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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. |  |
Thoughts about San Diego Unified and Houston |
Following the announcement this week that I have been named as the final candidate for the Superintendent position at the Houston Independent School District, I have been overwhelmed with calls and emails from not only the media but also many employees, parents and community members. Let me share with you my thoughts about the opportunity in Houston and my on-going work here at San Diego Unified.
First, here are some facts about my current situation. I was heavily recruited for this position and after many calls I agreed to explore the opportunity. Being selected as the finalist for this position does not mean I have been offered a contract or that I have accepted a job offer, which cannot be done under Texas state law until after a 21-day period after the naming of a finalist.
My next step is to meet with our Board of Education to discuss this situation and to review possible options with them. I have and continue to enjoy my work here at San Diego Unified and I am so proud of our entire team for the tremendous progress we have made during the last school year to help our students to succeed. I am looking forward to helping our district launch a successful new school year on September the 8th when we welcome back our students. We’re ready to expand on the many accomplishments of the last year and give our students another year of relevant and rigorous instruction that will add another building block for their successful futures.
We all need to look ahead to the new school year and keep our focus on our students. That is where my focus will remain, to ensure that we all keep working hard to start the school year ready to provide the very best education possible to every student.
Thank you the many encouraging messages I have received this week and for the support that the entire San Diego community continues to provide for our schools and our students.
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District STAR Test Results Reach All Time High |
Left to right Edison Elementary Principal Tavga Bustani, Kearny High School of International Business Principal Ana Diaz-Booz , Correia Middle School Principal Patricia Ladd, and Supt. Terry Grier.)
I am pleased to announce that the district’s overall results from the Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) program in math, English language arts and science for students in grades 2-11 showed significant increases in 2009, according to results released August 18 by the California Department of Education. In English language arts and mathematics, district scores improved at a rate higher than the last three years progress combined. Congratulations to our students, parents, teachers, administrators and entire staff for a job well done! Read more.
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New District Logo & Website on the Way |
We are excited to announce that with the start of the new school year, San Diego Unified will celebrate a new look and a brand new website.
Our Communications Department has been working over the summer with a local graphic design firm, Greenhaus, which donated its services to design a modern, updated logo for our district. Chief District Relations Officer Bernie Rhinerson will unveil the new logo at the Administrators Back-to-School Meeting on Tuesday morning.
Our new look will also transform the new district website that will be launched on September 8th at the first Board of Education meeting of the new school year. The new website will bring the latest web technology to our district; helping us improve our online communications with our school communities, our employees and the general public.
The new website, designed by Schoolwires, will allow all departments and school sites to manage their own web presence with a full content management system. The district has been working with Schoolwires to develop flexible templates for elementary, middle and high schools. Schools will be able to design their own sites with exciting new features including integrated calendars, news updates, photos, videos and more.
The Communications Department will be working with our schools and departments during the coming months to phase in the new website options for schools and to provide training for our staff to manage their own web content.
So, starting next week, get ready for an exciting new look for our district! For more information, please contact Bernie Rhinerson at (619) 725-5578 or brhinerson@sandi.net .
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Food Services Director Receives National Recognition |
 Food Services Director Gary Petill has been named a winner in the 2009 Golden Carrot Awards by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. He was honored for his innovative approach to serving healthy, low-fat, vegetarian food to students. The San Diego Union-Tribune recently featured an article on Gary. Read the article. For more information, please contact Food Services at (858) 627-7328.
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The district's H1N1 Pandemic Flu Response Team continues to meet on a weekly basis in preparation for an anticipated increase in H1N1 flu infections after school resumes. The team is collaborating with the County Health Department's medical and public affairs leaders on a regular basis.
Principals will receive updated information and printed general instructions during their Friday, August 28 professional development meeting. The Communications Department is developing and will distribute an H1N1 information letter for parents. District and County Health Department Information Technology personnel will collaborate on the sharing of attendance data to monitor the impact of H1N1 infections. For more information, please visit the County Health Department H1N1 website or call the district Nursing and Wellness Program at (858) 627-7580.
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Prop. S Helps Get Ready for Football Season |
Synthetic turf football fields have been installed at Mira Mesa, Morse (above), San Diego and Scripps Ranch high schools just in time for football season. This is the first phase of stadium improvements funded by Proposition S. Depending upon the bond project list for the individual site needs, the second phase will include Americans with Disabilities Act upgrades, bleachers, restrooms, concession stands, press boxes, etc. All the district’s high school stadiums will get upgrades funded by Proposition S.
For more information on the fields that have been installed, please contact Lee Dulgeroff, director of project management, at (858) 637-6280 or ldulgeroff@sandi.net . For more information on the planned improvements to other high school stadiums, please contact Jim Watts, director of planning, at (959) 627-7241 or jwatts@sandi.net .
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Film Helps Youth Make Better Life Choices |
The San Diego District Attorney’s Office Youth Advisory Board, a group of high-achieving Lincoln High School students, created a short film titled 4 or 40: The Choice is Yours  , which focuses on the hard choices made by teenagers every day. The film will premier at Lincoln High School on Thursday, August 27 at 5:30 p.m. If you are interested in attending the premier, please RSVP by August 20 to Charles Nguyen at (619) 531-4355 or charles.nguyen@sdcda.org . For more information, please go to http://www.sdcda.org/office/4or40/ .
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JROTC Welcomes New Cadet Leadership |
The newly appointed 2009-10 Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (JROTC) Cadet Leadership team is ready to lead more 2,000 students enrolled in JROTC throughout the district. The Joint Brigade Command and staff are responsible for direct coordination with the JROTC Program Manager in planning and conducting competitions, unit inspections, and setting guidelines and policies. These outstanding cadets also set the example in scholastics, physical fitness, appearance, attitude and personal conduct. This year’s team includes:
- Brigade Commander – Destinee Brittingham, Serra High School
- Brigade XO – Mathew Rohner, San Diego High School
- Brigade Master Chief – Samantha Parks, Patrick Henry High School
- Brigade J1 – Jasmine Ortiz, Mission Bay High School
- Brigade J2 – Jacob Erickson, Kearny High School
- Brigade J3 – Howard Diep, Madison High School
- Brigade J4 – Rafael Ortiz, Crawford High School
- Brigade J5 – Sarah Robinson, Point Loma High School
Congratulations to these cadets on their newly appointed positions. For more information, please contact LTC David Guzman at dguzman1@sandi.net or (858) 496-8203.
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