Superintendent Dr. Robyn Castillo shared this video message with our families recently as we head into the 2024-25 school year. Take a moment to watch this 2 minute video which recaps our accomplishments from the 2023-24 school year:
- Newly Approved Forward 5 Strategic Plan.
- Launch of the communications platform ParentSquare across our district.
- Opened Spanish/English immersion school, Heredia-Arriaga.
- Continued to provide access to 10 Career Technical Education (CTE) Pathways.
- 10 league championships, two CIF-Sac Joaquin championships, four academic team championships.
- Two Rivers Elementary named AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) Showcase School and one of three Teacher Advocacy Award winners from California.
- Bannon Creek School authorized as an International Baccalaureate (IB) site.
- Launch of the newly revamped natomasunified.org and school websites.
We are so grateful to our families, community partners, and interest holders for promoting and supporting student success.
2024 Leadership Institute
Natomas Unified administrators met at Paso Verde School for a weeklong training to prepare for the 2024-25 school year. "Our hope is thatour leaders walk away from the Leadership Institute feeling educated about our focus,aligned, andsupported to engage deeply in the work to move the dial for all of our students," Tonja Jarrell, an associate superintendent with NUSD said.
Welcome New Teachers!
We are so grateful to all of the new teachers who have joined the Natomas Unified community. Pictured, are some of the new teachers during this past week’s orientation. New staff members learned more about our district; an overview of our diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts; culture building; and more.
Annual Mandated Training
On or around August 1st, you received an email to your district email address regarding completing Mandated Trainings. Just like last year, mandated trainings are accessible in the PublicSchoolWORKS portal, available at this link. Employees can log in using Single Sign-On (SSO). Once logged in, you will be able to see the list of assigned trainings.
Please remember that mandated trainings are due to be completed by Friday, September 6th. Trainings should be completed during your workday. Please work with your site administrator to ensure time to complete these necessary trainings. Mandated Trainings will take approximately 3.5 hours to complete.
Please complete your assigned Mandated Trainings no later than Friday, September 6th. Reach out to Paola Aguilar Torres if you have questions.
NUSD Educators and Staff Invited to Former 49ers Arik Armstead’s Appreciation Day
NFL Player and Sacramento native, Arik Armstead and his wife Mindy, invite Sacramento educators, paraeducators and administrators out for a day of appreciation and whole body wellness on Sunday, September 8th at Sutter Health Park (The River Cats Stadium) as part of the Armstead Academic Project's inaugural Teacher Appreciation Event!
This FREE event will take place from 7 AM - 1 PM, (end time subject to change), and will feature Yoga on the Field hosted by CorePower Yoga, a Mental Health and Self Care Panel Discussion, Wellness Fair with chair massages, spa treatments, giveaways and more! The event will culminate with a celebratory lunch.
This is a free event for educators, paraeducators and administrators from the greater Sacramento area, where we will also recognize PowerSchool's Hometown Proud: Teacher of the Year Award in partnership with the Armstead Academic Project.
Please see the PDF or RSVP at HERE by Friday, August 23rd. “We look forward to celebrating all of the amazing work you do for our young people,” shares The Armstead Academic Project Family.
Check Out the Newly DesignedNatomasUnified.org
With its sleek design and user-friendly interface, our newly updated website aims to keep families informed and connected to the Natomas Unified community. Check out our district and your school’s new website, as part of our core value of families as partners in the education of their students. Each school’s Digital Backpack can be accessed on the new website. It has all your back-to-school needs to be ready on day one - August 8!
Welcome Center Now Open
Our new Welcome Center is now open and is a one-stop shop for Natomas Unified families seeking Health, Enrollment, Attendance, Foster and Unhoused resources, and Translation (H.E.A.R.T.) services. District staff is ready to help families who need assistance from the Nutrition Services, Transportation, and Technology departments.
The Welcome Center is located at 1931 Arena Boulevard, open Monday through Friday, 8 am - 4:30 pm, in the previous Urgent Care Now Clinic. For more information email welcomecenter@natomasunified.org or call (916) 567-5454.
Save the Date for September 21st: B. Teri Burns Health Center Ribbon Cutting
Join us for the B. Teri Burns Health Center Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on Saturday, September 21st, at 9 am. The new facility will provide healthcare access to uninsured and underinsured families. Services such as vaccinations, flu shots, and dental visits will be provided. A classroom inside the building is also being prepared for students aspiring to become healthcare professionals post-high school. Students in our Health Pathway at Natomas High School will have access to the classroom and real-world experiences at the clinic.
The new clinic is located across the street from Natomas High School and will replace the current B. Teri Burns Health Centernear Joey’s Food Locker on the campus of Natomas High School.
Thank You Community Members, Costco for Supplying Backpacks
Hundreds of our foster and students in need will now sport new backpacks thanks to donations from Costco and community members.
This past Wednesday, some of our staff members, dressed as characters from the movie “Inside Out 2”, happily distributed backpacks to our families in need to ensure students started the year with new backpacks and school supplies.
Another backpack drive families in need may be able to access is a joint effort with Assemblymember Kevin McCarty and Mayor Pro Tem Karina Talamantes. Register here.
Enter the 2024 Annual Back to School Photo Contest
Say, cheese! Get ready for the first day of school Thursday, August 8th, and be sure to enter our 6th Annual Back to School Photo Contest! To enter, fill out this form:
On August 19th, we’ll upload the photos to our Facebook page. The pictures with the most “likes” on our Facebook page will receive prizes donated from our community partners:
- North Natomas Jibe
- The Sacramento Kings
- Handel’s Ice Cream
- Pizza Guys
- Sacramento Republic FC
- IMAX Theater
Tell all your friends and family members to like the NUSD Facebook page now, so they can be ready to vote for their favorite back-to-school photos.
