Pacific Beach Middle Unveils Safe Routes to Schools Mural

Young artists, school staff, community leaders, school district and elected officials joined residents and Beautiful PB on Saturday, Sept. 20 at 4 p.m. to unveil the inaugural “Safe Routes to Schools” mural at Pacific Beach Middle IB World School.

The award-winning mural, located at the intersection of Diamond and Haines, was designed by former PB Middle and current Mission Bay High student Ciara Gray. Her design symbolizes the beach area students and serves to highlight the community’s commitment to establishing safe routes to schools through high-traffic areas.

“This project engages students and the public in practicing a safe commute – something we cannot take for granted with so many children walking to school through busy streets,” said Kristen Victor, Beautiful PB Board President.

Read more on Pacific Beach Middle IB World School's website.

 

Birney Elementary hosts Passport to Adventure International Festival

Where in San Diego can you sample fried plantains, write your name in hieroglyphs, and try on a sari?

More than 300 families did just that at Birney Elementary’s Passport to Adventure International Festival held earlier this summer. This annual free event allows families and the larger University Heights community the chance to connect with Birney's International Baccalaureate program by experiencing the cultures of nations from around the globe.

Each grade level researched a different country and presented a native food, craft, and game. This year, the countries represented were Egypt, Bangladesh, Guatemala, Armenia, Benin, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

"It’s an opportunity for students to experience first-hand the benefits of the International Baccalaureate Learner Profile,” said Birney parent and event organizer Dawn Martin. “Specifically, they learned to be open-minded about other cultures; and they were encouraged to be risk-takers to try a food, a game, and a craft from six different countries. As they learn about different areas of the world, we hope that they will continue to be inquirers about the world around them."

Educators and entertainers performed on a central stage throughout the day. Presentations included visits from animals from around the world, a drum circle, and circus performances. Families enjoyed concessions and game booths, such as tie-dye, an internationally-themed scavenger hunt, and the ever-popular dunk tank manned by Birney staff and teachers.

The Passport to Adventure Festival is a great representation of Birney’s motto of “Think globally, learn locally,” and highlights its strengths as an International Studies magnet and IB World School.

For more information about Birney Elementary, please contact the principal at Amanda Hammond-Williams at 619-497-3500.

'Kids Crew' cleans-up University Heights

Second-grader Hanna Patterson is making a difference, one piece of trash at a time.

Inspired by her class’s “Sharing the Planet” unit of inquiry at Birney Elementary, Hanna created the “Kids Clean-up Crew,” also known as the K.C.C. With the help of her teacher, Ms. Lori Rapczynski, Hanna and the Kids Clean-up Crew picked up litter on the school grounds and around the University Heights neighborhood on a recent Saturday afternoon in June.

Although shocked by the amount of litter to pick up, the students enjoyed identifying items that could also be recycled. The “Kids Clean-up Crew” even received a standing ovation outside Lestat’s Coffee House for their efforts.

Hanna first began picking up litter while taking walks with her mom around her own neighborhood. The response from people on the street and business owners was so positive that Hanna was motivated to expand her efforts to other neighborhoods and get other kids involved, so she created the “Kids Clean-up Crew.”

Hanna’s desire to make an impact on the world exemplifies the curriculum being taught as part of the International Baccalaureate program at Birney, which encourages students to take action that makes a difference to and in the world.

She looks forward to joining with other kids to organize more “Kids Clean-up Crew” neighborhood clean-ups. To get involved with Kids Clean-up Crew, please email info@birneypta.com for more information.

Thine contest winner is Pacific Beach Middle School

Pacific Beach Middle International Baccalaureate World School won a trophy for best scene at the Shakespeare Festival in Balboa Park. Eight Pacific Beach Middle International Baccalaureate World School students — Sophie Adams, Vance Allan, Nicholas Archer, Ryleigh Maple, Whitney Marshall, Nina Morch, Sophie Reich and Emma Rodriguez — with the assistance of their history and art teacher Mrs. Liebke and Music teacher Mr. O’Donnell, performed a scene at the Shakespeare Festival in Balboa Park in May.

