Dear SVUSD Families,

Since first sharing with you SVUSD’s central vision of SV Innovates in fall 2017, we have celebrated together the many accomplishments of our students and talented staff as we focused on intentional lesson design, engaging strategies, and innovative practices that create successful students.

To further hone our central vision and meet the changing needs of today’s students, I am excited to announce SV Connects, a focus on equitable, intentional, and engaging practices which provide opportunities for each and every student to be successful.

SV Connects encompasses SV Innovates, but also tasks us to meet each student’s individual needs and support them equitably. We will continue to utilize innovative practices that have proven to be successful, making tweaks that are necessary to support each student in a differentiated way, as well as continue to create new opportunities based upon need.

We are already off to a fantastic start!  A few examples include:

• Dedicated time for teachers to engage in Professional Learning Communities (PLC) to look at current student data and intentionally design strategic lessons to build identified skills.
• Expansion of the Transitional Kindergarten (TK) program to provide increased opportunity for our youngest students to start school at an advantage.
• Intervention teachers at each elementary site so that K-6 students can receive short-term targeted instruction to build skills in reading.
• Extended Learning Opportunities for students grades K-12 at their own school sites.
• Increased number of school counselors for grades K-12 to support the mental health needs of students.
• Inclusive practices such as Unified sports, gardening, art, and student leadership programs at multiple sites.
• Weekly music instruction in grades K-6 and dedicated funding to support VAPA programs in grades 7-12.
• 1:1 devices for all students grades 3-12.
• Zoom conference choices to accommodate parents unable to meet in person with their child’s teacher.
• PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention and Support) at the majority of our elementary and intermediate schools.
• Unveiling of the Student Marketplace at Silverado High School to meet the food and personal care needs of our students and their families.
• Emphasis on academic discourse between students to support increased language use and collaboration.

As we progress through this school year, we are taking a close look at our Homework Policy and how to make changes to better support our students based upon research-proven practices. We are also creating a cohesive district-wide SST (Student Study Team) protocol for the early support of students that exhibit the need for extra academic, behavioral, or social-emotional intervention.

Facilities play an important role in serving the needs of our students. Modernization continues at our schools, including a $15 million HVAC district-wide refresh; roofing, asphalt, paint, and other preventative maintenance according to the yearly plan; revitalization of elementary playgrounds and outdoor learning spaces; and rejuvenation of secondary pools and VAPA facilities. Additionally, we continue to update instructional technology with installation of large monitors, voice amplification, and wireless presentation systems in our classrooms.  Lastly, we have conducted a comprehensive safety assessment at each of our school sites and are addressing immediate needs such as purchasing an additional handheld emergency radio for each site, increasing supervision hours, replenishing safety bins, updating camera infrastructure, and continuing the use of the Raptor visitor check-in system.

Transparency for our educational partners is paramount to the success of SVUSD. Superintendent’s Advisory Councils for Certificated staff, Classified staff, Parents, and - new this year - a Student Advisory Council led by our Student Board Member - meet multiple times throughout the year to remain informed and provide input.

Thank you for entrusting your children’s education to us. Please stay connected with us through SVUSD eNews, Instagram @saddlebackvalleyusd, Facebook @Saddleback Valley Unified School District, and Twitter @SVUSDSchools, and our SV Connects video series.

Sincerely,

Crystal Turner, Ed.D
Superintendent

Estimadas Familias de SVUSD,

Desde que compartimos por primera vez con ustedes la visión central de SVUSD de SV Innovates (SV Innova) en el otoño de 2017, hemos celebrado juntos los muchos logros de nuestros estudiantes y personal talentoso así como nos enfocamos en el diseño intencional de lecciones, estrategias motivantes, y prácticas innovadoras que crean estudiantes exitosos.

Para perfeccionar aún más nuestra visión central y satisfacer las necesidades cambiantes de los estudiantes de hoy, me complace anunciar SV Connects (SV se Conecta), un enfoque en prácticas equitativas, intencionales, y motivantes que brindan oportunidades para que todos y cada uno de los estudiantes tengan éxito.

