Seven graduating seniors named Gates Millennium Scholars

Victoria Capuchino

Leslie Chavez

Not pictured: Triet Pham Brandon Zambrano

Dacia Dunn

Luis Galvan

Daniel Milion

Seven members of the Class of 2014 have been named Gates Millennium Scholars.

Each of the 1,000 students named nationwide is awarded a good-through-graduation scholarship that can be used to pursue a degree in any undergraduate major at the accredited college or university of his or her choice.

Named to the scholarship program from San Diego Unified are: Pham Triet, Crawford High; Luis Galvan, La Jolla; Dasia Dunn, Lincoln; Leslie Chavez and Daniel Milion, Preuss UCSD Charter; Victoria Capuchino, SCPA; and Brandon Zambrano, University City.

“I am extremely proud of these talented students," said Superintendent Cindy Marten. "Their hard work, commitment and perseverance are being rewarded with amazing good-through-graduation college scholarships.

"The door to a bright future is wide open and the possibilities are endless. My advice to these students is to continue to Work Hard. Be Kind. Dream Big. No Excuses.”

Established in 1999 with the goal of developing "Leaders for America’s Future," the Gates Millennium Scholars Program is funded by a $1.6 billion grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The program is removing barriers to education for high-performing, low-income students.

Each year it enables 5,000 students to attend and graduate from 800 of the most selective private and public schools in the country, including Ivy League colleges, flagship state universities, United Negro College Fund member institutions and other minority-serving institutions.

The program provides recipients with leadership development opportunities, mentoring, academic and social support as well as financial support. The program is known for its recipients' high graduation rates – a six-year rate of more than 87 percent (28 percent higher than the national graduation rates for all students and comparable to the rates for students from high-income families).

Seven seniors are Gates Millennium Scholars

Graduating seniors from Kearny High Science Connections and Technology, San Diego High School of Business, Scripps Ranch High School and University City High schools are among 1,000 students nationwide who have been awarded 2013 Gates Millennium Scholarships.

The program awards the Class of 2013 Gates Millennium Scholars good-through-graduation scholarships which can be used to pursue degrees in any undergraduate major at the accredited college or university of the recipients’ choice. It is funded through a $1.6 billion grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and has helped remove barriers to education for more than 20,000 high-performing, low income students since it was established in 1999. It is administered by the United Negro College Fund in partnership with with the American Indian Graduate Center Scholars, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund and the Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund.

Three students from University City High School – Susan Stewart, Matthew Wood and Calvin Yao – received the scholarships. Also receiving scholarships were: from the San Diego High School of Business, Miguel Anzelmetti and Anesheawa Senior; Nhat Quang Thai, Kearny Science Connections and Technology; and Solomon Ephraim, Scripps Ranch High School.

"All of us at the San Diego Unified School District commend the hard work of these students and are thrilled with the opportunity they are receiving from the Gates Millennium Scholarship Program," said Superintendent Bill Kowba.

According to the program, it provides recipients with leadership development opportunities, mentoring, academic and social support as well as financial support. Known for its recipients' high graduation rates, Gates Millennium Scholars have a six-year graduation rate of more than 86 percent (38 percent higher than the national graduation rates for all students) and comparable to the rates for students from high-income families.

Students have already been accepted to four-year institutions. Scripps Ranch High's Ephraim is scheduled to attend UC Santa Barbara. At UC High, Susan Stewart is slated for UC Berkeley, New York University or UCLA; Matthew Wood, Brown University; and Calvin Yao, UC Berkeley, University of Chicago or UCLA. San Diego High's School of Business Miguel Anzelmetti is going to UCSD and Anesheawa Senior is going to Tuskegee University.

Qualifications for the program include: a 3.3 grade point average; African American, American Indian – Alaska Native, Asian Pacific Islander American, or Hispanic American ethnic groups; will enroll for the first time at a U.S. located, accredited college or university (with the exception of students concurrently pursuing a high school diploma) in the fall of 2013 as a full-time, degree-seeking, first-year student; have demonstrated leadership abilities through participation in community service, extracurricular or other activities; meet the Federal Pell Grant eligibility criteria. First-time college enrollees can also be GED recipients.

For more information, visit the program's website.

Homeless Kimbrough, Crawford, Henry, New Dawn and Storefront Youth Shelter Students Get Shoes

Homeless students from Kimbrough Elementary School, Crawford and Patrick Henry high schools, New Dawn School and residents of Storefront Youth Shelter shopped for new shoes thanks to a generous donation from Gaylord Hansen Mortgage Group, a San Diego branch of Gateway Funding. The 103 students picked out more than $2,300 in shoes.

Gaylord Hansen employees were joined by district staff to help students in selecting the right pair of shoes at Payless Shoe Source in Point Loma on Oct. 11. Students also received socks, snacks, and a t-shirt.


For information, contact Rebecca Benner, rbenner@sandi.net, (619) 725-7652.

