Grant K-8, San Diego High students to be featured at Cabrillo Festival

San Diego Unified will be well represented at the 2015 Cabrillo Festival.

Grant K-8 fourth grader Alexis Carey won the annual art contest and San Diego High School of International Studies junior Emese Maklary was named “Miss Cabrillo” and “Spirit of Cabrillo Award” winner for the 2015 Cabrillo Festival.

Carey’s 8 ½” x 11” piece of artwork was selected as the best portrayal of Cabrillo’s historic voyage along the coast of the Californias in 1542 and for its overall depiction of the festival’s theme: Where Cultures Come Together and History Comes Alive.

Carey’s winning artwork is displayed on the festival brochure and website. She and her teacher, Allison Wilson, were both awarded $100 and are invited to sail on the San Salvador September 27 to view the historical re-enactment of the landing of Cabrillo, his soldiers and the priest on Ballast Point.

Maklary was named Miss Cabrillo Festival 2015 at a pageant in March sponsored by the Cabrillo Civic Club No. 16 San Diego and Portuguese American Social and Civic Club. She was also named the “Spirit of Cabrillo” award winner. Maklary will represent the Cabrillo Festival at events in Ensenada and San Diego during Cabrillo Festival.

The 52nd annual Cabrillo Festival will take place September 26-27 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Ballast Point, Naval Base Point Loma, located at the south end of Rosecrans Street. Admission is free. Please visit the festival website for more details.

Point Loma teen wins Braille Challenge

IN THE NEWS: Cricket Bidleman has captured her fourth North American Braille Challenge victory — the first time in the varsity division — and she is already thinking about the next attempt.

“I have a title to uphold,” Bidleman said Tuesday, smiling as she corralled Nipi, her service dog, in the living room of her family’s Point Loma home.

Cricket, 16, competed against other blind teens in 10th to 12th grades from the United States and Canada. She was one of 60 finalists culled from more than 1,100 Braille students who had been picked to participate in the contest that tests speed, accuracy and comprehension.

Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune

Two students win Food Services recipe contest

IN THE NEWS: Two Point Loma cluster students have won a San Diego Unified School District recipe contest, and their concoctions will be on next year’s menu. Ocean Beach Elementary School fourth-grader Zarai Rosenzweig-Bullard took first place in the K-5 age group and won an amazon Kindle for her “Terrific Turkey Tacos.” Correia Middle School eighth-grader Ava Marie Bunn also claimed first place in the grades 6-12 category for her “AVAcado salad.”

Read more from SD News.com

Watch Zarai make her terrific tacos on the KUSI Morning News

District appoints new principals for 2015-16 school year

Superintendent Cindy Marten recently announced the appointments of several new principals for the 2015-16 school year. Included below is a list of appointments and a short biography.

• Boone Elementary School: Erica Renfree
• Curie Elementary School: Cara Ramsey
• Dingeman Elementary School: Tamara Lewis
• Edison Elementary School: Eileen Moreno
• Florence Elementary: Alexis Conerty
• Grant K-8: Kathy Lorden
• Lafayette Elementary School: Anne McCarty
• Linda Vista Elementary School: Michael Beraud
• Lindbergh Schweitzer Elementary School: Victoria Peterson
• McKinley Elementary School: Deb Ganderton
• Marston Middle School: John Gollias
• Montgomery Middle School: Stephanie Brown
• Roosevelt Middle School: Christina Casillas
• Standley Middle School: William Pearson
• Mt. Everest Academy (Interim): Courtney Browne
• San Diego High School (Interim): Dr. Carmen Garcia

Boone Elementary School, Erica Renfree
Renfree is currently a vice principal serving both Dana and Correia middle Schools. She has worked at the two sites since 2013. She has also taught at Patrick Henry and Lincoln high schools. She began working for San Diego Unified in 2006. She received her bachelor’s and master’s from the University of San Diego and her administrative credential from San Diego State University.

Curie Elementary School, Cara Ramsey

Ramsey is currently a Common Core cluster support teacher for the Leadership and Learning Department. She previously worked at Porter Elementary as a teacher. She received her bachelor's, master's and administrative credential from the University of San Diego.

Dingeman Elementary School, Tamara Lewis
Lewis is currently the vice principal at Chollas/Meade Elementary School. She served as a teacher at Baker Elementary School prior to her appointment at Chollas/Meade. Lewis has worked for San Diego Unified since 1990. She received her bachelor’s degree and teaching credential from San Diego State University, master’s degree from National University and administrative credential from San Diego State University.

Edison Elementary School, Eileen Moreno
Moreno is currently the Director of Curriculum and Assessment in the Santee School District. Moreno is a former San Diego Unified principal who served at Fay Elementary School from 2007 to 2013. Moreno began her career as a teacher at Emerson/Bandini in 1997. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of California, San Diego, teaching credential through the district's BECA program and master’s degree and doctorate in education from San Diego State University.

Florence Elementary, Alexis Conerty
Conerty is currently a Common Core cluster support teacher for the Leadership and Learning Department, and previously held the positions of ELST and elementary school teacher. She has worked for San Diego Unified since 1998. She obtained her bachelor's degree from the University of California, San Diego and her master's and administrative credential from San Diego State University.

Grant K-8, Kathy Lorden
Lorden is currently vice principal at Pershing Middle School. She has also served as a vice principal at University City and Serra high schools, and has worked for San Diego Unified since 2008. She received her bachelor’s degree from Mount Vernon Nazarene University, and teaching credential, master’s degree and administrative credential from Point Loma Nazarene University.

