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California Distinguished School logo
GUSD Communications

Congratulations to the Dr. TJ Owens Gilroy Early College Academy, affectionately known as GECA, for being named a 2024 California Distinguished School by the California Department of Education! Fewer than 300 middle and high schools in California earned the honor this year.

“It is my pleasure to honor and recognize these 293 secondary schools for their efforts to provide exemplary public education to all students,” State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond shared about this year’s program. “Excellent middle schools and high schools play a critical role in the life outcomes of our young people. This year’s California Distinguished Schools celebration provides us with an opportunity to recognize the hard work of our secondary educators and school staff who help our young adults discover passions and access college- and career-ready experiences that will propel them through life.”

Read the full release: https://www.cde.ca.gov/nr/ne/yr24/yr24rel09.asp

Congratulations Griffins! We are proud of you!

  • press release
GUSD Board of Education welcomes two new Principals to the Administrative Team
GUSD Communications

At the March 7 regular meeting, the Gilroy Unified School District Board of Education approved the appointment of two new administrators: Julie Berggren as the Principal at Gilroy High School and Deedy Camarena as the Principal of Brownell Middle School.  Julie assumes the reins at Gilroy High School on July 1, 2024 following the retirement of current principal, Greg Kapaku, and Deedy succeeds Mike Nebesnick, at Brownell Middle School, who is also retiring.  

Julie Berggren, Principal, Gilroy High School

Julie Berggren"I am thrilled to welcome Julie back to Gilroy High School," shared Superintendent Anisha Munshi,  "She is a lifelong learner, deeply committed to delivering exceptional educational and co-educational experiences to foster success among students and staff.  I know she will create a culture that embraces the unique strengths of her school community that promotes learning and personal growth through effective systems.”

Berggren is ecstatic to be re-joining the Mustangs.  She began her teaching career as a Physical Education teacher at Gilroy High School in 2001.  During her time at Gilroy High School, Julie was also Activities Director, Athletic Director, Link Crew Coordinator, Community Service Coordinator, Leadership Teacher, and Head Softball coach.

Julie earned her Bachelor's Degree (1999) and Multiple Subject Teaching credential (2001) from Chico State and her Master's in Education, Administration & Supervision from San Jose State University in 2015.

Throughout her career, Julie has been recognized for her leadership skills.  In 2021, she was named the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) Region 8 Secondary Co-Administrator of the Year.  She is the recipient of the 2015 Norm Mackenzie Award, Central Coast Section Rookie AD of the Year and the CIF State Honor Coach of the Year.  

Currently, she is a member of the CIF Leadership Initiative, CCS Sportsmanship Committee, and BVAL Board of Managers.  She also is a member of the Leadership Gilroy Class of 2024.

In her spare time, Julie enjoys gardening, “glamping,” and cheering for the San Francisco Giants!  She will remain in her role as Assistant Principal at Christopher High School, a position she has held since 2016, until June 30, 2024.

Deedy Camerena, Principal, Brownell Middle School

Deedy CamarenaDeedy Camarena is the newly appointed Principal at Brownell Middle School.  She served as the Assistant Principal beginning in October 2021. As the Assistant Principal at Brownell Middle School, Deedy Camarena worked closely with the principal, teachers, and other staff to assess student and staff needs. Ms. Camarena oversees instructional processes, managing student discipline, and ensuring attentiveness to the overall health, safety, and welfare of students within the school environment.  Working with students, parents, teachers, and community agencies is a passion of hers as it lends itself to opportunities for positive collaboration and communication regarding academics and culture and climate. 

Prior to being an principal, Deedy served as the Santa Clara County Office of Education Coordinator of ELD, Dual and World Languages, a district-wide ELD Summer School administrator, ELD Coach, ELD Teacher on Special Assignment, World Language high school teacher as well as an elementary school teacher.  She received extensive training in pedagogy that supports Multilingual Learners, analyzing and evaluating data to inform instruction, equitable instruction and developing systems and structures for language development.

Deedy received her M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction from National University, and her undergraduate in Spanish at the University of California, Irvine (Go Anteaters!). She holds a multiple subject credential with a Bilingual, Cross-Cultural, Language, and Academic Development authorization, and an administrative services credential.

She is passionate about supporting educators to utilize language in the classroom as a means of discourse and learning, as she is a champion for Multilingual Learners, which are a huge part of Brownell Middle School.

In her spare time, she loves to hike in the bay area, and spend time with her 3 dogs, Izzy, Kima and Ivi.

  • Press Releases
City of Gilroy seal
GUSD Communications

Wednesday, March 6, 2024 (Gilroy, CA): The City of Gilroy and the Gilroy Unified School District (GUSD) are releasing the following community letter to address the recent events at and near Luigi Aprea Elementary School. This letter informs our community about the events and our approach to disseminating information to the public, parents, and guardians of our students.