The scenes had to be 9-11 minutes long, could be interpreted openly, but had to stick to Shakespeare’s words. Nina put together a compilation of a scene from Hamlet and a scene from Macbeth that all students performed.

PB Middle Vice Principal honored by International Baccalaureate group

Mitchell Booz, Vice Principal at Pacific Beach Middle IB World School was awarded the Teacher Training Award for California IB Middle Years Programme World Schools at the California Association of IB World School Spring Conference. As a winner of the award, Booz will receive an all-expense paid trip to International Baccalaureate World School Heads of School Training.



PB Middle is already home to the three California IB Exemplary MYP Educators (Dan Sloan: Mathematics; Carren Lindsay-Dial: Language and Literature; Karla Martinez; Physical and Health Education), the IB Outstanding MYP Student of the Year Award (Hannah Bloom, PB Middle/MBHS) and Teacher Training Award recipient Principal Ernie Remillard. To learn more about our award-winning program visit our webpage www.sandi.net/pbmiddle or "Like us" on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pbmiddle

The California Association of International Baccalaureate World Schools (CAWS), a vital leader in promoting access to international education within the State of California, is a financially responsible, passionate, innovative association that proactively and effectively serves prospective and member schools. Visit the association's website for more information.

Birney Elementary students collect 2,249 lbs. of shoes in Great Kindness Challenge

More than 2,000 pairs of shoes — weighing 2,249 pounds — have been collected by Birney Elementary School students as part of their second Great Kindness Challenge.

“Not everyone has spare dollars to contribute to something, but most people have a pair of old shoes around,” said Karin Claisse, the parent who organized the drive.

The 2,249 pounds of shoes, all usable and paired, will be sorted and delivered to developing nations by the organization Shoes with Heart.They filled 90 large, green trash bags, packaged and delivered to the charity.

The exercise encouraged the students and staff of the University Heights school to look beyond their own community to collect shoes for deserving nations. Since 2009, Birney has been an International Baccalaureate World School Primary Years Programme, which "focuses on the development of the whole child as an inquirer, both in the classroom and in the world outside. It is defined by six transdisciplinary themes of global significance, explored using knowledge and skills derived from six subject areas, with a powerful emphasis on inquiry-based learning," according to the program's website.

The project highlighted Birney's second-year participation in The Great Kindness Challenge, one school week devoted to performing as many acts of kindness as possible, choosing from a checklist of 50 suggestions.

Budget process for 2014-15 "puts students and schools first"

Planning for the 2014-15 school year "reflects our collective vision" and is being shaped by a multi-disciplinary team, Superintendent Cindy Marten told the Board of Education when she presented her proposed 2014-15 budget on Jan. 21. The team approached the process, Marten explained, by reviewing the district’s vision for equity and excellence in all schools and classrooms rather than asking how much money is available and how much needs to be cut. The proposed budget puts the priorities squarely on students with improvements and enhancements to educational program, including:

• Lowering class sizes for grades K-3;
• Full restoration of the instructional school year to 180 days;
• Improving school allocations that will make sure all schools are fully staffed and ready for students on the first day of school;
• Closing the achievement gap by the end of first grade;
• Investing in essential programs like Gifted and Talented Education (GATE), International Baccalaureate (IB), biliteracy programs, specialty arts programs, early literacy intervention and transitional kindergarten.

The Board of Education unanimously approved the superintendent's proposal.

"Our balanced budget proposal for 2014-15 puts students first with smaller class sizes, opening libraries, and supporting GATE, visual and performing arts, IB programs, graduation coaches and professional learning communities," said Board President Kevin Beiser. "The focus on reducing class size next year is great news for kids."

