News & Events
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Dear Sweetwater Community,
We stand in solidarity with our neighbors, public agencies, elected officials, and community organizations in response to the unacceptable treatment of U.S. Senator Alex Padilla by federal agents in Los Angeles. This incident does not reflect the values we hold as Americans, and we unequivocally denounce it.
We recognize the growing concern about immigration enforcement in our South Bay community. The Sweetwater Union High School District remains committed to supporting and respecting our Latino and immigrant communities. With a student population that is 70% Latino and 10% Filipino, we take pride in our binational identity and the richness it brings to our schools.
Sweetwater does not collect or maintain immigration status information. Our board policies and administrative regulations ensure staff are equipped to handle these matters with care. Our top priority is to maintain a safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment for every student.
Living along the border gives us a unique understanding: we can uphold law and order while also demanding empathy in enforcement. Every person deserves dignity, and we call on all who enforce the law to do so with compassion.
To those who choose to protest, we urge peaceful assembly, inspired by leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and Cesar Chavez, who showed that nonviolence leads to lasting change.
Let us continue to build a community rooted in unity, diversity, and our shared commitment to justice. Together, we can rise to the challenge and uphold the democratic values that define us.
In solidarity,
Moises G. Aguirre, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Sweetwater Union High School District
Estimada Comunidad de Sweetwater,
Nos solidarizamos con nuestros vecinos, agencias públicas, funcionarios electos y organizaciones comunitarias en respuesta al trato inaceptable recibido por el Senador de los Estados Unidos, Alex Padilla, por parte de agentes federales en Los Ángeles. Este incidente no refleja los valores que sostenemos como estadounidenses, y lo condenamos de manera inequívoca.
Reconocemos la creciente preocupación sobre la aplicación de leyes migratorias en nuestra comunidad del South Bay. El Distrito Escolar Sweetwater Union High reafirma su compromiso de apoyar y respetar a nuestras comunidades latinas e inmigrantes. Con una población estudiantil compuesta en un 70% por estudiantes latinos y un 10% por estudiantes filipinos, nos enorgullece nuestra identidad binacional y la riqueza que aporta a nuestras escuelas.
Sweetwater no recopila ni mantiene información sobre el estatus migratorio. Nuestras políticas de la mesa directiva y reglamentos administrativos aseguran que el personal esté preparado para manejar estos asuntos con sensibilidad. Nuestra máxima prioridad es mantener un entorno seguro, acogedor e inclusivo para cada estudiante.
Vivir en la frontera nos brinda una comprensión única: podemos mantener el orden y la ley mientras exigimos empatía en su aplicación. Toda persona merece dignidad, y hacemos un llamado a todos quienes hacen cumplir la ley a que lo hagan con compasión.
A quienes eligen manifestarse, les pedimos que lo hagan de manera pacífica, inspirados en líderes como Martin Luther King Jr. y César Chávez, quienes demostraron que la no violencia conduce a un cambio duradero.
Sigamos construyendo una comunidad basada en la unidad, la diversidad y nuestro compromiso compartido con la justicia. Juntos, podemos enfrentar este desafío y defender los valores democráticos que nos definen.
Con solidaridad,
Moises G. Aguirre, Ed.D.
Superintendente
Distrito Escolar Sweetwater Union High -
Dear Sweetwater Community,
As a district that proudly serves a diverse student population, we remain steadfast in our commitment to creating safe, welcoming, and inclusive learning environments for every student—regardless of immigration status.
In light of recent national developments, we want to reassure our community that our district policies strictly prohibit immigration enforcement on school campuses without a valid judicial warrant. We are also committed to protecting the confidentiality of student and family information in accordance with the law.
All school staff have been reminded of the proper procedures to follow should immigration or law enforcement officials come to a school site. Additionally, schools have access to resources such as “Know Your Rights” materials and legal support contacts to help guide and protect families. Each school will also receive “Red Cards” in English and Spanish, provided by the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, which outline Constitutional rights in an easy-to-understand format. These cards are also available in multiple languages online. For immigration resources click here.
