Livermore Receives Two Gold Ribbons: Data Driven Decision Making and Innovative Programs Pave the Way to Statewide Honors

Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District (LVJUSD) is pleased to announce Livermore High School and Granada High School have been honored under the State’s new Gold Ribbon Schools Awards program. “These schools are academically successful, vibrant, and innovative centers of learning and teaching,” State Superintendent Tom Torlakson said. “They provide great examples of the things educators are doing right—embracing rigorous academic standards, providing excellence and creativity in teaching, and creating a positive school climate.”

Gold Ribbon applicants were asked to highlight a model program; Livermore High School featured the Green Engineering Academy, and Granada High School focused on the English Common Core State Standards (CCSS) Intervention Program. The awards now shine a spotlight on programs that can serve as replicable models for other educators around the State and nation. “This award is more than just an honor, it’s an opportunity” says Principal Solorzano. “Our staff has gone to many conferences as learners, now it is time for us to teach others about the great work we are doing.”

“This is definitely a validation of the hard work and dedication of the entire staff and school community that contribute to such an accolade.” says Superintendent Kelly Bowers. “It’s a huge honor, collectively as a site,” says Principal Alberto Solorzano. “The success of our Green Engineering Academy is really a testament to the hard work of all of our staff.”

Principal Philomena Rambo of Granada High School also sees this as an opportunity to share best practices. “We also wanted to build a prototypical model that could be adopted and modified by other departments and even other schools,” Principal Rambo wrote in the Granada High School application.

The English CCSS Intervention Program at Granada changed the way the school supports students with intervention, moving towards a Response To Intervention (RTI) model. “In the simplest terms, we diversified the methods of intervention we systematically use in order to support all students while still targeting those students with special educational needs…the new Literacy course so far appears to be an unqualified success.”

Gold Ribbon award winners were invited to attend a regional California School Recognition Program Awards Ceremony on Friday, May 29, 2015, at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis.

Congratulations to both Livermore High School and Granada High School; being home to two Gold Ribbon schools speaks volumes about the hard working staff and involved community in Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District. “I am very proud of the great work we do everyday,” Says Principal Rambo. “This award gives credit and validates all our hard work. It’s an honor and well deserved, our teachers do a great job.”

Additional Contacts:

School Board President Kate Runyon,krunyon@comcast.net (925) 454-1139

Granada High School Principal Philomena Rambo prambo@lvjusd.k12.ca.us (925) 606-4800

Livermore High School Principal Alberto Solorzano, asolorzano@lvjusd.k12.ca.us (925) 606-4812

Communications and Community Engagement Consultant Sam Tobis, stobis@lvjusd.k12.ca.us (925) 724-9078