District News

Please join us on Friday, March 24, 2023 from 5 p.m.- 7 p.m. to provide input on the Isbell Middle School construction project. We would like for you to share any ideas you may have regarding the design and construction. This is also a great opportunity to ask questions you may have regarding the project.

The meeting will take place at the Santa Paula Community Center located on the corner of where Steckel Dr. and Main St. intersect. Light refreshments will be provided.

We are also seeking feedback from you via the survey found at the link below or by scanning the QR code located on the flyer.

English survey link:
bit.ly/3XmRcow

Spanish survey link:
https://bit.ly/3Iiclfv

Get to know SPUSD!

We would like to share some information about Mrs. Cynthia Carrillo, SPUSD Executive Director of Classified Human Resources.

Mrs. Carrillo first started working in the Santa Paula Unified School District in August 2020, as the Executive Director of Classified Human Resources. She has worked in public education for over 25 years in both merit and non-merit school districts, community college districts and county offices of education. She has served in human resources management roles for over 20 years and has served in the role of a director in human resources for 15 years.

She has a wealth of experience as a human resource professional in public education. She has successfully managed all facets of human resources including recruitment and selection of all employee types, classified and certificated negotiations, contract administration, employee leaves, workers’ compensation, employee discipline (progressive discipline), professional development, job analysis, and classification/compensation studies.  

Mrs. Carrillo holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration and an MBA in Management and Strategy.

She currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors (President-Elect) for the CASBO Southern Section, she is the State Chair for the CASBO Human Resources Professional Council, and previously served as a training director for the California School Personnel Commission Association (CSPCA) for three years.

When she is not working, she enjoys spending time with her husband, six children, and her precious granddaughter, Hannah. She enjoys gardening, planning parties, short stories, and watching documentaries. She dreams of spending more time at the beach and planning hikes with her family.

Dear SPUSD Community,

This is a notification to all in the SPHS community that school will resume tomorrow, Friday, March 3, 2023. Thank you for your understanding in this matter as we made decisions in the best interest of student and staff safety.  

After a thorough inspection, the civil engineering consultants, including a geotechnical engineer, underground utility contractor and City officials, it has been determined that school may resume and they believe there is no threat to the school buildings based on their assessment. The existing storm drainage pipe failure on N. Sixth St. has been repaired with soil material replacing the area that was eroded by storm water. At this time, N. Sixth St. continues to be repaired and the estimated completion date is unknown.

In anticipation of heavy traffic, we strongly recommend that you arrive early for parking or student-drop-off. Please account for this when parking or dropping off students. Below is information regarding closure of N. Sixth St., available parking & accessible routes. We encourage carpooling and walking to school to prevent a traffic build-up. Using surrounding areas to drop students off will help to alleviate any traffic congestion on Santa Paula St. Please be safe when dropping off students by pulling over and not double parking.

CLOSURE:  North Sixth St., between Pleasant St. and Virginia Terrace. SPPD are controlling access. There is NO PARKING above Pleasant St. Residents are able to access by walking to their homes after parking below Pleasant St.

PARKING:  For staff, the science/tech parking lot & Palm Court parking lot will be accessible to students and staff.

ACCESSIBLE ROUTES:

CARS-

• Fifth St.to Virginia Terrace - will be open to through traffic.
• Palm Court drop off
• Pleasant St. & lower part of N. Sixth St. (Upper N. Sixth St. is closed)

PEDESTRIANS-

• Santa Barbara St. & 5th St. is a safe drop off zone
• Santa Paula St. & 7th St. is a safe drop off zone

We look forward to seeing students and staff return to school. Thank you to all of

Emergency agencies, including Ventura Co. Fire Department (VCFD) & VCFD Urban Search & Rescue, Santa Paula Police Dept. (SPPD), Santa Paula Public Works, City of Santa Paula officials and companies who worked through the night to stabilize N. Sixth St. and ensure the safety of us all and our school buildings.

Respectfully,

Jeffrey Weinstein, Superintendent

On Friday, February 24, 2023, the SPHS Jazz Ensemble participated in the Western States Jazz Festival, which was hosted by Upland High School. The competitive festival featured performances from elementary to collegiate jazz ensembles. 

There were live performances from many groups including some from CSU Long Beach, Azusa Pacific University, and Riverside City College. 

At the end of the day, the SPHS students placed 2nd in their division out of 4 schools and received an "Excellent" rating from  3 adjudicators. The students had a great performance and were fortunate enough to have an extended clinic (nearly 50 minutes) with professional trumpet musician and Bach performing artist, Jeff Bunnell. 

In early February 2023, the Ventura Section FFA Public Speaking Contest was hosted at Santa Paula High School. 

There were over 70 students from five different high school programs present: Camarillo, Fillmore, Ventura, Carpinteria, and Santa Paula.

Many students will now be competing at the Regional FFA Finals on March 9-10 at King City High School in King City, CA. There are three students who will be running for Regional FFA Officer positions which if elected, they will serve as Regional FFA Leaders from San Jose to Los Angeles. Those students are: Priscila Perez, Angel Tinajero, and Jazmin Guevara.

Here are the results from the contest:

FFA Extemporaneous Public Speaking

1st Place: Jazmin Guevara- Santa Paula
2nd Place: Robin Fernandez- Santa Paula
3rd Place Angel Tinjero- Santa Paula

FFA Prepared Public Speaking

2nd Place: Aaliyah Kendricks- Santa Paula

FFA Creed

1st Place: Jill Fausset- Santa Paula
2nd Place: Analiz Arroyo- Santa Paula
3rd Place: Amaris Fregoso- Santa Paula
5th Place: Brayan Rocha- Santa Paula
6th Place: Kamila Gomez- Santa Paula
Aliana Espinosa- Santa Paula  

FFA Job Interview

3rd Place: Yazmin Magana- Santa Paula
5th Place: Priscila Perez- Santa Paula
Isaac Opolka- Santa Paula
Jeffrey Magana- Santa Paula
Daniel Magana- Santa Paula
Samantha Ivanaez- Santa Paula
Natalie Estrada- Santa Paula

FFA Impromptu

3rd Place: Joann Christnesen- Santa Paula
Layla McLemore- Santa Paula
Diana Zizumbo- Santa Paula
Sofia Manzano- Santa Paula
Carlos Pulido- Santa Paula

Isbell Middle School is hosting a monthly four-part parent informational series that begins in February and ends in May 2023.