SV se Conecta abarca SV Innova, pero también nos asigna la tarea de satisfacer las necesidades individuales de cada  estudiante y apoyarlos de forma equitativa. Continuaremos utilizando las prácticas innovadoras que han demostrado ser exitosas, haciendo los ajustes  que sean necesarios para apoyar a cada estudiante de manera diferenciada, así como continuar creando nuevas oportunidades basadas en la necesidad.

¡Ya hemos tenido un comienzo fantástico! Algunos ejemplos incluyen:

• Tiempo dedicado a maestros para participar en Comunidades de Aprendizaje Profesional (PLC, con sus siglas en inglés) para examinar los datos actuales de los estudiantes y diseñar intencionalmente lecciones estratégicas para desarrollar habilidades identificadas.
• Expansión del programa de Kindergarten de Transición (TK, por sus siglas en inglés) para proporcionar mayores oportunidades para que nuestros estudiantes más pequeños comiencen la escuela con ventaja.
• Maestros de Intervención en cada sitio de escuela primaria para que los estudiantes de K-6 puedan recibir instrucción personalizada a corto plazo para desarrollar habilidades en la lectura.
• Oportunidades de Aprendizaje Ampliadas para estudiantes en los grados K-12 en sus propios sitios escolares.
• Mayor número de consejeros escolares para los grados K-12 para apoyar las necesidades de salud mental de los estudiantes.
• Prácticas inclusivas como los deportes Unificados, jardinería, arte, programas de liderazgo estudiantil en múltiples sitios.
• Instrucción musical semanal en los grados K-6 y fondos dedicados para apoyar los programas de VAPA en los grados 7-12.
• Dispositivos de 1:1 para todos los estudiantes en los grados 3-12.
• Opciones de conferencias en Zoom para acomodar a los padres que no pueden reunirse en persona con el maestro de su hijo
• PBIS (Por sus siglas en inglés, Intervención y Apoyo para el Comportamiento Positivo) en la mayoría de nuestras escuelas primarias e intermedias.
• Inauguración del Mercado para Estudiantes en la Escuela Secundaria Silverado para satisfacer las necesidades de alimentos y de cuidado personal de nuestros estudiantes y sus familias.
• Énfasis en el discurso académico entre los estudiantes para apoyar un mayor uso del lenguaje y la colaboración.

A medida que avanzamos en este año escolar, estamos examinando detalladamente nuestra Política de Tareas y cómo hacer cambios para apoyar  mejor a nuestros estudiantes basados en prácticas comprobadas por la investigación. También estamos creando un protocolo cohesivo de SST (Por sus siglas en inglés, Equipo de Estudio del Estudiante) a nivel de todo el distrito para el apoyo temprano de los estudiantes que exhiben la necesidad de intervención académica, de comportamiento, o social-emocional adicional.

Las instalaciones juegan un papel importante en servir las necesidades de nuestros estudiantes. La modernización continúa en nuestras escuelas, incluyendo una actualización de HVAC a nivel de todo el distrito de $15 millones, techos, asfalto, pintura y otro mantenimiento de prevención de acuerdo con el plan anual; revitalización de los patios de recreo y espacios de aprendizaje al aire libre de las escuelas primarias; y rejuvenecimiento de piscinas e instalaciones de VAPA en las secundarias. Además, continuamos actualizando la tecnología educacional con la instalación de manonites grandes, amplificación de voz, y sistemas de presentación inalámbrica en nuestros salones de clase. Finalmente, hemos realizado una evaluación de seguridad integral en cada uno de nuestros sitios escolares y estamos abordando las necesidades inmediatas, como la compra de un radio de emergencia de mano adicional para cada sitio, aumento de horas de supervisión, reabastecimiento de contenedores de seguridad, actualización de la infraestructura de las cámaras, y continuando el uso del sistema de registro de visitantes Raptor.

La transparencia para nuestros socios educativos es de suma importancia para el éxito de SVUSD. Los Consejos Asesores del Superintendente para el personal Certificado, el personal Clasificado, los Padres, y - esto es nuevo este año- Un Consejo Asesor Estudiantil dirigido por nuestro Miembro Estudiantil de la Junta -  se reúnen varias veces al transcurso del año para mantenerse informados y proporcionar aporte.

