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Filled with pride of accomplishment, 48 students from Anzar High, San Juan and Aromas Schools celebrated their reclassification from English Learners to Fluent English Proficient with their families on May 13 at a ceremony in the Anzar High School Library.
At the top of the Aromas-San Juan Unified School District Board of Trustees meeting, which included naming Shamoon Ebrahimi as Anzar High School’s new principal, the students eagerly showed off their certificates and posed for photographs.
According to English Learner teacher Sara Perez, the students had to meet rigorous standards, including getting a perfect score on the California English Language Proficiency Assessment and passing a teacher evaluation on their mastery of English usage.
“For them,” said, “language is no longer a barrier. You can see that their confidence grows with the excitement of being reclassified, and we’re very proud of them.”
District Superintendent Barbara Dill-Varga, who said her mother was also an English learner, said it was heartwarming to see so many family members there to cheer on the students.
“Having language to express yourself is the key to everything to find your way in this world, to have opportunities, to become part of society and have your potential realized,” she said. “It was very exciting to see so many kids here showing their competency in the English language.”
Employees of the year were also honored:
- District: Jackie Silva Perez
- Anzar High School: Tonya Boehm and Desiree Flores
- Aromas School: Adrienne Salamida and Gladis Espinoza
- San Juan School: Samantha Evans and Katie Farfan Smith
It was also an opportunity to praise the two district principals who are departing this year— Aromas School’s Heather Howell and Anzar High’s Angela Crawley—and to announce Crawley’s replacement.
Dill-Varga said that Crawley is “probably one of the most inclusive and equity-driven leaders” that she has known.
“She supports our multilingual learners,” Dill-Varga said. “She creates this welcoming atmosphere, and she ensures that every student feels seen, read, and supported. She’s created a positivity here, promoting student voices and celebrating their achievements.”
Ebrahimi, her replacement, was unanimously approved by the board after a screening process that involved an interview with a nine-person advisory committee, including three district employees, three Anzar parents and three administrators.
With more than a decade of administrative experience as a department chair of student services, assistant principal of student supports and instructional leader, Ebrahimi has primarily worked in two large high school districts in the Chicago suburbs.
According to the recommendation to the board, Ebrahimi said he was drawn to Anzar because of its emphasis on relationships, advisory systems in which he has extensive experience and personalized and service learning.
Describing Ebrahimi as a “true instructional leader,” Dill-Varga said the committee felt he was warm and genuine when he talked about his own work with students.
“Some of them,” she said, “told me they can’t wait to sit down and learn more from him. He was pretty thorough in his explanations, discussing how he helps underserved students address gaps and how he is sensitive to those who struggle.”
In her tribute to Howells, who served as Aromas School principal for 10 years, Dill-Varga said that parents who attended a town hall to discuss what they wanted in her replacement invariably said they hoped for someone just like her.
“You don’t often hear that,” Dill-Varga said. “What was striking to me is that the things that people were talking about, they would often approach by saying we need somebody who is going to continue her traditions, values, behaviors and practices.”
Edith Garcia, Howells’ replacement, was appointed at the April 8 board meeting. Garcia went through the same interview process as Ebrahimi and comes to the district with a career as a kindergarten and first-grade teacher.
Dill-Varga said Garcia has a strong understanding of curriculum and instruction and who, prior to her administrative positions, worked as a teacher coach and an instructional lead focused on improving outcomes for English learners.
“She started in kindergarten,” Dill-Varga said, “but she’s got a much wider range of experience. She gets all the instructional needs of a middle school. She’s very warm. She’s calm. She comes with great recommendations. We’re excited to have her.“
Both principals will assume their positions on July 1, prior to the start of the next school year.
Aromas-San Juan Unified School District Reclassification Students
Aromas School
Juan Bermudez Espitia
Jaqueline Castaneda Suarez
Sebastian Lopez Guzman
Ashley Lopez Lopez
Mateo Lopez Vazquez
Sebastian Magana Alvarez
Vianney Marquez-Birruete
Eira Morales Salas
Kehlani Navarrete-Ruelas
Isaac Nestor Martinez
Marcos Orozco-Melgoza
Matthew Rios
Jayden Rocha
Adan Rosete Ortiz
Alexxa Valenzuela
Maya Villafuerte Abrego
San Juan School
Emiliano Carmona
Camila Caro Zamora
Quetzaltzin De La Cruz
Arturo Flores
Alexander Garcia
Elsy Gonzalez
Nathan Grimaldo
Victoria Jimenez
Kimberly Parra Ramirez
Alexander Pena Servin
Sofia Rendon Martinez
Matthew Ruelas Rodriguez
Victor Solorzano
Mateo Sotomayor Vasquez
Marisol Tello Perez
Mariela Vicente Ramirez
Eleonora Volpini
Anzar High School
Natalie Almanza Ortiz
Valeria Arellano
Valeria Barreras Martinez
Alondra Campuzano
Nancy Colores Ramos
Esmeralda Gonzalez Elizondo
Jairo Juarez-Quinonez
Jose Rendon Martinez
Daniela Rodriguez Trejo
Sebastian Rodriguez Zavala
Rolando Salinas
Anahi Soto Avila
Jimena Torrecillas German
Daniel Vargas Fernandez
Roberto Vasquez Cruz
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