Parent University is a 4-part series open to all SPUSD parents/guardians aimed to help them best support their student(s). The series will focus on vaping and drug awareness, mental health, college and careers, and social media.

Please reference the flyers above to learn more about Parent University. All presentations will be given in English and Spanish.

Please park on 4th St. and plan to enter through the main office.

We hope you can join us!

Thelma Bedell Elementary students attended a College and Career Fair at their school on Friday, February 17, 2022 and many left feeling very inspired.

Students in grades 3-5 spoke with various invited guests, which included representatives from colleges and many professions, including law enforcement, the trade industry, information technology, firefighting, and more!

Thank you to all of the guests who came to show our students the many great options they have for their bright futures. It's never too early to start thinking about college and career readiness!

Get to know SPUSD!

We would like to share some information about Mr. Jeff Argend, SPUSD Director of Maintenance and Operations.

Mr. Argend comes from a family who has a long history in the Fillmore, Santa Paula, and Ventura area. His family moved here in the late 1800s and many relatives worked in the oil and farming industry and remained in the area until their passing.

Mr. Argend’s career began in the marble and granite industry where he was president of Argend Enterprises, Inc. and the company’s first big project was working on the Golden Nugget Hotel in Las Vegas. During this time, he was also teaching at night as an associate professor at Azusa Pacific University. He has been working here at SPUSD for the last 9 years. He has previously worked here as the SPUSD Risk and Safety Manager and for the past year as the SPUSD Director of Maintenance and Operations.

His educational background is as follows:

• Attended Buena H.S. and played varsity basketball. 
• Received a pilot's license at the Santa Paula Airport (Tom Moore and Michael Dewey were his instructors).
• Attended a business program at VC and was a basketball player there
• Attended the UNLV Economics program and earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance. He also played basketball there
• Earned his contractor’s license in CA. 
• Earned a Master’s Degree in Education degree from APU.

Mr. Argend’s spare time is filled with spending time with his family. His wife, Louise, is a retired teacher from the Rio District. His daughter, Ariana, works in the pharmaceutical field. His other daughter, Alisa, is a teacher and coach. His family recently welcomed a new grandchild, Jackson. 

He has enjoyed coaching and playing basketball and also enjoys water polo, camping, fishing, playing golf, and traveling. 

He looks forward to his continued service to SPUSD as a director. He feels that working for SPUSD and all the people here is an absolute pleasure. He hopes and prays that he can make an impact on improving the wellbeing of all who work in and serve this district. 

Mr. Argend always remembers why we are all here and notes that everything we do is for the children that attend our schools. 

The California Association for Bilingual Education (CABE) has partnered with the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) to share important information with families in Spanish about the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and other helpful programs. The virtual workshop will take place on February 18th from 10-11:30 a.m.

To register: bit.ly/3XwsIco

Save the date! Please join us in the first of many coming opportunities to provide input on the Isbell Middle School construction project. The meeting will take place on Wednesday, Feb 15, 2023 from 5-7 p.m. at Isbell Middle School in the cafeteria. We hope you can join us!

We are also seeking feedback from you via the survey found at the link below:

English survey link: bit.ly/3XmRcow

Spanish survey link: bit.ly/3Iiclfv 

The Ventura County Office of Education conducts a countywide contest for students to create logos for various academic competitions. Santa Paula High School student, Sam Moreno, created a logo for the Ventura County Science Fair 2023 and was selected as the winner! Congratulations!

Get to know SPUSD!

We would like to share some information about Dr. Letitia T. Bradley, SPUSD Director of Student Support Services.

Dr. Bradley is a California native with over 22 years in education. She went to Lynwood High, was the school principal of Compton High School, and earned a doctoral degree in educational leadership from USC in 2013. 

A fun fact about Dr. Bradley is that she can write with both hands.....at the same time! Another fun fact about her is that she was the former Miss City of Lynwood (1994). 

She's a mother of a future pilot and enjoys traveling and volunteering as the Southern California State Director of the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.

On top of overseeing the SPUSD Student Support Services Department, she is also a notary public, an executive leadership coach, and amateur home improvement DIYer!

Friday, Jan 27, 2023 marked the 100th day of school here in the Santa Paula Unified School District, and many of our schools participated in the celebration of this milestone. Over at Grace Thille Elementary and McKevett Elementary, students were invited to dress up as if they were 100 years in age.

On Thursday, January 26, 2023, the SPUSD Reclassification Celebration took place and about 260 scholars were recognized.

This achievement signifies that they have worked hard to acquire the English language skills necessary to receive instruction and achieve academic progress in English only, at a level equivalent to students of the same age or grade whose primary language is English.

We are very proud of everyone!

On Monday, December 19, 2022, Isbell Middle School held a spelling bee contest and after a total of 16 rounds, the winning word was “crevices”. Congratulations to the Isbell Spelling Bee Champion, Aliya Hernandez-Diaz (eight grader), as well as the runner-up, Izaiah Reyes (Seventh Grader)!

Aliya will receive a certificate, name and photo in the VC Star, recognition at a Board meeting, recognition at the Isbell End of Year awards ceremony, and an opportunity to compete in the Ventura County Spelling Bee in March 2023.

In the month of November, an additional 23 staff members from throughout the school district were certified in Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA). The trainings were provided by Mental Health Counselors, Rachael Forbes, LMFT, Deborah Ujfalusy, LCSW, Lisa de la O, AMFT, and Student Support Services Program Specialist, Erika Jimenez. 

The National Council for Behavioral Health states “Youth Mental Health First Aid is designed to teach parents, family members, caregivers, teachers, school staff, peers, neighbors, health and human services workers, and other caring citizens how to help an adolescent (age 12-18) who is experiencing a mental health or addictions challenge or is in crisis. Youth Mental Health First Aid is primarily designed for adults who regularly interact with young people. The course introduces common mental health challenges for youth, reviews typical adolescent development, and teaches a 5-step action plan for how to help young people in both crisis and non-crisis situations".

We would like to share some information about Ms. Bergman, an assistant principal at Isbell Middle School.

