09/10/2026
https://youtu.be/jkbbch8qvro
September 9, 2026
Hello TJUSD Students, Staff, Families, and Friends,
I am pleased to let you know about an exciting event that is going to take place at TJUSD in the next couple of weeks. We are going to be privileged to have a visit from the Freedom Writers here in Trona. If you are not familiar with who Freedom Writers are, let me give you a little background. Freedom Writers was the “brain child” of a brand new teacher in the Long Beach Unified School District in the 1990’s. Erin Gruwell was hired to teach English at Long Beach Wilson High School to at-risk students and her teaching inspired her students to become “Freedom Writers”. She wrote a best-selling book about her experiences that was published in 1999 and the book became the story behind a Hollywood movie in 2007 titled “Freedom Writers”. Ms. Gruwell has been involved in spreading the story of Freedom Writers to schools and communities for the past decade and beyond through the Freedom Writers Foundation.
TJUSD became aware of the FW Foundation work in schools this past spring when 3 of our school board members (Cathy Heseman, Sandy Sprouse, and Skylar McCullar) were able to attend a workshop presented by Freedom Writers in a Victorville middle school. Additionally, 3 of our teachers were given scholarships to attend a Freedom Writers Teachers’ Workshop in June in Long Beach. The school board approved using some of our Community Schools grant funding to bring Freedom Writers here to Trona at their August 27, 2026 board meeting.
So, here is what will take place when the Freedom Writers come to Trona in just a couple of weeks. The first event will be an opportunity to attend a community-wide workshop/presentation by Freedom Writers on Tuesday evening, September 22, 2025 at 6 PM in the Trona High School Cafetorium. Parents, guardians, and all community members interested in the Freedom Writers story and interested in how their message can help us improve school culture, student mental well-being, and create a more accepting and safe school environment for our students are encouraged to come and hear their story.
On Wednesday, September 23, 2026, Freedom Writers will share an age appropriate message to ALL Students at Trona Joint Unified School District. The assemblies with students and staff will be conducted with students at the various grade levels in language they can understand with the goal being helping our students grow in their appreciation and understanding of each other.
To help prepare for a better understanding of the Freedom Writers work and message, we have been authorized to send out a link to the movie for any and all to click on to watch the movie in its entirety. We will be posting the link on through our various social media platforms. Whether you are able to watch the movie or not ahead of time, I know you won’t want to miss the special community program on the 22nd of September. The opportunity to learn and grow from the Freedom Writers story can only help us in our quest to Educate, Empower, and Engage our students.
Link to Freedom Writers
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WE2wy_fVavz2Xp4Ge8c-sQ13QOsVd1-t/view?usp=sharing
Sincerely,
Jerry Jennex, Superintendent