While budget challenges remain, the fiscal outlook is changing. San Diego Unified has a multi-year approach towards closing the deficit due to the scale of the recession of the past six years. San Diego Unified will work to implement the new budget model, the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) with equity as a central tenet. Stakeholders will have more opportunity to give input at five forums the district will hold in February and March. The first forum is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 7, from 5 to 7 p.m., at Memorial Preparatory Middle School, 2850 Logan Ave. (92113).

Watch the video of the superintendent's board presentation.

International Day of Peace observed at Birney Elementary, Roosevelt Middle schools

Birney Elementary and Roosevelt Middle schools celebrated the International Day of Peace, culminating in the creation of a giant peace sign on their schools' playgrounds.

The schools' annual celebration is part of the curriculum for the International Baccalaureate schools, which use an international approach to learning and living together. The International Baccalaureate offers programs for students ages 3-19 that develop the intellectual, personal, emotional and social skills to live, learn and work in a rapidly globalizing world.

International Baccalaureate is a non-profit, mission-driven foundation and a recognized leader in the field of international education.

At Roosevelt, located on the north edge of Balboa Park, students decorated t-shirts, posters and flags for their peace sign ceremony. Almost all of the school's 900 students participated in the sign-making, after which they performed dances.

At Birney Elementary School in University Heights, students also created a giant peace sign, lining up on the school's join-use field.

For more information on the programs, contact: Dr. Cabello at Roosevelt Middle school at acabello@sandi.net, or Amanda Hammond-Williams at Birney Elementary at ahammondwilliams@sandi.net.

Intense testing part of life at IB school

For many students, the month of May means that summertime is approaching. For more than 200 juniors and seniors enrolled in the International Baccalaureate program at Mission Bay High School, it means test time.

Since May 2006, Mission Bay High has been offering hundreds of hard-working students the opportunity to better prepare themselves for the challenges of the outside world with the IB Diploma Program. The program allows them to engage in rigorous, college-level courses in a variety of subjects, from more advanced versions of English and Mathematics to classes like Environmental Systems and Societies, and Business and Management.

A major part of the IB Program is a final assessment at the end of each course, which takes place in May. These exams are comparable to college final exams in difficulty, and are meant to challenge the students’ skills and prepare them for the rigors they will face at the next levels of their education. The testing itself spans two days for every subject, and students must complete essays in addition to the traditional examination.

The Mission Bay Cluster is one of only two clusters in San Diego Unified to offer IB programs on every possible level, thus making it one of the few K-12 IB Continuums. This includes the Primary Years Program (K-5), the Middle Years Program (6-8), and the Diploma Program (11-12). All of these are linked by the IB Learner Profile, which is what all students and staff strive to exemplify by being effective communicators, daring risk-takers, and open-minded thinkers.

As a show of support to the testers, students and staff from Kate Sessions Elementary, an IB Primary Years school, and Pacific Beach Middle School, a Middle Years Program school, worked together to create survival bags for IB students at Mission Bay High. The bags contained stationery items, candy, a joke from the students, and an inspirational quote. It is this tradition of caring and support that exemplifies the IB Learner Profile and the Mission Bay Cluster’s commitment to all of its students.

For more information on the IB Program at Mission Bay High, call 858-273-1313, ext. 285.

Mission Bay High International Baccalaureate Program still gaining steam

IN THE NEWS: The international baccalaureate (IB) program at Mission Bay High School is now in its fifth year, has 19 senior candidates and 160 to 170 students overall taking IB courses. “The courses are integrated for every student anywhere in the world who is an IB candidate who takes the “Theory of Knowledge” class, which contains the philosophy of the program,” said Sam Sample, MBHS IB senior advisor.