Ms. Julie McCalister Bergman is a 4th generation Santa Paulan who has been with this school district since 1997. She’s taught at the following elementary schools: Blanchard, McKevett, and Glen City. She also served as an Elementary Technology TOSA and is currently an assistant principal at Isbell Middle School.

Ms. Bergman has an Associate of Arts degree from Ventura College, a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from California State University Fresno and a Master's Degree in Educational Administration from Western Governors University. 

When obtaining her teaching credential from National University, she knew the place she wanted to teach was Santa Paula so she could give back to the community who had always been her home.

A little known fact about Ms. Bergman is that, before she went into teaching, she

worked in television at a Fox Network affiliate in Northern California. She served as the station’s Community Affairs Director and had her own on-air weekly news segment called “Super Kids” where kids doing great things to improve their communities were highlighted.

Ms. Bergman and her husband Greg have 2 children. Kade, 25, is a wildland firefighter for the County of Ventura. Keira, 20, attends a university and plays collegiate soccer in Boston, Massachusetts. However, her 3-year-old French bulldog runs the house.

Ms. Bergman is focused on enhancing the opportunities available to our middle school students in Santa Paula and showing our local community and beyond that Isbell Middle School is the place to be!

On Tuesday, January 10th, we held the Certificated Professional Development Day and there were various professional development activities taking place in the afternoon portion of the day. Staff members from Blanchard Elementary, Grace Thille Elementary, and McKevett Elementary all participated in art activities led by the company Art Trek. 

The target was to have a confidence-building experience through creative expression, work with problem-solving strategies, goal setting, and project completion. 

SPUSD staff created some very beautiful works of art! Well done!

We would like to share some information about Mr. Jeff Madrigal, Barbara Webster Elementary School Principal. 

Mr. Madrigal has worked in his current role as a school principal for the last 10 years. He is extremely proud of all that has been accomplished over the last decade at Barbara Webster, including a top notch intervention system called the Learning Center, strong social-emotional programs, and the school’s excellent daily instruction.  

Mr. Madrigal is the proud parent of 4 children whose ages range from 8 to 20. He believes in having a balanced life that factors in physical, emotional, and mental health. He also believes that humans should never stop striving to improve. 

He looks forward to leading and serving the Barbara Webster community into a better future!

Dear SPUSD Community,

We would like to inform you that Santa Paula High School will remain closed through the remainder of this week. We will reopen the school and allow students back on Monday, December 5, 2022.

We would like to thank everyone for their patience and understanding during this time as we work to ensure the school is safe for all staff and students to return.

We have created a public message forum where we invite you to share any positive sentiments/memories you may have about the Bryden Gym. Please see the attached link:  bit.ly/3H4rNeG

Respectfully,
Jeffrey Weinstein, Superintendent

For the official press release, please click here

Dear SPUSD Community,

Early this morning, Sunday, November 27, 2022, Santa Paula High School’s Bryden Gym sustained major damage as a result of a structural fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation as local authorities continue to assess the situation and damages.

Due to the structural damage and the schoolwide impact of the Bryden Gym fire, the Santa Paula Unified School District and Santa Paula High School Administration will be canceling school for Santa Paula High School students on Monday and Tuesday, November 28-29. 

We will send out more information as soon as it becomes available. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we continue assessing the situation and planning for the weeks ahead of us. 

 Respectfully,

Jeffrey Weinstein, Superintendent

For the official press release regarding this incident, please click here.

On November 16, 2022, members of the Santa Paula High School Society of Women Engineers (SWE Next) collaborated with Isbell Middle School students on building STEM kits. They delicately built two different types of robots, which required using both mechanical and electrical engineering.

We would like to thank Laurie Lary (Arnold), Ventura County Office of Education Executive Director of Career Education, for donating the kits.

SWE Next is the student chapter of the national organization of Society of Women Engineers who strive to encourage middle school girls to pursue a STEM career. 

On November 1, 2022, we proudly held the grand opening for our new preschool program. We are so thankful for everybody who came out and celebrated with us! Please watch the highlights video below to learn more about the program:

We are currently enrolling students 3 years old and up! Those who are interested in the program can visit spusd.vcoe.org to begin the enrollment process, and those who would like more information can call (805) 933-8900.

Here is some more information below:

• Classes will be at Blanchard Elementary
• Full day class: 8:15 AM-2:45 PM
• AM class: 8:15 AM-11:15 AM
• PM class: 12:15 PM-3:15 PM
• Children must be potty trained.
• Children that turned 3 years old by July 1, 2022 can enroll.
• Classes started on November 2, 2022.
• We encourage everyone interested in preschool to register their child. However, priority will be given to families who are income qualified.

Blanchard Elementary’s school library has had a “Storybook Pumpkin Patch” exhibit on display throughout this past week and we are very impressed with the creativity!

Students and their families were given the opportunity to decorate a pumpkin with the image of a children’s storybook character on it, and the turnout was amazing with over 100 students/families participating!

During the September 28, 2022 Board meeting, the following staff members were recognized and honored by the Board of Trustees, Mr. Jeffrey Weinstein, Superintendent, and SPUSD Administration for their years of service to the Santa Paula Unified School District. Congratulations to all and thank you for all that you do!

In Recognition of 20 Years of Service:

Regina Alderman, Elementary Teacher
Karina Aceves, Elementary Teacher
Teresa Villa, Elementary Teacher
Bianca Lopez, Guidance Counselor
Amber McPherson, SPHS Teacher
Larry Alamillo, Middle School Teacher
Lorena Jimenez, Elementary Teacher
Francine Carrera, School Office Assistant
Joyce Garnica, Accounting Technician
Kristi Henderson, Child Nutrition Site Lead
Raquel Hernandez, Speech & Language Pathology Assistant
Carmina Lira, Administrative Assistant, Maintenance & Operations
Violet Padilla, Instructional Assistant SPED

___________________________

In Recognition of 25 Years of Service:

Alfredo Sanchez, Elementary Teacher
Maria Ruiz, Elementary Teacher
Julie Bergman, Assistant Principal, Middle School
Kristi Crisp, Elementary Teacher
Karen Kelley-Fontes, Elementary Teacher
Martin Sandoval, Elementary Teacher
Colleen Woodruff-Conrad, Elementary Teacher
Patricia Valencia, Elementary Teacher
Robin Binder-Gillette, Principal Independent Study
Justin Schmidt, SPHS Teacher
Sonia Bautista, HR Analyst Classified
Beatrice Carrasco, Instructional Assistant/Bilingual
Nemecio Mancilla, Custodian 
Lola Salcedo, School Administrative Assistant

___________________________

In Recognition of 30 Years of Service:

Dr. Marisela Favila, Teacher on Special Assignment
Terri Bruketta, Elementary Teacher
Leslie Borchard, Elementary Teacher
Lalo Alvarado, Resource SVC P.E.
John Jacinto, Lead Custodian

____________________________

In Recognition of 35 Years of Service:

Diane Alamillo, Special Education Bus Attendant
Cynthia Cobos, Instructional Assistant SPED

__________

In Recognition of 40 Years of Service:

Lupe Garcia, Instructional Assistant SPED/Bilingual

SPUSD families, did you know that California has created a college savings plan for millions of qualifying students?

