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MISSION STATEMENT
All San Diego students will Graduate with the Skills, Motivation, Curiosity and Resilience to Succeed in their choice of College and Career in order to Lead and Participate in the society of Tomorrow. |  |
Credit Recovery Paying Off |
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We are pleased to announce that as of today, 1,688 San Diego Unified high school students have recovered lost credit for 2,455 courses they had previously taken and failed. These recovered credits have been earned in our new high school credit recovery labs that are staffed with high school teachers who serve as ‘graduation coaches.’ The courses are provided by APEX Learning and have been approved by the state university systems.
Students continue to work on recovering lost credit. Because of their hard work and teacher guidance, many are now back on track to graduate. Please join me in congratulating our students and our outstanding teachers for a job well done. You can call me at (619) 725-5506 if you have questions.
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State Representatives Commit to Town Hall Meeting |
 Employees, parents, students and community members are invited to learn more about the state budget crisis and its impact on public K-12 education at a Town Hall (Flyer: English  | Spanish ) meeting on Thursday, April 30, at 6:30 p.m., at Kearny High School. Attendees will have the opportunity to share ideas and opinions with the Board of Education and state representatives, who are invited to attend and participate. To date, Senator Chris Kehoe, Assemblymember Marty Block, and representatives from Senator Mark Wyland’s and Congressman Brian Bilbray’s offices have committed to attend. For more information, please contact Chief District Relations Officer Bernie Rhinerson at (619) 725-5578.
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Administrative Professionals Week |
This week, schools and departments have been recognizing the hard work and dedication of our secretaries and administrative assistants as part of Administrative Professionals Week. When Whitman Elementary teachers asked each child to bring in a flower for the school’s office staff, the result was an office full of beautiful bouquets (above). I would like to add my appreciation and special thanks to all our administrative professionals who work behind the scenes in support of our students. |
First Business Outreach Event for Proposition S |
 The Facilities Planning & Construction Department is hosting its first business outreach workshop regarding Proposition S projects tonight, from 5 to 7:30 p.m., at Morse High School. This “Construction Bid Opportunity Forecast” event will provide information on the Proposition S construction program and bidding process. Small contractors, including minority-, women- and disabled-veteran-owned businesses are encouraged to attend tonight’s or an upcoming workshop. Attendees will receive a resource packet that includes a list of upcoming projects, pre-qualified general contractors and key contacts. For information and registration for this and upcoming business outreach activities, please contact Alma Banuelos at (858) 573-5852 or abanuelos@sandi.net, or visit www.sandi.net/PropS . |
I.T. Chief Recognized for Forward Thinking |
 Chief Information and Technology Office Darryl LaGacé was recognized last night at the San Diego Information Technology Executive of the Year awards ceremony, sponsored by the San Diego Business Journal. Since joining the district in 2008, Darryl has been instrumental in leading the district’s technology advances, including the Interactive 21st Century Classroom initiative. For information, please contact Bernie Rhinerson, chief district relations officer, at (619) 725-5578. |
Ed-Talk: Accelerating Success for School English Learners |
 Every year, nearly 800 English learners enter the district’s middle and high schools. Most have basic fluency, but many lack the level of skill to succeed academically in secondary school. Last Friday, our Superintendent’s Speaker Series welcomed a panel of experts to address the crucial question of how to accelerate these students’ learning so that they graduate prepared for college and career. Panelists Kenji Hakuta of Stanford University, Aida Walqui of WestEd, Magaly Lavadenz of Loyola Marymount University, and Supt. Grier emphasized the pivotal importance of instructional quality. Watch the video.
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- Chief High School Improvement Officer Nellie Meyer, Morse High School Principal Todd Irving and San Diego High Graduation Coach Lori LaPointe were recent guests on the County Office of Education iTV program, “Issues in Education.” Hosted by County Superintendent Randy Ward, the topic of the program is Preventing Dropouts and will air this Sunday, April 26, at 5:30 p.m., and Thursday, April 30, at 6:30 p.m., on cable Channel 16. The program can also be viewed at http://www.sdcoe.tv/iie.asp .
- KPBS-TV examines how the downturn in the economy has affected San Diego residents in general, and our students and their families in particular. Reporter Joanne Faryon recently visited Field Elementary School and interviewed Food Services Director Gary Petill and Principal Robin Stern for the segment, entitled San Diego in Recession. The segment is scheduled to air Thursday, April 29, at 7 p.m., on Envision San Diego, Channel 15/Cable 11. For more information, please contact Gary Petill at (858) 627-7301.
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Financial Literacy Program Lauded at Economics Forum |
The SDUSD financial literacy curriculum received high marks yesterday at a statewide economics forum hosted by California Coast Credit Union. Teachers Mike Little from Kearny School of International Business, and Vicky Banks and Ellen Towers from Hoover High School, were joined by Hoover 12th graders Jessica Chavez, Savanah Rock, and Adalberto Velazquez, to discuss the lessons being taught to all high school seniors this year. For more information, please contact Janet Delaney at jdelaney@sandi.net .