Gracias por confiarnos la educación de sus hijos. Por favor manténganse conectados con nosotros a través de SVUSD eNews, Instagram @saddlebackvalleyusd, Facebook @Saddleback Valley Unified School District, y Twitter @SVUSDSchools, y nuestra serie de videos SV se Conecta.

Sinceramente,

Crystal Turner, Ed.D
Superintendente

School News Roll Call Magazine OC Superintendents Annual Edition, 2022-2023

Dear SVUSD Families,

Welcome to the 2021-2022 school year! We are excited to welcome all of our students back on campus full-time and have been preparing for our students’ return throughout the summer in a variety of ways. This includes an array of professional development opportunities for our teachers and staff focusing on how to best support our students as we return to campus from “COVID learning,” and throughout the 21-22 school year.  

We have also been physically preparing our campuses for all students to return full-time.  As I mentioned in my communication on July 20, the following COVID-19 mitigation measures will continue to be utilized throughout the District:

• Air purifiers in every classroom and regular HVAC maintenance and inspections
• Nightly sanitation and disinfecting at school sites
• Outdoor hand washing stations, classroom hand washing and hand sanitizing sanitizing stations, and hand sanitizing stations throughout campus
• Use of outdoor and flexible learning spaces to provide students opportunities to remove masks
• Contact tracing and reporting

You may find additional information regarding COVID-19 protocols by accessing the 2021-2022 SVUSD Reopening Plan here. We will also continue to follow the directives of the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), CAL/OSHA and the Orange County Health Care Agency (OCHCA) regarding face masks.  The current guidance remains the same as I shared on July 20:                                                         

• These guidelines include the requirement for all students and adults to wear masks while inside on a K-12 school campus. While outside, students are not required to wear masks. 

For families who do not want their students to wear masks while on campus, students will enroll into the Saddleback Valley Unified Virtual Academy (SVA), where an independent study instructional model is used.  For additional information on the SVA, you may click here.

Lastly, I’d like to thank you for your partnership and flexibility as we begin a year that is sure to see some changes as we continue to navigate through the pandemic together.

Thank you,

Crystal Turner, Ed.D.
Superintendent

Estimadas familias del SVUSD,

¡Bienvenidos al año escolar 2021-2022! Estamos muy contentos de dar la bienvenida a todos nuestros estudiantes al campus a tiempo completo y nos hemos estado preparando para el regreso de nuestros estudiantes durante el verano en una variedad de formas. Esto incluye una variedad de oportunidades de desarrollo profesional para nuestros maestros y personal que se enfocan en cómo apoyar mejor a nuestros estudiantes a medida que regresamos al campus después del “aprendizaje COVID” y durante el año escolar 21-22.

También hemos estado preparando físicamente nuestros campus para que todos los estudiantes regresen a tiempo completo. Como mencioné en mi comunicación del 20 de julio, las siguientes medidas de mitigación de COVID-19 continuarán utilizándose en todo el Distrito:

• Los purificadores de aire en cada salón de clases y mantenimiento e inspecciones regulares de HVAC
• El saneamiento y desinfección nocturnos en los sitios escolares
• Las estaciones de lavado de manos al aire libre, estaciones de desinfección y lavado de manos en el aula y estaciones de desinfección de manos en todo el campus
• El uso de espacios de aprendizaje flexibles y al aire libre para brindar a los estudiantes la oportunidad de quitarse las máscaras
• El seguimiento e informes de contactos

Puede encontrar información adicional sobre los protocolos COVID-19 accediendo al Plan de Reapertura del SVUSD 2021-2022 aquí. También continuaremos siguiendo las directivas del Departamento de Salud Pública de California (CDPH), CAL / OSHA y la Agencia de Atención Médica del Condado de Orange (OCHCA) con respecto a las mascarillas faciales. La guía actual sigue siendo la misma que compartí el 20 de julio:

• Estas pautas incluyen el requisito de que todos los estudiantes y adultos usen máscaras mientras estén adentro en un campus escolar K-12. Mientras estén afuera, los estudiantes no están obligados a usar máscaras.

Para las familias que no quieren que sus estudiantes usen máscaras mientras están en el campus, los estudiantes se inscribirán en la Academia Virtual Unificada de Saddleback Valley (SVA), donde se utiliza un modelo de instrucción de estudio independiente. Para obtener información adicional sobre la SVA, puede hacer clic aquí.