Visit the website: www.calkids.org to see if your scholar qualifies for the CalKIDS program. Contact Dr. Letitia Bradley, Director of Student Support Services, for assistance with activating your account via email to: lbradley@santapaulausd.org 

Dear SPUSD Community,

We have declared that tomorrow, Wednesday, September 7th, Thursday, September 8th, and Friday, September 9th, will be “Heat Days” for the following three school sites:

1. McKevett Elementary
2. Isbell Middle School
3. Santa Paula High School

These three school sites will release students as if these days were minimum days. Due to the lack of air conditioning at these schools, SPUSD must prioritize the safety and well-being of our students and staff.

“Heat Days” are declared when there are two consecutive days when the average forecasted temperatures are 95 degrees or higher. We track this information by using four weather services.

The ASPIRE program will still run as normal at McKevett Elementary and Isbell Middle School. If parents/guardians wish to pick their children up from ASPIRE early, they may do so. Earlier pick-up will not affect their standing in the program.

As always, thank you for your continued support and patience.

Respectfully,
Jeffrey Weinstein, Superintendent

Four Santa Paula High School students have earned academic honors from the College Board National Recognition Programs. These National Recognition Programs grant underrepresented students with academic honors that can be included on college and scholarship applications and connect students with universities across the country, helping them meaningfully connect to colleges and stand out during the admissions process. Colleges and scholarship programs identify students awarded National African American, Hispanic, Indigenous and/or Rural/Small Town Recognition through College Board’s Student Search Service.

“Our students earned this recognition because of their academic achievements in school and outstanding performance on the PSAT/NMSQT®, PSAT™ 10, and/or AP® Exams. They've accomplished these milestones during an immensely demanding period of their high school career. We couldn't be more delighted to share this great news,” stated Santa Paula High School’s Principal, Dr. Elizabeth Garcia.

The following students have been awarded recognition:

Daisy Vaca: National Hispanic Recognition Award
Nathalie Alvarado: National Hispanic Recognition Award
Samantha Ivanez: National Hispanic Recognition Award
Valery Bazan: National Hispanic Recognition Award and National Rural and Small Town Award

For the full press release, click here.

The Santa Paula Unified School District is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Marcy Lawrence as the new Director of Special Education.

Dr. Lawrence started her career as a special education teacher in Denver, CO and has worked with all grade levels. Through her teaching, she gained expertise in co-teaching and served on instructional leadership teams. She served as the Director of Special Education in Durango, CO for four years. During that time, she led large-scale change and the development of the special education and student services department as the district underwent restructuring. In 2019, she moved to California and began work as a Coordinator of Special Education where she supported and led many programs within the district.

 Throughout her career, Dr. Lawrence has focused her leadership and provided professional development in areas including organizational change, co-teaching, family and community engagement and education, inclusive practices and models, multi-tiered systems of support, program evaluation, student-centered and strength-based IEP best practices, legal compliance, educational equity, equity-centered data analysis, and ongoing trainings and coaching for principals, teachers, and paraprofessionals. 

Dr. Lawrence has worked with the Colorado Department of Education to write and publish a program evaluation tool for school districts to utilize when developing and implementing programming for students with social emotional needs. She has worked with many community organizations and partnerships, grant programs, and higher education to enhance instruction, support, and services for all students.

 In 2021, Dr. Lawrence received an Ed.D. from University of Southern California. She also has a master’s degree in Educational Equity, Cultural Diversity, and Bilingual Education from University of Colorado at Boulder and an Educational Specialist Degree from University of Northern Colorado in Educational Leadership/Administrative Services Credential with Director of Special Education and Principal endorsements.

She is looking forward to leading long-lasting inclusive educational systems through community and learner-centered transformational practices, developing Santa Paula into a premier school district in California. 

General admission tickets to all Santa Paula High School athletic events for the 2022-2023 school year will be sold only online via GOFAN. Military, senior (55+), child, and student (with ID) tickets will be available both online and through cash sales at the gate. 

Head on over to https://gofan.co/app/school/CA8040 for online tickets and please ensure you open your email and download your tickets before you arrive. No screenshots are allowed. 

Come out and support the SPHS athletes! 

Dear SPUSD Community,

We have declared that tomorrow, Wednesday, August 31st, and Thursday, September 1st, will be “Heat Days” for the following three school sites:

1. McKevett Elementary
2. Isbell Middle School
3. Santa Paula High School

These three school sites will release students as if these days were minimum days. Due to the lack of air conditioning at these schools, SPUSD must prioritize the safety and well-being of our students and staff.

“Heat Days” are declared when there are two consecutive days when the average forecasted temperatures are 95 degrees or higher. We track this information by using four weather services.

The ASPIRE program will still run as normal at McKevett Elementary and Isbell Middle School.

As always, thank you for your continued support and patience.

Respectfully,

Jeffrey Weinstein, Superintendent

The Santa Paula Unified School District is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Timothy Smith as the new Director of Early Childhood and Elementary Education.

Originally from Sacramento, Mr. Smith earned his bachelor’s degree from CSU Fresno and his master’s degree from Fresno Pacific University.

Mr. Smith began his career in education in the central San Joaquin Valley, where he worked as a continuation high school teacher, middle school teacher, elementary learning director, and most recently with Selma Unified School District serving 17 years as an elementary school principal, and 5 years as district coordinator of induction and professional learning.

He has been married to his wife, Alice, for 32 years and they have 1 son, Patrick, who resides in Sacramento, and another son, Robert, who resides in Phoenix, AZ with his wife, Becca.

