Dear ESUSD Employees, Families and Communities,
It is hard to believe there are only seven days remaining in the school year. As we approach the finish line, I have several noteworthy positive announcements to share with our community.
Center Street and Richmond Street Schools Receive 2023 PLTW Distinguished School Recognitions
Center Street School and Richmond Street School have both been recognized as 2023 Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Distinguished Launch Schools -- two of just 492 schools nationwide to receive this honor. PLTW’s goal is to empower students to develop in-demand, transportable knowledge and skills through pathways in computer science, engineering and biomedical science. The PLTW Distinguished School recognition honors proven commitment to increasing student access, engagement, and achievement in their PLTW programs which CSS and RSS both exhibit by having more than 75 percent of their student body participating in the program and offering at least one PLTW Launch module at each grade level during the 2021-22 school year.
Both of our elementary schools proudly offer STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) programs, committed to empowering students to harness their curiosity and follow their passions within a project-based learning environment. The engineering portion of this curriculum is supported by PLTW’s Launch module. ESUSD is incredibly proud of the work taking place at both Richmond Street and Center Street in this area. It’s fascinating to watch these young students finding and pursuing their passions as creative and critical thinkers. Phuong Uzoff and Danielle Hoppe are doing incredible work, guiding our students through the curriculum in ways that ignite their curiosity and building their confidence in STEAM subjects.
Kimberlie Linz Named State Business Services Administrator of the Year from ACSA
The Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) has named Kimberlie Linz as its 2023 State Business Official of the Year. Ms. Linz, who has served as Chief Business Official for ESUSD since 2018, has built trust in the school community by clearly communicating that student achievement and wellbeing remains at the heart of the district’s budgeting process. She is known for taking a students-first approach to overseeing the district’s Business Services, Facilities and Maintenance Department, ensuring fiscal solvency while finding innovative solutions to support teaching and learning throughout ESUSD.
Additionally, Ms. Linz has contributed to a positive internal culture, frequently highlighting the accomplishments of the entire team. She has also maintained strong relationships with labor partners, which has allowed for troubleshooting budgetary challenges related to the schools, instructional programs, student learning, and staff development. Ms. Linz has developed a reputation for her high ethical standards and professionalism. ESUSD consistently has clean financial audits with no significant findings. Other CBOs in districts throughout the region regularly seek out her advice, and she has served as a mentor to school finance professionals statewide. Her work has been critical to our district’s success, and we are grateful for her service to ESUSD.
ESUSD Administrators Earn Awards
Assistant Superintendent Marisa Janicek and I have both earned Subject Impact Awards for leading our district’s use of educational technology to promote student growth. Subject is a company that aims to empower students of all backgrounds. The Impact Awards recognize individuals and schools that share this mission and lead their districts to actively address issues of inequity and then innovate and create opportunities for all students to succeed.
Ms. Janicek was recognized for her innovations surrounding technology integration in the district to engage students in their learning, increase efficiencies for teachers and staff, remove barriers to access, and increase achievement across the district. Her understanding of the needs of modern students in a changing society and workforce have made ESUSD a model district for the effective use of technology. I was nominated for our student-centered innovative initiative, which focuses on providing all students with opportunities to grow and succeed, as well as for my coaching and mentoring of other educational leaders through California, which helps make an impact on students and teachers statewide.
Celebrate the Arts
In this Spring season, we were able to enjoy many exciting opportunities to celebrate the arts throughout ESUSD. I commend Glen Sidwell and Stacy Park for facilitating extraordinarily successful drama performances of Into the Woods and Matilda Junior. In addition, music remains alive and well! Spring songs were in the air, and I appreciate the tremendous efforts of Rebecca Wright, Heather Ukrisna, Rosalind Darbeau and Gianna Summers who celebrate their students through choral concerts that were filled with joy. Tony Bancroft and Bill Flaherty hosted lively instrumental music concerts. Most noteworthy was the collaborative performance of Rosalind Darbeau’s strings students with Gianna Summers and the high school choir who displayed phenomenal musical talents at recent shows.
In Closing
As we look ahead, it is imperative we all work together to celebrate our students: our seniors at graduation and our Eagle’s Nest, fifth grade, and eighth grade students at their upcoming promotions. Please take time to cherish the milestone moments in our children’s lives!
Take care and be well,
Melissa Moore, Ed.D.
Superintendent
El Segundo Unified