Saugus Union School District Excellence in Elementary Education Welcome to the 2017-18 school year in the Saugus Union School District

It is always exciting at the beginning of the new school year. The buzz begins to build at all of our sites as administrators, teachers and staff are busy finalizing their calendars and lesson plans and preparing the schools and classrooms for the return of your children.
With fifteen award-winning schools serving our communities of Saugus, Valencia, and Canyon Country and more than 100 years of experience and traditions, our Vision (Academic and Personal Success for Every Child) inspires and guides our entire SUSD family to achieve Excellence in Elementary Education. We are a high achieving district with outstanding test scores, dedicated and highly qualified teachers and administrators, state and nationally recognized schools and award-winning PTAs and parent groups. Extraordinary Excellence Everyday exemplifies our work with students, parents, colleagues and community. Visit our district website www.saugususd.org. Like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/saugususd.
At Saugus Union School District, we see ourselves as being part of your community, as part of the fabric of your neighborhoods. From Mountainview in the north part of the Valley to Rio Vista in the south, and everything in between, our schools strive to be what Former Tennessee Senator Bill Frist called, “the cornerstone of our communities.”
We are excited for our new school year as we will celebrate milestone anniversaries in our communities. Rosedell Elementary turns 50 in 2017, Emblem Academy turns 50 in 2018, Helmers Elementary turns 25 in 2016, Plum Canyon turns 20 in 2018 and Bridgeport Elementary turns 15 in 2017. These milestones will be recognized throughout all of our communities and will allow us to remind all of our neighbors, those of you with current students, or those who have moved on to the next phase of their education, as well as those of you who haven’t ever (or yet) had students in our schools. We look forward to sharing more information as we move on through the year.
School begins on Wednesday, August 9. Transitional Kindergarten (TK) classes are located strategically across the district and are available for children whose birthdays fall between September 2 and December 2. All our schools emphasize a special focus that enriches each of our communities and make our Saugus District an amazing school choice in your neighborhood.
We look forward to seeing our students achieve even greater successes. Our Curriculum and Instruction Team leads our work on District Curriculum Goals that include Direct Instruction practices, Gifted and Talented (GATE) for our gifted and talented students, Systematic English Language Development (SELD) for our English Learners, Response to Intervention Programs (RtI) to meet the needs of ALL learners and integration of the new California State Standards. More information on those standards can be found on the California Department of Education website http://www.cde.ca.gov/re/cc/index.asp. Last year, students participated in the CAASPP online assessment system and will continue to participate this year. Parent information and sample tests may be found at http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/sa/index.asp. Check it out!
Our Business Services Team is monitoring and implementing the state funding formula known as Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF). This is the biggest change in forty years of state funding and has many new rules and regulations. Saugus budget information as well as our Facilities Master Plan can be found on the district website http://www.saugususd.org/Departments/Business-Services-/index.html.
All of our campuses have been benefiting from the implementation of Measure EE, allowing for upgrades in safety and technology. As our schools add new Measure EE funded elements, we continue to update the community via our Measure EE Newsletters, available through the District website http://www.saugususd.org/About-SUSD/District-Bond-Measure-EE/index.html.
We encourage you to be involved in your child’s educational experience. Read school newsletters, attend school conferences and events, join the parent association, volunteer in the classroom, follow the district on Facebook (www.facebook.com/saugususd) and most importantly, dialog with your child about his/her everyday educational journey. Working as partners, we encourage one another, increase our student successes and celebrate even greater accomplishments.