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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. |  |
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A recent article in Education Week began by stating, "Merit-pay plans for teachers may be growing more popular with politicians, but a report released today argues that such compensation plans are rarely used in the private sector and can sometimes bring about unintended negative consequences." Click here to read the entire article. You may call me at (619) 725-5506 should you have questions.
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EdCast – Teachers of the Year |
 Students from Rick Corlette's class at the Kearny School of Digital Media Design were busy working on videos of the Teachers of the Year, with a deadline of Tuesday evening, May 5, when an edict from the San Diego County Public Health Services closed the school due to the H1N1 virus on Friday, May 1. Knowing that the “Show Must Go On,” Rick took the videos home and finished them in time for the Teacher of the Year ceremony. The videos looked like something out of Hollywood and were a big hit with the audience. A big thanks to Rick and his students for excellent work. Watch the videos.
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 San Diego Unified will have a Magnet School Fair this Saturday, May 16, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Fashion Valley Mall in the center court in front of Macy’s. Magnet school principals and teachers will be available to explain the opportunities that San Diegans have to attend Magnet schools in the district and to share their school’s emphasis. For more information, please contact Beth Churchill at (619) 725-7154.
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District Students Accepted into the All-County Honor Band |
Congratulations to the district students who were recently accepted into the All-County Honor Band. Honorees include: Lewis Middle School students Erik Askew, trombone; Jonah Breslow, trumpet; Sara Kornfeld Simpson, oboe; and Jenny Laird, oboe; Marshall Middle School students Fabian Bommer, clarinet; Paul Hafley, clarinet; David Koh, alto sax; Zack Luka, tenor sax; and Kenneth Xu, flute; and Standley Middle School students Joshua Basch, oboe, and Alex Wells, bassoon. The students performed on May 14 at Point Loma Nazarene University. For more information, please contact Karen Childress-Evans, VAPA, at (858) 539-5349 or kchildressevans@sandi.net .
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Teacher Named Finalist for National Biotechnology Education Award |
 The Biotechnology Institute recently announced that Serra High School teacher Ericka Senegar-Mitchell has been named a finalist for the 2009 Genzyme-Life Technologies Biotech Educator Award. The award was established by the Biotechnology Institute to recognize leading high school educators who are bringing biotechnology to their classrooms and encouraging fellow science teachers to do the same.
The finalists are chosen from among more than 2,000 teachers - leaders who participated in the Biotechnology Institute's National Biotechnology Teacher-Leader Program. For more information, please contact Michael Jimenez, principal, at (858) 496-8342.
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Student-Produced Videos Nominated for iVIE Award |
 More than 30 student-produced videos from across the district were nominated for the annual county-wide iVIE Awards. Nominated videos were featured on the big screen at the iVIE Film Festival held Saturday, May 9. On Tuesday, June 9, the public is invited to attend the iVIE Awards Ceremony to learn which student-produced videos win awards. For more information, please contact Dennis Cowick, Educational Technology resource teacher, at dcowick@sandi.net , or visit www.ivieawards.org .
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Three High Schools Win California Partnership Academy Grants |
Lincoln High School Center for Public Safety; Morse High School Engineering Green Academy; and Kearny High School Science Connections & Technology have received preliminary notifications that they have each been approved for a $42,000 California Partnership Academy (CPA) grant. The CPA program combines traditional academics with career-technical education. Many at-risk CPA high school students are being inspired to academic and social growth; stirred to maintain focus while developing crucial skills; and, ultimately, motivated to graduate on time and pursue further education, skilled occupations, or both. Emphasis is placed on student achievement with an eye to the future, including postsecondary educational and refined career plans. For more information, contact Angela Croce, program development specialist, Office of College, Career and Technical Education, at acroce@sandi.net or (858) 503-1750.
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PPO Saves District Resources |
As Prop. S ramps up and Physical Plant Operations (PPO) realigns itself to better serve district sites, additional efforts are being made to utilize the myriad of skills and expertise within PPO. In-house experts and trade professionals are modifying and transforming old storage space into small offices with partitioned space to bring managers, supervisors, leads and crews physically together for the first time. By using existing furniture and underutilized storage and shop space, PPO is saving the district hundreds of thousands of dollars. Kudos to the PPO trades’ folks who were able to develop and implement a plan that reconfigures current floor space and office equipment. For additional information, please contact W. Drew Rowlands, director, Physical Plant Operations, at (858) 627-7121 or wrowlands@sandi.net .