Back to School Fair and Soft Opening of the Welcome Center
Thank you to the more than 400 people who visited our annual Back to School Fair on July 27th! Our staff, some of whom are pictured here, worked hard for months to ensureour families have what they need to start the new school year off strong.
Attendees enjoyed free raffles, giveaways, meals, and a Farmer’s market. Families gota sneak peek into our new Welcome Center,as shared in this video.
2024 Youth Workforce
Through a partnership with the district, Natomas Chamber of Commerce, and SAFE Credit Union, Natomas Unified students learned skills to help them in their career paths. Students learned about personal financing, dressing for success, creating resumes, and more as depicted in this video.
"I hope that the students obtain from this program the confidence in what they have to offer to land a career that they do want," Kathy Yang, coordinator with the Natomas Unified said.
The workshops paid off. High school student Graycee has been working with North Natomas Jibe over the summer, thanks to her participation in the program.
Summer at City Hall 2024
Twentyhigh school students from NUSD participated in the City of Sacramento’s summer program, “Summer at City Hall”. Students learned how the City of Sacramento operates and more about public service. Students had the opportunity to present their public service announcement project on academic stress and mental health to local Council Members during the City Hall meeting and interact with Mayor Darell Steinberg where they discussed mental health and learned about his journey in government.
CBS News captured some footage and interviewed some of our very own students. The article and video clip can be accessed here.
CTE Broadcast Media Alumni Covering Paris Olympics
They are in Paris now at the Olympics, but their journey in the world of journalism started in our Broadcast Media Pathway at Inderkum High School! Alumni Devon and Luke arecovering the Summer Olympics in Paris. We are so proud of these two, who are both studying sports journalism at Arizona State University.
Wish them luck as they continue to cover this historical event through August 12th. IHS Tiger Talk on Instagram will continue to share photos of their work.
Building Robots, Tackling Challenges, Inspiring Female Future Engineers
Middle and high school students learned C-STEM math and computer science skills thanks to our educational partner, UC Davis C-STEM Center via the Ujima Girl Summer Camp.
During the weeklong program, students learned how to code robots and build a prototype to solve a challenge in their community. For instance, one group of students built vehicles that would tackle litter and nutrition.
Watch this video to hear about the students' experiences and how grateful parents are for the program.
Students Strengthen Spanish Language Skills
Heredia-Arriaga transitional kindergarten and kindergarten students continued strengthening their Spanish language skills over the summer thanks to LEAP Academy. In this video, we take you inside a classroom where students are learning Spanish pronunciation and vocabulary. “It helps me learn, so my brain can know new stuff, and I can also teach my mom because she doesn’t know Spanish, ” Layla, a student said.
“It’s important so that they can continue practicing the skillsthey’ve been learning throughout the school year,” Judith Carlos, a Heredia-Arriaga teacher said.
Springboard Collaborative and Math 180
In partnership with Springboard Collaborative, kindergarten through third-grade students learned new words, alliteration, and tongue twisters this summer at LEAP Academy! Through workshops, parents and guardians also learned tips to help support their students' budding literacy skills.
Third-grade to sixth-grade students also received literacy and math support thanks to the Read 180 and Math 180 program. The lessons have boosted students' confidence, as they prepare to enter the 2024-25 school year. In this video, we take you to Paso Verde and Jefferson schools where the scholars studied this summer.
Girls Build Self-Confidence and Friendships through All Things Pretty and IVIBE
All Things Pretty
More than 20 fourth and fifth-grade girls participated in the “All Things Pretty” summer program, held June 17th through June 28th, at Paso Verde School. The students engaged in activities that promoted social-emotional wellbeing such as planting flowers and learning that confidence starts with a seed.Some participants said they feel morecomfortable making new friends and speaking kind words to others.
IVIBE
The art of charcuterie, the power of yoga, and the importance of nutrition are just some lessons 15 sixth and seventh-grade girls learned from June 17th - June 21st at Paso Verde School. One student participantsaid they learned “to eat more and different yoga poses,” which may help them foster self-reliance as they grow older. Students also mentioned that they loved learning how to make charcuterie boards, staying calm in crazy situations, and eating fruits and vegetables with every meal.
SacRT RydeFreeRT Program Cards Now Available
Free Sacramento Regional Transit District SacRT cards may be picked up from the Welcome Center at 1931 Arena Boulevard and school sites.
Transitional Kindergarten through 12th-grade students are eligible to receive the free cards which they may use to ride the entire SacRT transit network, including SacRT buses, light rail, and SmaRT Ride on-demand microtransit service for FREE! The new RydeFreeRT cards are valid from June 30, 2024 - to June 30, 2025.
Learn more about the program at rydefreert.com.
Joey’s Food Locker Change in Day of Distribution
Food and meal distribution at Joey’s Food Locker will move from Fridays to Thursdays, 4 - 5:30 pm, beginning September 5th.
ParentSquare refresher! Slideshow tutorials are now available for teachers and district staff on ourbrand-newwebsite. If you can't find the tutorial you need, please visit the ParentSquare Help Section to access more resources or chat with an expert.
NUSD Newsroom Hub
The NUSD Newsroom Hub web page is a dedicated place to access current and past NUSD media such as news articles, Board Highlights, newsletters, Last Week’s Wrap Up, videos, and podcasts all produced by the district’s Communications and Family Engagement team known as CAFE. Check out our page here.
