Welcome to Santiago TK-8 Elementary School

Home of the Turtles

Mrs. Kimberly Ahvari, School Principal

Dear Santiago Famlies,

Welcome to the 2025–2026 school year at Santiago Elementary—Home of the Terrific Turtles! 🐢 I’m thrilled to welcome back our returning families and extend a warm greeting to those joining us for the first time. At Santiago, we believe in moving forward together—steadily, purposefully, and with heart.

This year, we are focused on key goals that support every student’s success:

    🛡️ Create a Safe and Welcoming Environment

    Every child deserves to feel safe, valued, and included. We are committed to building a positive school culture where students thrive socially, emotionally, and academically.

    ➕ Strengthen Math Instruction with an ELD Lens

    Our teachers are working hard to ensure math instruction is both rigorous and accessible—especially for our English Learners—so every student can develop strong problem-solving and critical thinking skills.

    📚 Ensure All Students Are Reading by 3rd Grade

    Reading is the foundation for all learning. We are using targeted strategies and high-quality materials to help every student become a confident reader by the end of third grade.

    🌟 Support English Learners to Reclassify by 5th Grade

    Language development is essential for academic success. We are providing focused instruction and support to help our English Learners reach fluency and reclassify by 5th grade.

    🎓 Prepare All Students to Be College and Career Ready

    From the earliest grades, we are building skills, habits, and mindsets that will prepare students for success in middle school, high school, and beyond.

With your partnership and our dedicated staff, I am confident we will make this a truly Terrific Turtle year. Let’s work together to ensure every student feels supported, challenged, and inspired to do their best.

In gratitude,

Kimberly Ahvari

Santiago TK-8 Elementary School, SAUSD

“Where Arts and Science Come Alive..."

(714) 564-8400

(714) 564-8499 (fax)

Kimberly.kempa@sausd.us