Caroline Ruffridge, Vice Principal with Connections Academy at Springs, shared that she led a breakout session for TK-8 teachers at Springs’ Back to School IGNITE event at Pechanga Resort, exploring “developmentally appropriate, student-driven approaches that can be implemented across elementary and middle school settings.”
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Springs’ Hemet Quest Student Center finished and “incredible” 2025-26 school year, reported Principal Eric Ballard. Students made significant progress in writing and math, he noted, and specifically noted that the school went from 8% math proficiency during the 2021-22 school year to 33% four years later.
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Connections Academy at Springs staff members (pictured, left to right): Vice Principal Chris Lemke, Senior Director Cynthia Rachel, Counselor Jennifer Ritchie, and Principal Laurie Campbell were among the participants at the Pearson Virtual Schools Summer Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah. The conference theme was the Olympics; they dressed as “Ted Lasso Takes on the Olympics,” for which they won the silver medal.
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The staff of the new Little Springs Kinder Center, which will exclusively serve transitional Kindergarten and Kindergarten students, is preparing to officially open its doors this fall, reported Deanna Bereiter, site facilitator. The school is located at 510 W. 2nd Street in Corona, formerly the site of the Corona Student Center, which has relocated to 2115 Compton Avenue, Corona.
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Springs’ Magnolia Student Center has launched a junior varsity (JV) volleyball team, reported Coach Tori Cantu. She said, “This inaugural JV season reflects the incredible growth of our program, which has expanded from just six players in 2017 to a thriving program with enough student-athletes to support two competitive teams.”
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Springs’ Otay Ranch Academy for the Arts (ORAA) celebrated the end of its school year with a day of games at a local park, reported Site Facilitator Tami Foster, followed by promotion ceremonies the following week for kindergarten, 6th, and 8th grade students. The school served 387 students in grades TK-8, Tami said, and staff is looking forward to serving as many as 450 students in the upcoming school year.
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Springs’ Venture Online program is growing, reported Koa Atkinson, administrative assistant, with the addition of five new teachers, three instructional aides, and a revolving substitute (four of the teacher positions and one of the instructional aide positions are newly created positions). The school is also introducing SchoolSpace, “an innovative platform designed to enhance connection, communication, and collaboration across the school community.”
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Springs’ Trailblazer Student Center, which offers the Quest seat-based academy, has been established at a new location, 1821 N. Grand Avenue in Santa Ana, reported Principal Katherine Kim. She said, “We are currently getting settled into the new space and setting up our classrooms for an amazing school year.”
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Seventy-five students in grades 6-11 participated in Springs’ Renaissance Valley Academy (RVA) Beyond the Bell summer program, reported Theresa Rodriguez, site facilitator. Students had the opportunity to participate in a wide variety of activities, including technology, sports, gardening, dance, arts & crafts, and much more.
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