Lafayette Elementary School, Anne McCarty
McCarty is currently vice principal at La Jolla High School and has been there since 2013. She is an adjunct professor at San Diego State University in Special Education. She also served as vice principal at Clairemont High School and has worked for San Diego Unified since 2003. McCarty received her bachelor’s degree from San Diego State University, teaching credential from California State University San Bernardino, and her master’s and administrative credential from San Diego State University.

Linda Vista Elementary School, Michael Beraud
Beraud is currently interim principal at Dingeman Elementary School. He served as vice principal at Dingeman from 2009 until he was appointed interim principal. Beraud has work for San Diego Unified since 1986. He received his bachelor’s degree, teaching credential, master’s degree and administrative credential from National University.

Lindbergh Schweitzer Elementary School, Victoria Peterson
Peterson is currently interim principal at Lindbergh Schweitzer Elementary School. She served as vice principal at Audubon Elementary prior to her interim appointment at Lindbergh Schweitzer. She has taught at the elementary level as a classroom teacher and resource specialist. She has worked for San Diego Unified since 1997. She received her bachelor’s degree from Grambling State University, master’s degree from National University and her administrative credential from San Diego State University.

McKinley Elementary School, Deb Ganderton
Ganderton is currently an elementary school principal in the Escondido Union School District. She obtained her bachelor's degree from Florida International University, her master's from the University of Laverne and her administrative credential from National University.

Marston Middle School, John Gollias

Gollias is currently an assistant principal in the San Marcos Unified School District. He obtained his bachelor's at Arizona State University and his master's and administrative credential at San Diego State University

Montgomery Middle School, Stephanie Brown
Brown is currently vice principal at Dana Middle School. She has worked at Lincoln and Point Loma high schools as a mathematics teacher and special education teacher. Brown has worked for San Diego Unified since 1996. She received her bachelor’s degree and teaching credentials from California State University, San Marcos and her administrative credential from the University of San Diego.

Roosevelt Middle School, Christina Casillas
Casillas is currently principal at San Diego High School MVPA. She has also served as vice principal at University City High School and Home Hospital. She has a background in special education. Casillas began her career with San Diego Unified in 1999. She received her bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, administrative credential and doctorate in education from San Diego State University.

Standley Middle School, William Pearson
Pearson is currently the interim principal at Standley Middle School. He has been at Standley since 2004, serving as vice principal, resource teacher, and teacher until becoming interim principal. He has worked for San Diego Unified since 1999. He received his bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of California, San Diego, his teaching credential from San Diego State University and his administrative credential from the University of San Diego.

Mt. Everest Academy (Interim), Courtney Browne

Brown is currently vice principal at Innovation Middle School. She has worked for San Diego Unified since 2003. She earned her bachelor's degree at Hollins University, her master's degree at University of California, San Diego and her administrative credential  at San Diego State University.

San Diego High School (Interim), Dr. Carmen Garcia

Garcia is currently principal at San Diego High School of International Studies. She has been with San Diego Unified since 2005, and has previously held the position of principal at Roosevelt Middle School. She obtained her bachelor's degree from the University of San Diego, her master's from National University and her doctorate from the University of Southern California. 

Video and broadcast journalism students earn accolades

Students in the district’s Career Technical Education (CTE) video and broadcast journalism programs are being recognized for their skills in video production, recently earning high honors from both the Waste No Water Film Contest, hosted by the City of San Diego, and the San Diego County Office of Education’s Innovative Video in Education or iVIE Awards.

Point Loma High’s Cinematic Arts program won first and third place in the Waste No Water Film Contest, which challenges high school and college students to create 30-second public service announcements that emphasize the importance of responsible water use.

Trevor Sykes and Austin Correia won for their film "Water Cops." It will play this summer before each movie shown at the AMC Mission Valley, AMC Bonita and Edwards Mira Mesa cinemas.

Tyler Pasela placed third for his film "Cat Possible."

The videos are available for viewing on the San Diegans Waste No Water Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/SanDiegansWasteNoWater

At the iVIE Awards, students from Serra, Hoover and Mira Mesa high schools won in their respective categories. A total of 10 video productions were nominated from San Diego Unified CTE programs. All iVIE nominated videos are shown on ITV Cable 16 in a series called "The Best of iVIE" and are also available on Time Warner's On Demand channel.

9-12 STEM
Black Holes - Junipero Serra High - San Diego Unified

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CDeIV19VAAAJzDQ.jpg:large

9-12 News
The NEST. News, Entertainment, Student Television. 2-19-15 - Hoover High - San Diego Unified

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CDeV854VAAAcu5L.jpg:large

9-12 Documentary
The Man Behind the Machine - Mira Mesa High - San Diego Unified
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CDefgCyUgAAQj0j.jpg:large

The Innovative Video in Education awards is a K-12 student video competition and festival held by the San Diego County Office of Education. iVIE was conceived to encourage and reward teachers who utilize video as a project-based learning tool in their classroom, and students who use film and visual literacy to demonstrate their understanding of classroom concepts. All videos submitted to iVIE integrate the California Common Core State Standards or Content Standards.

Each year, hundreds of video are submitted and involve the work of more than 3,000 students. Submitted videos are judged by media professionals and educators.

Inside the Local Control Funding Formula

California is in its second year of using the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) to fund K-12 education.

