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Citrus Heights Messenger

San Juan High School Celebrates Staff with Car Parade

May 13, 2020 12:00AM ● By Story by Shaunna Boyd

San Juan High School celebrates Staff Appreciation Week with a car parade through the neighborhood. Photo provided by San Juan High School.

San Juan High School Celebrates Staff with Car Parade [2 Images] Click Any Image To Expand

CITRUS HEIGHTS, CA (MPG) - Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, schools in the San Juan Unified School District (SJUSD) have been shut down for the last two months. After ensuring that students have computer and Wi-Fi access, teachers at San Juan High School (SJHS) have been helping their students transition to distance learning — which will continue through the end of this school year.  

Jennifer Hill, vice principal of SJHS, said, “We are a small school with a close-knit staff, and although we’re Zooming, emailing, texting, and calling each other and our students regularly, we’ve still felt disconnected. The morale has been a little low for everyone, I’m sure.”

Hill was looking for a way to boost morale for Staff Appreciation Week, and former SJHS principal Vanessa Adolphson (promoted in January to SJUSD Director of Special Education) encouraged her to reach out to community partners for help. Hill immediately thought of Texas Roadhouse: “We’ve successfully partnered with them before for other school-wide events.”

Joseph Sevier, Texas Roadhouse managing partner, suggested a neighborhood car parade that concluded at Texas Roadhouse, where SJHS staff could pick up discounted meals (paid for by the school) for themselves and their families.

On Friday, May 8, teachers and staff, along with many of their family members, met in a parking lot at the school to decorate their vehicles. The parade route followed Mariposa Ave. up to Trillby Crt. and then back to the school. Participants threw candy and spirit gear to students and their families along the route before heading to Texas Roadhouse for curbside take-out of their Staff Appreciation meals. Hill said, “It was a lot of fun and I know it meant a lot to our staff to be able to see their students and families.”

At a time when many people in the community are struggling with the isolation of social distancing, this parade created a sense of connection and celebration — lifting the spirits of both staff and students. “I work with an amazing staff who is not only hard working but also deeply caring about our students,” said Hill. “I am blessed to be their vice principal, perhaps now more than ever.”