Without proper eyewear available, students can struggle to read the whiteboard at the front of the classroom, participate in activities or even read their textbooks, which may lead them to fall behind academically.
As featured in the May 27 Orange County Register, the Anaheim Elementary School District officially began its partnership with the non-profit organization Vision to Learn during a Sunkist Elementary School assembly to provide students with eye exams and glasses, free of charge.
The program started with Abraham Lincoln Elementary, Ponderosa Elementary, Patrick Henry Elementary and Sunkist Elementary schools this spring. Already, they have serviced onsite screenings for eye exams and prescription glasses for 200 students, 76 of those from Sunkist.
“We are truly fortunate to be the first school district in Orange County to implement this program,” AESD Superintendent Dr. Christopher Downing said.
The program will continue to expand with 19 remaining AESD school sites in the coming 2022-23 school year to bring eye care to more children in need.
Here are the other news stories we’ve been tracking this week:
- In light of the tragedy that occurred at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas earlier this week, school districts across Southern California are taking steps to further strengthen their campus safety measures.
- Famed street artist Farid Rueda flew from Mexico to California to create a 40-foot-long mural on the Westminster High School campus with the help of visual arts students the week of May 20.
- Orange County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Al Mijares issued a statement addressing the Robb Elementary School shooting and detailed how the Orange County Department of Education is working to ensure school safety.
- After more than 23 years working in education, Deputy Superintendent and Chief Human Resource Officer Brinda Leon was announced as the new superintendent for the Brea Olinda Unified School District. Leon will begin the position July 1, pending Board of Education approval.
- Honored guest speakers shared memories from their early lives and reflected on their careers at the May 24 Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month virtual forum hosted by County Superintendent Dr. Al Mijares.
- Over 200 teachers, students, parents and school staff members from the Laguna Beach Unified School District came together on Wednesday evening to grieve the loss of El Morro Elementary School Principal Christopher Duddy.
- Math teachers from Pajaro Valley Unified, West Contra Costa Unified and Aspire Public Schools are utilizing language-focused math instruction in their classrooms to improve comprehension among their multilingual students.
- Lastly, the San Diego Unified School District made an announcement Tuesday to parents and families that a rise in COVID-19 cases could lead to reinstating some school mask mandates.
This is the part where we encourage you to keep up with local education news stories by bookmarking the OCDE Newsroom, subscribing for emailed updates and following us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.