Huge thanks to our Board members, parents, students, teachers, staff, administrators, community, and business leaders for being part of the AUSD Design Team. Last night the team launched our work to create a Portrait of an AUSD Learner. Over the next five months, the team will be working to define our expectations for learners that will be reflective of the learning and career changes our students will face in the fast-paced, interconnected world in which we live.
Our wonderful student body and student board members developed the storyline for our next Around Alpine Union Video. We filmed the video today and look forward to sharing it soon!
New fencing has begun being installed behind SHES, CELC and MVLA today. We will continue to make safety our top priority!
AUSD Safety and Security Update
In an effort to provide all the information we have, I wanted to relay that the Deputies were unable to locate any evidence of gunfire. In addition, it has been posted online that the Sheriff's Department arrested someone in relation to this event. That is not accurate. The Sheriff's Department asked me to relay that they arrested someone close by for a completely unrelated incident. Again, thank you for your support.
The Sheriff’s department has secured the campus and released both schools from lockdown. The Sheriff’s department will be on campus. Parents wishing to pick up their child will be greeted at the gate and will not be allowed to enter the campus. Parents will follow our process for picking up students.
We are staying in close contact with Sheriff's department. Helicopter is sweeping the area. Principals are in communication with teachers and staff. We will continue to keep you updated.
Sheriff's are on site investigating. We will continue to keep you updated. Please do not come to the campus. The campus is secure and in lockdown.
SHES and CELC are currently in a lockdown after there was a report of a sound like a gunshot. The Sheriff's department is on-site investigating. We will keep you updated. Please do not come to the campus.
SHES and CELC are currently in lockdown. We will keep you updated. Please do not go to the campus at this time.
Our district is grateful for a close partnership with the Alpine Sheriff’s Office, especially in providing training and support for our staff. We work closely to ensure the training we provide is best practice and is consistent with national, state, and local recommendations. Our staff trains for a variety of crises that may be encountered including fires, lockdowns, health issues, active shooters, intruders, shelter in place, and weather-related crises. Thank you, Captain Rand and the Alpine Sheriff’s Department for your support, collaboration, and training.
Liberty Charter High School is holding an Open House on September 1. All are welcome to attend!
Throughout the year, Dr. Newman undertakes different jobs in the District to work side by side with employees to get the “real” experience. This week he served as a bus attendant on Petr's bus. Kudos to Petr for his professionalism. He is an inspiring member of TEAM AUSD!
Today was the official grand opening of the new JMMS Community Field . We are deeply grateful for the support of Supervisors Anderson and Jacob and to the Alpine community for helping make this field a reality. Yeah!!!
Welcome to the 2022-23 school year!
Safety in AUSD Schools
Dear AUSD Families,
Unfortunately, two of our campuses, Shadow Hills Elementary and Creekside Early Learning Center, were vandalized this past weekend. We are working closely with the Sheriff’s Department and seek your assistance in identifying those responsible for damaging classrooms, the little league fields, and recovering stolen computers. Individuals on four motorcycles drove through campus and are believed responsible for the damage and theft. If you have any helpful information, please contact the Sheriff’s Department.
Sincerely,
Dr. Newman
Dear AUSD Families:
Earlier this week California Governor Gavin Newsom and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) announced that masks will no longer be required in schools starting March 12, 2022.
The announcement by the Governor and CDPH gives me hope that regular life can once again resume. As we enter this new phase, I once again ask for your grace as we move forward. I encourage everyone to remain kind and respectful and appreciate the personal choices of our classmates and staff members.
While the last two years have not been easy I am encouraged by the resolve our school community has shown. I am deeply proud of how our District and community have partnered throughout the pandemic. Our work together and especially the work of our staff has set an example for the county, state, and country.
Onward and upward,
Dr. Rich Newman
Proudest Superintendent and Principal on Earth
Alpine Union
Liberty Charter High School Showcase and Open House! Coming to Alpine in August of 2022!
Dear AUSD Families,
When I began in AUSD almost six years ago, I became connected to an amazing community that was rich in tradition, and proud of its heritage. While we have tackled many issues together, the hope of bringing a high school to Alpine has remained an elusive and unfulfilled goal.
The Board and I have continuously kept our eye on that prize, with a high school remaining a top goal for our Board. There has been a tremendous amount of work behind the scenes over the years to make an Alpine high school a reality. I am over the moon to announce that on Thursday, the Board of Trustees will meet to approve the leasing of the Alpine Elementary School site to Liberty Charter High. They will begin operating in August 2022, and renovations of the buildings will begin immediately with the plans to turn it into a state-of-the-art high school learning center.
While the high school will operate separately from AUSD, Debbie Beyer, the Executive Director of Liberty Charter, and I have been collaborating very closely to ensure that there is a strong partnership and synchronicity between our schools. Debbie and I have worked to ensure that our students will be given priority status to enroll. I know that our Alpine community will ensure that Liberty Charter gets a very warm welcome.
Liberty Charter is one of the longest-serving high school charters in the state. It is also one of the highest-performing charter high schools in San Diego. Liberty offers a rigorous curriculum including AP, Honors, and CP courses, career exploration, and dual credit classes. Students have travel opportunities, national and international, community service, competitive sports teams including CIF championships, and involvement in a wide variety of clubs. Along with developing critical thinking and STEM skills, students also learn soft skills such as leadership, teamwork, camaraderie, public speaking, project management, time management, marketing, and grant writing. A Liberty High School senior class receives, on average, a combined total of close to four million dollars in scholarship awards, including merit-based and athletic-based scholarships.
I look forward to a long partnership with Liberty and to seeing a high school finally join our Alpine Community.
To a new partnership,
Dr. Rich Newman
Proudest Superintendent and Principal on Earth