This change was considered by many to be revolutionary in that it streamlined the state’s funding formula to allow school districts to exercise greater discretion in deciding how funding should be used to serve local needs and better support the neediest students.

With LCFF, the allocation has changed from the state’s former flat, per-student allocation to one that has equity at its core. Now, California school districts that have higher concentrations of students with greater needs, such as low-income students, English learners, and foster youth (referred to as “focus” students in San Diego Unified), receive proportionately more funding to support those students. And, although there are some important guidelines with this funding model, the state does not dictate how the funds must be spent; that decision is left up to local districts. Under LCFF, the number of categorical funds – those with ‘strings’ attached for their use – was cut from 30 to 14, allowing districts far greater flexibility in determining how to support their respective student populations most effectively.

Under LCFF, districts receive two types of allocations per student. One is called “base funding” and is received for all students. The second type of funding, “supplemental and concentration funding,” is allocated based on the concentration of focus students (low income, English learners and foster youth) at each school.

As required by LCFF, extensive community engagement is conducted to ensure transparency in the process and to help all stakeholders more fully understand the new model. In addition to presentations conducted throughout the year, the Board of Education conducted a special workshop focused on LCFF on May 6, 2015. Superintendent Cindy Marten, Chief Financial Officer Jenny Salkeld, and other district leaders presented information to explain how the district receives and spends LCFF dollars.

Superintendent Marten emphasized that the LCFF supports a district focus on equity that began several years ago.

“Our Vision 2020, developed in 2009 with its 12 indicators for quality schools in all neighborhoods, reflects a moral imperative that one’s zip code should not dictate a student’s access to or success in a rigorous college- and career-ready education,” she said.

The superintendent also stressed that LCFF funding supports strategies and actions that are prioritized by data analysis and community feedback. Given that over 63 percent of district students are considered focus students, many supports are provided districtwide; however, they are designed to principally benefit focus students.

Some strategies —ones that emerged as top priorities from community feedback— not only benefit focus students but all students. These include lowering class sizes and increased counselor support. In addition to these districtwide strategies that provide additional resources at each school campus, schools also receive funds to implement site-specific strategies.

During discussion, board trustees emphasized the need for clear communication to continue reaching out to all stakeholders in the San Diego Unified community. Vice President John Lee Evans suggested including “equity” in the name for the new funding model, thereby coining a new acronym, LCEFF. Trustees noted that there are positive trends for some of our metrics (e.g., improving graduation rate and decreasing dropout rate); however, continual data analysis is needed to understand where some student groups need additional support.

Superintendent Marten indicated that this year’s data analysis has identified three student groups (English learners, students with disabilities, and African American students) for which specific, focused supports need to be implemented. Trustee Richard Barrera stressed that our core belief in equity will only be realized with a corresponding investment in equity.

More information about LCFF is available on the district website at www.sandi.net/lcff. All of the LCFF workshop materials are available at the Board Docs meeting site at http://www.boarddocs.com/ca/sandi/Board.nsf/goto?open&id=9MHQLS5EA307. The video of the meeting is available at http://www.sandi.net/cms/lib/CA01001235/Centricity/domain/431/reports/2015/0506/video.html.

Versatile Special Education Technician named Classified Employee of the Year

Although his title says “Special Education Technician,” Rodel Agpaoa’s role at Pacific Beach Middle School is far more wide-reaching.

His versatility and involvement in the school community are two of the many reasons he has been named San Diego Unified’s Classified Employee of the Year for 2015.

“The students and adults that he works with directly know how much he cares; but the kids that don’t know him that well know that he is caring, positive open and understanding person who sets a positive example as a contributing member of the community,” teacher Don Wood wrote in a recommendation letter. “Students recognize that he is someone who not only has a wide variety of skills, but he is enthusiastically willing to share his skills with others.”

While Agpaoa works mainly as a special education technician with students in a mild moderate special education class, he consistently goes above and beyond his job description inside and outside the classroom.

He spends his own time researching and preparing materials for his students in order to maximize their learning. While in general education classrooms, he not only assists his special education students, but makes himself available to any student that needs assistance. He regularly helps out in both the health and front offices, and with other school wide activities.

He also strives to make connections with students and families throughout the school. He’s involved with Super Friends, which pairs students from special education with students from general education classes for school and community activities, and also started a fishing club. Agpaoa partnered with the San Diego Sports Fishing Association to schedule approximately five trips per year, many at no charge to students.

“This club continues to provide student with an opportunity to learn life-long skills, and Rodel has demonstrated outstanding leadership in developing and realizing the club,” said Nurse Mary Gantz.

Gantz added that Agpaoa is constantly seeking new opportunities for professional growth and development. Last year, he attended Incident Command Support training; he studies nutrition and hygiene to help students with special dietary needs; and studies geometry so he can help out in the advanced math classes.

“Rodel is a leader at Pacific Beach Middle School,” wrote Principal Kimberly Meng in a recommendation letter. “He works hard, is proactive in a crisis, calm under pressure and confident in his knowledge and experience. He exemplifies the ideal employee and human being.”

Agpaoa will be honored along with Classified Employee of the Year runner up Torri Wright from Valencia Park Elementary at the Classified Employee of the Year celebration on May 19 at Ibarra Elementary School.

