May is another busy month so get out your calendar! Please be sure to read to the bottom!

PTA Membership Party and raffle winners will be announced on Monday, May 7, at the Morning assembly. Please scroll to the bottom of this page to see the winners! It might be YOU!

Shopping Cards: Distribution for Shopping Cards will take place before and after school Monday, May 7, Tuesday, May 8, and Thursday May 10, in front of the multi-purpose room. There will also be limited quantity of $25 Applebee's, $10 Barnes & Noble, $10 Bath and Body Works, $25 Red Robin, $50 Restaurant.com (cost is $20), $25 Red Robin, $5 Starbucks, $10 Starbucks, $25 Target and $25 Vons for sale for Teacher/Staff Appreciation and Mother's Day.  June shopping card orders are due May 15. Please plan ahead for Father's Day and Graduations. We have earned over $2,000 just by shopping with these cards.

5th grade Promotion planning meeting: Thursday, May 10, 6:00 pm. We need the help of 5th grade parents to make the events happen. Please come!

Box Tops: Last day to turn in 10 box tops for an entry in the next drawing is May 4th. Five winners will be announced during the Monday Morning assembly. We have raised over $1,400 this year.  Together we can help our school a dime at a time.  More

Jog-A-Thon 2012 was a huge success!

A Huge Thank You to all who came out to cheer on all the Sandburg Tigers at the Jog-A-Thon last Friday, April 20.   Thank you for your continued support!  The proceeds from Jog-A-Thon directly benefit our students by providing them beneficial programs such as the PE Enrichment, the Library Consultant, the Computer Lab, classroom supplies and other enrichment programs. Thank you for making a difference in your student’s education!

Thank you to all parents, staff and community members who joined this fun and exciting event, jogging around the Jog-A-thon track, and for turning in the pledges.  Each $100 donation was entered in a grand prize raffle. Prizes will be given out in May.  One classroom per grade level with top donations earned a Yogurtland classroom party!  Each student received a new 2012 Jog-A-Thon t-shirt designed by one of our 5th graders. 

We have 64 US Marines join our students!  This is a record!  The most we had last year was 22 Marines.  Thank you to Sgt Lopez for coordinating!  Oo-rah!

Check out the Photo Gallery for pictures taken at this event.

Anyone wishing to submit more photos may do so.

Kindergarten Registration for Fall 2012 begins Monday, April 9, 2012.  Kindergarten students must be 5 years of age on or before November 1st to be eligible for enrollment. To register, please bring the following required documents:

• Original Birth Certificate, Passport, or Military ID,
• Two (2) Proof of Residency (deed to home, escrow papers, rent receipt/agreement, utility bills), and
• Immunization Record, stamped and signed by a physician (please refer to immunization requirements listed below)  More

Students from all over SDUSD Grades 4-6 auditioned for the Elementary Honor Band. The audition music is quite challenging and certainly many who try out are not accepted. The honor band consists of 80 of the top band students from all across the district. In addition,  15 of the 80 honor band students are from Sandburg. That's the most we've ever had. 

They have rehearsed once a week for six weeks at Madison High School in preparation for the concert. The concert was held at Point Loma Nazarene University in Brown Chapel on Thursday, March 22, 2012 at 7:00 pm.

Our 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classes had the opportunity to watch Young People's Choice concert at the San Diego Symphony Hall on Thursday, March 22nd.  To the right is a picture of our well-behaved kids right before leaving for the concert. 

The field trip was sponsored by San Diego Symphony.

 

The 5th Grade Promotion Parent Committee is selling YogurtLand yogurt after school every Friday.  All proceeds benefit our 5th Grade Promotion on June 12, 2012.

 

 

 

 

 

A picture of Elise enjoying her cup of yogurt...   

Spring picture proofs were sent home on Friday, March 9, 2012.  Please place your order online at www.northlightstudios.net.  Orders placed online will receive a free picture keychain. The deadline to place an order is April 6, 2012.  

Sandburg Elementary student, Sharidon Moua, won The Forensic Group's First Annual Holiday Card Drawing Competition.  Sharidon is a student in Jim Cote’s 4th grade class and attends Toni Green’s art class at Sandburg. 

Kris Haworth, owner of The Forensics Group, presented a $300 check to Sharidon and a $500 check to the school. The Forensics Group is one of California’s leading computer forensics companies. Read More

Visit the Photo Gallery to view photos.

John Cruz, Grammy Award winning singer/songwriter, performed at Sandburg on Friday, January 20, 2012. John Cruz also performed at the Anthology later that evening.  Lucky us we get to watch him here for free! 

How did we get John to perform here for free?  Patty Bertram was named GITC Classroom Teacher of the Year!  As part of her award, Guitars in the Classroom (GITC) sent John Cruz to perform at Sandburg. Read more

November 9, 2011, 1:30 pm.  Sandburg Elementary hosted a media event, "Mission Readiness," which was covered by local TV news media, broadcasted on evening news, carried in our local newspapers, and on the district website at www.sandi.net.

