Two enrollment fairs to showcase our district and schools will be held this month at the Recital Hall in Balboa Park. A Magnet Schools Fair will take place on Saturday, January 24, and a district-wide Enrollment Options Fair will be held Saturday, January 31. Both fairs will be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and will feature school displays, innovative programs and student performances throughout the day. The events are free and open to the public. All district-run schools are encouraged to participate. For information, visit online or contact Beth Churchill, enrollment fair coordinator, at echurchill@sandi.net or (619) 725-7154.

• Classified Employee of the Year Nominations
  School sites and district offices are encouraged to nominate a deserving candidate for the 2009 Classified Man and Woman of the Year  awards. Each nominee must be a classified employee with at least three years of service in a monthly position. The deadline to submit a nomination petition  is Friday, March 6. Completed petitions should be sent or hand-delivered to Gloria Rangel, Education Center, Room 1241. For information, contact Gloria at grangel@sandi.net  or (619) 725-8172.
  
  
• Teacher of the Year Nominations Due Friday
  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.

Any Williams Complaints received for the period October through December 2008 should be forwarded to Legal Services by close of business today, January 20. Please review Administrative Procedure 1700  for the Uniform Complaint Procedure and to download a copy of a blank complaint form  and fax transmittal form . Contact Legal Services at (619) 725-5630 with questions.

The materials for students who were previously expelled from the district and will be reinstated to their schools for the Spring 2009 semester are available for pick up from the Placement and Appeal Office, Annex 8, at the Ed Center on January 21 and 22. Call (619) 725-5660 prior to coming to the Ed Center to make sure materials are available.  Materials that are not picked up will be sent to sites via school mail. All students returning from expulsion must be registered in a timely fashion so they can be in attendance on the first day of school. Schools must notify Placement and Appeal counselors immediately of any student(s) that should not be reinstated based on specific incidents that cause grave concern. Otherwise, all families should be contacted immediately to register the returning student(s). For information, contact Deidre Walsh at dwalsh1@sandi.net or (619) 725-5659.

• January – May Purchase Card Trainings
  Purchase card trainings, mandatory for employees prior to becoming a district purchase cardholder, approver or reconciler, will be held:
  
  
  • Wednesday, January 28, 10 a.m. – 12 noon
• Wednesday, February 11 and 25, 10 a.m.– 12 noon
• Wednesday, March 11 and 25, 10 a.m. – 12 noon
• Tuesday, April 28, 1-3 p.m.
• Thursday, May 21, 1 - 3 p.m.

All trainings are held 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.

• “Revising your Single Plan for Student Achievement” Training
  In February, the Program Monitoring Department is offering a training that provides in-depth guidance for site teams consisting of principals, School Site Committee (SSC) chairs, and new or returning SSC members. The training will include information on the new SPSA template; the responsibilities of SSC members and the principal in developing the Single Plan for Student Achievement; getting input from all stakeholders; aligning schools goals with verifiable federal, state, and district data; developing SMART goals based on school/student data analysis; and making budget decision that improve student achievement. Spanish translation services and child care will be available at this training. Register online. For information, contact the Program Monitoring Department at (858) 496-4048.

• CSET Prep Courses
  Prep courses for the March 14, 2009, California Subject Examination for Teachers (CSET) will begin Tuesday, February 17. Courses are available in Single Subject English , Single Subject Science  (General Science, Biology, Physics, Chemistry and Geoscience), Single Subject Mathematics  and Multiple Subjects . Courses are free for district employees; $60 for non-district employees. The registration  deadline is Tuesday, February 10. For information, contact Lucy Del Valle at ldelvalle@sandi.net or (619) 725-7142.

• Discover Program Classes
  Don’t miss out on the great professional development opportunities from the Discover Program. Registration is still open for the following January and February course offerings:

• Re-directing for a Cooperative Classroom (1 cr.)
• GATE - Differentiating Instruction Utilizing Multiple Intelligences and Learning Styles and Preferences (.5 cr.)
• Insights Into Probability, Statistics, Reasoning, and Language (.5 cr.)
• CPR-Basic Life Support and First Aid (.5 cr.)

Register early to avoid class cancellations. Classes are held based on registrations received.  To view course descriptions and register online, go to the DISCOVER website.  For information, contact Esther Caluza at ecaluza@sandi.net or (619) 725-7431.

• Earn National Board Certification, Master's Degree at the Same Time
  In partnership with National University, district teachers can pursue National Board Certification in 2009-10 while completing a Master's Degree in Teaching, a Master's with an Administrative Credential, or simply National Board Certification. Classes meet one night per week at a district school and online in a hybrid program. Apply for the February cohort no later than February 2, 2009. Plan to attend an informational meeting  to learn more. For information, contact Julia Groff at jgroff@sandi.net.
  
  

• Water Conservation Poster Contest (Grades 1-6)
  The City of San Diego Water Department invites all teachers to enter your students’ artwork in the 9th Annual Water Conservation Poster Contest , open to all first-sixth grade students in the city of San Diego. This year’s theme is “Living in a Drought.” The deadline to enter is Wednesday, March 25. For information, e-mail water@sandiego.gov or call (619) 533-5312.