Devoted educators honored at Day of the Teacher celebration

Brenda Mueller, Ronald Lancia, Michelle Yepiz, Shirley Miranda, Mary Lou Baranowski, Supt. Marten and Simone Kincaid

San Diego Unified School District's 2015 Teachers of the Year, Michelle Yepiz from Zamorano Fine Arts Academy, Brenda Mueller from De Portola Middle School and Ronald Lancia from Mission Bay High School, were honored at the Day of the Teacher celebration on May 5.

“Teaching will always be a part of my heart, and as a former teacher, I know the commitment to your craft and the love of your students is what led you here today – and I thank you for that,” Superintendent Cindy Marten said. “Today’s recognition allows us an extraordinary opportunity to celebrate and recognize all of our teachers and dedication to their students, families, schools and each other.”

During the celebration, more than 140 Teachers of the Year from individual school sites along with district Teacher of the Year runners-up were honored.

In a message to all teachers, Board President Marne Foster expressed her appreciation for the district's educators.

Media Coverage

Fox 5 KUSI KUSI Morning News UT San Diego Times of San Diego SD News.com

“I want to thank you for the work you do – day in, day out – to touch the minds, hearts and lives of our students and their families.” Foster said. “You have dedicated yourselves to making our students successful, caring, literate, contributing members of our community. With you, we are creating improved and broader measures of student achievement and ensuring that all students will graduate with the skills and motivation needed to succeed academically and socially.”

Yepiz, Mueller and Lancia, along with the three runners-up, will go on to compete in the county-wide competition for the San Diego county Teacher of the Year, part of the process leading to the national Teacher of the Year. This year’s runners-up are Mary Lou Baranowski from Lindbergh Schweitzer Elementary School, Simone Kincaid from Creative Performing and Media Arts Middle School and Shirley Miranda from Morse High School. The county Teacher of the Year ceremony will be held this fall and is organized by the San Diego County Office of Education.

The Day of the Teacher celebration is a traditional event on the Board of Education calendar in which all Board members and senior district staff are scheduled to attend. A pre-event reception was catered by culinary students from Scripps Ranch, Morse and Madison high schools, and music was provided by the Madison High School String Orchestra. New to this year’s event was a dance performance by students from Creative, Performing and Media Arts Middle School.

Sponsors of the event were San Diego Gas and Electric Co., AXA Advisors, California Coast Credit Union, California Schools VEBA, eLiveLife.com, Mission Federal Credit Union, NTA Life, the San Diego Education Association, the San Diego Education Fund, The Standard, the San Diego Padres and College, Career and Technical Education.

District seniors receive scholarships from retired teachers

Even after retirement, teachers are still helping students.

Members of the California Retired Teacher Association (CalRTA), Division 4, will be awarding 10 San Diego Unified high school seniors $1,500 scholarships at their senior awards assemblies.

High school seniors were judged on their academic achievement, school leadership, extra-curricular activities, community and volunteer service, work and home activities, and financial need.

The 2015 scholarship recipients in the district are:

• Feliz Avitia, Gompers High
• Vania Bailon-Casarrubias, Point Loma High
• Aurora Espinoza, Patrick Henry High
• Iman Farahani, La Jolla High
• Kien Nguyen, Hoover High
• Quynh Duy Nguyen, Crawford High
  
• Sankaran Ramanarayanan, Mira Mesa High
• Samantha Rizzuto, High Tech High
• Sarabi Rodriguez, Preuss High
• Aracely Zeferino, Kearny High School of International Business

The scholarship recipients have an average grade point of 4.64 and have been accepted at the following universities: Columbia University, Mills College, Loyola Marymount University, San Diego State University, Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley, University of California, San Diego, University of San Francisco, Washington University, Whittier College and Yale University.

The students’ diverse areas of study include: behavioral neuroscience, biochemistry, business management and administration, computer communication, English literature – pre-med, journalism, linguistics, psychology, special education, speech language pathology and structural and aerospace engineering.

The Scholarship Foundation of CalRTA, Division 4 has awarded over $450,000 in scholarships to more than 300 seniors attending four-year universities since its establishment 30 years ago.

District Teachers of the Year announced for 2015

Michelle Yepiz from Zamorano Fine Arts Academy, Brenda Mueller from De Portola Middle School and Dr. Ronald Lancia from Mission Bay High School have been named San Diego Unified School District's Teachers of the Year for 2015.

These three devoted educators will be honored at the Day of the Teacher celebration scheduled for 4:15 p.m. Tuesday, May 5, at Madison High School. More than 140 Teachers of the Year from individual school sites, district Teacher of the Year runners-up, Future Educator Scholars and Mashin and STEM scholarship winners will also be recognized.

“Great teachers make a positive impact on students by consistently creating learning conditions that allow students to meet success,” said Superintendent Cindy Marten. “These three individuals are skillful and passionate professionals who are not only dedicated to improving their own skills but also collaborating with colleagues to create the best learning environment for students. With enthusiasm and purpose, they make a difference every day in the lives of their students and in their school community.”

Yepiz has been teaching at Zamorano Elementary for 11 years. Her teaching method is an active and engaging style, and her enthusiasm to teach helps encourage her students to learn. In addition to teaching, Yepiz organizes an after-school theater class to expose her students to the arts and coordinates an annual school-wide musical.

“I firmly believe in educating the whole child,” Yepiz wrote in her application essay. “My philosophy centers on the idea that the arts are an integral part of education. The arts must be integrated into the curriculum, not as an addition, but as an enhancement to learning.”