Watch a video of the event»

Gaylord Hansen Shoes Event from Ron Cook Media on Vimeo.

National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists Announced

There's just one more hurdle for those on the semi-finalist list for the prestigious National Merit Scholarship and students at La Jolla, Patrick Henry, Scripps Ranch and University City high schools are hoping they make the grade for a college scholarship that can be worth $2,500 or more.

To become a finalist, the semifinalist and their high school must submit a detailed scholarship application in which they provide information about the Semifinalist’s academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, and honors and awards received, according to the scholarship's organizer, the National Merit Scholarship Organization.

On the semifinalist list from San Diego Unified are the following students. La Jolla High: Lydia A. Chim, Michaela A. Diercks, Marian Dorst, Patrick J. Eisen, Kathleen Fan, Oliva Y. Gu, Sarah D. Herrmann, Zoe Kleinfield and Marissa C. Nienberg. Patrick Henry High: Amy L. Morrison. Scripps Ranch High School: Fabian K. Boemer, Karli R. Holman, Alwin H. Hui, Jim Liu, Mark R. Saddler, Kenneth Xu. University City High School: Tyler A. Davis, Yvonne Shieh, Alexander C. Wu.

A Semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, write an essay, and earn sat scores that confirm the student’s earlier performance on the qualifying test. From the approximately 16,000 semifinalists across the country, about 15,000 are expected to advance to the finalist level and in February they will be notified of this designation.

Three types of National Merit Scholarships will be offered in the spring of 2013. Every Finalist will compete for one of 2,500 National Merit $2500 Scholarships that will be awarded on a state representational basis. About 1,000 corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards will be provided by approximately 240 corporations and business organizations for Finalists who meet their specified criteria, such as children of the grantor’s employees or residents of communities where sponsor plants or offices are located.

In addition, about 200 colleges and universities are expected to finance some 4,800 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards for Finalists who will attend the sponsor institution. National Merit Scholarship winners of 2013 will be announced in four nationwide news releases beginning in April and concluding in July. These scholarship recipients will join more than 291,000 other distinguished young people who have earned the Merit Scholar title.

Juarez, Whitman Receive $25,000 Grants from Target

Juarez and Whitman elementary schools were awarded $25,000 grants as part of Target Stores’ “Give With Target” initiative.

The two schools were among 25 schools nationwide announced this week. Target plans on announcing 75 more grant winners by the end of August.

“My staff has been celebrating the good news since we got the official word,” said Juarez Principal Marceline Marques. “I don't know how to thank Target for this gift. It will really make a difference for our students.”

Area 4 Superintendent Marian Phelps recommended both schools apply for the grants. Juarez plans to use the grant money to pay for its Power Hour program teachers. These teachers collaborate with the classroom teachers to provide strategic and focused literacy support for one hour to small groups of students across all grade levels.

“This grant is invaluable to a small school like Whitman Elementary,” said Principal Pamela Thompson. “We have a limited budget and can't afford extra supplies and opportunities for our students.”

Whitman looks to use the grant to support its Science, Technology, Math and Engineering programs. Plans include technology support for its K-2 Deaf and Hard of Hearing and other special needs students, supplies to complement the science Foss kits, and maintaining its partnership with Ruben H. Fleet to give students access to science-related field trips.

“Give With Target” is a two-part giving campaign aimed at helping schools across the country prepare for the new school year. Target will provide $2.5 million in grants to 100 in-need schools, as well as up to $2.5 million in Target GiftCards to local schools that receive votes on Target’s Facebook page.

For every 25 votes a school receives through Target’s Facebook application on Facebook.com/Target, the company will donate a $25 Target GiftCard, with a maximum donation of $10,000 per school. Parents, students and teachers are encouraged to vote weekly from July 26 to Sept. 8.

50 JROTC Students Headed to Camp at SDSU This Summer

Camp for 50 JROTC students will be this summer at San Diego State University, as they'll be part of the College of Engineering's science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) camp this summer.

For the second-year program, students will follow much the same routine as the 2011 class. The campers will be looking at engineering, bio-medical, robotics and nursing at the university level, with hands-on experiments such as building remote control robotic devices, studying robotic programming and learning the anatomy of the human heart

Other course projects include the understanding of how the circulatory system functions, making a heart pump, doing a laparoscopic surgery activity, creating a rocket-powered car, attempting to fly an airplane through the use of flight simulators, exploring the use of solar panels and experimenting with hydrogen fuel cell cars.

The program is funded by the Army's JROTC Cadet Command and includes room and board in SDSU dormitories, a campus tour and other activities that give them a taste of campus life. This program was initiated through the support of Dr. Bruce Westermo, Assistant Dean in the College of Engineering at San Diego State University, and LTC David Guzman, San Diego Unified's JROTC Program Manager.

For more information, please contact Guzman at dguzman1@sandi.net.

Padres Host Student Body Presidents

Student leaders from La Jolla High, above, and Patrick Henry High, below, were guests of the Padres.