Mission Bay High is part of festival for its neighbor, Rose Creek

IN THE NEWS: A celebration of Rose Creek was held just recently, organized by Friends of Rose Creek and San Diego Earthworks. Rose Creek is one of the actual, live creeks that pours into east Mission Bay. Rose Creek runs down Rose Canyon, the canyon that I-5 travels, and enters the bay in its northeast quadrant, flowing right by Mission Bay High School. Read more from OB Rag»

Schools Observe ‘International Day of Peace’

International Baccalaureate Schools Roosevelt Middle and Birney Elementary created giant peace signs in honor of the International Day of Peace, Sept. 21.

At Roosevelt Middle School on the north edge of Balboa Park, the school created a 1,000-student peace sign, organized by the school's student body council and staff.

"This is the third year that we have marked the Peace One Day with special activities," said Dr. Arturo Cabello, Principal. "Students participated in a variety of classroom lessons throughout the day and made a pinwheel for peace to put on display at back-to-school night."

A logo contest to create a t-shirt design for this year's Peace One Day was won by seventh grader Dakota Barksdale.
At Birney Elementary School, a similar peace sign was made by a formation of students.

International Baccalaureate programs work to to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. Its four programmes for students aged 3 to 19 help develop the intellectual, personal, emotional and social skills to live, learn and work in a rapidly globalizing world. Celebrating international peace is one of the program's core values.

For more information on the programs, contact: Dr. Cabello at Roosevelt Middle school, (acabello@sandi.net); or Amanda Hammond-Williams at Birney Elementary, ahammondwilliams@sandi.net.

PB Middle Students Give Back 14,000 Hours to Community

Students at Pacific Beach Middle School contributed more than 14,000 hours of community service during the 2011-12 school year.

Part of their education as an International Baccalaureate Programme school, the students helped with programs such as the Coastal Cleanup and White Sea Bass feeding for Coast Keepers, holding arts and crafts classes at the local senior center and providing diapers to foster families.

"At Pacific Beach Middle students have been keeping records of service for over four years now," said Jennifer Sims, the school's Librarian and International Baccalaureate Programme coordinator. "Service, or principled action as we call it, is just part of the culture, part of who we are and what we do. This year, our students participated in over 14,000 hours of service and that's only 665 students."

Some students design their own service learning projects. Clubs like Yearbook, Ecology Composters, Garden Club, and Video Club are popular for student participation.

International Baccalaureate Programme philosophies are taught at several San Diego Unified School District schools. In addition to providing top academic achievement, the program includes a school-wide effort at public service and cooperation. The goal is to show students how the nations of the world can get along and thrive through peaceful coexistance.

For more information, contact Sims at jsims@sandi.net.

Washington Post Recognizes Nine High Schools, Charter

Nine high schools and one charter school in the San Diego Unified School District have placed on the Washington Post list of America's Most Challenging High Schools.

Two of the six schools at San Diego High made the list: International Studies, and Science and Technology. Other schools on the list are Pt. Loma, Scripps Ranch, University City, Mira Mesa, Serra, Crawford CHAMPS and Clairemont. Preuss UCSD charter also made the list.

The newspaper ranks schools based on the number of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and Advanced International Certificate of Education tests taken by its students, compared to the number of students at the school. In addition, school staff must complete a survey with the information to be included on the list.

There are more than 22,000 high schools in the nation; according to the newspaper, fewer than nine percent are on the list of Most Challenging High Schools. These tests are neither required nor funded by most schools; since they cost extra, schools in California cannot require students to take them.

"It's very important that we challenge our students to achieve," said Superintendent Bill Kowba. "Inclusion on this list means that these schools are doing a great job of motivating their students to do better."

The schools and their ranking:

• Preuss UCSD, 25
  
• School of International Studies, San Diego High, 171
• Pt. Loma High, 469
• Scripps Ranch, 560
• University City, 918
• Mira Mesa, 1,056
• Serra, 1,159
  
• CHAMPS (Community Health and Medical Practices), Crawford, 1,158
  
• School of Science and Technology, San Diego High, 1,678
  
• Clairemont, 1,725

For more information on the list, go to the Washington Post website.