Mueller has been a teacher for more than 15 years, 11 of them teaching science at De Portola Middle. She is a Noyce Master Teaching Fellow at San Diego State University, constantly honing her craft as an educator. Mueller’s main focus in the classroom is to foster a safe environment in which students can participate in productive discussions and talk about their ideas.

“She is able to build strong relationships with her students while simultaneously commanding their best effort,” wrote De Portola Principal Ryan Brock. “Students flock to Mrs. Mueller and often speak of her friendly demeanor. Class observations show a high level of rigorous and demanding instruction. Brenda offers the best of both worlds (rigor and relationship), which makes for an incredibly powerful educational environment.”

Lancia has been teaching for 16 years, 11 of which have been at Mission Bay High teaching an array of classes in language arts, film, yearbook and AVID. He treats his student as individuals, and seeks to bring them together in collaboration.

He also developed a program called ACES, or the After-school Center for Excellence and Support, which offers students academic support across curriculum. For Lancia, the program represents four distinct areas of personal commitment.

“Hearts represents the importance of mentorship and service,” Lancia wrote in his application essay. “Clubs represents the club/community effect I deeply value. Diamonds signifies a balanced approach to academics, a notion I’ve appreciated since studying multiple intelligences. And finally, spades represents digging deeper one-on-one and building relationships.”

Yepiz, Mueller and Lancia will go on to the county-wide competition along with the three runners-up for the district’s Teacher of the Year. This year’s runners-up are Mary Lou Baranowski from Lindbergh Schweitzer Elementary School, Simone Kincaid from Creative Performing and Media Arts Middle School and Shirley Miranda from Morse High School.

Every year, one teacher at each level – elementary, middle and high school – is selected as District Teacher of the Year along with a runner-up at each level. Nominees are first selected by their school sites, and then have the option to go through the application process, which includes writing essays, an interview and a classroom observation.

For more information about San Diego Unified’s Teacher of the Year program, contact Jennifer Rodriguez at jcornelius@sandi.net.

San Diego Unified students stand out at Greater San Diego Science and Engineering Fair

Students from 13 San Diego Unified schools took home awards, including the Senior Sweepstakes award, after competing in the 61st annual Greater San Diego Science and Engineering Fair held at the end of March.

More than 650 students in grades 7 through 12 attending school in San Diego or Imperial counties entered projects in this year’s fair. Topics of entries ranged from animal science, biochemistry and computer science, to mathematics, medicine and health science, microbiology, and electrical and mechanical engineering.

Projects were judged and winners were selected in either the senior division, which covers grades 9-12, or the junior division, which covers grades 7-8.

This year, La Jolla High School junior Chloe Kuo was named the Senior Sweepstakes – ACFEA winner for her project on ways to improve movement on manual wheelchairs. Kuo created a prototype wheelchair that featured a hands-free, voice activated locking and unlocking mechanism for the axels that allow the user to use one hand to propel both wheels at once, then unlock the axels using a voice command to operate them separately.

Kuo, a tennis player, was inspired to create the wheelchair after playing a round of wheelchair tennis. She was recognized for her win by the San Diego County Board of Education at its April 8 Board Meeting, where she described her inspiration and showed how here wheelchair prototype works. http://stream.sdcoe.net/wc/boardmeeting040815/ (starts at 32:35)

Other sweepstakes winners and runners-up include:

• Sebastian Mellen from Mt. Everest Academy - Junior Division Physical Science Sweepstakes winner and RED Award recipient (Project title: MathSuite: An Innovative Android App that makes Dreaded Calculations... FUN!)
• Ananya Rao, Marshall Middle School - Junior Division Life Science Sweepstakes winner (Project title: Comparing the effects of natural and chemical oil dispersants on brine shrimp)
• Janie Kim, Scripps Ranch High School - Senior Division Life Science Sweepstakes Runner-up (Project title: Developing a Contact Lens Solution with Increased Antimicrobial Activity).
  
• Laurel Norris from Marshall Middle School - Junior Division Life Science Sweepstakes Runner-up (Project title: Swimming in Sweetness The effects of artificial sweeteners on Daphnia)

Twenty-five students, and three potential alternates, from San Diego Unified have been qualified to enter the 64th annual California State Science Fair (CSSF) to be held in Los Angeles on May 18-19, where they will compete against an expected 1,000 students in grades 6-12 from 400 schools throughout the state for awards totaling $50,000.

Additionally, 17 students from the district have been nominated to participate in the Broadcom MASTERS national competition, a Society for Science & the Public affiliated science and engineering fair that represents the top 10 percent of students in grades 6-8 in the United States.

Marshall Middle School was a stand-out this year with 20 first place winners, 16 CSSF Qualified entries, two CSSF Wait List entries, 15 Broadcom Nominated entries, one Junior Division Life Sciences Winner, one Junior Division Life Sciences Sweepstakes Runner-Up, and 14 second through fourth place winners.

Other notable schools were Wangenheim Middle School with 22 first through third place winners, Morse High School with 25 second through fourth place winners and De Portola Middle School with 15 second through fourth place winners.

Two San Diego Unified teachers were also recognized at the Greater San Diego Science and Engineering Fair. Shirley Miranda, AP computer science and robotics teacher at Morse High School, was named the Senior Division Science Fair Teacher of the Year and Dan Grendziak, 8th grade physical science teacher at Wangenheim Middle School, was named the Junior Division Science Fair Teacher of the Year. Science fair students nominate their teachers for this award and the Student Advisory Board of the Science and Engineering Fair selects the winners.

