We are so grateful for our kitchen heroes who prepared amazing meals across every site. The attention to detail was outstanding:
Turkeys: Prepared in several different ways and with various seasonings to ensure delicious flavor profiles.
Sides: Creamy mashed potatoes smothered in rich gravy and green beans that were perfectly steamed and seasoned.
Breads: A wonderful variety was served, including rolls, biscuits (some enhanced with melted butter and sprinkled with brown sugar!), and delicious, from-scratch cornbread at Burroughs.
Desserts: The meals were finished off with yummy treats like apple cake, peach cobbler, and apple sweet potato cobbler.
The response was fantastic! Students came, they ate, and many even asked for more! This team goes above and beyond to provide nutritious and delicious meals that bring smiles to our students' faces.
Show some love for our amazing Child Nutrition team in the comments! 👇💛
This Thanksgiving Break, SSUSD has been able to support a select group of students with “Snacks in Packs”—bundles filled with non-perishable, easy-to-heat, or ready-to-eat meals and snacks.
We are happy to extend this support to any additional SSUSD families who could use a little extra help next week.
📍 Pick-Up Location:
SSUSD Family Resource Center
1305 N. Norma
🗓 Dates:
Thursday, Nov. 20 and Friday, Nov. 21
⏰ 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
First come, first served
Please provide student names upon pick up.
Through grant funding and partnerships, we are grateful to be able to support our community and wish all of our families a warm and restful Thanksgiving Break. 🧡
Richmond hosted a Veterans’ Day breakfast of coffee and donuts to celebrate our veterans.
✨ Did you know? The California State Board of Education is considering creating a statewide Portrait of a Graduate!
Here in Sierra Sands USD, we’re proud to be ahead of the curve. Our Portrait of a Graduate—developed with input from our community—already guides our work, decision-making, and vision for student success.
📸 Check out our updated image!
Now, the state wants to hear from you. Should California’s version reflect the priorities our community has already identified?
🗣️ Make your voice heard! Take this short survey and share your perspective: https://ccee-ca.org/californias-portrait-of-a-graduate-learner/
Together, we can ensure our students remain future-ready and our community’s voice helps shape the state’s direction. 💡
#SSUSD #PortraitOfAGraduate #CommunityVoice
We’re excited to announce a district wide Food Drive! Together, and in partnership with Desert Area Teachers Association (DATA), we can make a big difference for families in need this season. 💙
🗓 Collection Dates: Monday, Nov. 10 - Monday, Nov. 17
📍 Drop-Off Location: Bring your donated, non-perishable food items back to your child’s school site front office.
Every contribution—big or small—helps support local families. Let’s show the power of our school community and teach our students the joy of giving!
Thank you for helping us spread kindness and generosity throughout our district. 🙌
The SSUSD Child Nutrition department is ready to offer your student breakfast and lunch every school day at no cost. Visit our website ssusdcafe.com to view your school menu.
At SSUSD, we recognize that many families face challenges on a regular basis.
Recently, we’ve become aware of increasing difficulties impacting families employed through the U.S. federal government and those who typically receive SNAP benefits. To help, we’d like to share a few specific (though not exhaustive) community resources that offer support with food, laundry, showers, and transportation.
For additional support and information, please reach out to our SSUSD Family Resource Center at 1305 N. Norma Street or 760-499-1780 and Community Schools Program Coordinator at sdastrup@ssusd.org.
We’re also excited to announce that later this week we’ll be releasing a flyer with details on how you can conveniently donate non-perishable food items at all SSUSD school sites in preparation for Thanksgiving. These donations will be distributed to several of the local organizations mentioned above.
As a part of a larger community, we are unified in our support! 💙
The importance of lunch at school is celebrated annually during National School Lunch Week (NSLW), which took place from October 14 to 17, 2025. This year's theme, "Taste the World: Your School Lunch Passport," invited students to sample some global cuisine. Many schools embraced the theme, featuring dishes like Enchiladas, Cuban Vaca frita, Peruvian Pork, Asian-inspired meals such as Pineapple Chicken, and Banh mi, which proved to be both delicious and educational. New vegetable side dishes were created: Thai cucumber salad, Black bean Corn Salad, and Spicy Jalapeno Beans.
We included a couple of days of our students' favorites as well, Walking Tacos, and Chicken and waffles.
The amazing food and successful NSLW celebration would not have been possible without the tireless efforts of our school nutrition professionals. They work behind the scenes every day to engage our students with a fun, positive atmosphere and a healthy and delicious meal.
To all the Child Nutrition staff, I extend my heartfelt gratitude. Your dedication and hard work make a real difference in the lives of our students and our school community. Thank you for everything you do!
We are currently experiencing a district-wide phone service outage due to a fiber issue with Frontier. This is affecting all inbound and outbound external calls across our schools.
In the meantime, please continue to use Parent Square or email to communicate with your school site. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work with Frontier to resolve the issue.
🎶 Today marked a special milestone at China Lake Junior High — the debut performance of our Beginning Orchestra! While this annual tradition has long celebrated the musical journey of our youngest performers, this was the very first time it took place at the newly established China Lake Junior High. A truly historic moment! 🎻✨
Under the direction of Ms. Laura Olinger, the orchestra delivered a memorable performance. Ms. Olinger shared her excitement about the size of the ensemble. She credited the strong support of the music program throughout Sierra Sands Unified School District for making it all possible.
Here’s to new beginnings, proud traditions, and the power of music in our schools! 👏🎼
#CLJHOrchestra #SierraSandsProud #MusicMatters #NewBeginnings #ArtsInEducation #StudentSuccess
Schools are OPEN today! 🌧️💪
We’re ready to welcome students with warmth and care. Due to Hwy 395 closures, buses will not run to Randsburg, Red Mountain, or Johannesburg. All other routes expected to operate.
If you can’t make it in, short-term independent study is available—call your school office after 9 a.m. for support.
#StormUpdate #WeAreReady #StudentSuccess
#ClassOf2025 #GoBurros
