Torrance Unified Community,
Last week we held our final day of school. We enjoyed hosting many of you to celebrate special graduations, promotions, and culminations with your students. I continue to be grateful for our Torrance Unified teacher and staff team and the commitment they have to the education and well-being of every one of our students, every day. Below, you will find some of our year-end accomplishments and reminders. I believe that we continue to earn our title of "Best School District in the South Bay," and we recently published this video explaining why. I hope you'll take a moment to view it and share it with families who may not yet know all the services that we can offer. I wish each of you a relaxing and rejuvenating summer and thank you for supporting our students over the past year. When we return in the fall for our 2023-2024 school year, we will continue the celebration of our 75th anniversary together as a UNIFIED district- a milestone for all of us.
Dr. Tim Stowe,
Superintendent of Schools
Our Scientists Draw National Attention
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Nearly 100 South Bay Invention Convention 1st - 8th grade students were invited to a special audition at Torrance High with Shark Tank casting directors on May 5. The casting team listened to five-minute pitches to help determine whose brilliant idea might be ready for a television debut! The excitement didn’t stop there, as twenty of our Torrance Unified students were named finalists at the state level and moved on to compete in the Raytheon Technologies Invention Convention U.S. Nationals from June 7-9 at the Henry Ford Museum of Innovation in Dearborn, Michigan. Our Ed Services team led the group of bright, young inventors back East, and now we are awaiting news of which students will make it to the Global competition.
Keep your eyes peeled, one of our students could be the next contestant that you see on Shark Tank!
Elementary Track Meet Brings Hundreds
Our annual Elementary School Track Meet attracted hundreds of spectators to the West High School stadium on June 2 as our students competed in events like the 4x1 relay, 100-meter dash, and long jump. Riviera Elementary claimed 1st place with an overall score of 138 points, followed by Victor Elementary in 2nd place, and Hickory Elementary in 3rd place. Riviera principal, Christie Forshey helped coordinate the meet, while Lincoln principal, Katherine Castleberry and Victor principal, Bill Baker, emceed the event. Mascots Fernie the Falcon and Rivvie the Roadrunner topped off the meet with an exciting 50-meter dash at the end. Our elementary students loved having the chance to compete on a real high school track and we loved cheering them on!
Keeping Our Students and Staff Healthy
Mental health continued to be a top priority the second half of the year. We hosted our biggest Wellness Week yet from May 1-5 to promote positive lifestyle changes for the overall health and well-being of our district’s students and staff. The initiative, led by Dr. Nancy Gutierrez and the Wellness Week Committee, developed themed days like “Mindful Monday,” “Wellness Wednesday,” and “Fit Friday.” Each day was filled with activities, including a screen-free evening, a stretch break, a district-wide fitness gathering at West High School, and learning opportunities for improved nutrition and mental health. You can learn more about our 2023 Wellness Week activities online here.
Our Mathematicians Claim Back-to-Back Wins
Mathematicians from our elementary and middle schools competed in our annual Math Field Day at Hull Middle School on March 25. The top placing 6-8th grade students and the winning teams from 4th and 5th grades advanced to represent Torrance Unified at the Los Angeles County of Education Math Relay Finals on April 29. Our elementary and middle school students received an inspirational speech from School Board Member James Han to kick off the Field Day where they tackled timed individual and group math problems. Richardson Middle School swept the field, taking home three trophies and Bert Lynn, Towers, and Riviera Elementary schools all claimed gold medals. The winners continued on to the county competition, where our schools received ten medals, and we were named a top three district for 6th, 7th, and 8th grade!
Student-Athletes Excel All Year
Once again our student-athletes crushed it this year! Our Torrance High School (THS) Softball Team achieved Undefeated League Champion and State Regional Semi-Finalist and our THS baseball team was named 3-time League Champions. THS Emma Hayashida (softball) and Mateo Rickman (baseball) were recently named the Daily Breeze All-Area Players of the Year for 2023. More than 25 of our sports teams made it to the CIF semi-finals and our THS Girl's Cross-Country made it to State Finals. Our swim teams set new records and West High's Mikaela Maemura set new Pioneer League and school records. Many of our athletes also drew attention from college recruiters and our high schools hosted “signing days” where families, friends, coaches, and staff recognized their commitment to the next exciting step in their educational and athletic careers.
Seniors Revisit Their Elementary Schools
Our graduating seniors celebrated their final days at Torrance Unified by returning to their home elementary schools in caps and gowns to reconnect with their former principals and teachers and inspire the current elementary school students. Some celebrations included refreshments, slideshows of the seniors’ elementary school photos, serenades by the younger students, and award ceremonies where seniors were acknowledged for both scholarships and special traits. The elementary school students welcomed the graduates with screams and cheers as they walked through the halls one last time.
July 4 Safety Reminders
Together with our Torrance Police Department partners, we want to remind you to enjoy your 4th of July gatherings with the utmost safety in mind. Please remember that all fireworks are illegal in Torrance and alcohol consumption is prohibited on Torrance beaches. Any minors aged 13-21 convicted of possession of alcohol may have their license suspended for one year, and if they do not yet have a valid license, the court can delay the ability to obtain one for up to one year. Please plan to make healthy and sustainable choices and have a safe weekend!
Does Your Student Need Summer Meals?
From June 20 to August 11, we encourage those in need of meals to stop by Torrance Elementary School (2125 Lincoln Ave, Torrance, CA 90501) for free breakfast and lunch. Nutrition Services is serving a delicious breakfast from 9-10 AM and lunch from 11 AM-12 PM.
You MUST be 18 years old or younger to participate, but you DO NOT have to be a Torrance Unified student to receive a meal. Please bring some form of identification to verify your age. You are welcome to reach out to Nutrition Services at (310) 972-6350 if you have any questions. View more information and updates.
YOU Help Make These Highlights Possible!
We continue to be very grateful for the incredible support from our Torrance Education Foundation, Torrance Council of PTAs and all of our generous corporate partners. This year, Helpful Honda awarded $5,000 in classroom materials, furniture, and books to elementary teacher Kathi Matsubara during Teacher Appreciation Week, and IGT and its newest After School Advantage technology program donated more than $30K to create a robotics and computer lab at North High School. You can see the videos of these incredible donations above. Thank you for continuing to ensure our students have access to cutting-edge tools for a world-class education!
Torrance Refining Company, Northrop Grumman, Sugatsune America, Open Water, Celestron, BirdDog Interactive, Dogtopia South Bay, & Intellisense Systems
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