On the morning of February 26, 2024, Markus Beck arrived at Luigi Aprea Elementary's front office. He inquired about an individual who he thought was working at the school. Upon learning that no such individual was employed at the school, Mr. Beck apologized and left the front office

Mr. Beck remained on school property, outside of the fenced area. As he stood near the fence on the north side of the school, he engaged with another staff member, again inquiring about the individual. Due to concerns about Mr. Beck's ongoing presence and repeated inquiries, the Gilroy Police Department (GPD) was contacted by school staff. The school's principal conversed with Mr. Beck, urging him to move away from the school area. Mr. Beck showed a photo of the individual he was looking for, received confirmation that the person did not work at the school, and then walked back to his nearby residence.

Later that same morning, two GPD officers responded to a call from the school office and arrived at the school around the time Mr. Beck returned to his residence. Soon after, the GPD School Resource Officer arrived at the school. GPD initially discussed Mr. Beck’s interactions with school staff.  GPD then located Mr. Beck at his residence on Mockingbird Lane. Mr. Beck cooperated with GPD officers and agreed to stay away from the school. During all interactions with school staff and GPD, Mr. Beck was cooperative.

On early Wednesday, February 28, 2024, GPD responded to a hit-and-run incident in a location far from the school and arrested Mr. Beck for Driving Under the Influence (DUI). A search of the vehicle revealed two legally registered but illegally stored firearms in his car.  Mr. Beck was arrested and booked into the County jail where he remains. GPD then sought and obtained a search warrant for Mr. Beck’s residence as well as a gun violence restraining order, which was authorized by the Santa Clara County Superior Court. During the execution of the search warrant GPD noticed a strong presence of gas at Mr. Beck’s residence. Gilroy Fire and PG&E responded and instituted further precautionary measures, including neighborhood evacuations and the recommendation to GUSD to lockdown Luigi Aprea. Mr. Beck's residence was searched, and additional firearms were confiscated. GPD confirmed all firearms registered to Mr. Beck are accounted for and have been seized.

On Friday, March 01, 2024, further investigation prompted GPD to serve an additional search warrant at Mr. Beck's home, uncovering additional evidence. Mr. Beck is now facing multiple felony counts and is currently held in custody without bail. His motive and/or intent remains under investigation.

The City of Gilroy and GUSD remain committed to the safety and well-being of our students, staff, and community and will continue working collaboratively with the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office to protect the safety of our community.

We understand the community's need for timely and accurate information, especially when it concerns the safety of our children. In today's social media environment, information is produced rapidly through sources that often make assumptions and contain inaccuracies. The premature disclosure of details about an ongoing investigation can potentially impede law enforcement efforts and jeopardize criminal prosecution, thus, affecting our ability to seek justice and ensure accountability. The City and GUSD are committed to providing accurate and timely information to the community in a manner that does not jeopardize law enforcement’s ability to conduct investigations.

GUSD is committed to improving safety practices and protocols and has already begun reviewing internal and external communications during and following the incident. GUSD will also provide more robust safety and security training for all district staff. The City's partnership with GUSD is essential to ensuring the safety and security of all students and educational staff. The City's School Resource Officers continue to be vital partners in keeping our staff and students safe. 

The Gilroy Police Department is actively investigating the criminal case, in collaboration with the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office. We urge anyone who has information about this case to reach out to Detective Jason Greathead at (408) 846-0373 or jason.greathead@cityofgilroy.org.

  • For questions about the Gilroy Unified School District, please contact GUSD at communications@gilroyunified.org.
  • If you have questions about the Gilroy Police Department, please contact the City of Gilroy at (408) 846-0317.
Award
GUSD Communications

Anitha Rajamohan

At the November 2 regular meeting, the Gilroy Unified School District Board of Education approved the appointment of Anitha Rajamohan as the new Systems Analyst Supervisor in the IT Department.  Anitha is a recent graduate from CSU Monterey Bay.  She possesses a creative and hard-working mindset. Eager to learn new information daily, her curiosity never reaches an end, as well as her desire to connect with those in her environment. 

Anitha began her college career at Hartnell College in 2019, where she earned an Associate’s degree in computer science. She then transferred to CSUMB to complete her Bachelor’s degree in computer science. She has had a passion for collaborative projects and new concepts, as shown through her activity in an internship and volunteering at non-profit organizations.

In her spare time, Anitha is fond of drawing, painting, crafting, designing clothing, and anything creative, as well as spending time with her family. She has two daughters: a fourth grader and a high school junior. Additionally, whenever she gets a chance, she enjoys taking a step outside and enjoying the weather on a walk.