007 CLHS Educator of the Year in Monterey in January 2008. Read the nomination submitted to CLHS to find out more about Kristin and her exemplary teaching skills. Visit Mrs. Dewit's web page, www.facingmath.com Healthy Students at Cottonwood School
Scott Whitmore, Cottonwood's PE teacher, lead the charge by signing the school up for the Governor's Challenge. This challenge is managed by the Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. Students had to participate in 30-60 minutes per day of physical activity for a period of 4 weeks. This physical activity is in addition to the regular PE class. All the days of activity were recorded and submitted to the state. Cottonwood had 100% participation. The students earned the honor of being named the Regional Winner and a $1,000 check to be used toward their physical fitness and student wellness activities. Way to go Cottonwood Students! California Anti-Bullying WeekThe California Legislature designated the second week of November 2007 as "California Anti-Bullying Week." (read the legislation) Supporting the need to improve bullying prevention efforts, California Student Survey data collected by WestEd in 2005 revealed that 39% of 7th graders, 34% of 9th graders, and 31% of 11th graders reported having been harassed or bullied at least once at school in a twelve-month period. Representative students throughout the state were asked to identify how many times on school property they were harassed or bullied, defined as being “shoved, hit, threatened, called mean names, teased in a way you didn’t like, or had other unpleasant things done to you.” It is not considered bullying when two or more students of about the same strength quarrel or fight. About one quarter (25-28% across grades) reported being harassed or bullied for one of the five hate-crime categories, because of their gender, race/ethnicity, religion, physical/mental disability, or sexual orientation. The most frequently experienced form of harassment was for race, ethnicity, or national origin, at 15% to 17% across grades. Over half of students who reported any harassment for race/ethnicity or sexual orientation reported two or more episodes. In addition, about one tenth of students in these grades reported having been threatened or injured with a weapon, the same percentage that reported feeling unsafe or very unsafe at school. The biggest grade differences were in regard to physical bullying, which was a particular cause for concern among 7th graders. Fear of being beaten was reported by 28% of 7th graders, declining 14% of 11th. The percentage who had been pushed, shoved, or hit on purpose dropped from 42% in 7th grade to 25% in 11th. Since 2003, these results have been relatively consistent, with no indication of any reductions in bullying in California schools. HUSD has policies in place for bullying prevention. Please read more about student safety and district policies and procedures regarding bullying. Each high school and middle school also have UNITY Forums, to help unify students. Read more about the UNITY Forum. What is the local level of bullying and harassment in neighborhood schools? HUSD is currently conducting the 2007 survey (click here to find out about HUSD's survey). School districts throughout California collect the same data through their California Health Kids Survey (CHKS). About the SurveysThe California Student Survey is a biennial representative statewide student survey sponsored since 1985 by the Office of the Attorney General in collaboration with the California Department of Education and the Department of Alcohol and Drug programs. Information about the survey is available at the website of the Office of the Attorney General, www.safestate.org. The California Healthy Kids Survey is a comprehensive health risk and resilience survey that the California Department of Education requires all school districts in California to conduct every two years in compliance with the No Child Left Behind Act, Title IV. Information is available at www.wested.org/chks. Building Character at Santa Fe Middle School
There's a popular new program at Santa Fe Middle School. The program, designed to teach students the values of trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship, is known on campus as "TRRFCC". Each month a new topic is selected, along with a supporting color. October's topic was integrity and the color was yellow to re-enforce the "golden rule." On "Character Tuesdays" staff and students wear the color of the month to show their support. November's topic is gratitude. The quote for the month is "Gratitude is the best Attitude." This month's color is brown so you should see plenty of brown on "Character Tuesdays." Dr. Jacquiline Luzak, principal at Santa Fe, is very pleased with the program. She said, "Students have high self-esteem, respect for their peers, and LOBO pride as a result of participating in the TRRFCC program. The mood around campus is upbeat. Character Tuesdays are a big hit! Ms. Hallberg has done an outstanding job to create and maintain this program for Santa Fe. I'm proud of our TRRFCC Lobos." During the daily broadcast of Santa Fe TV (SFTV), students are read a motivational quote to support the month's topic. Program coordinator and school counselor Chelsey Hallberg also occasionally appears on SFTV to give theme related speeches. Throughout the month, students have the opportunity to earn TRRFCC cards. The cards are given to students who demonstrate TRRFCC characteristics through their actions at school. Each week 2 names from the students awarded cards are drawn. Each student gets a prize and is interviewed live on SFTV. There has been excellent participation seen throughout campus by both staff and students. Counselor Chelsey Hallberg states "It's great to see students being able to define what character means to them and their ideas on how to become a better person. When student's are given a chance to learn and speak their mind the outcome is amazing!" It's apparent throughout campus students are building their character more and more. The goal of the program is to instill these core values to improve the future for these students. Professional Development Academy Dedication Ceremony