Por último, me gustaría agradecerles su asociación y flexibilidad al comenzar un año que seguramente verá algunos cambios a medida que continuamos navegando juntos a través de la pandemia.

Gracias,

Crystal Turner, Ed.D.
Superintendente

School News Roll Call Magazine OC Superintendents Annual Edition, 2021-2022

Dear SVUSD Families,

I’d like to take this opportunity to officially welcome all of our students and families to the 2020-2021 school year! While the beginning of this year looks different than what we have ever experienced before, I’m confident that Distance Learning 2.0 will prove to be a positive and meaningful learning experience for all of our students. We will continue to focus on SVUSD’s vision of SV Innovates: a focus on intentional lesson design and engaging strategies, all supported through innovative practices to create successful students now, and in the future. 

Our teachers, administrators and support staff have worked harder than ever to provide high-quality instruction to all of our students for not only Full Distance Learning, but also for the Hybrid model when it is permissible to physically be present on campus once again.

Again, on behalf of the SVUSD Board of Education, SVUSD staff and myself, welcome back and may everyone have a great 2020-2021 school year!

Thank you,

Crystal Turner, Ed.D.
Superintendent

School News Roll Call Magazine OC Superintendents Annual Edition, 2020-2021

Now that the first week of school and long weekend have passed, I wanted to take a quick moment to welcome you and your student to the 2019-2020 school year! As students fill our outstanding campuses, the excitement of the new year is palpable and full of possibility. We continue to be guided by our district vision, SV Innovates: a focus on intentional lesson design and engaging strategies, all supported through innovative practices to create successful students now, and in the future. Our teachers, staff, and administrators work hard to offer high quality instruction for all students and in order do so, need classrooms that allow them to meet each student’s needs. With this in mind, the Board of Education has allocated some of the remaining one time funding from the State to implement a few SV Innovates classrooms at each school site, chosen by teacher application, to outfit classrooms with upgraded flexible seating, voice amplification, large screen monitors, and additional technology to help support our students’ learning. These classrooms are making a big difference in the way that teachers teach and students learn.

We are looking forward to planning for the future to ensure the continued success of our students. Many SVUSD schools were built more than 40 years ago and need to be repaired and upgraded. It’s time to make essential repairs and improvements so our schools can serve our communities with the same high quality education and programs for decades to come. As a result, this year will also see the next steps of the SVUSD Facilities Master Plan (FMP), which includes proposed updates to all school sites over a multi-year time frame. Many of you participated in the community meetings regarding the FMP over the past 2 years and I encourage you to continue to provide feedback on the process. Additional information regarding the Facilities Master Plan and ways to fund and participate will be shared with all families through various avenues throughout the year.

Lastly, I hope that this year provides opportunities for growth, learning and memories for you and your student!

Sincerely,

Crystal Turner, Ed.D.
Superintendent

School News Roll Call Magazine OC Superintendents Annual Edition, 2019-2020

As we settle into the groove of the new school year and the dust of back to school happenings settles, I wanted to take an opportunity to personally welcome you back to the 2018-2019 school year!  

Reflecting on the first full year as the proud Superintendent of Saddleback Valley Unified School District, 2017-2018 was a year full of bright spots and innovation throughout the district, with many final statistics coming in over the summer.  Some of these include:

• 7 National Merit Scholars
• 87 Full International Baccalaureate Diplomas
• 44 Two Way Immersion Graduates
• Opening the SVUSD Virtual Academy, TK-6
• First Unified Sports Champion District in Orange County
• Platinum, & Gold PBIS Implementation Award Recognition (Los Alisos & Serrano Intermediate)
• Performing Arts Excellence with many award winners in performance & instrumental music
• 2 State, 7 CIF, and 13 League Titles
• 2 SVUSD Teachers named to the Top 10 & Top 25 Teachers by OC Parenting Magazine
• Supportive PTAs with 314,118 documented volunteer hours

These are just a few of the many great things happening throughout our district, and examples of what we can achieve when students, families, and educators work together with the common goal of supporting and providing a superior education for all students, and implementing SV Innovates.  As you may recall, SV Innovates was the result of the many conversations I had with over 300 stakeholders when I first came back to SVUSD, and focuses on intentional lesson design, engaging strategies, and developing innovative practices that create successful students, both while they are with us in SVUSD and when they leave our campuses and pursue career goals.

