In the aftermath of the devastating earthquake and tsunami that battered northeastern Japan, students and staff from throughout the Irvine Unified School District have been organizing local relief efforts.

Wooden recycling bins are now stationed in the lunch area at Sierra Vista Middle School, thanks to an enterprising student pursuing the Boy Scouts of America’s highest rank.

Moments ago, IUSD's prize patrol van wheeled its way to South Lake Middle School to announce this year's Middle School Teacher of the Year.

Parents and staff members recently joined students from Rancho San Joaquin Middle School’s inaugural Chinese language class to celebrate the Chinese New Year. 

Twelve students from South Lake Middle School recently took part in a regional challenge that tested their knowledge of Constitutional principles and required them to defend positions on issues of historic and contemporary significance.

The Irvine Unified School District is on the verge of a significant growth spurt. Over the next decade, the district is expected to swell from 27,000 students to as many as 39,000, representing a 44 percent spike in enrollment.

For the second straight year, all five of IUSD’s traditional middle schools placed among The Orange County Register’s top 10 in its annual breakdown of the county's best middle schools. In fact, this year, they all made the top six.

Our left-brain friends in the district have reminded us that there are a couple of major science events coming up.

Hundreds of IUSD middle school students explored potential science careers during a conference that was held at UCI this week. Here's a news release and a photo courtesy of Jacqueline Carr, who attends Venado Middle School.