He enjoys jogging, gardening, reading, and walking the family dog while enjoying the hills of the Heritage Valley. He is looking forward to the opportunity of working alongside the elementary school principals and teachers as we become more learner-centered and transform Santa Paula Unified into the premier school district in Ventura County.

After two years of not being able to attend the VC Fair due to the pandemic, Santa Paula FFA students brought home various awards this year. Please see the list of awards won below:

FFA Market Goats:

Bred and Fed Goat Champion- Joana Rangel
FFA Reserve Champion Goat- Kai Sieben

Advanced Goat Showmanship:

3rd- Kai Sieben
4th- Charlotte Powell
5th- Zachary Valenzula 
6th- Joana Rangel

FFA Market Lamb Champions:

Breeding Ewe: Joann Christemsen
FFA Reserve Champion: Valeria Arenas 
FFA Champion: Joann Christensen

Novice Lamb Showmanship:

1st- Valeria Arenas
3rd- Berenice Hernandez 
4th- Angel Tinajero
5th- Isaac Olpolka

Advanced Lamb Showmanship:

1st- Joann Christensen 
4th- Diana Zizumbo

FFA Market Swine Champion:

FFA Reserve Champion- Anahi Arballo

Novice Swine Showmanship:

2nd- Gabby Gamez
3rd- Yazmin Magana
7th- Natalie Estrada

Advanced Swine Showmanship:

4th- Mia Pacheco
6th- Jazmin Guevara
8th- Julissa Valencia 

FFA Market Steer Champion:

FFA Champion- Breanna Bradburn
Supreme Grand Champion- Breanna Bradburn 

Advanced Steer Showmanship:

2nd- Robin Fernandez 
6th- Breanna Bradburn

Santa Paula High School and Renaissance High School students came together on Friday, August 12th at Jones Field to enjoy a fun afternoon to wrap up the first week of school.

There were various activities for students to enjoy which included axe throwing, corn hole, mini golf, a wrecking ball, and a few inflatable obstacle courses. 

A big thank you to Ms. Lena Timrott, ASB Director, and SPHS ASB for organizing an amazing event as well as everyone else who was involved in helping. We aim to create a welcoming and safe environment for our students!

The Santa Paula Unified School District is thrilled to announce the appointment of Mr. Robert DeCandia as an assistant principal of Isbell Middle School.

Mr. DeCandia is very excited to be starting the 2022-23 school year at Isbell after serving as an assistant principal at Santa Paula High School for the past three years. Prior to working in administration, he was a Special Education Teacher at Gateway Community School.

He was born and raised in Ventura County and has a great appreciation for the rich history and opportunity in the Santa Paula Community. 

He is looking forward to making new connections as he serves both the students and staff at Isbell Middle School.

On August 2nd, Child Nutrition Services staff members participated in a fun and informative professional development experience with Chef Ray Duey in the cafeteria at Santa Paula High School.

Chef Duey has been featured on the Food Network, has created food masterpieces for the White House, and is a certified chef through the American Culinary Federation.

Chef Duey led a hands-on fruit and vegetable carving class in which he instructed staff on proper tool usage, food cutting safety, and tool maintenance.

CNS staff members successfully tried out various carving techniques on their own using a variety of fruits and vegetables, and also worked in small groups for a timed challenge in which each group constructed a centerpiece.

The Santa Paula Unified School District is delighted to announce the appointment of Mrs. Viviana Magaña-Laureano as the new school assistant principal of Glen City Elementary.

Mrs. Laureano has been in education for over 15 years with teaching experience in elementary, middle, and high school. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies and Master of Education and Organizational Leadership at University of La Verne. She later earned her second Master of Arts in Educational Leadership Specialization at CSU Channel Islands. 

Mrs. Laureano began her teaching career in Fillmore USD, and later transitioned to teaching at Blanchard Elementary. She also served as the Distance Learning Summer Administrator, as well as the Saturday Program Administrator for the Migrant Education Program with Ventura County Office of Education. Most recently, Mrs. Laureano served as an assistant principal at Isbell Middle School. 

Mrs. Laureano is dedicated to serving and supporting the students, families, staff  and community of Glen City Elementary school, one that values a culture of high expectations, serving every student every day! 

The Santa Paula Unified School District is delighted to announce the appointment of Mr. Alfredo Varela as the new school principal of Glen City Elementary School.

As the son of proud immigrants from Colombia, South America, Mr. Varela knew from a very young age that his bilingualism was a “super power,” one that he would utilize to help others in the future. His first language was Spanish and began learning English once he attended pre-school. 

Mr. Varela has been in public education for 20 years as a teacher, coach, department chair, Teacher on Special Assignment (TOSA) and, most recently, a K-8 administrator. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Spanish Language and Secondary Education at Manhattanville College, and later earned a Master of Arts in Teaching Spanish as a World Language at the same college. He most recently earned his second Master of Science in Educational Administration at National University. 

One of his proudest professional experiences was being selected by the California Department of Education in 2018 as a Standards Advisory Committee member to help revise the CA World Languages standards, representing and advocating for Heritage Language Learners statewide.

His strong desire to serve every student every day is his number one priority. He also believes that it takes a village to ensure the future success of all students on both an academic and social-emotional level. Therefore, he looks forward to building stronger ties with the school community and engaging on a deeper level. He is eager to utilize his “super power” to make this happen in multiple languages! 

In his spare time, Mr. Varela enjoys spending time with his husband and three pups. He loves traveling, gardening, and really enjoys reading Marvel Comics and watching all MCU movies! 

The Santa Paula Unified School District is excited to announce the appointment of Dr. Lydia Olivo as the new school principal of Renaissance High School.

Dr. Olivo began her career in education as an instructional assistant for the ASPIRE program at Isbell Middle School. After that wonderful experience, she taught at Blanchard Elementary and Thelma Bedell Elementary before becoming an elementary school principal. Over the past ten years, she has served as a school principal at both McKevett Elementary and Glen City Elementary. 

As she begins her 23rd year serving the community in Santa Paula, she is thankful and excited to have the opportunity to serve families and students at the secondary level. She will strive to inspire students to identify and reach their personal goals while building strong, lasting relationships.

The motto for this school year is “A Year of Fabulous Transformation,” where she and other school staff will partner with RHS families to build upon past practices of ensuring student success in a safe learning environment.

