California Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero visited Dale Junior High School and Gilbert High School on Monday, Oct. 23 to honor students and staff with the top civics education award in the state.
Co-sponsored by Guerrero and State Superintendent Tony Thurmond, the Civic Learning Award of Excellence recognizes schools that work to integrate civics campus-wide and promote positive student engagement in and out of the classroom.
With two newly-awarded distinctions, the Anaheim Union High School District has received a total of eight Civic Learning Awards in the past four years.
During Chief Justice Guerrero’s visit, students from both campuses expressed how the districtwide civics campaign has helped them make change in their communities before presenting their award-winning civics projects — including El Mercadito, the first campus-based food pantry in the district.
“Our civic engagement work with our young people reaches across the curriculum, reinforcing their identity, connecting their passions with classroom content and making learning more relevant and meaningful to them,” said Superintendent Michael Matsuda in a statement.
Thanks to students’ civic efforts, Gilbert High has become the first continuation school to receive the Civic Learning Award of Excellence.
This is also the first award of its kind for Dale Junior High, which previously received four Civic Learning Awards of Merit. Before concluding her visit at Dale, Chief Justice Guerrero administered an oath of office for 11 student senators who were recently elected by their peers.
Kennedy High School senior Alexis Arteaga also attended the event and spoke about the impact of districtwide initiatives to support civic learning and provide students with platforms to actively participate in democracy.
“I have been given the opportunity to engage in civic action and tackle issues head on by trying to get policy implemented,” Alexis said. “We have been supported by the district board, the Orange County Department of Education and Superintendent Matsuda. This outpour of support has strengthened our pursuit for a better tomorrow.”
Here are the other stories we’ve been following this week:
- Eighteen students from the Orange County Juvenile Hall read personal essays and provided a glimpse into their lives for the sixth annual Voices from Within Essay Contest, hosted by the Juvenile Justice Commission of Orange County in partnership with OCDE and the Orange County Probation Department.
- In an effort to emphasize the importance of attending school on time and daily, the La Habra City School District launched the “Attendance Champions” program, which recognizes different school campuses each month for their increased engagement on campus.
- From Oct. 23 to Oct. 31, schools nationwide participate in Red Ribbon Week to encourage students to lead healthy, drug-free lives. The Orange County Department of Education has updated its online toolkit to support themed activities with presentations, trainings and more.
- Returning for the third consecutive school year, the Rising Stars program in the Fullerton School District will provide mentorship experiences, field trips and special activities to students in need while supporting them along their academic journeys.
- Students from the Edison High School Special Abilities Cluster were hanging ten at Huntington State Beach during the seventh annual Surf-O-Rama event. With help from Edison’s surf and swim teams, Corky Carroll’s Surf School, and lifeguards, students stood up on surfboards and shredded waves as their families and community members cheered them on.
- Families from Oso Grande Elementary School in the Capistrano Unified School District recently came together to support crossing guard Larry Lanterman after the loss of his wife.
- The Ocean View School District board is expected to make a decision next month on whether to consolidate or close four of its school campuses after receiving task force recommendations, according to the Orange County Register.
- The Orange County Register reported that petition signatures to recall two board members in the Orange Unified School District were recently certified by the Orange County Registrar of Voters.
- The Anaheim Union High School District said it is reinforcing its cell phone ban policy in locker rooms and working with law enforcement to report and remove posts after an image of a student surfaced online, as reported by KNBC Los Angeles news.
- The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing recently launched the Roadmap to Teaching initiative with digital tools and assistance from career counselors to aid future educators who are working toward their credentials.
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