The press event include San Diego Unified School District Superintendent, retired Rear Admiral William Kowba, retired US Navy Admiral Leon "Bud" Edney, and retired US Army Major General James W. Comstock.  More

Sandburg increased its API score by 13 points.  Our API is now 920!  Congratulations to our students, parents and staff! For more information about Sandburg's API score, click on this link http://api.cde.ca.gov/Acnt2011/2011GrowthSch.aspx?allcds=37683386089049.

Academic Performance Index (API)

The Academic Performance Index (API) helps measure the academic performance and growth of schools. It is a numeric score that ranges from a low of 200 to a high of 1000. A school's API is an indicator of its performance level. The API reporting cycle has two components: (1) base information and (2) growth information. Base scores are released in the spring; growth scores are released in the fall. The API Growth score is compared with the Base score to determine how well the school is progressing toward the statewide performance target of 800. A school’s API Base and API Growth results are calculated based on the California Standards Tests in English Language Arts, mathematics, history/social science, and science; the California Achievement Test, Sixth Edition (CAT/6); the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) and the California Alternative Performance Assessment (CAPA). This information is also used to calculate API scores for each numerically significant student subgroup at each school.

For the 2011-12 school year, a new State law now requires that all incoming 7^th-12^th graders get a whooping cough booster shot, called Tdap, before entering school. Students who have not received this booster shot prior to the beginning of the school year will not be allowed to start school.

We encourage you to contact your child’s doctor now to schedule an immunization appointment. Some children may qualify for free immunizations through the Vaccines for Children Program. After your child receives this vaccine, bring documentation of this Tdap booster to your school nurse.

Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is widespread throughout California. This vaccine can help keep your child and family protected.

For more information about the law and where to get shots, please visit www.sdiz.org or call 211.

Connect-ED is an Internet-based mass communications tool currently available across San Diego Unified School District. The system enables schools to personally communicate with parents/guardians to support emergency preparedness, school community involvement and student attendance. A principal can make one phone call that reaches all families and staff members within minutes. Connect-ED is also used at a district-wide level with access by several central office departments, including Transportation, Human Resources, School Police and Food Services. The Connect-ED system is approved by the Board of Education, currently through the 2013 school year.

All district-run school sites have access to Connect-ED at no cost.

Connect-ED Automated Attendance Calls

Connect-ED automated attendance calls are optional but highly recommended for all district-run schools. Daily automated calls, particularly those sent in the morning, are valuable in several ways:

• Return students to the classroom earlier, turning absences into tardies
• Act as a security measure for parents who may not know their child is absent
• Increase opportunities for Average Daily Attendance (ADA) recovery
• Assist school offices and attendance clerks to better manage the daily attendance process

Daily attendance calls will be automatically sent to parents and guardians by the central office at specific times programmed by each school site.

The parking lot will be open in the mornings only for dropping off your children. Drop off time is 7:15 am to 7:45 am, Monday to Friday.  When you enter the parking lot, please:

• Stay close to the right curb for drop off

• Pull as far forward as possible

• Slow down - speed limit is 5mph

• Right turn only when exiting the parking lot to keep the flow of traffic (no left turn).

The goal is to create a valet service where drivers drive up with children and backpacks ready to go for a quick exit from the car. We will have adults and students out to monitor and assist in keeping the flow of traffic going. Please join the team by making this attempt at addressing our traffic issues and the safety of your children a success. Please refer to the Traffic Circle Map as your guide. Thank you to the volunteers who have agreed to be on the patrol.  Your time and willingness to help is greatly appreciated! If we all use our Tiger life skills and team spirit this new system can work – it does at other schools. 

More Traffic Circle parent volunteers are needed.  If interested please send an email to sandelm@sandi.net

In an effort to promote our "Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds" quest, except for rainy days, all students who arrive on campus prior to 7:35 am must report immediately to Running/Walking Club.   Please go to the field and obtain your card out of your classroom box so you can get credit for your exercise.  When the 7:35 am bell rings the parents volunteering at the club will let you know that the last lap is approaching.  All students must be in their classes at 7:45 am sharp.  Healthy bodies does promote thinking and problem-solving skills.  Let's work together to ensure that happens in our community.

Parents and community members are encouraged to help support education by volunteering at Sandburg.  Some volunteer opportunities include Tutoring, Classroom Read Alouds, Classroom Assistance, Non-Classroom Assistance (media center, field trips, etc.), Parent-Supported Organizations (PTA, Foundation, Dad's Club, SSC, SGT, etc.), Parent Patrol, Running Club, etc.  Anyone interested in volunteering have to comply with appropriate volunteer screening requirements. A new volunteer must fill out a school volunteer application, provide a Tuberculin skin test result, and read and acknowledge understanding of the Volunteer Code of Conduct.  For more information, please contact Debbie Raynor at 858.566.0510 x1107.

 

For more information regarding Tuberculosis screening for volunteers, click here.