Looking forward to 2018-2019, we continue our work implementing SV Innovates, and have spent the summer planning and creating opportunities for our students.  We are proud to announce the openings of two new magnet schools for 2018-2019: Santiago STEAM Magnet Elementary School in Lake Forest and Linda Vista International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program Candidate Magnet School in Mission Viejo. Both schools had festive grand reopenings over the summer where families were able to tour the newly renovated schools, inclusive of innovation labs, flexible learning spaces, and technology upgrades. 

The success of the K-6 SVUSD Virtual Academy (SVA) last year led to its expansion to grades 9-12 for the 2018-2019 school year.  SVA blends online learning with face to face learning experiences to offer students in grades kindergarten through high school, a flexible and personalized online learning experience. While attending SVA, high school students have additional opportunities to participate in sports at their residence high schools.  SVA, along with our two new magnet schools, complement our fabulous neighborhood schools and provide additional options and opportunities for our students and families.

It is also exciting to share that SVUSD students continue to outperform both the county and state in high school graduation rates and University of California/California State University “a-g” course requirement completion.  SVUSD continues to increase the amount of students taking Advanced Placement courses, the number of Advanced Placement exams taken, and the overall Advanced Placement exam pass rate.  Again, SVUSD is committed to student success now and in the future.

In order to ensure our teachers and staff have the necessary tools to continue offering amazing learning opportunities for all students, in 2018-2019 SVUSD is:

• Adding 3,219 Chromebooks for our students’ use.
• Converting 102 teacher classrooms into innovative learning spaces with flexible seating and upgraded technology through an application process.
• Replacing 1,000 staff computers, and will continue to do so over the next few years, making all staff computers 4 years old or less throughout the district.  

Saddleback Valley Unified School District is full of innovation and I will close by sharing that SVUSD is indeed a special place that continuously strives to meet the needs of all our students.  We have many bright spots throughout the district, but continue to push the boundaries of what is possible.  Thank you for entrusting your children’s education with SVUSD, and may 2018-2019 be a year of learning, growth, and innovation!

Sincerely,

Crystal Turner, Ed.D.
Superintendent

School News Roll Call Magazine OC Superintendents Annual Edition, 2018-2019

On behalf of the SVUSD Board of Education and myself, I would like to welcome you to the 2017-18 school year! I have had the honor of being your Superintendent for the past 4 months and as many of you know, I started in SVUSD as a teacher. It is a privilege to return home and work as a team with our stakeholders to take our students to new heights.

Since returning in April, I visited each school and saw student engagement, the use of integrated technology, and teachers providing the best possible learning environment for students. Our teachers collaborate to meet the needs of all students through the co-teaching model and I visited many of the different Career Technical Education (CTE) classes that provide real world experiences for secondary students.It was a great way to start back in SVUSD. I also had the opportunity to meet many of our families and community members at the Meet and Greet hosted by the Board of Education in May. The commitment of our community to support successful schools is one of SVUSD’s many strengths.

SVUSD had many outstanding celebrations in the 2016-17 school year to highlight how “Saddleback Shines” including a 95.7% graduation rate.We celebrated 122 International Baccalaureate graduates, 7 National Merit Finalists, 32 Dual Immersion graduates from Laguna Hills High School, and Silverado High School had the largest graduating class, since opening their doors, with 107 graduates. Glen Yermo Elementary earned the 2016 California Gold Ribbon Award and La Paz Intermediate earned the 2017 California Gold Ribbon Award.

Serrano teacher and Peer Assistance Leader (PAL) Advisor, Kassie Valenti, was named PAL Advisor of the Year, and Montevideo teacher, Jaime Bennett, was named Educator of the Year by the Down Syndrome Association of Orange County.

In the performing arts, Trabuco Hills High School’s Marching Band was selected to represent California at the Fourth of July Parade in Washington D.C. and Mission Viejo High School’s “Thoroughly Modern Millie” was named the Best Musical of the Year as well as being recognized as the best Orchestra of the Year.