Earlier this month, Santa Paula High School students spent some time mentoring 1st-8th grade students from the Somis Union School District on computer coding, robotics, and more!

The mentoring took place at a two-week summer program housed at the Ventura County Office of Education’s Learning Makes New Opportunities Possible (LMNOP) Lab in Camarillo . 

Seven SPHS students were identified by Mrs. Oralia Razo, Counseling Intern, based on their own interest in pursuing Computer Science and Engineering majors in college. The students were also mentored by Ventura County Superintendent of Schools, Dr. César Morales, as well as Dr. Consuelo Hernandez Williams, Mrs. Lisa Salas Brown, and Dr. Cathy Reznicek. The seven students are: Adrian Yhuit, Elias Garcia, Jimena Leeah Garcia, Santiago Ramirez, Karen Magana, Anthony Valdovinos, and Melissa Gonzalez.

During the summer program, the SPHS mentors and some of their parents were treated to a lunch in the VCOE Board of Education conference room. Thank you to all who made this wonderful experience possible for the students!

The Santa Paula Unified School District is delighted to announce the appointment of Ms. Melissa Guerra as the new school principal of Isbell Middle School. 

Ms. Guerra began her career as a teacher at Santa Paula High School in 2006 and became an assistant principal there in 2017. She will begin her 17th year in the district in this new school principal role. She earned her Bachelor's Degree in History and Spanish at California Lutheran University, and possesses a Master's Degree in Educational Administration from California State University, Northridge. She is an alumna of SPHS's Class of 2000.

Ms. Guerra is excited for the opportunity to lead the middle school that she attended as a child, and continue to serve the community that helped raise her. She understands that middle school can be a trying time, and believes one of her and her team's primary focuses should be to help students and their families navigate the middle school years in preparation for high school in a rigorous and supportive learning environment with high expectations for academics and behavior. Her many years served at the 9th-12th grade level will aid in that endeavor.

The Santa Paula Unified School District is pleased to announce the appointment of Mrs. Laxmi Chari as the new school principal of Thelma Bedell Elementary.

Mrs. Chari has been an educator for 23 years and has worked in urban, suburban and rural districts in New York, Ohio and California. She started her teaching career in Rochester, New York as a kindergarten teacher and later became a special education teacher and worked with kindergarten to 8th grade students.

While in Ohio, Mrs. Chari moved into administration and served as an elementary assistant principal and elementary principal in an urban district for five years before moving to California. Mrs. Chari joined Santa Paula as an SDC teacher in 2019, and was appointed as an interim principal at Thelma Bedell Elementary in November 2021.

Mrs. Chari came to the United States as an immigrant to pursue higher education after earning her bachelor’s degree in India. She graduated with a Master of Science in Elementary Education from the State University of New York, earned a Special Education teaching credential from St. John Fisher College in New York, and an Educational Administration degree from Kent State University, Ohio.

Mrs. Chari believes in the potential of every student and instills a philosophy of what is best for students. She embraces and celebrates inclusion and diversity. She enjoys interacting and building relationships with students across school settings. Mrs. Chari is dedicated to Thelma Bedell Elementary, and looks forward to continuing Bedell traditions, and her passion for working with and supporting the students, staff, parents and the community.

Mrs. Chari loves spending time with her husband, son, daughter, son-in-law, and a 1-year-old grandson. She enjoys reading, traveling, cooking and rooting for her favorite team, the New York Knicks.

The Santa Paula Unified School District is excited to announce the appointment of Ms. Betsey Chavez as an assistant principal of Santa Paula High School.

Ms. Chavez has proudly served the Santa Paula Unified School District for the past 17 years in the capacity of a K-12 teacher, CPA academy coordinator, K-12 summer school principal, and is now excited to serve as the next assistant principal at Santa Paula High School. She earned her BA in Child Development at Cal State Northridge and then earned her teaching credential, MA in Education, & MA in Educational Leadership from Cal Lutheran University.  In her free time, she loves hiking, spending time with her family, and volunteering at various community events around town.  

As an alumni of SPHS, she is excited to be in this role of mentoring and guiding the youth in the Santa Paula community.  Her goal is to help prepare students for life during high school and beyond. She believes that it is important for students to be connected through positive relationships and a strong sense of community.  She will work to provide opportunities and a wide selection of options in areas such as AP & honors courses, clubs, sports, and CTE academics & pathways. 

Ms. Chavez looks forward to working with students, staff, parents, and the community to enhance the high school experience for students.

The Santa Paula Unified School District is thrilled to announce the appointment of Mr. Darren Hicks as an assistant principal of Isbell Middle School.

Mr. Hicks has been with Santa Paula Unified for 23 years now. He has been a teacher for 17 years and an administrator for 6. He has spent most of his career at Isbell Middle School and has worked at Santa Paula High School for the past 5 years. 

Mr. Hicks is excited to be back at Isbell and plans to help add more sports, an after school workout club, car show, color run, and many guest speakers to motivate and inspire students. He looks forward to the coming school year and is excited about the future of Isbell. 

The Santa Paula Unified School District is pleased to announce the appointment of Mrs. Wendy Maxwell as the new school principal at Grace Thille Elementary. 

Mrs. Maxwell spent 19 years as a teacher of K, 3rd, 4th, and 6th grades in both title and non-title schools. She then moved into administration and served as an assistant principal, program administrator for the (ASES) after school program, was on a special assignment as a Categorical/Curriculum director, and the last four years as an elementary principal.

She played volleyball collegiately at CSULA and also coached for over 20 years at the junior club and college level. She earned her BA in Child Development and her MA in Education and teaching credential from Pepperdine University.

Mrs. Maxwell instills the philosophy of what is best for students in all that she does.  Nothing brings her more joy than spending time in the classroom and out on the playground building relationships with her students. She looks forward to continuing the wonderful traditions that Grace Thille has as well as supporting the students, staff, parents, and community. She also loves spending time with her own family, watching her son and daughter compete in their sports competitions.

She loves camping at the beach, playing volleyball, and supporting her favorite sports teams the San Antonio Spurs and the Los Angeles Rams.

We would like to invite you to the Festival of Books, which takes place this Friday, July 15th from 6-8 p.m. at Isbell Middle School. There will be free books, face painting, guest readers in English and Spanish, as well as refreshments. We hope to see you there!