For a complete list of winners, please visit the Greater San Diego Science and Engineering Fair website.

JROTC cadets attend Patriotic Education Seminar on East Coast

Eight JROTC cadets from district and county schools recently attended the Patriotic Education Seminar, a week-long event that included visits to two primary cities with significant historical impacts – New York City and Washington, D.C.

Primarily centered on student-to-student teaching techniques, this experience challenges each cadet to research and present on assigned historical sites, monuments and leaders throughout the trip. In group settings, the cadets discuss foundations of national government, policy and leadership, citizenship responsibilities and key American historical events. Most significantly, students are assessed for their own personal leadership qualities, participation and subject knowledge.

“Learning history from a book in the classroom is one thing, but being able to personally experience it through this trip brings so much more meaning and understanding,” said Cadet Yovana Contreras, a Serra High School junior.

This year's attendees included: Marco McCartney, Scripps Ranch HS; Katherine Solchaga, Kearny HS; Sophia Nguyen, Patrick Henry HS; Yovana Contreras, Serra HS; Parker Grubenski, University City HS; Juan Sanchez, Hoover HS; Aylin Curtis, Morse HS and Ahmad Xallen, Coronado HS.

In New York City, the cadets visited the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, the Sept. 11 memorial and the United Nations Headquarters. Washington, D.C. was highlighted by visits to the U.S Capitol, the U.S. Supreme Court, the Library of Congress, Arlington National Cemetery, the U.S Holocaust Memorial Museum, the National Archives, all war memorials and several Smithsonian Museums.

This educational trip was sponsored by the San Diego Chapter of the Military Order of the World Wars, a patriotic Veterans Service Organization founded to promote good citizenship, patriotic education, and military and public service.

For more information on the JROTC program, contact Program Manager LTC. David Guzman at dguzman@sandi.net.

Crown Point’s Music Education Program receives national recognition

Crown Point Junior Music Academy has been awarded the SupportMusic Merit Award from The National Association of Music Merchants Foundation for its outstanding commitment to music education.

The SupportMusic Merit Award is given to individual schools that demonstrate outstanding achievement in efforts to provide music access and education to all students. Crown Point is one of 120 schools nationwide and 18 schools in California being recognized by the NAMM Foundation for their school-based music education programs.

The NAMM Foundation presents this award as part of the Best Communities for Music Education program through the SupportMusic Coalition, an advocacy effort for the promotion of music education as a core academic subject in schools.

Crown Point is known for its focus on strong academics through music education. Following their motto, “Music Opens Minds,” teachers at Crown Point focus on integrating music into their entire curriculum which helps improve students’ intellectual development and musical skill.

“Crown Point is a small school with a big vision,” said Principal Muriel Bartolini. “All stakeholders involved in the school believe music to be a vital part of a child’s education, and because of that, our teachers work hard at incorporating music in all they do within the students’ day. Receiving this award has honored our vision.”

This is the first time Crown Point has received this award.

Kearny High Robotics wins regional; competes April 2-4 in San Diego competition

Kearny High School’s Hammer Heads recently won the Inland Empire Regional FIRST Robotics Competition.

The competition, held February 27 to March 1 at Rancho Mirage High School, challenges teams of high school students to design, build and program robots that perform specific tasks. Their robots then participate in qualifying matches where they are randomly assigned to a team of three that contends with another team of three robots.

This year’s competition was called Recycle Rush. This recycle-themed game has robots scoring points for their team by stacking totes on specific platforms, capping those stacks with containers, then using them to dispose of litter, represented by pool noodles.

The Hammer Heads were the top-seeded team after the qualifying matches, with an average score of 115.75. The highest ranking teams then select two other teams to form an alliance and participate in the elimination rounds. Kearny High’s Hammer Heads (Team 1572) chose Hawaiian Kids (Team 359) and LiveWire (Team 3562) to form the Red Alliance.

The alliances formed by the top teams are then put through an elimination-style tournament of three-round matches. When it came time for the finals, the Red Alliance had won the first round, but lost the second. In the final round, the Kearny High Hammer Heads and the Red Alliance took home the win with a score of 130-64.

This is the first time in team history that the Hammer Heads have won a regional competition. This also means that they are qualified to compete in the 2015 FIRST Championship in St. Louis on April 22-25.

The Kearny High Hammer Heads are also competing in this year’s San Diego Regional FIRST Robotics Competition April 2-4 at the Valley View Casino Center. The San Diego Regional will have 60 teams from throughout the country competing to win the tournament, along with many other prestigious awards.

Other San Diego Unified School District Teams competing include:
• Madison High School (Team 1266)
• Scripps Ranch High School (Team 4139)
• Mission Bay High School (Team 4160)
• San Diego High School (Team 4583)
• Henry High School (Team 4738)
• Clairemont High School (Team 5474)

About FIRST:

FIRST is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization devoted to helping young people discover and develop a passion for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Founded 25 years ago by inventor Dean Kamen, the 2013-2014 FIRST season brought together more than 367,000 youth, and volunteers filling over 150,000 roles, in more than 80 countries. The annual programs culminate in an international robotics competition and celebration where teams win recognition, gain self-confidence, develop people and life skills, make new friends, and perhaps discover an unforeseen career path.

 

New CCTE director, Al Love, comes full circle

A Kearny High School graduate, a coach, an industrial arts teacher, an administrator – these are all titles you might use to refer to Al Love. Now one more title can be added to that list – Director of College, Career and Technical Education for San Diego Unified.