The PDA was built with funding through a combination of state QZAB (Qualified Zone Academy Bond) funding and generous contributions from various companies. The PDA is located in a renovated, previously vacant, portion of the district's Nutrition Center located on Acacia Avenue. The space was once a dark and dingy warehouse but there is now light and energy. The PDA staff is led by Martinrex Kedziora, Director of Professional Development. The team of academic coaches and new teacher support providers are working hard to provide the best training to district teachers possible. Thanks to the generous contributions from Dell Computers, douglas e. barnhart, inc., Pacific Alarm, Spectrum Communications and Thompson Engineering. We would also like to thank FTA Architecture, Dale Scott and Associates, Jones/Hall, Bank of America, Bowie, Arneson, Wiles & Giannone and PJHM Architects. PRICE Parenting CoursePositivity Responsibility Influence Consequences Encouragement
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For 23 years the the California School Recognition Program has identified and honored the state's most exemplary and inspiring public schools with the California Distinguished School Award. Participation is voluntary but this award is highly sought after by schools in all areas of the state. 
For many years, the Hemet High School FFA Chapter has instilled in its students and members a pursuit of excellence, and it paid off this year at the 80th California State FFA Convention held in April. For the first time in over 30 years a Hemet FFA member, Levy, featured in photo center, was elected for the prestigious state office of Sentinel. He was chosen from among 57candidates statewide.
May 22, 2008 marked the 21st Annual Elementary Honor Roll Award Ceremony held by Hemet Unified School District. This year it was unseasonably rainy and cold. The weather proved only an inconvenience as students and their parents braved the downpour and streamed into the West Valley Gym, instead of the stadium. There was standing room only for this opportunity for students to get the recognition they deserve for their hard work and dedication to education. Despite the crowded conditions, everyone enjoyed the evening.
On May 15, 2008 at the District Board Room the Measure “E” Citizens’ Oversight Committee reviewed the 
On the weekend of April 18th the choirs of Hemet High School, under the supervision of Choir Director Dr. Brent Wells, participated in the San Francisco Heritage Festival, competing against schools from across the country. Chamber Singers and Jazz Choir performed very well, garnering gold ratings and finishing the weekend ranked first in both categories. Advanced Women’s Ensemble also placed first in their category, earning a silver rating; and Treble Choir and Men’s Choir enjoyed success earning silver ratings as well.
Dartmouth Middle School Knights have a team to be proud of, the same team who supports school spirit at each game...the cheer team!
Hemet Unified School District leaders were recognized for their outstanding support for middle grades education at a luncheon sponsored by the California Middle Grades Alliance (CMGA), hosted by the California League of Middle Schools. Each year the CMGA recognizes school boards and superintendents for their outstanding leadership and commitment to the state's middle grades. Hemet Unified School District is among 19 other districts recognized for promoting student achievement in the middle grades. Districts are nominated by a middle grades principal and endorsed by a second administrator within the district. 
This year 20 teams from across Riverside County competed in the annual Riverside County Academic Decathlon. On Tuesday, February 5, 2008 the Hemet High School Academic Decathlon team was recognized, for the 10th consecutive year, as Riverside County's Academic Decathlon champion. 
West Valley High School's Varsity Boys Basketball team has worked hard all season and it has paid off. 
Sylvia Ortiz, Community Liaison for the Hemet Unified School District coordinates delivery of gifts to disdavantaged students. This year two trips were made to the schools.
Hemet Unified School District is proud to present a second "Educator of the Year." The California League of Middle Schools (CLMS) selects 11 educators, representing regions throughout California, who exemplify educational excellence and have made significant efforts to implement elements of educational reform in the middle school. Up to 10 finalists from each region are honored locally as a finalist. One of the finalists is selected as the Educator of the Year for the region
Not only did students at Cottonwood School achieve their academic goals for continued growth in their API scores, but they won the 2007 Governor's Challenge Regional Award for the Desert Sierra Region! Last year students at Cottonwood Elementary made a commitment beyond education; they made a commitment to a healthy lifestyle. 