Thank you for your trust and partnership as we continue to uphold our values of equity, safety, and respect for all. Should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to your school principal or district office.
Best regards,
The Sweetwater Union High School District
Estimada Comunidad de Sweetwater:
En nuestro distrito, estamos orgullosos de servir a una población estudiantil muy diversa. Por eso, seguimos comprometidos en crear ambientes seguros, acogedores e inclusivos para todos nuestros estudiantes, sin importar su estatus migratorio.
Ante los eventos recientes a nivel nacional, queremos asegurarles que nuestras reglas no permiten que oficiales de inmigración entren a las escuelas sin una orden judicial válida. También cuidamos mucho la privacidad de la información de nuestros estudiantes y sus familias, como lo exige la ley.
El personal escolar ya recibió recordatorios sobre los pasos correctos a seguir si un oficial de inmigración o la policía llega a una escuela. Además, las escuelas tienen acceso a recursos como materiales de “Conozca sus Derechos” y contactos legales para ayudar a las familias. También entregaremos a cada escuela “Tarjetas Rojas” en inglés y español, proporcionadas por el Immigrant Legal Resource Center. Estas tarjetas explican los derechos constitucionales de forma sencilla, y también están disponibles en línea en varios idiomas. Para ver estos recursos, haga clic aquí: click here.
Gracias por su confianza y apoyo continuo. Si tiene preguntas o inquietudes, por favor comuníquese con la directora o el director de su escuela, o con la oficina del distrito.
Atentamente,
El Distrito Escolar Sweetwater Union High School
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Tour of Chula Vista Middle School Kitchen and Garden Showcased How District Serves Nearly 4 Million Free School Meals Annually Using Fresh, Local Ingredients
California State Senator Steve Padilla visited Chula Vista Middle School recently to recognize the Sweetwater District and Director of Nutrition Services Director with a resolution in honor of his visionary leadership in school nutrition policy and farm to school programs that contribute to students’ health and wellbeing. Under Span’s leadership, the Sweetwater District has developed school gardens where students grow and harvest fruits, vegetables, and fresh eggs for school meals.
Demand for free, nutritious meals in California TK–12 schools has increased under the School Meals for All program that began in the 2022–23 school year. Thanks to critical state investments, California is leading the nation in transforming school meals to feature fresh, local ingredients that students love. Sweetwater’s nutrition program showcases how state funding supports schools in meeting the increased demand with more freshly-prepared food.
Senator Padilla, Sweetwater District Superintendent Dr. Moises Aguirre, representatives from the Center for Ecoliteracy, California Food for California Kids, and district leaders visited the Chula Vista Middle School kitchen, cafeteria, and school garden. They also engaged with students participating in the garden program, and together, they enjoyed a meal provided by the Nutrition Services Department. The ingredients for the meal were sourced directly from the school’s garden, highlighting a commitment to promoting healthy eating habits and sustainability within the school community.
“We take pride in the strides we have made in enhancing our school nutrition programs and are grateful for the recognition and support extended by Senator Padilla and the state of California,” said Superintendent Aguirre. “Let us continue our collective efforts to prioritize the health and wellness of our students by fostering a positive and sustainable food environment in our schools.”
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The national, non-profit School Nutrition Association (SNA) has named Eric Span, Director Nutrition Services for Sweetwater Union High School District, California, the Western region Director of the Year. The award recognizes the extraordinary contributions of school nutrition directors who manage effective school meal programs providing healthy, appetizing meals to students.
Eric Span is credited with revamping and updating menus in the school district to offer higher quality ingredients and improve nutrition. Span instituted a scratch cooked meal program by training all staff on knife skills, grill usage, recipes, culinary procedures and food safety standards. He successfully incorporated student, staff and parent input into the program. Parents are encouraged to visit cafeterias, observe meal prep, taste test new menu options and participate in annual back-to-school nights providing information on meals, benefit applications and nutrition regulations.