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Recognize Commitment to Special Education |
The Community Advisory Committee (CAC) for Special Education is seeking nominations for the 2009 Above & Beyond Awards . Nominees can be district employees, students, parents and community members who exemplify a commitment to improve the educational opportunities for students with special needs. Nomination forms must be received by Thursday, April 30. For information, call Susan Miranda at (858) 496-1872, or e-mail CACAboveBeyond@aol.com .
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Autism Specialist to Work with School Bus Drivers |
Each school day, our bus drivers transport thousands of students, many with a wide-range of physical, emotional and mental disabilities. Students with Autism can present a unique challenge since their behaviors can range from extreme withdrawal to extreme anxiety. Drivers are required to take training on the characteristics, nature and needs of students with disabilities to qualify for their initial certification, and must complete ten hours of in-service education annually to maintain their certification. A special presentation by Whittier Center Autism specialist Lori Lillo will be part of this year’s renewal training. Lori will focus on effective communication and management strategies that will give drivers the tools they need to work most effectively with autistic students. For more information, please contact Alex Robinson, director of transportation, at (858) 496-8710 or arobinson@sandi.net .
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Physical Plant Operations “Nuts ‘n’ Bolts” Educational Tour |
Bob Martin, planned projects program coordinator for the Energy/Utility Management Department, demonstrates how a solar panel provides power. | Physical Plant Operations (PPO) put out the welcome mat on April 23 as part of national “Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day.” More than 30 staff members and their children had the opportunity to connect education and career through a variety of activities, including special glass-cutting and other demonstrations in the carpentry mill, paint booth and glazing shop. They also took guided tours of a Mobile Maintenance trailer, the Equipment Repair Program, the iron shop, the PPO weather station, and the fire equipment shop, where students had a "hands-on" demonstration of proper use of safety equipment. The tour ended in the carpentry mill where Food Services Options provided “Snacks in Sacks,” funded by PPO Employee Building Committee Funds. For additional information, please contact James Hallauer, planned projects supervisor, at (858) 627-7514 or jhallauer@sandi.net .
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- Serra High Students Learn from the Experts
Eleven Serra High School Computerized Graphic Design and Video Production students recently spent the day at the Jack in the Box corporate headquarters for a job shadow with the company’s creative services, training, and video production departments. The students learned about the process of creating the graphics for all of the restaurants and how training videos are produced. A highlight was when the students got to do a voiceover recording of Jack and then edit their own voice into a public service announcement using state-of-the-art editing and sound recording information. For more information, please contact Stacy Brennan, employer outreach specialist, at sbrennan@sandi.net or (858) 496-8342 ext. 241.
- Kearny School SCT Wins Regional MESA Competition
The Math, Engineering and Science Achievement (MESA) Southern California Regional Competition, which included schools from Los Angeles, Riverside, Fullerton, Irvine and San Diego, was held April 4 at UC Irvine. Of the nine Kearny School of Science Connections and Technology (SCT) student competitors, four placed first in one of their events. Daisy Romero and Ann Sediego won first place in the mousetrap vehicle competition; Chris Haugen and Cody Barton won first place in the Windmill Design multitask event. For more information, please contact Lisa McDonnell, employer outreach specialist, at lmcdonnell@sandi.net or (858) 496-8370 ext. 2507.
- Science on the Mesa
Twenty-four Crawford Community Health & Medical Practices (CHAMPS) students in the Regional Occupational Program Healthcare Essentials class attended the “Science on the Mesa and Beyond,” an “invitation only” event sponsored by KPBS. The purpose of the event was to expose students to the growing field of biotechnology and featured more than 25 of San Diego’s leading science organizations. The CHAMPS students attended a two-hour presentation on immunity, HIV and cytometry given by BD Biosciences. For more information, please contact Ellie Vandiver, instructor, Crawford High School-Community Health & Medical Practices, at evandiver@sandi.net or (619) 583-2501.
- U.S. Champion Roosevelt Middle School Cheer Squad
Congratulations to the 17-member Roosevelt Middle School cheerleading squad who recently won the U.S. Champion title, competing in Las Vegas among the best squads in the nation. Squad members won individual medals and “U.S. Finals Champion” jackets. For more information, please contact Denise Valderrama at dvalderrama@sandi.net or (619) 293-4450, ext 4701.
- Scripps Ranch High School Drama Department Takes Top Honors
The Scripps Ranch High drama department was honored at the recent "ImprovFest" held April 18 at Clairemont High School. The department took home the Sweepstakes trophy, which is awarded to the top-scoring high school, and the "Best Use of the Audience" trophy. Students Gina Holslag and Caleb Roitz won individual medals for their performances in the Mixed Team division. For more information, please contract Dennis Hollenbeck at dhollenbeck@sandi.net .
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