The dedication ceremony for the Professional Development Academy (PDA) was held on Tuesday, October 16, 2007 at the site of the new academy. Through the dedication of Governing Board and various district departments, the PDA has become a reality. The PDA is the new training facility for teachers and staff at Hemet Unified. The training provided at the PDA will help district students by ensuring teachers are properly trained and updated with current methods and concepts.
In America today, 1 in 4 children are left alone and unsupervised after school. After school programs give these students an opportunity to develop into successful adults by keeping them safe and inspiring learning. 
At the first football game of the 2007-08 school year, Hemet High School dedicated their stadium to John McDonough, former HUSD Governing Board member and pillar in the Hemet Community.
The Hemet Elementary team of teachers, students, and staff is celebrating a successful year of turning up the heat with brain power on STAR testing in Spring 2007 - achieving a 45 point growth on the school's API. Principal Ted Smith attributes this tremendous success "... to the two years of hard work and effort from our students, parents, teachers, coaches and other school personnel towards improved academic achievement." All District staff join in congratulating the hard-working members of the Hemet Elementary team, especially the students, who realized the District's theme this year: Believe and Achieve, 212 degrees!
HUSD's Professional Development Director, Martinrex Kedziora, was recently nominated as the California League of Middle Schools' President Elect. This is a six-year commitment and a wonderful honor to have the incoming CLMS President hailing from Hemet Unified. As incoming President, Director Kedziora will serve two years as CLMS President Elect, supporting current President Bob Price. Mr. Kedziora will then serve two years as President and another two years as Past President as part of his obligation in this position.
Elementary Honor Roll students were recognized on May 24, 2007 for their hard work and outstanding academic performance. At the 20th Annual Elementary Honor Roll ceremony, students were addressed by a former Honor Roll student who is now graduating as the valedictorian in her class. She wanted to inspire the students to continue with their academic achievements; to let them know with a little hard work, anything is possible. Dr. Philip Pendley, Superintendent; Mary Wulfsberg, Deputy Superintendent and Governing Board members, Bill Sanborn (President), Charlotte Jones (Vice-President), Gregg Figgins and Phyllis Petri congratulated each of the students and handed out the awards. 
In recognition of Armed Forces Day, Harmony Elementary held a Military Appreciation Day assembly on Friday, May 18, 2007. The assembly honored all soldiers but a special invitation was extended to those soldiers who are parents and/or relatives of Harmony students and staff. Veterans from the Winchester VFW were also invited, as well as West Valley High School's Navy ROTC who opened the event with the presentation of colors. All Harmony students sang patriotic songs, the kindergarten classes lead The Pledge of Allegiance using American Sign Language, Harmony's band played the national anthem and a third grade class played patriotic music on recorders. Assistant Principal, Carol Robilotta, read an inspirational story about the commitment of soldiers to support our freedom. Following the story, the names of the 40 active and retired soldiers in attendance were read out loud.
The ceremony closed with the presentation of the banner pictured above made with hand print cut outs of all 806 Harmony students to the Winchester VFW.
The Model Continuation High School Recognition Program is a partnership of the CDE (California Department of Education) and California Continuation Education Association to identify and recognize outstanding programs, creating a list of quality programs for school visitations. Applicant schools must be accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, demonstrate exemplary program effectiveness, school management, curriculum, instructional strategies, assessment and evaluation, education climate, and guidance and counseling. Parents, students, and community members were required to submit narrative statements supporting their respective schools. A review team visited the schools and recommended 13 for model school status.
Hemet Unified School District will celebrate California "Day of the Teacher" on Wednesday, May 9, 2007. This marks the 25th anniversary of the day established to give special recognition to teachers for their contributions to education and the lives of California's children. This year's theme is "Celebrating the Artistry of Teaching" which is illustrated in the poster above. The artwork was created by Rafael Lopez, who also created the artwork for California Teachers Association's Read Across America this year. Hemet Unified is proud to honor our teachers as they illustrate daily the "artistry of teaching." Please take the opportunity on this special day to acknowledge appreciation of Hemet Unified's inspirational teachers!
For the 7th straight year, Ramona Elementary celebrated Read Across America Day by inviting community members, staff and district administration to read Dr. Seuss books to students. Ramona Elementary Roadrunners love Read Across America day because it gives them a chance to share their love of reading.