Span maintains productive relationships with students by supporting the creation of student advisory boards. Members present menu ideas to area supervisors and are tasked with recruiting peers for taste tests and pop-up educational events. The students are encouraged to provide positive and negative feedback on menu items or service-related issues. With direct marketing to students, the efforts he led increased meal counts 30 percent in the first year of implementation.
Span also began a successful farm-to-school program by partnering with an engineering program at a district high school. The program began with 400 chickens, providing eggs for a variety of menu options, including protein boxes and Pho noodle bowls. Excess eggs were sold to teachers and community members to help finance the growth of the farm project, which included adding fruit trees on school campuses for students and staff to pick from. The efforts garnered positive media attention and awareness among local policy makers.
Community involvement is important to Span. He often supports local organizations focused on improving health outcomes for youth and helped bring activities into the school district to expand efforts to reach more families and students. He is also involved in local efforts to start community gardens and supports food banks by providing fruits and vegetables to these organizations.
His leadership is further demonstrated by efforts to train site and area supervisors in financial management, staffing and procurement, and in soft skills such as interacting with site administrators and school board members. Span also created a culinary training program for 250 staff members, which included butchering, portioning and training on processing whole vegetables. The training has increased morale and employee retention.
Span served as Public Policy and Legislative Committee Chair for the California School Nutrition Association (CalSNA) and a board member for the Chef Ann Foundation. He led efforts to restart a CalSNA chapter that had been dormant for two years and can be seen working with his staff to increase participation in the Association. Span was recently elected to the national SNA Board of Directors and will begin his term of service in July 2024.
The Director of the Year Award was created to recognize school nutrition directors who exhibit an extraordinary commitment to their school meal programs. The directors are responsible for maintaining the quality of the program through student interaction, menu planning and a commitment to serving nutritious, tasty and well-balanced school meals. Through effective oversight of all aspects of food service operations, including budgeting, staffing, training, marketing and community outreach, school nutrition directors ensure the overall success of school meal programs.
Span was announced as the Western region Director of the Year during an online awards ceremony on April 30 in advance of School Lunch Hero Day, celebrated on May 3, 2024, to honor all of America’s dedicated school nutrition professionals. The accomplishments of Span and all SNA award winners will also be highlighted in a special digital publication and promoted in SNA’s annual Hero Day social media campaign on Facebook.com/TrayTalk and TrayTalk.org.
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Recently, Chula Vista High students, staff and community gathered for a special ceremony to unveil a stunning mural in their school community garden. Excitement and pride filled the air as everyone eagerly awaited the reveal of the vibrant mural created by SCPA Alumni and talented artist, Lily Reed, and Chula Vista High students.
Lily, a special education student who once feared public speaking, found inspiration for the mural from the insects she observed in the garden during her senior year. Guided by her teacher, Marie Gallagher, Lily poured her heart and soul into the design, drawing from her own experiences and memories at Chula Vista High.
As the ceremony began, Art Teacher, Michelle Speilman, expressed her pride in the completion of the mural, a project that had been two years in the making. She highlighted Lily’s dedication and the countless hours she had volunteered to work with students on the project, leaving a lasting legacy at the school.
Marie Gallagher spoke passionately about the significance of the mural, describing it as a symbol of growth and beauty that emerges when we care for our surroundings. She emphasized the importance of the garden and mural as a representation of a community that values creativity, passion, and the courage to speak up for oneself and others.
Lily, who graduated from Chula Vista High in 2022, beamed with pride as she shared her journey of overcoming barriers and finding her voice through art. She revealed that she was currently working on a children’s book, illustrating and writing her own story, a testament to her creativity and determination.
The ceremony was a celebration of the power of art, passion, and community, showcasing how anything is possible when one has a true love for their craft. Lily’s story served as a reminder that with dedication and support, beautiful transformations can take place, both in the physical world and within ourselves.