Recognize and honor excellence. Nominations are now being accepted for your school site Teacher of the Year . The deadline to submit a nomination form is Friday, January 23, 2009. All nominated teachers will be recognized at a special Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, May 5, 2009. Nominees also have the opportunity to apply for district Teacher of the Year. For information, contact Jennie Breister at jbreister@sandi.net or (619) 725-5598.

All staff, parents and community members are invited to review instructional materials currently being evaluated for adoption in specific courses . Stop by one of the Open House events taking place December 8-12, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, December 13, 9 a.m. to noon, and Wednesday, December 17, 3 - 6 p.m. The Instructional Materials Department is located at the IMC. For more information, please visit the Instructional Materials Department website or call Robin Clabaugh at (858) 496-8466.

The annual membership drive for the Community Service Association (CSA), the district employee charitable organization, ends this Friday, December 6.  Donations to CSA are tax deductible and a convenient way to give to local nonprofit agencies. Payroll deductions are made on a 10-month basis (September - June) and can be as little as $1 per month.  One-time donations can also be made by writing a check made payable to Community Service Association. A list of agencies receiving CSA funding support is available on the CSA website at http://www.sandi.net/csa.  For information, contact your CSA Site Rep. or call Mary Bartholomew, CSA Membership Coordinator, at (619) 465-2210.

All district Advanced Placement (AP) teachers are invited to join their fellow AP colleagues at the Making it a Success AP Super Saturday   on December 6, from 8:30 a.m. to noon, at Lincoln High School. Pre-registration required. For information or to register, contact Don Mitchell at dmitchell2@sandi.net, Barbara Pflaum at bplflaum1@sandi.net, or Rhonda Zawadzki at rzawadzi@sandi.net. 

• Build an Elementary School Website at No Cost
  The Communications and Information Technology departments have a joint project that provides elementary schools with the tools and knowledge to create and manage their own websites at no cost. After attending two 3-hour training sessions, schools can develop and launch a website without special equipment or technical expertise. The next training will be held Wednesday, December 3 (Part 1), and Wednesday, December 10 (Part 2), from noon to 3 p.m., with open labs from 3-5 p.m. For information or to register, contact Geoff Smith, at gsmith2@sandi.net or (619) 725-7464.

• Purchase Card Training
  The next purchase card training, mandatory for employees prior to becoming a district purchase cardholder, approver or reconciler, will be held Thursday, December 11, from 1-3 p.m., in the Ed Center auditorium. Principals, site administrators, financial clerks and secretaries who have not attended training are also encouraged to attend. For information or to RSVP, contact Julie Nguyen at jnguyen1@sandi.net or (619) 725-7669.

• History/Social Studies Department
  Teaching the Holocaust on Thursday, December 4, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. SDSU Nasatir Chair in Modern Jewish History, Dr. Lawrence Baron, and the co-directors of Chico State’s Center for Excellence in the Study of the Holocaust, Genocide, Human Rights, and Tolerance, Dr. Carol Edelman and Dr. Sam Edelman, will conduct the workshop. Each registered teacher will receive a copy of Michael Bart’s book, “Until Our Last Breath: A Holocaust Story of Love and Partisan Resistance”. Lunch will be provided. The History/Social Studies Department will cover the cost of substitute teachers. Space is limited. Register online at http://registration.sandi.net. For information, contact Tim Betteridge at tbetteridge@sandi.net.

Save the date. “Education is a Civil Right:  A Call to Action” is the theme of the AAAE annual summit being held January 30-31, 2009, at San Diego State University. Early registration ends December 19, 2008. For information, contact aaaesandiego@gmail.com or (619) 717-2441.

• Cox Heroes Scholarship
  Graduating high school seniors can earn up to $10,000 to pursue a college education by applying for a Cox Heroes Scholarship. For qualifications and to download an application , visit www.coxkidsfoundation.org. The deadline to apply is Friday, January 23, 2009. For information, call (619) 602-2684 or (619) 269-2452.

• Chinese New Year Program
  Panda Express is offering a free Chinese New Year Program  to grade 2-4 classroom. The program includes a one-hour lesson that shares information about traditions and festivities associated with Chinese New Year. For information and to request a program, call Melissa Moss at (626) 372-8034.

• The Ed Center Winter Craft Fair to benefit the Education Center Building Committee will be held Friday, December 5, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., in the Annex 9 Testing Room. For more information, contact La Donna Chase at lchase@sandi.net or Elaine Lindberg at elindberg@sandi.net. 

• San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts (SCPA) is restaging Rodgers and Hammerstein's Tony Award winning musical, “The King and I.” Tickets start at $8 for adults; $7 for students, senior and military. Performances at 7 p.m., December 11-13, and 18-19; 2 p.m. on December 20. For information, call (619) 475-8556 or visit www.scpa.sandi.net.
  
  
• Scholastic Book Holiday Warehouse Sale
  Save 25% to 80% off the cover price on books, software, gifts, and more at the Scholastic Book Fair customer appreciation event being held December 10 – 20, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at 7825 Trade Street, Suite 102, San Diego (92121). Register online for a Fast-Cart Pass to skip the sign-in lines. For information, call (800) 659-7323.

View more Upcoming Events in the Events section on www.sandi.net.

• Small School Committee
• Penn Elementary
• Safety Net Newsletter - December 2008 

For Sale:

• Sears Kenmore gas cooktop, never been used.  Model #790.32239401. $499 new.  Asking $350 obo. Call (858) 278-6884.

• China dishes. Service for 12.  Extra pieces included.  $125/obo. E-mail for pictures: candydotz@cox.net

• Kenmore Master Flame BBQ including side burner, was $300 new a bargain for $90 call (858) 427-6302.

• Thomasville- Collectors Cherry Curio Cabinet. Excellent condition. $500. Mt. Helix. Photo available. Call (619) 606-0089

For Rent:

• 2 BD/2BA 2-story house in University Heights. Built in 2006. Enclosed garages. No pets or smoking. $1800. Call (619) 723-2198.
  
  
• 2 BD/2 BA Condo in quiet 55+ Community in Oceanside. $1,295. Call (760) 622-0670. Pictures available for viewing.
  
  
• 3BD/2BA/2-Car in El Cajon. Remodeled in and out (10/08) Fireplace. New Central Air. Pool. $1950/mo. Call (619) 447-2329.

Classified ads are accepted from district employees only and cannot be used to advertise commercial activities. Submit ads by e-mail to communications@sandi.net. Limit to 15 words (not including phone number). Include work location and phone number (for ID purposes only).

Do you have an announcement for Newsline? Newsline is published every Monday; the deadline to submit items is noon on the preceding Friday.  E-mail items to communications@sandi.net and mark “Newsline” in the subject line.