It’s hard to believe that Thanksgiving is almost here and Winter break is just around the corner. I want to wish our Downey Unified families and the Downey community a very happy holiday season, as this will be my last message as president of the Board of Education.

At our December Board Meeting, the reigns will be handed over to Nancy Swenson and she will continue writing these articles starting in January, but this is not goodbye. I will proudly continue serving the students, families and staff of our district as a member of our Board for years to come. I hope you enjoy my last update and that these articles have been informative and provided everyone with highlights each month from across the school district.

Looking back over the past month, it has been so nice to see all the various celebrations being held at all of our schools. From CHARACTER COUNTS! Week events, Trunk or Treat events, Coffee with the Principal at many of our schools, athletic events, performance art shows, our annual College Fair, the School Safety Presentation in partnership with DPD and the Stauffer Scholar Award nights, it has been a busy few weeks since my last article. I want to thank the Mary R. Stauffer Foundation for their annual 529 Scholar awards that are presented to select middle school students each year. These awards are held every year and during each ceremony our students receive grants that are set to be saved for higher education.

For those with little ones just beginning their educational journey, our Global Language Academies of Downey (GLAD) is now accepting applications for our dual language program for TK and Kinder for the 2024-25 school year. Through our GLAD program, families have the option of being a part of the Spanish Dual Language program at either Imperial or Williams Elementary Schools or the French or Spanish Dual Language IB programs at Carpenter Elementary School. Whatever program you choose, GLAD will provide the foundation for your child to become bilingual and biliterate, which is such an important asset. Knowing more than one language will help children stand out on their future job applications and opens opportunities for them to engage with and learn from other cultures. In addition to career benefits, learning a second language improves one’s memory, multi-tasking skills, creativity and brain function. If you’re interested in learning more, please visit our website where both the application process and more details can be found – web.dusd.net/glad/

Also, make sure to mark your calendars for our annual Esports Championship at both the middle and high school levels! On Nov. 29, Doty Middle School will be hosting the middle school Championship match that will kick-off with the Final Four match up. Beginning at 2:45 pm, winning teams from Griffiths and Stauffer will face off and then at 3:15pm, Doty and Sussman teams will battle it out. The winners of these matches will go on to play in the Championship immediately afterwards, so I hope you will be able to join us to cheer on our Esports athletes! On December 6 beginning at 6:30pm within the beautiful Downey Civic Theatre, the high school championship match will be held between the best teams from Downey and Warren High Schools. Again, come out to support our students and watch the final battle of this impactful tournament and hear how Downey Unified is helping our high school students turn their excitement for playing video games into careers in STEAM.

As I wrap things up, I want to thank everyone for taking their time each month to read the “Eyes on our Schools” to get a glimpse into what’s happening across Downey Unified. As previously shared, on December 12th, I will be transitioning from President back to a member of the Board, so this will be my final article to our special community. I want to thank everyone for the incredible opportunity to serve as your School Board President this past year. It has been a sincere privilege and I look forward to the growth and achievement that will continue as we work together for the remainder of the 2023-24 school year.

With gratitude,

Giggy Perez-Saab
President