Recently, I had the pleasure of visiting Hidden Valley Middle School and seeing the incredible progress being made through their ongoing Redesign process. As part of a microschool cohort, Hidden Valley began this journey with a small group of dedicated 7th-grade students and staff and has since expanded to include 8th grade. Their work focuses on creating the best conditions for learning using the Framework for the Future.
Hidden Valley recently hosted superintendents from across North County, who were inspired by what they saw. They praised the strong collaboration, real-world learning, and the sense of pride and belonging among students. They also noted how clean and well-cared-for the campus is, how confident students are in sharing their ideas, and the remarkable amount of change that has occurred in such a short time.
During my visit, I observed engaging learning experiences in action—students solving challenging math problems, setting personal learning goals, and exploring history through vibrant, hands-on activities. I also visited the Wellness Center, which supports students’ social-emotional needs, and saw progress in the Career Center, where hands-on exploration units are being prepared for students. Looking ahead, the school is planning for a maker space and innovation lab with 3D printers and other tools to inspire creativity and innovation.
It’s exciting to see how Hidden Valley is transforming learning and creating a school community where every student feels safe, supported, and empowered to succeed. To learn more about Hidden Valley Middle School, please visit the Hidden Valley Middle School website .
Here are this week’s updates and reminders.
Parent-Teacher conferences:
Annual parent-teacher conferences are scheduled for Thursday and Friday, October 9 and 10. These are non-student days. Scheduling information has been shared by your school sites.
GATE Screening:
The Escondido Union School District is pleased to continue to offer the Gifted and Talented Education program. For GATE identification, all 2nd-grade students will have the opportunity to participate in universal screening in November. In addition, parents and teachers may recommend students to be GATE screened if they were not previously screened in grades 3 through 8. Parents can pick up a Parent Background and Input Form in the school’s front office and should return it to the school by Friday, October 24. A school team will review requests and determine which students will be eligible to be screened in November.
For more information, please visit the EUSD GATE district website or stop by your school office.
Breakfast and Lunch Menus:
All EUSD students have access to no-cost breakfast and lunch. Families can view our new online menus. Select your school and menu to see what is being served every day.
– Luis Rankins-Ibarra, Superintendent of Schools