Richmond Street School continued a proud tradition by joining schools across the country in the Scripps National Spelling Bee competition! 🐝
A huge shoutout to the 16 classroom spelling bee champions who participated in the schoolwide spelling bee, and congratulations to the champion, Noah Gilmore. 🎉
A huge shoutout to the 16 classroom spelling bee champions who participated in the schoolwide spelling bee, and congratulations to the champion, Noah Gilmore. 🎉





ESUSD is hiring! We have openings for a range of positions throughout our schools, including instructional roles, support staff, and operational positions that keep our district running smoothly.
If you're looking for meaningful opportunities in a supportive community where your contributions truly matter, we encourage you to explore our current openings and apply. 👇
https://www.edjoin.org/Home/Jobs?countyID=0&districtID=380
If you're looking for meaningful opportunities in a supportive community where your contributions truly matter, we encourage you to explore our current openings and apply. 👇
https://www.edjoin.org/Home/Jobs?countyID=0&districtID=380

This week’s Gundo of the Week is Lauren Webb, a speech language pathologist for ESHS, ESMS, and FLIGHT! 💙
Here’s what her nominator had to say:
“Ms. Lauren Webb is a tireless champion for neurodiverse students in ESUSD. As a long-time Speech and Language Pathologist serving students at ESMS, ESHS, and in the FLIGHT program, Ms. Webb supports learners across all areas of communication. Her impact, however, extends far beyond the classroom. She brought the Friendship Foundation to our district, creating meaningful opportunities for neurotypical and neurodiverse students to connect in the spirit of true inclusion.
Ms. Webb is a constant presence in our community—showing up, advocating, and ensuring that every student’s needs are understood and met with compassion. She is a highly skilled, deeply dedicated, and profoundly professional educator, and ESUSD is incredibly fortunate to have her.”
Thank you, Lauren, for being a part of Team Gundo! 👏
Here’s what her nominator had to say:
“Ms. Lauren Webb is a tireless champion for neurodiverse students in ESUSD. As a long-time Speech and Language Pathologist serving students at ESMS, ESHS, and in the FLIGHT program, Ms. Webb supports learners across all areas of communication. Her impact, however, extends far beyond the classroom. She brought the Friendship Foundation to our district, creating meaningful opportunities for neurotypical and neurodiverse students to connect in the spirit of true inclusion.
Ms. Webb is a constant presence in our community—showing up, advocating, and ensuring that every student’s needs are understood and met with compassion. She is a highly skilled, deeply dedicated, and profoundly professional educator, and ESUSD is incredibly fortunate to have her.”
Thank you, Lauren, for being a part of Team Gundo! 👏

Our next Board of Education meeting is Tuesday, January 27, starting at 5:00pm in the El Segundo City Hall Council Chamber (350 Main Street).
Find board agendas, minutes and other information here: https://go.boarddocs.com/ca/esusd/Board.nsf/Public
Find board agendas, minutes and other information here: https://go.boarddocs.com/ca/esusd/Board.nsf/Public

Join us tonight at 5:30pm for The Confidence Code LIVE! at El Segundo Middle School!
This engaging presentation by Jeff Veley blends humor, real-world stories, and social and emotional learning (SEL) strategies to help students build confidence and resilience. It's a fun, interactive evening packed with strategies that empower students to grow from setbacks with confidence! 🙌
Learn more: https://elsegundoptacouncil.my.canva.site/confidencecode
This engaging presentation by Jeff Veley blends humor, real-world stories, and social and emotional learning (SEL) strategies to help students build confidence and resilience. It's a fun, interactive evening packed with strategies that empower students to grow from setbacks with confidence! 🙌
Learn more: https://elsegundoptacouncil.my.canva.site/confidencecode

