National Custodian Appreciation Day

🌟 Happy National Custodian Appreciation Day! 🌟

Today — and every day — we celebrate the incredible custodial team who keeps our schools clean, safe, and welcoming for students and staff. From sparkling classrooms ready for learning to hallways that greet us with warmth and pride, our custodians go above and beyond to make our campuses shine.

They are always ready to lend a hand with any project, bring positivity to every task, and build strong connections with our students and staff. With their hard work, dedication, and those warm smiles that brighten our days, we can always count on them to get the job done.

💙 Thank you for everything you do to make our schools a better place — we are truly grateful for you today and every day! 🙌✨

State Assembly Member's Representative Tours Fillmore High

Fillmore High School Principal, Mrs. Francis (right), showing field representative Reyes features of Fillmore High's new Anatomage table used in Anatomy and Physiology courses.

On Monday September 29, 2025, Atticus Reyes, Field Representative for California State Assemblymember Steve Bennett, who represents the 38th Assembly District, visited Fillmore High School (FHS). Reyes toured the campus and learned all about Fillmore High School's Career Technical Education (CTE) program and its pathway offerings.

Fillmore Unified School District Superintendent Christine Schieferle said, "Students taking Anatomy and Physiology courses use the Anatomage table, one of the most advanced human-based 3D anatomy and medical education system tools. This state-of-the-art platform offers digitized human cadavers, superior medical learning tools, and realistic 3D anatomy experiences. Students at FHS receive high-quality, relevant learning experiences to prepare them for college, career, and life experiences."

Rio Vista Recognized as Promising Learning Community School

Congratulations to the students and staff at Rio Vista Elementary for success in raising student achievement and your recognition as a Promising Practices Professional Learning Community at Work.

Promising Practices schools are recognized for building a strong foundation based on the PLC concepts, implementation of these concepts for at least one to two years, clear evidence of improved student learning over that period.

Recognized Promising Practices schools are listed on AllThingsPLC.info, where they share implementation strategies, structures, and performance with other educators interested in improving their schools.

Collaboration tools, articles, research, blog posts, and other related resources are also available on the site.

San Cayetano Elementary Receives $1,000 Sage/Corwin Library Grant

San Cayetano Elementary was selected to receive a $1,000 library grant through the Sage/Corwin Books for Schools Library Grant program. This grant is designed to enhance library collections and services. The funds may be used to purchase new books, update collections, and support innovative library programs and materials that benefit students.

FUSD Back to School Nights

Over the past two weeks, Fillmore Unified School District welcomed students and families to campus for Back to School Nights across all schools. Parents connected with teachers, explored classrooms, and learned about all the exciting plans for the 2025-26 school year. Thank you to the many families who attended. Your support and partnership strengthens our schools and our community.

Denise Berrington Joins FUSD as Assistant Superintendent of Business Services

Denise Berrington is a seasoned school business leader with more than 17 years of experience in California public education. She specializes in fiscal stewardship, facilities management, transportation, energy efficiency, and long-range planning, and has a strong record of leading organizational improvements that enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and support student success.

Most recently, Denise served as Director of Maintenance, Operations, and Transportation for Moorpark Unified School District, where she led a team of 75 employees, oversaw multimillion-dollar construction projects, and managed district-wide safety initiatives. She secured more than $7.5 million in grants to modernize HVAC systems and $6 million to launch one of the county’s largest clean-energy school bus programs, driving major sustainability and efficiency gains.

Prior to that, she spent nearly 12 years with the Fillmore Unified School District in various leadership roles, where she built a strong foundation in facilities and organizational management. Throughout her career, she has been recognized for her collaborative leadership style, ability to build strong teams, and strategic approach to aligning operations with district-wide goals.

Denise holds a bachelor’s degree from Southern Utah University and is completing her MBA with a concentration in Finance. She completed a certificate from the USC School Business Management Program, earned her School Business Finance Certificate through CASBO, and is a CASBO Certified Chief Business Official (CBO).