Crystal Boggio, John Riego de Dios, Al Love

Love started his career at San Diego Unified as an instructional aid in the Machine Shop Technology Program at Kearny High. He then left the district and worked his way up through the administration at various middle and high schools where he oversaw CCTE-type programs.

Love recently found his way back to San Diego upon being selected for the CCTE director position, which he said was a natural opportunity for him to return to his home district. He brings with him a wealth of knowledge and confidence that he can make a positive impact on the future of the CCTE program.

As director, Love’s goal is to align the technical skills classes offered through CCTE with “A-G” requirements so that students do not have to choose between gaining real-world application based skills and meeting requirements for postsecondary education. In order to be considered for admission by UC and CSU schools, high school students must complete approved “A-G” courses.

“In the past, these [CCTE] classes were to the side – they weren’t seen as rigorous or as relevant as core classes,” Love said. “I want to show that they can be both. That we are in unison, and that students don’t have to make a choice between one or the other.”

In order to implement this integration, CCTE is developing course curriculum maps that align with the “A-G” requirements. CCTE will then submit those plans to the UC system for approval.

Love sees this as an opportunity for CCTE to continue to grow. A product of the ROP Machine Tool Technology program at Kearny High, 1980, Love knows firsthand the value that these technical and occupational based classes provide.

“It is personally fulfilling to remember what this program did for me and to see it is still helping students today,” Love said.

In addition to keeping students on track for postsecondary education, CCTE is building the certification process into programs so that students will also be career ready upon graduation.

The Machine Tool and Engineering Program at Kearny High is housed in the same room that Love sat in as an ROP student, and the program’s current teacher, John Riego de Dios, was a classmate of Love’s in the ‘80s. The program recently received NIMS accreditation, becoming one of only two schools in California who can boast this credentialing from the National Institute for Metalworking Skills.

As CCTE adds accreditation opportunities to its programs and continues to align coursework with “A-G” requirements and Common Core State Standards, the program’s ability to provide students with the tools necessary to succeed in both college and career only grows stronger.

San Diego Unified celebrates Read Across America

Elementary students throughout the district recently celebrated Dr. Seuss and the National Education Association’s Read Across America Day. During the week of March 2-6, schools honored the beloved children’s author with carnivals, parades, costumes and guest readers.

Students at Field ES.

Read Across America is a year-round program that focuses on motivating children to read through events, partnerships and reading resources. The program culminates each year with a call for every child in every community to celebrate reading on March 2, the birthday of Dr. Seuss.

See how schools throughout the district honored Dr. Seuss and celebrated literacy.

Cabrillo ES: Cabrillo Elementary invited various local professionals to promote literacy and show a love for reading on March 3. Before guests read to students, they held a sing-a-long to Dr. Seuss songs to get everyone in the spirit. After spending time in classrooms reading Dr. Seuss and other favorite books, the guests shared with students the importance of reading in their careers.

Fay ES: Fay Elementary kicked off the week with a spirit assembly on Monday and welcomed guest readers throughout the week. Readers included Board Trustee Richard Barrera, news reporters John Howard and Laura Cavanaugh, and Jagger and Kristi from Magic 92.5.

Field ES: Field Elementary followed suit, holding activities throughout the week to celebrate Dr. Seuss and literacy. The school incorporated Spirit Week activities such as Crazy Sock Day, Crazy Hair Day, Pajama Day, Grade Level Color Day and Mismatched Day.

Literacy events at Field included a school-wide Reading Rally; a Rolling Teacher Reader Day, where teachers matched with another class and brought them to their rooms for a read aloud; a Dr. Seuss themed Door/Window Decorating Contest; and a Family Literacy Night.

Students at Franklin ES.

Franklin ES: Students at Franklin Elementary discovered, or rediscovered, the magic and fun of Dr. Seuss' books during their celebration of Read Across America.

"One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, is my favorite Dr. Seuss book because it has funny, colorful pictures that make me laugh,” said Jackie, a kindergartener at Franklin. “It also has funny rhyming words.”

Each class had at least two guest readers visit and read Dr. Seuss books. Afterward, Cat in the Hat led a parade of students dressed in their finest Dr. Seuss attire around the school.

Lindbergh Schweitzer ES: Fun with furry-friends was to be had at Lindbergh Schweitzer Elementary on March 3 as the school welcomed 12 Paws'tive Teams Therapy dogs and their owners, dressed in their finest Dr. Seuss attire, to read to classrooms – one class even got to experience a live animal encounter thanks to the Helen Woodward Animal Center. Other classes heard from local guest authors, the San Diego Zoo’s traveling education department and Circus Vargas performers who not only read, but acted out the emotions of the characters.  

Sessions ES: Donning Dr. Seuss hats and carrying Dr. Seuss books, nearly 25 military men and women from Point Loma Naval base visited each classroom at Kate Sessions Elementary School and read a book to each class. KUSI visited the school and interviewed Captain Warner, the principal, and Carol Beville, the military liaison, regarding the event. Students loved the visiting military personnel as many of their mothers and fathers are deployed.  

Walker ES: To kick-off Read Across America at Walker Elementary school, Authors, Illustrators and Journalists (AIJ) Academy students created a newsletter for the entire school. Students also celebrated student above and beyond reading goals with a VIP luncheon with children’s book authors Mathew Ward and Henry Herz. The school also held a Barnes and Noble Book Fair and Family Fun Night with the Mira Mesa community.