This week’s Team Gundo of the Week is Marnie Strauss from Eagles’ Nest Preschool! 💙
Here’s what her nominator had to say:
“Marnie Strauss brings a thoughtful, compassionate approach to supporting all children, ensuring every student feels seen, valued, and encouraged to grow. She collaborates closely with teachers, staff, and families to create inclusive, meaningful learning experiences and consistently shares her expertise to strengthen our entire team. Her care, patience, and advocacy make a lasting impact on our preschool community, and we are so grateful for all she does.”
Thanks for being a part of El Segundo USD!
Here’s what her nominator had to say:
“Marnie Strauss brings a thoughtful, compassionate approach to supporting all children, ensuring every student feels seen, valued, and encouraged to grow. She collaborates closely with teachers, staff, and families to create inclusive, meaningful learning experiences and consistently shares her expertise to strengthen our entire team. Her care, patience, and advocacy make a lasting impact on our preschool community, and we are so grateful for all she does.”
Thanks for being a part of El Segundo USD!

Today, we honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his transformative impact on our nation. His commitment to positive change and human dignity remains a powerful example for us all.

The district holiday party delivered prizes, great food, and plenty of laughs, helping spread seasonal cheer to some of the best school employees in the business. 💙

Did you know? We post the most recent board meeting summaries on our website to help keep our community informed and engaged!
Stay up to date by visiting: https://www.elsegundousd.net/page/meeting-summaries
Stay up to date by visiting: https://www.elsegundousd.net/page/meeting-summaries

This week’s Gundo of the Week is Donia Alhassan, cafeteria worker at Richmond Street School!
Here’s what her nominator had to say:
“Donia stepped in as a substitute Senior Cafeteria Worker at Richmond in September and has continued to do a fantastic job ever since. She can always be counted on to follow directions, present our daily menu choices with care and pride, and communicate any challenges while offering solutions. Donia takes great pride in keeping her area clean and organized and consistently provides excellent customer service to both staff and students. We appreciate her dedication and positive attitude!”
We are grateful to have you on Team Gundo, Donia! 💙
Here’s what her nominator had to say:
“Donia stepped in as a substitute Senior Cafeteria Worker at Richmond in September and has continued to do a fantastic job ever since. She can always be counted on to follow directions, present our daily menu choices with care and pride, and communicate any challenges while offering solutions. Donia takes great pride in keeping her area clean and organized and consistently provides excellent customer service to both staff and students. We appreciate her dedication and positive attitude!”
We are grateful to have you on Team Gundo, Donia! 💙

Richmond Street School made music history with its very first 5th grade band performance, led by Band Director Heather Ukrisna! 🎺 🎶
Our students showcased their hard work, focus, and growing musical talents.
Our students showcased their hard work, focus, and growing musical talents.






Virus season is here, and small everyday actions can make a big difference in keeping our school community healthy! 🩺
A few key reminders include staying home if you’re sick, testing and seeking treatment when needed, washing hands often, covering coughs and sneezes, improving indoor ventilation, and considering a mask in crowded indoor spaces.
View the full fact sheet with detailed guidance from the California Department of Public Health here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fEulXmadgcvYV5pvE4IydKRLHyUmlq3C/view?usp=sharing
A few key reminders include staying home if you’re sick, testing and seeking treatment when needed, washing hands often, covering coughs and sneezes, improving indoor ventilation, and considering a mask in crowded indoor spaces.
View the full fact sheet with detailed guidance from the California Department of Public Health here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fEulXmadgcvYV5pvE4IydKRLHyUmlq3C/view?usp=sharing

Welcome back, students and staff! We hope you had a wonderful break, and we look forward to getting back into the swing of things today. 🙌

Reminder: We will see all students and staff back in school on Monday, January 5! 😁