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Disaster Preparedness Tabletop Exercise |
On Thursday, May 7, district staff members participated in a “Tabletop Exercise” in the Emergency Operations Center (EOC). The purpose of the exercise was to test the effectiveness of the district’s Emergency Operations Plan and EOC manuals, and to see how well the EOC staff communicated during an emergency. Aside from a few areas that were identified as needing improvement, the exercise was a success. For additional information, please contact Lt. Paula Rivera at (619) 725-7000 or privera@sandi.net .
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The Biggest Loser is the Biggest Winner at Transportation |
Long after New Year’s resolutions have been forgotten, being “fit” has a renewed meaning at the Transportation Services Department. Based on the Biggest Loser television show, Transportation staff members have begun “weighing in” to be as fit as possible in mind, body and spirit. Participants in the program have started biking to work, walking at lunch and, as a result, the Transportation "Biggest Winner" will be crowned within the month. The winner may be awarded more than $1,000 based on their percentage of weight lost. Transportation staff members have said that they are not in the contest for the money but report it has given them the motivation to work toward better health. The first weigh-in set the bar high, with one participant losing nearly 20 pounds. Local health professionals as well as employees with health and fitness-related backgrounds are volunteering as coaches to keep the “fit” fitter. For more information, please contact Alex Robinson, director, at (858) 496-8710 or arobinson@sandi.net .
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- Robotics Competition
On May 6, eight Millennial Tech Middle (MTM) 6th graders competed in the RoboRocks Robotics competition at San Diego City College. The students were required to design and build a PicoCricket Robot that would perform specific tasks designated at the competition. The students took fourth place and won a cash prize for future robotics equipment. For more information, please contact Heather Potter, MTM magnet coordinator, (619) 527-6933 or visit www.mtechmiddle.org .
- Met High School is Pilot Site for “Nine Steps to Success-Teens Can Make it Happen"
On April 29, Stedman Graham (left), author of “Nine Steps to Success-Teens Can Make it Happen,” visited students and parents at The San Diego MET High School. He presented his lesson plans and course timelines in conjunction with his book. The MET has agreed to be a pilot site for this student leadership program, which will complement the skills learned in the school’s Regional Occupation Program (ROP) Business Environments course and internships. For more information, please contact Mildred Phillips, principal, at mphillips@sandi.net or (619) 388-2299.
- Putting the Pieces Together for Student Success
Serra High School recently received a $50,000 federal grant to provide an After-School Safety and Enrichment for Teens (ASSET) program. The goal is to connect students to activities that enrich their educational experience. After-school transportation is available for all students. At the start of the program, Serra was allocated funds to serve 28 students per day. In the 63 days that the program has been in operation, the numbers have increased to 71 students a day for a total of 4,478 students that have been served. For more information, please contact Donna Campbell at (619) 725-7237 or dcampbell@sandi.net .
- SCPA Student Named Congressional Page
The San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts (SCPA) has received official notification from the Office of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi that SCPA junior Jaceli Garcia has been selected to serve as a Congressional Page from June 7–26. For more information, please contact David Donadio at (619) 470-0555, ext. 135.
- John Muir Students Support BeadforLife
John Muir K-12 students raised more than $1,650 dollars for BeadforLife, a program designed to eradicate extreme poverty by creating bridges of understanding between impoverished Africans and concerned world citizens. Ugandan women turn colorful recycled paper into beautiful bead jewelry, while people open homes and communities to buy and sell the beads. The beads represent income, food, medicine, school fees and hope. All net profits from BeadforLife are invested in community development projects that help people work their way out of poverty. For more information, please contact Principal Nancy Johnson at (858) 268-1954.
- Twain Students’ Scholarship Opportunity
Mark Twain High School will host a final Business Plan presentation on May 15 to culminate an intensive 12-week economics course sponsored by Junior Achievement and the New Endeavor Foundation. The foundation is offering a community college scholarship to every low-income Twain student who finishes the course and presents a business plan. There is no set limit on the number of scholarships that can be awarded. Each scholarship provides full tuition to a community college for the first year, with the expectation that the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and Board of Governors Enrollment Fee Waiver (BOGW) programs will pick up the cost for each consecutive year. Along with the scholarship, each winner will receive a new Dell computer and printer. For more information, please contact Larry Mikulanis, teacher, at (858) 496-8260, ext. 109.
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