Garden Grove Elementary School

Congratulations to Mrs. Brooks for being recognized at the June Teacher of the Month! We are so proud of you and know that you are so deserving of this award! You help make Garden Grove the place to be!!!

The Simi Valley Education Foundation is proud to announce the June Teacher of the Month (TOTM) – Leslie Brooks from Garden Grove Elementary School.

Leslie Brooks teaches a grade 2/3 class at Garden Grove Elementary. Her dedication to student growth is evident in the way she thoughtfully differentiates her instruction to meet individual needs. She is committed to creating a fun and engaging learning experience and brings learning to life in her classroom, designing lessons that are interactive, creative, and meaningful. Leslie’s approach fosters a classroom environment where curiosity is sparked, confidence is built, and every student feels valued and successful.

The Teacher of the Month Program highlights educators across the Simi Valley Unified School District who demonstrate outstanding performance and make meaningful contributions to their students and schools.

Each month, honorees are celebrated with tokens of appreciation from generous community partners, including Chick-fil-A, Grand Canyon University, Harley’s Bowl, Iverson Construction, Logix Federal Credit Union, Simi Valley Chamber of Commerce, Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center, Simi Valley YMCA, Eric Little with State Farm Insurance, Ventura County Credit Union, and the Walt Fuller Foundation. Local dignitaries also present personalized certificates of recognition, reinforcing the strong bond between schools and the broader community.

“Together, we send a clear message that the business community supports and values the dedication of our teachers,” said Ryan Fowler, Board President of the Simi Valley Education Foundation.

Since its founding in 1989, the Simi Valley Education Foundation has invested more than $2.5 million into Simi Valley public schools through innovative classroom grants, school-wide projects, department enhancements, and scholarships for graduating seniors.

For more information about the Teacher of the Month program, please contact Cindy Jacoby at (877) SIMI-KID or visit svef.org.

PHOTO CAPTION:
Pictured from the left at Garden Grove Elementary are: Anthony Avila, representing Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin; Kate Vega, representing Congresswoman Julia Brownley; Maya Goehner from Senator Henry Stern’s office; Eric Elizondo, Logix Federal Credit Union; Shere Grant, Grand Canyon University; Mike Kort, representing Supervisor Janice Parvin; Joseph Ayala, Simi Valley Councilmember and SVEF Board Member; Nicole Perryman, Principal; Leslie Brooks; Elaine Litster, TOTM Chair and Simi Valley City Councilmember; Ryan Fowler, SVEF Board President; Eric Little, State Farm Insurance; Tarja Little, SVEF Board Member; Jenny Fuller, SVEF Board Member; and Jamie Snodgrass, SVUSD Assistant Superintendent of Instruction & Pupil Services.

Spirit Day today - CAREER DAY! We had so many students show off what they would love to be when they grow up - from paleontologists, scientist, astronauts, to artists, athletes, doctors, nurses, and even franchise owners - there was quite a variety! So proud of all these Tigers who all could very passionately tell us why they chose their career!!

The Garden Grove Staff is feeling so grateful this week! A huge thank you to our wonderful PTA and the Families for your generosity and kindness in making Staff Appreciation Week so special! From the delicious breakfast and sweet treats yesterday to today’s incredible FIESTA lunch - every detail has meant so much! Your support truly makes a difference and we appreciate you more than words can say!!!

Our Garden Grove Teachers took over the morning announcements with an inflatable dance party as their APEX surprise for the students! What a great way to celebrate all the great leadership lessons, activities, and fundraising done! Thank you to the APEX team and all our families who participated in making this a successful event! Video in the comments!!

🌟 Last Call Alert! 🌟
Tonight is the last night before our Apex Remix to get pledges! Here’s what to remember:

✅ Get those pledges in.
✅ Get a good night’s sleep.
✅ Wear comfy shoes tomorrow.
✅ Hydrate and have a good breakfast.
✅ Celebrate your student’s hard work!

Let’s make tomorrow unforgettable!

Tonight’s Challenge: PRINCIPAL CHALLENGE! If we can jump up as an entire school by $266/move by Friday, our principal will have a mystery surprise! Essentially, if every student got one more pledge of a flat $36 or $1/unit, we’d get there!!

🌟 Exciting Update Alert! 🌟
Check out our Top 5 Classes! 🏆 Is your child’s class on the list?

Streetly

Guzzo

Greenlinger

DiRubio

Donlon

There’s still time to share and pledge to support Class and Steam Materials! Every pledge helps our school. Let’s keep the momentum going! 💪

Night’s Challenge Winner:

Anything Challenge: Viviana C. (Coleman), William R.(Greenlinger), Connor Y. (Mitchell)

Bonus Challenge: Lillian Y.(Donlon), Zyanna C, (Rosales)

Tonight’s Challenge:PRINCIPAL CHALLENGE! If we can jump up as an entire school by $266/lap by Monday, our principal has a mystery surprise for you! Essentially, if every student got one more pledge of a flat $36 or $1/unit, we’d get there!

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🚀 This week is our Apex Remix 🌟
Please use the Share Wizard to share their student’s pledge page. Together, we’re helping students build leadership skills and make an impact.

Last Night’s Challenge Winner: GUZZO

Tonight’s Challenge: ANYTHING
CHALLENGE: A student who goes home and gets a pledge of any amount will be entered into a raffle. 3 students will be chosen and will get to choose anything from off my cart up to the bounce paddle.

🌟 Understanding Others is the Key to Great Leadership! 🌟
Today, we learned leaders take time to listen, care, and think about how others feel. 💬💛Practicing empathy helps us be better teammates, friends, and problem-solvers. Let’s Level Up by showing kindness through understanding every day!

Weekend Challenge Winners:

Participation Challenge: DiRubio

Out of State Challenge: Guzzo

Tonight’s Challenge: HIGHEST JUMP: The class to jump the most in their team total by getting a pledge will Mummify Apex!!

🌟 Leadership Starts With Me! 🌟
Today, we learned great leaders take responsibility for their actions and choices. 💪 Owning our behavior, respecting coaches and teachers, and staying open to learning helps us LEVEL UP our leadership! Leadership isn’t always easy, but it always starts with us. Let’s lead with integrity every day!

Last Night’s Challenge Winner:Greenlinger

100% Challenge: No winner yet!

Tonight’s Challenge: PARTICIPATION! The class to have the MOST students log in and get a pledge of ANY amount will earn a popsicle party!

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🚀 What does it mean to LEVEL UP as a leader? 🤔 That’s what we’re about to learn! 💪 The Apex Team will bring high-energy lessons about leadership habits every day for the next two weeks leading up to our Apex Remix on Friday, October 10th! Get ready to grow, lead, and Level Up!

🌟 Last Night’s Challenge is still up for grabs! The first class to 100% log in will win!

Tonight’s Challenge: SHARE CHALLENGE! Any class that has 100% of their students log in to myapexevent.com with their access code will get to pie their Apex member! The class that has the most SHARES on the SHARE WIZARD will get to have a Water Balloon Party!