This week’s Gundo of the Week is Consuelo Martinez, TK aide at Center Street School!
Here’s what her nominator had to say:
“Ms. Consuelo is a dedicated and compassionate TK aide at Center Street School whose warmth and kindness make a lasting impact on our youngest learners. She is always willing to step in to support any student or teacher, offering help with patience, understanding, and a calm, consistent approach. Her reliability and positive attitude create a welcoming and nurturing classroom environment where students feel safe, valued, and ready to thrive. Ms. Consuelo’s dedication, generosity, and teamwork make her an invaluable member of our school community, and we are so grateful for all she does each day.”
Thanks for being a part of the ESUSD team, Consuelo! 👏
Here’s what her nominator had to say:
“Ms. Consuelo is a dedicated and compassionate TK aide at Center Street School whose warmth and kindness make a lasting impact on our youngest learners. She is always willing to step in to support any student or teacher, offering help with patience, understanding, and a calm, consistent approach. Her reliability and positive attitude create a welcoming and nurturing classroom environment where students feel safe, valued, and ready to thrive. Ms. Consuelo’s dedication, generosity, and teamwork make her an invaluable member of our school community, and we are so grateful for all she does each day.”
Thanks for being a part of the ESUSD team, Consuelo! 👏

Wishing our ESUSD students and staff a great winter recess! 😀
We’ll see everyone back in school on Monday, January 5.
We’ll see everyone back in school on Monday, January 5.

The El Segundo Police Department recently set up a coffee station on the Richmond Street School campus, creating a welcoming space to connect with our school community.
We’re grateful for their continued support and partnership! ☕️
We’re grateful for their continued support and partnership! ☕️


This week’s Team Gundo of the Week is Minh Nguyen, a member of our district technology team!
Here’s what Minh’s nominator had to say:
“Minh is essential to our IT team, consistently exceeding expectations by managing El Segundo High School's tech needs and supporting major district initiatives. He ensures smooth operations for faculty and staff by resolving issues promptly with a calm, solution-focused mindset. Minh excels in balancing frontline support and district projects. He partners with me on critical tasks such as emergency research, improving content filtering, managing Google Workspace, and advancing cybersecurity. Minh's technical skills, professionalism, and flexibility make him indispensable to our IT team and ESUSD.”
Thank you for being a valuable part of Team Gundo, Minh! 👏
Here’s what Minh’s nominator had to say:
“Minh is essential to our IT team, consistently exceeding expectations by managing El Segundo High School's tech needs and supporting major district initiatives. He ensures smooth operations for faculty and staff by resolving issues promptly with a calm, solution-focused mindset. Minh excels in balancing frontline support and district projects. He partners with me on critical tasks such as emergency research, improving content filtering, managing Google Workspace, and advancing cybersecurity. Minh's technical skills, professionalism, and flexibility make him indispensable to our IT team and ESUSD.”
Thank you for being a valuable part of Team Gundo, Minh! 👏

These Richmond Street School students did an amazing job participating in the fall Noetic Learning Math Contest! 🏆👏
This national competition encourages students to challenge themselves, strengthen their problem-solving skills, and deepen their love for mathematics. We’re proud of their hard work and dedication!
This national competition encourages students to challenge themselves, strengthen their problem-solving skills, and deepen their love for mathematics. We’re proud of their hard work and dedication!


Jessica Hammer, administrative assistant from Richmond Street School, is this week’s Team Gundo of the Week! 🌟
Here’s what her nominator had to say about her:
“Mrs. Hammer is truly the brains of the operation! She organizes, plans ahead, helps us fix mistakes, and navigates hard conversations, all while greeting staff, students, and families with a warm smile. She is firm, creative, thoughtful, fun, and funny. A master scheduler who somehow thinks of everything. She brings invaluable perspective from her many roles: parent, cheer coach, PTA leader, district behaviorist, RSS Student Safety Assistant, and now administrative assistant—which really means she wears hats we haven't even imagined yet. We are so grateful to have her on our team!”
Thank you for being a valuable part of the ESUSD team, Jessica! 👏
Here’s what her nominator had to say about her:
“Mrs. Hammer is truly the brains of the operation! She organizes, plans ahead, helps us fix mistakes, and navigates hard conversations, all while greeting staff, students, and families with a warm smile. She is firm, creative, thoughtful, fun, and funny. A master scheduler who somehow thinks of everything. She brings invaluable perspective from her many roles: parent, cheer coach, PTA leader, district behaviorist, RSS Student Safety Assistant, and now administrative assistant—which really means she wears hats we haven't even imagined yet. We are so grateful to have her on our team!”
Thank you for being a valuable part of the ESUSD team, Jessica! 👏

