It's Back to School Time!

Dear Hueneme Elementary School Community:

Welcome to the 2018-2019 school year. This year promises to be one of our best!

With the first day of school quickly approaching, our staff has been working hard to get our schools ready for our students. As superintendent of Hueneme Elementary School District, I am proud of the effort and enthusiasm all of our employees have put into the coming school year. I have watched our teachers transform their classrooms into fun and organized places to learn. Our custodians and maintenance personnel have cleaned and fixed our campuses, making them as safe, clean and functional. Many of our departments have spent the summer updating systems and procedures to better serve our community. Hiring and training new employees, as well as professional development for existing employees, has kept us very busy at the district office. Updating our email system and launching our new district website and app has been a major project for our technology department this summer. All of this work has been accomplished with positive energy and many smiles.

This year, we celebrate many new certificated and classified employees coming to our schools. We also welcome our new and promoted school and district leaders to Hueneme ESD. We’re delighted for their new positions and know they will be wonderful resources for you at their respective sites. They are:

  • Dave Castellano, Director of Student Support Services (former principal at Richard Bard Elementary)
  • Vanessa Perez, Principal of Richard Bard Elementary School (former assistant principal at Sunkist School)
  • Monica Shallenberger, Principal of Hueneme Elementary School (former assistant principal at Hueneme and Hollywood Beach Schools)
  • Melissa Rufai, Assistant Principal of Sunkist School (former assistant principal at E.O. Green JHS)
  • Amanda Glover, Assistant Principal of E.O. Green Junior High School (former academic intervention teacher at Hollywood Beach School)
  • Dustin Friedman, Assistant Principal of Haycox Elementary School

While we’re enjoying the many wonderful things happening around our district, our main goals to increase student achievement, improve customer service and make our campuses as safe as possible remain our top priorities. Our mission is to Inspire our students to explore, dream big, and develop social and civic responsibility through a balanced learning program. We want our students to Thrive as we foster perseverance and resiliency in a safe, culturally responsive, and inclusive community. We Empower our students by teaching them critical thinking skills through a rigorous academic experience in a digitally-rich environment.

Thank you for trusting us with your children. We are proud to serve our families. Please remember to drive safely in and around our schools during these first weeks especially. And remember that in the Hueneme Elementary School District, it is our vision to inspire and empower all students to thrive every day!

Dr. Christine Walker District Superintendent Hueneme Elementary School District