Numerous facility upgrades are taking place at McKevett Elementary this summer. New asphalt is being added throughout the school (including the basketball courts), classrooms are being painted (both inside and out), and the cafeteria will also have a fresh new coat of paint as well.

Santa Paula High School’s Concert Choir students will be performing on June 25, 2022 at the Carnegie Hall alongside 100 other singers from participating choruses such as the CSU Channel Islands University Chorus, the Ventura High School Concert Choir, and the Kirkland Choral Society from Washington.

Santa Paula Unified and the City of Santa Paula have partnered for the first time ever to provide an amazing summer camp program experience to service students between the ages of 5 and 14. The program is housed at both Glen City Elementary and Barbara Webster Elementary. 

Students attend SPUSD’s Summer Academy during the first half of the day where they receive instruction in subjects such as language arts, math, community building, and social-emotional learning. After lunch time, the City’s Parks and Recreation Department staff members lead various activities such as arts and crafts, outdoor recreation, and STEM activities.

Over the course of the first two weeks of camp, students have been enjoying afternoon activities such as tie-dyeing t-shirts, creating clay reptiles, and experiencing a reptile show. 

Throughout this summer, there are various construction projects taking place at Grace Thille Elementary. The asphalt inside of the school will be replaced, all walls will receive a fresh new coat of paint inside and out (this includes classrooms), and three classrooms will be receiving new flooring along with the staff lounge.

The school’s playground will be resurfaced and ready for students to play on when the new school year begins.

Stay tuned for progress photos!

Santa Paula’s City Council Mayor, Jenny Crosswhite, presented a Proclamation to a recent Santa Paula High School graduate, Kassidy Payne, which honors and recognizes the month of June as LGBTQIA + Pride Month in Santa Paula. 

Isbell Middle School’s 8th graders were celebrated during yesterday’s drive-thru promotion. Many arrived with their families in decorated cars which featured balloons, custom signs, and other festive trimmings. Staff cheered them on as they passed through the school parking lot on the Harvard Blvd. side. Congrats, Condors!

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 2, 2022

RE: Misinformation Circulating on Social Media Regarding Noncredible Threat at Santa Paula High School

Dear SPUSD Community, There is misinformation circulating on social media regarding today's incident at Santa Paula High School. The Santa Paula Police Department has confirmed that there were no explosives found of any kind on the school site or at any home. This morning's incident was a noncredible threat by a student on the last day of school. At no time were any of the students or staff in any danger. Our appreciation to the Santa Paula Police Department who fully investigated the issue on and off the school site.

Respectfully,

Jeffrey Weinstein, Superintendent

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 2, 2022

RE: Possible Threat at Santa Paula High School Places Four Schools on Lockdown, Later Deemed Not Credible

Dear SPUSD Community,

This morning, Santa Paula High School's administration was made aware of a possible threat to the safety of staff and students. Safety protocols were immediately initiated and as a precautionary measure, our Police Resource Officer placed Santa Paula High School, as well as surrounding schools on lockdown. The Santa Paula Police Department fully investigated the threat and determined it was not credible. Shortly after, schools returned to normal operations. We would like to thank the Santa Paula Police Department, our site administrators, and staff for their incredibly quick and professional response to the threat. Santa Paula Unified School District places the safety of students and staff as our highest priority. Current events in our nation, county, as well as today's event is an important reminder that if you hear something, please say something.

Respectfully,

Jeffrey Weinstein, Superintendent

On May 26th, third grade students in Ms. Borchard’s class at Grace Thille Elementary invited a group of TK students to join them for the Teddy Bears Picnic. The third graders had worked hard in class to publish four books as a class and then read them to the TK students during the picnic.

All students practiced their math skills together while playing the game “Gummy Bear Graphing” together. Teddy bears from home also joined in on the fun.

On May 24th, Isbell Middle School’s ELA/ELD/History teacher, Ms. Jennifer Dobbie Epley, was recognized during the IMPACT ll Awards Dinner 2022 event at the Ventura County Office of Education as part of a group of Ventura County teachers who were awarded grants for creating unique methods to teach important topics to students.

Ms. Dobbie Epley’s project was titled "Camp Half-Blood: Creating Websites to Engage Readers." During this project, students learned to create websites and then applied that knowledge to build a website based on the fictional "Camp Half-Blood," as described in "The Lightning Thief."

Congratulations!

This past weekend, students in grades 6-12 from SPUSD competed in the Regional Migrant Speech and Debate Competition at Oxnard College.

Congratulations to the following students who won:

• Richard Ruiz, 6th grade Spanish Speech, 2nd place in prepared and extemporaneous
•Angel Daniel Molinero 6th grade English Speech, 1st place in prepared and extemporaneous
•Yuleydi Mina, 7th grade English, 3rd place prepared speech, 2nd place extemporaneous speech
•Ernesto Duran, 8th Grade English, 1st place in prepared and extemporaneous speech
•English Speech:
Carolina Martinez 12th, 3rd place in prepared and extemporaneous speech
•Spanish Speech:
Jazmin Virginia Duran 10th, 1st place in prepared and extemporaneous speech
• Ariana Molinero 11th, 1st place in prepared and extemporaneous speech
• Yoseling Molinero 8th, 1st place in prepared and extemporaneous speech
•Spanish High School Debate: 2nd place (Carmen Gutierrez,11th, Elizabeth Medina 12th, Emmanuel Medina 12th, Bianey Mina 10th, Daniela Alonso, 11th
•English High School Debate: 1st place (Yazmin Garcia 11th, Israel Lopez 10th, Erick Magana 9th, Alexa Ojeda 9th, Miguel Sanchez 12th

We would like to say thank you to the following coaches for your time and dedication with helping prepare the students:

•Middle school speech coaches: Maria Munoz, Everardo Magana, and Rocio Bravo Chavez.

•High school speech coach: Rocio Bravo Chavez
English debate: Christina Maggio
Spanish high school debate: Grecia García.

Congratulations to the Santa Paula High School Class of 2022 Valedictorian Itzel Rodriguez with a weighted GPA of 4.81 and Salutatorian Luis F. Magaña with a weighted GPA of 4.74. They are outstanding, dedicated AVID students who have worked diligently to accomplish their goals. Throughout high school, they took rigorous courses such as honors, AP and community college courses.