Continuing our excellence in athletics, we brought home 14 League titles district wide and 4 CIF Championship titles, including Boys’ Soccer and Baseball at El Toro High School, Boys’ Track and Field at Mission Viejo High School, and Wrestling at Trabuco Hills High School. El Toro High School was also named one of the most spirited high schools in America!

During the summer, I was excited to see staff participating in extensive Professional Development opportunities taking place this summer such as Instructional Rounds trainings, OCDE STEM Summer Institute, Blended Learning trainings, social science framework committees and many different math and NGSS trainings. The ELD Summer Enrichment Program for students was truly spectacular as well!

When I spoke with our community and staff, I heard the frequent requests for a central vision and to that end, SV Innovates was created. SV Innovates focuses on intentional lesson design, engaging strategies, and developing innovative practices that create successful students. Here are some examples that I saw from the walkthroughs in SVUSD this spring:

1. Intentional Lesson Design- Teachers plan lessons intentionally to produce student learning.For example, small group instruction, collaborative grouping, and more student talk time than teacher talk time.
2. Engaging Strategies- This includes more hands-on learning, the use of embedded instructional technology, and including strategies that have all students answer questions each time instead of only using hand-raising to gather responses.
3. Innovation- What makes each school special? Is it a special innovative program? Is it a STEM lab with Next Generation Science Standards included? Our SVUSD schools are special and are ready to take their programs to the next level.

One of the many strengths of our district is the strong community partnership between parents and schools. This is evident from robust Parent-Teacher Associations (PTA) and Parent-Teacher Organizations (PTO), booster groups, advisory councils, and the multitude of other volunteer groups that parents participate in for the benefit of all students. I would like continue to strengthen and build on this network by welcoming parents to join us as part of SV Innovates.

We are committed to sharing the great and innovative things happening with all staff, families, and the community. To accomplish this, you will see our presence on social media, community e-newsletters and a community magazine. Please follow us on social media and join the community e-newsletter if you are not already subscribed.

Facebook- SaddlebackValleyUSD

Instagram- saddlebackvalleyusd

Twitter- @SVUSDSchools

I know that SV Innovates, and it is because of our outstanding stakeholders. Staff, administrators, and our school district departments are ready to help us all embark on this journey together and I know that our greatest inspiration will ultimately come from the daily magic that happens in the classroom as students and teachers dive deeper into instruction and take risks with teaching and learning. I am looking forward to an incredible 2017-18!

Crystal Turner, Ed.D.

Dear Saddleback Valley Community,

It is my honor to have been selected as the new superintendent of Saddleback Valley Unified School District (SVUSD) which serves 28,000 students from Southern Orange County. Visiting each school in SVUSD in the Spring was a great way to connect with the staff and community. In classrooms, it is exciting to see high levels of student engagement, the use of integrated technology, and the interest of teachers and staff to provide the best possible learning environment for students.In addition, the support that our parent community provides to SVUSD schools is remarkable. While there are many incredible things to celebrate in SVUSD, here are a few highlights:

• SVUSD Seniors have a 95.7% graduation rate.
• Student achievement is demonstrated by the excellence and growth on the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CASSPP) scores, International Baccalaureate completion, and Advanced Placement scores.
• Thirteen different Career Technical Education (CTE) industry opportunities exist for secondary students providing real world experiences.
• The K-12 Dual Immersion Spanish program teaches students to read, write, and speak in both English and Spanish.
• Robotics programs are thriving at secondary schools.
• Elementary Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) magnet programs are excelling at regional schools.
• Teachers collaborate to meet the needs of all students through the co-teaching model.
• Championship athletic programs are found at our four comprehensive high schools.
• Award winning performing arts and music programs are thriving at our SVUSD high schools.
• SVUSD Virtual Academy is opening in 2017-18 to offer K-8 students a unique and flexible online learning environment.

Together with teachers, staff, administration, and parents, Saddleback Valley Unified School District creates personalized learning and activity opportunities for students. Looking forward to the 2017-18 school year, I am confident that our SVUSD students will continue to shine!

Sincerely,

Dr. Crystal Turner

Superintendent

School News Roll Call Magazine OC Superintendents Annual Edition, 2017-2018