Bringing STEAM to the mainstream

IN THE NEWS: The San Diego Festival of Science & Engineering kicks off on Saturday, bringing six days of experiments, activities and interactions with local science educators and professionals. Rodger Ashworth, 47, a resource teacher and administrator at Washington Elementary STEAM Magnet is one of the event’s participants. The University City resident challenged his kindergarten through fifth grade students to design and build arcade games, which will be on display at the festival’s Petco Park Expo Day on March 21. Ashworth, a native San Diegan who went to Santa Fe Christian High School and Point Loma Nazarene University, explains why art is an important part of science. Read more from UT San Diego.

Photo courtesy of UT San Diego

Correia Middle student brings school together to bury time capsule

Correia Middle School recently celebrated their 30th anniversary by burying a time capsule in front of their library, and a ceremony honoring the historic occasion. The event was made possible by the efforts of one student.

Steven Correia and Jacob Wade

As part of his participation in ASB, Jacob Wade was working with the yearbook class and organizing storage rooms. He happened to find a yearbook from Correia Middle School’s class of 1985.

This was the school’s first yearbook after transitioning from Collier Junior High to Correia Middle. Jake recognized how rare it was that his school was named after somebody who was still alive, Steven V. Correia, an influential glassblowing artist.

Combined with his interest in history, this spark gave Jake a hunger for more knowledge of his school’s past.

“One of my big projects was to organize the yearbooks from 1979 to present day,” Jake said. “I had gone through a lot of old back rooms and found a lot of things that students used in the 80s, a lot of different floppy discs, card stocks from the foundation and letters that had actually been written from Mr. Correia to the people who designed our logos in Hawaii.”

In May 2014, Jake was finishing 7th grade when he had the idea to bury a time capsule in honor of Correia Middle’s 30th anniversary. Rejoining ASB in 8th grade gave him the opportunity to make his idea a reality. With help from Correia Middle Principal Jonathan McDade, librarian Julie McKay and other ASB members, Jake spearheaded the event.

“The challenge was getting the physical set-up and getting from a concept to actually making it happen,” Jake said.

On January 16, ASB representatives, PTA members, staff and students gathered on campus in celebration of their school’s heritage. Steven Correia and Principal McDade gave speeches. Then Jake gave a speech about the history of the school. After that, Jake and Principal McDade lowered the time capsule into a hole in front of the library.

Inside the time capsule is present day memorabilia such as letters to the future, newspapers, pictures of President Obama and information on current trends. There are also four yearbooks from four decades: 1984, 1994, 2004 and 2014.

Jake knew from the beginning that this ceremony would be a big project, but with help, he was confident that he could pull it off.

“Even though I’m just a student, and I’m not anything special at the school, I can contact the newspaper, I can contact the news and I can make a big thing happen,” Jake said. “If I just get into the school, get involved, there’s nothing stopping me from making something happen.”

Jacob Wade is something special. He is an ambitious young student who took the initiative to honor his school’s legacy. He also plans to continue being a part of ASB as he goes into high school.

“I like getting involved in the school, I like feeling more a part of the school than just a student who goes to the school,” Jake said.

As for digging up Correia Middle’s time capsule in 2045, he will definitely be there.

News Coverage:

Correia Middle School buries time capsule - SD News.com

'Girls in Engineering Day' promotes STEM subjects

Middle school girls from around the district recently gathered for “Girls in Engineering Day” to explore the design process through engineering and architecture.

Hosted by Stanley E. Foster School of Engineering, Innovation and Design (EID) at Kearny High School, the event kicked off with remarks from San Diego City Councilwoman Sherri Lightner, who was a female engineer before her political career.

Students participated in a Rube Goldberg competition, designing and constructing a mechanism that moves items without human contact, incorporates a balloon and includes a zip line. They worked in teams comprised of five middle school girls, one EID high school girl mentor and an engineer mentor from SDSU, UCSD or SDG&E.

Michelle Bunn from Project Lead the Way talked about career opportunities for women in engineering and about the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between The School of Engineering, Innovation, and Design and the engineering program at SDSU. The MOU between EID and SDSU includes guaranteed admission to the College of Engineering if a student progresses successfully through specific courses and completes the additional parameters of the agreement. More information on the memorandum can be found on Kearny EID’s website.

According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, over the past 10 years, growth in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) jobs was three times as fast as growth in non-STEM jobs. STEM workers are also less likely to experience joblessness than their non-STEM counterparts.

Although women make up nearly half of the working population, they remain underrepresented in STEM occupations. Women with STEM jobs earned 33 percent more than comparable women in non-STEM jobs – considerably higher than the STEM premium for men. As a result, the gender wage gap is smaller in STEM jobs than in non-STEM jobs. Women hold a disproportionately low share of STEM undergraduate degrees, particularly in engineering.

For more information about this event or Kearny’s School of Engineering, Innovation, and Design contact James Michaelian at jmichaelian@sandi.net.

IN THE NEWS: La Jolla High teachers reflect on love, life, teaching

When longtime La Jolla High School teachers Rachel and Howard Tenebaum were in college -- Rachel, a freshman, and Howard, a junior -- they attended an orientation event for students eager to make friends.

Flash forward 32 years, the twosome are still together happily and teaching at La Jolla High School, with Rachel teaching biology since 2002 and Howard teaching environmental science and chemistry since 2007.

Read their special love story published in the La Jolla Light.

Happy Valentine's Day!