• Space Camp for 6-9 Graders with Active Duty Military Parent(s)
  The Military Child Education Coalition has created the Bernard Curtis Brown II Memorial NASA Space Camp Scholarship . Applicants must be a child of an active duty military parent or activated Guard or Reservist and enrolled in grades 6-9. Space Camp is offered in Huntsville, Alabama, and is an eight-day program that shows children what is takes to become an astronaut. The scholarship includes round trip transportation, full tuition, meals, lodging, and program materials. The application deadline is Tuesday, March 10. For information, contact kirsten.webb@navy.mil or (619) 869-0336.

• The Commercial Challenge with the San Diego Science Festival
  What will inspire young people to enter the world of science? Create a 30 - 60 second video commercial that markets science careers, and enter a competition to win cash prizes and a chance to have your film professionally finished and aired. First prize is $500, second prize is $250; third prize is $100. The entry deadline is Sunday, March 15. Visit us online for information and electronic application.

• Health Care Scholarship Essay Contest
  High school seniors who plan to enter the field of health care upon graduation from college are invited to enter the annual Health Care Communicators/AMN Scholarship Essay Contest  for the opportunity to win a $1,500 scholarship. All entries must be received by Sunday, February 8. For information, visit www.hccsd.org or e-mail laurafox@gmail.com.

In collaboration with the Community Relations Department, the Service Learning Council of Volunteer San Diego is hosting a free networking service event on Thursday, February 5, from 4 - 5:30 p.m. Participants will collaborate with educators, students and community organizations about simple and easy ways to engage students in service and how to make an impact in the community. Special guest speaker, Michele Lagui, from Project SUCCESS, will share information on how to engage students in service. Project ideas, best practices and how to create effective collaborations will be shared in World Café discussion groups.  Refreshments will be provided. To register for this event, e-mail: savy@volunteersandiego.org.  For more information, call Nancy Hemmings at (619) 725-5597.

The University of California Cooperative Extension Program offers standards-based free nutrition/gardening curriculum for teachers of all grades. Available curriculum include: Go Glow Grow, Farm to Fork, Happy Healthy Me, Reading Across MyPyramid and Eat Fit for Teens. For information and to obtain the curriculum, contact Stella Weaver at sweaver@ucdavis.edu or (858) 694-2122.

Family Science  is the theme of the Ballard Parent Center’s next Journey to Academic Success class being held Thursday, January 22, from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Parents and their children will learn fun science projects that can been done at home. The class is free and will be held at the Tubman - Chavez Multicultural Center, 142 N. Euclid Ave. (92114). Childcare and a light dinner are also provided. For information, contact Elneda Shannon at eshannon@sandi.net or Marco Beltran at mbeltran@sandi.net or call (619) 293-4431. 

• Superintendent’s Friday Notes
• New Administrative Circulars and Bulletins

• iHigh Virtual Academy Open House
  Learn more about the district’s new virtual high school, opening Monday, February 2, at one of their upcoming Open House events:

• Mt. Everest Campus: Tuesday, January 27, from 1-2 p.m.
• Fremont Campus: Tuesday, January 20, from 1-2  p.m.; Thursday, January 22, from 7-8 p.m.; and Thursday, January 29, from 1-2 p.m.

For information, visit http://www.ihighvirtualacademy.com/, or contact (858) 627-7448 or lhodgins@sandi.net.

• Community Leaders Breakfast
  Superintendent Terry Grier will give the “State of the District Address” at the annual Community Leaders Breakfast, sponsored by the Administrators Association of San Diego City Schools (AASD). The event will be held Thursday, February 26, from 7:30-9 a.m., at the Town and Country Convention Center. Tickets are $31 per person. Registration deadline is Thursday, February 12. For information or to register, contact Linda Crout Hamel at linda@aasdcs.org or (619) 295-2118.
  
  
• San Diego Science Festival Expo Day: The Science of You!
  Come celebrate "The Science of You" in Balboa Park on Saturday, April 4. Expo Day is the pinnacle event of San Diego Science Festival, the West Coast's largest celebration of science. Science takes over the museums, cultural centers and the central corridor of Balboa Park with more than 300 hands-on activities, demonstrations, experiments, contests and performances. All events are interactive and geared to students of all ages and their families. Many of the major museums will be open for free that day. A limited number of grants are available to teachers who arrange for buses to take their students to Expo Day. For information, visit www.sdsciencefestival.com.

For Sale:

• Rockwell 10" radial arm saw with stand. Excellent condition. $150 firm. Call (619) 263-6228.

• Panasonic 37” HD Plasma TV model TH-37PX50U. 3 yrs old, excellent condition. $500. Will deliver. E-mail voicegy@mac.com  or call (619) 542 1948.

For Rent:

• South Lake Tahoe House. Sleeps 14. Fully furnished. 4 baths. $350/night. Call (619) 218-7347.

• Spring Break rental. Lake Tahoe Sunterra Resort. April 3, 2009. 7 nights. 2 BR. Sleeps 6, $1,000. Call (619) 200-5647.

• Room in private home in Chula Vista. Includes sole use of living room area/ bath. Kitchen, laundry privileges. $500/mo plus utilities. Call (619) 427-0852.

Wanted

• Female roommate to share furnished, 2-BR apt. in City Heights. Non-smoker. $450/mo. Call (619) 988-9018.

Travel

• Staff members at Gage Elementary are organizing a 15-day trip to Ireland, starting July 27, 2009. For information or to join the group, contact Milanne at milannetolson@hotmail.com.

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.