Garden Grove Unified School District

Superintendent Dr. Gabriela Mafi started the school year connecting directly with sixth-grade students as part of her annual assemblies to kick off GGUSD’s College and Career Mentoring Program (CCMP)! 🎓

Now offered at nearly every GGUSD elementary school, CCMP gives sixth graders a unique opportunity to be mentored by GGUSD graduates who are currently attending college. Through these meaningful connections, students gain scholarly habits, learn valuable insight into the college experience, and begin envisioning the many possibilities available for their own futures.

Dr. Mafi is leading nearly 30 sixth-grade assemblies across the district to personally welcome students to the program, encourage them to dream big and reinforce an important message: their path to college, career and lifelong success starts now.

CCMP has made an important difference across our elementary schools by giving students positive role models, strengthening their college and career awareness and showing them that GGUSD graduates just like them are achieving their goals — and they can too! 💙

Palomino students kicked off the new school year with big smiles, excited energy, and plenty of enthusiasm as they reunited with friends, met their teachers, and got ready for a year filled with learning and new adventures. ✏️✨

GGUSD is excited to welcome Palomino’s students and families back for another amazing school year!🎓

🎉🏫 Welcome back, Aztecs! ❤️💙

La Quinta High School kicked off the first day of school with plenty of energy and school spirit, hosting an exciting Welcome Back Pep Rally to celebrate the return of students! 📣🎶

The Aztecs came together to start the new school year with enthusiasm, connection and a whole lot of school pride. Here’s to an amazing year ahead, La Quinta! 🌟

🐼💙 All smiles at Peters K-3! 💙🐼 Our Peters K-3 Pandas showed up ready to learn on the first day of school! Families took a moment to capture those adorable first day photos and students were all smiles as parents walked their children to class to meet their new teachers! Welcome back, Pandas! 🐼

HAWKS…ACTIVATE! 🔴⚫️⚪️ Did someone signal for some super heroes?! 🦸🏽‍♂️🦸🏻Because there were plenty on hand at Irvine Intermediate School to welcome students to campus for the first day of school! 📚✏️📓The Hawk’s House is a special place to be and this new kettle is ready to help Irvine continue soaring to new heights!

🎉🤠 The first day of school is here! 🤠🎉

GGUSD’s Vaqueros are back and ready to learn, grow, and make this school year one to remember! 📚✨ Across the district, students are stepping onto their campuses with excitement, reconnecting with friends, meeting their teachers, and getting ready for a year filled with new opportunities.

Here’s to a fantastic first day and an incredible year ahead! Welcome back! 💙💛

✨ A Historic Celebration

GGUSD celebrated the official renaming of Rosita Elementary School to Frank and Irene Palomino Elementary School during a moving ribbon-cutting ceremony held Thursday. Nearly 200 people attended the historic celebration, including generations of the Palomino family, elected officials, GGUSD and Rosita students and staff, and community members.

Frank and Irene Palomino were among the five plaintiff families in the landmark Mendez et al. v. Westminster et al. case, which helped end school segregation in California and laid important groundwork for Brown v. Board of Education. Their connection to this community runs deep — generations of the Palomino family lived directly across the street from the school, and their children attended Rosita Elementary, Irvine Intermediate and Los Amigos High School.

The moving ceremony included remarks from Superintendent Gabriela Mafi, Board of Education President Bob Harden, Trustee Walter Muneton, fifth-grade student Sofia Perez and members of the Palomino family, along with a beautiful student performance of “Cielito Lindo,” special recognitions from elected officials and a ceremonial ribbon cutting.

This historic occasion marked GGUSD’s first school renaming since 1985 and represents far more than a new name on a school. It ensures that generations of students will learn about a local family whose courage helped change the course of education in California.

GGUSD is incredibly proud to honor Frank and Irene Palomino and preserve their extraordinary contributions to educational equality as an enduring part of our district’s history. ❤️

GGUSD hosted its annual Keynote Event to welcome staff back to the 2026-2027 school year with special performances by our talented high school students, staff from our Visual and Performing Arts and IT Departments as well as informative presentations from Superintendent Dr. Gabriela Mafi and district assistant superintendents that highlighted our district initiatives and successes around our three district goals (academic skills🟡 + personal skills🟢 = lifelong success🔵).

The excitement for the new school year was palpable and we cannot wait to welcome students back on Monday, August 10.🍎📚 Thank you to our Board of Education President Bob Harden, Vice President Lan Nguyen and Trustees Teri Rocco and Walter Muneton who also attended to welcome staff into the new school year.🌟

Alamitos Intermediate recently welcomed its newest 7th grade students during a fun-filled Orientation and AVID Summer Bridge Program! 💙💛

Students spent the day getting to know their new campus, completing orientation activities, and building connections with classmates through engaging team-building experiences led by So Cal Reds. From exploring campus resources to strengthening friendships before the first day of school, the program helped students begin their middle school journey with confidence and excitement!✏️🌟

GGUSD is committed to creating a strong start for every student by providing welcoming experiences that build belonging, confidence, and readiness for a successful school year!

FIRST DAY PHOTO CONTEST: Get your cameras ready! The first day of school in GGUSD is Monday, August 10. We hope you will celebrate the first day of school by participating in our Photo Contest!✏️🌟 We love seeing students from preschool through high school smile as they begin the 2026-2027 school year.
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To participate, post your first day photos on Facebook or Instagram with or email us at [email protected]. Photos must be posted or received by Monday, August 17. Winners will be selected at random to receive GGUSD swag!🎉👏