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TUSD Community,

We just passed the mid-year point in our school year, so we want to share some of our accomplishments with you. Our teachers and staff remain committed to providing a high-quality, well-rounded education for every student, every day. We work hard to equip them with the skills and tools they will need to pursue whatever dream they choose. I look forward to seeing what the remainder of the year has in store!  



Dr. Tim Stowe, 
Superintendent of Schools

Students Celebrated 100 Days of School

The week of February 6 marked the 100th day of school for our students. Our teachers and staff found creative ways to incorporate this milestone into special academic lessons, such as sorting and counting 100 items, writing and presenting about a personal collection featuring more than 100 objects, and engineering models and towers with more than 100 components. There was also time for additional fun like wearing themed costumes and eating themed snacks. Victor Elementary School even enjoyed a visit from Zero the Hero. Many of our schools posted photos and captions to their Instagram pages. We encourage you to follow your local schools and take a look!

Three Board Members Begin New Terms 

We are proud of our Board's commitment to building consensus, listening to constituents, supporting our schools, and highlighting student voices which led to their reappointment after running unopposed. Three members of our Board, Dr. Jeremy Gerson, Mr. James Han, and Mrs. Betty Lieu, all started their new four-year Board terms in December. We were honored to have Congressman Ted Lieu visit our Board Meeting to administer the oath of office. Dr. Jeremy Gerson assumed the role of President, Mrs. Jasmine Park became Vice President and Dr. Anil Muhammed became Clerk.

CTE Students Won at Regional Competitions

Our Career Technical Education (CTE) programs offered at North High continued to be very popular among students. Our Future Farmers of America (FFA) Career Technical Student Organization (CTSO) students traveled to Pierce College where they participated in a Veterinary Science competition and the team took third place! Individually, student Sarah H. placed 1st in veterinary equipment identification out of all of the schools involved. The team also attended a Career and Leadership Development competition in Canoga Park where several of them placed in various events including: Sarah H. 1st and Jaden C. 4th - Resume and Interview, Allysen V. 1st and Emily R. 2nd - Prepared Speech.

Stages Featured Music, Arts, Theater, and Dance

Our theaters, stages, and new high school Performing Arts Centers were filled with events this past semester after the quieter years of the pandemic. Students continued to have the option of strengthening their skills in performance and music by taking elective classes in band, choir, dance, and theater. Our Junior Theater program for younger students returned to the West High Stage this past fall with a production of Rainbow Fish, joining the lineup of elementary school talent shows and drama showcases. Our middle schools also joined together for the first time to form a district-wide band where students from different schools now have the opportunity to rehearse and perform together. We are looking forward to all our upcoming performances, productions and Spring Musicals!

Don Lee Field Opened at Torrance High

In November we opened our brand new Don Lee Softball Field at Torrance High School. The field is named in honor of Torrance High Alum, Don Lee, who is a former City Council and School Board member and was instrumental in securing the funding for the facility. Don has advocated for Torrance schools for more than 40 years.

We are grateful for the partnership of Coach Glavich and his staff for their years of persistence in working to get this field established as well as the dedication of our Torrance Unified School Board, Superintendent, THS Principal Girgis, Mr. Johnson, and Mr. Robison. We invite you to stop by and watch a game and enjoy the LED lights, digital scoreboard, and sound system.

We Continued to Focus on Youth Mental Health

We know from both statistics and our students' experiences that the pandemic was particularly stressful and difficult. This school year, we have continued to invest in therapists on every campus, wellness centers at our high schools, and online resources for families. Our students implemented a variety of wellness activities including visits from therapy dogs, mindful meditations, community-building groups, and crafts. These events were held throughout the Fall, especially during stressful periods like right before finals. In addition, we have continued to remind families about Care Solace, an online service that makes finding a therapist easier, and South Bay Families Connected which offers education and videos featuring actual students and families who have dealt with a variety of issues.

Schools Hosted Visitors from Korea and Japan

We recently had the opportunity to extend a warm welcome to two separate delegations from Asia. Torrance High School hosted the Mayor and City Council members from our Friendship City in Hwaseong, Korea, and North High School hosted a delegation of more than 40 representatives from our Sister City in Kashiwa, Japan for a 50th Anniversary visit. In both cases, the representatives had the opportunity to tour the campuses and interact with our high school students studying Japanese and Korean, giving them a chance to practice their language skills. The visits gave everyone an opportunity to learn more about school structures, celebrate our diverse cultures, and strengthen friendships in our global society.  

Students Demonstrated Service to Others

Students of all ages throughout our District demonstrated kindness by volunteering for service projects this semester. Activities included clean-ups, mentoring younger children, blood drives, kindness weeks and more. The high schools used class competitions to collect thousands of pounds of food to donate to local nonprofits serving families experiencing hunger in our local areas. Employees and other community members also joined in during the holidays to adopt and provide gifts for District families experiencing homelessness.

Four Schools Named Distinguished Schools

We are incredibly proud that four of our elementary schools, (Arnold, Anza, Hickory and Towers), were elected for the prestigious 2023 California Distinguished Schools Program! They were among 356 California schools recognized for exceptional educational services, especially for the hard work and services provided during the pandemic.

  

West High Student's Float Design Won Award

We are proud to report that West High School student Ruth Pinchaent's City of Torrance rose float design, "For the Love of Nature" received the President Award for floral excellence at the 134th Rose Parade in Pasadena on Monday, January 2, 2023. The President Trophy recognizes the float with the most outstanding use and presentation of flowers. It is an exciting honor for Torrance to win as we competed against floats with much bigger budgets and decorating teams!

Dual Immersion Program Expands to TK

We held a Family Information Night for our Dual Language Immersion program offered in Spanish at Carr and Torrance Elementary Schools. Based on the tremendous success and popularity of the program, we are pleased to be expanding the program to include TK students next year. Students born after September 2, 2018 who are either native Spanish, bilingual or native English speakers are eligible to enroll. The students will earn the gift of biliteracy at a young age, making them stronger in both languages throughout elementary school. Enrollment is also happening now for our Transitional Kindergarten and Kindergarten students for the 2023-24 school year.

   

YOU Help Make These Highlights Possible!

We are incredibly grateful for all the support that our community has showed over the last semester. Your family involvement and school donations through our PTAs, time as volunteers in our classroom, support as members of the Torrance Education Foundation, and generous corporate sponsorships help give our students a world-class education through engaging opportunities and tools that will empower them to fulfill their lifelong goals! A huge thank you to our major donors: 

Sugatsune America, Open Water, Celestron, BirdDog Interactive, 
Dogtopia South Bay, & Intellisense Systems

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