In addition to a challenging academic workload, they actively participated in leadership activities, clubs, educational programs, and volunteered, among other extracurricular activities. They are first-generation college students who have been accepted to several universities and are committed to their studies.

Renaissance High School has been selected as a Finalist in the California Student Media Festival under the category of: High School Academic Non-Fiction Finalists. 

Their entry that is under consideration for one or more awards is a thematic compilation titled "My Voice", and it is a visual commentary on identity, global concepts of unity and community, and the emotions associated with limiting perceptions. 

The artwork ranges from positive messages of hope and lofty ideals to abstract representation of identity and perspective, to socio-political statements about class, gender and race. Renaissance High School students used Photoshop, Google, Digital Photography and animation platforms to design and create their work. 

The festival will take place virtually this Saturday, May 21st and includes the media and multimedia work of more than 6,000 student contestants from schools across California.

The Performing Arts Department at Santa Paula High School would like to express their gratitude for those who attended and supported the SpongeBob Musical. They greatly appreciate the support and encouragement from friends, family, and the community that helped them get through a major production.

“Given the level of professionalism and production quality we strive for, it often surprises the audience to learn that we are completely student run for the duration of the shows,” Mr. Jerry Cruz (SPHS Theatre Team Advisor) said. “The students are the choreographers, dancers, singers, actors, PIT musicians, hair/makeup artist, costumers, set builders and designers, stage technicians, sound and lighting engineers, marketing, and stage managers. We are always looking forward to the future and being able to produce excellent shows at SPHS. With your continued support we will strive to maintain the professional standards we all aim to achieve. We hope you enjoyed our performances of "SpongeBob the Musical", and if you didn't get a chance to see it, we hope to see you at our next event in the future. Thank you again for your continued dedication to the students and performing arts of Santa Paula High School.”

Dear SPUSD Community,

Yesterday, Tuesday, May 10^th, at Isbell Middle School, an unloaded pellet gun was found under a drainage grate.  The student who brought the pellet gun to school was quickly identified and severe corrective action with the student involved was taken. SPUSD has zero tolerance for violence or any behavior that may place other students in danger. 

Respectfully,

Jeffrey Weinstein, Superintendent

For the official press release, please click here.

On May 9th, the Rotary Club of Santa Paula held their Scholarship Banquet and awarded over $41,000 in scholarships to local students. Thirteen academic scholarships were awarded to the following Santa Paula High School Students: Andrea Arana, Michelle Hernandez, Adrian Martinez, Neftaly Meza, Zoey Morales, Angel Saucedo, Marisol Zacarias, Marissa Gonzalez, Luis Magana, Carolina Martinez, Brenda Montiel, Emily Ramirez, and Kenya Valdez.
A vocational scholarship was awarded to Renaissance High School student, Robert Flores, and the Jeanette Cole Memorial Scholarship was awarded to SPHS student, Breanna Bradburn.

Congratulations to all of the scholarship award winners!

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and the Mental Health Counselors are collaborating with the Santa Paula High School Wellness Center to have a table out at lunch on campus every Friday in the month of May.

The Mental Health Counselors are also hosting the same table at lunch at Isbell Middle School every Thursday this month.

During last week’s lunch activities at Isbell MS, an estimated 200 students accessed the table and participated in an activity of sharing a positive message to post for others. At SPHS last week, there were about 100 participants who participated in the same activity.

Dear SPUSD Community,

Today, Friday, May 6th, the District Administration at Santa Paula Unified School District is aware that "edibles" were brought on to the Isbell Middle School Campus by a student and were offered to multiple other students.  At least six students have been identified as feeling ill and paramedics were requested on site to assist with evaluation of the students.

On Saturday, April 30, 2022, a group of Santa Paula High School students attended Ventura County Office of Education's (VCOE) Special Populations Student Forum in Camarillo. Students participated in leadership and college readiness workshops and were motivated by keynote speaker State Senator Monique Limon.

On April 25th, the Rotary Club of Santa Paula honored a group of Santa Paula High School Juniors during their annual Junior Achievement Awards. The Rotary Club provided award certificates and a gift card to Rabalais' Bistro for each student.

Students were nominated by a teacher from each department at SPHS. Teachers submitted statements outlining all of the wonderful things these students do at school, such as helping other students in the classroom or maintaining a high GPA. 

The list of students who were honored are: Daisy Vaca, Fabian Magana, Jonathon Ivanez, Irma Rodriguez, Daniela Alonso, Joshua Schaefer, Victoria Hernandez, Yazmin Magana, Samantha Ivanez, Francine Anaya, Keila Alejos, Jose Patron, Yukari Sanchez and Henry Gomez

Staff members photographed with the students in the group photo from left: Dr. Elizabeth Garcia (SPHS Principal), Mr. Daniel Guzman (SPHS Assistant Principal), Mr. Jeffrey Weinstein (SPUSD Superintendent) and Mr. Chris Wilson (SPUSD Board President and Rotary Member).

On the afternoon of April 22, 2022, while en route to a local track meet, a chartered bus transporting the 
Santa Paula High School Track team was involved in an accident on South Mountain Road.

We received notification that two students were transported to the hospital for further evaluation, no other 
student injuries have been reported at this time. In addition, the condition of the bus driver is unknown.

The cause of the accident is currently under investigation. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all the
students, staff and parents who were involved in this situation.

Respectfully,

Jeffrey Weinstein, Superintendent

For the official press release, please click here.

Dear SPUSD Families,

There will be a district-wide professional development day for all SPUSD staff next week on April 28, 2022. This has been declared a minimum day for all students. If you have any questions please contact the office staff at your child’s school.

On April 1st, the SPUSD Special Education Department hosted their first ever in-person parent workshop! The workshop was designed and facilitated by one of our outstanding teachers, Mrs. Mabel Valenzuela. Mrs. Valenzuela focused this hands-on workshop on helping parents understand the most effective methods for supporting reading success for their children at home. Two sessions were offered, one in English and one in Spanish.

Parents were invited to attend with their student or students, and were guided through activities while working collaboratively with one another. Each family left the workshop with a binder full of materials, activities, assessments, and hands-on resources to work with at home. All materials and the presentation were available in both English and Spanish. A series of additional parent and family workshops are being scheduled for the near future.