Steve Sarkissian, sixth grade student at Verdugo Woodlands Elementary, led the pledge of allegiance at the Tuesday night, April 9 Glendale Unified School District (GUSD) board of education meeting. He also spoke about the academic opportunities offered to him as a student at Verdugo Woodlands. 

Verdugo Woodlands Elementary won the California Dept. of Education’s California Distinguished School Award for 2025.

“The California Distinguished School program recognizes elementary schools from across the state for exceptional student performance, strong academic growth, and commitment to fostering a positive school environment,” said GUSD Vice President Ingrid Gunnell. 

“In the eight years I have gone there I have learned so much and grown as a student and as a human being,” Sarkissian said of his experience at Verdugo Woodlands. 

Kristina Provost, principal of Verdugo Woodlands, accepted the award on behalf of her students, teachers, staff and families. 

“We are super excited and proud to receive this award,” Provost said. “My fabulous teachers, and staff, and families, have made this all come together. We are super excited to see the closing of the achievement gap, and I know it has been a team effort to improve our attendance and improve that community.” 

The board also honored Crescenta Valley High School for the winning essay by its team in the District’s 2025 High School Scholastic Bowl Essay Competition and the team’s overall win of the 35th Annual Scholastic Bowl competition, finishing ahead of strong teams from Clark Magnet, Glendale and Hoover high schools in an academic trivia competition. The Crescenta Valley High School team answered the most questions correctly from the five content areas: science, mathematics, art, social science, and language arts with a final winning score of 76 points. 

Dr. Emil Ahangarzadeh, director of Equity, Access and Family Engagement, applauded the CVHS team for its hard work. 

“This year, Crescenta Valley High School distinguished itself by winning both [the essay and academic trivia competitions]. But their success didn’t stop there. We congratulate them for their excellence, team work and school pride,” Ahangarzadeh said. 

The board also recognized the Glendale High School dance team for its outstanding performances at its first national competition, Glendale Unified Winter Athletics for a great season, and students who excelled in the Career and Technical Education pathways at their respective schools.