ASB presidents and other student body officials were guests of the San Diego Padres for a game just before the season ended.

Presidents from Clairemont, Crawford, Patrick Henry, La Jolla, Mission Bay, Morse and Point Loma high schools received tickets to enjoy time together as the home team won its last game of the season. It was an evening of laughter and memorable times.

Race Human Relations and Advocacy is thankful with this new partnership with the Padres that allows the students to have a group experience out in the community.

Thank you to Alex Montoya, Manager of Latino Affairs and Christina Papasedero, Coordinator, Community Relations and Padres Foundation, and the San Diego Padres for this opportunity.

For more information on the Race, Human Relations and Advocacy program and ASB government, contact Rodolfo Parra at (858) 490-868.

Jimmie Johnson Foundation, Lowe's Program Gives Nearly $100,000 to District Schools

Johnson autographs
a donated engine
during a recent
reception with
SDUSD students.

Clairemont High, Pt. Loma High and SciTech at San Diego High are recipients of nearly $100,000 in total grants from the Jimmie Johnson Foundation/Lowe's Toolbox for Education Champions Grants programs.

Clairemont received $30,680.41 to replace half-century old woodshop equipment. Pt. Loma's $25,342 will purchase a fuel-injected engine trainer and other equipment for their automotive technology lag. SciTech at San Diego High will use the $43,936 to further its Green Technology and Engineering Program. High Tech High Pt. Loma Village Schools, a San Diego Unified Charter School, also received $47,040 to acquire updated innovative classroom technology.

Johnson is an El Cajon native and five-time NASCAR champion. His foundation has made several donations to San Diego Unified programs since it was founded in 2006. The Jimmie Johnson Foundation/Lowe's Toolbox for Education Champions Grants have given more than $300,000 to San Diego Unified schools.

"This is a very generous donation to some really outstanding programs," said Superintendent Bill Kowba. "These types of donations are so important as equipment and technology change faster than we can update equipment. Of course, the entire San Diego Unified School District continues to be a big fan of Jimmie Johnson."

In a statement, Johnson, who co-founded the program with his wife, Chandra, said giving back to the community is extremely important.

“K-12 public education continues to be the primary focus of the Jimmie Johnson Foundation,” Johnson said in a statement. “It is amazing to read through the applications and see the unbelievable needs of these schools. We are honored to play a small part.”

For more information on this year's grants, contact Greg Quirin in the College, Career and Technical Education program at (858) 509-1736.

Science Scholarships go to La Jolla High Students

By Katie Allen
Reporter, Hi-Tide, La Jolla High School

Four La Jolla High School students have won $1,000 scholarships from the Green Skills Competition, where participants were asked their ideas on how make the military more green, the only scholarships awarded to San Diego County students.

The winners, sophomores Joshua Marsters, Maya Laksham and Ulysse Carion, and senior Shauna Jellison, were asked to describe a way that they could reduce their impact on the environment in their daily lives. Students were given a choice of artwork or a video.

The La Jolla High students involved became aware of the competition through their physics instructors and the school Science Team and won the only cash prizes -- the $1,000 scholarships -- that were awarded to San Diego School county students. Both girls (Jellison and Laksham) were given the prizes for their artwork, while the boys (Carion and Marsters) were rewarded for their work in video production.

The students will be awarded their scholarships this Saturday, Nov. 5, at the at the Fame Gala taking place at the San Diego Air and Space Museum.

Nordstrom Scholarships Go to Two San Diego Unified Students

Madison High School student Krissylyn Johnson, center, celebrates her scholarship award with Nordstrom representatives Jenn Campbell, left, and Anita Crandall.	Two high school students in the San Diego Unified School District -- one from Madison, one from San Diego High -- have received four year, $10,000 scholarships from the Nordstrom department store. Krisslyn Johnson of Madison High and Anita Agoh of the School of Science and Technology (SciTech) each received the college scholarships from the store. The scholarship provides the students with $2,500 per year for four years. In 2011, students in the 28 states where Nordstrom currently has an operating full-line store will be eligible to apply for a Nordstrom Scholarship. Eighty scholarships will be awarded. Each scholarship will be paid out in equal installments of $2,500 over four years to the selected student's college of choice. Students must be attending a four-year college or university. For more information on the scholarship, go to the Nordstrom Scholarship website.	Anita Agoh of SciTech at San Diego High celebrates her Nordstrom Scholarship award with her family. From left, San Diego High Counselor Andreanna Murphy, Counselor; Anthonia Agoh, Anita's mom; Anita; Anita Crandall, Nordstrom representative; Johne Agoh, Anita's father; Awele Agoh, brother; Anita Crandall, Nordstrom.

IN THE NEWS: Scripps Ranch High Student's Goal Is to Walk in Graduation

Patrick Ivison, who was run over by a car when he was 14 months old, was told by doctors he would never walk again. His goal is to walk across the stage at his graduation from Scripps Ranch High School next year, he said. Read more from the Poway Chieftan»

Congratulations to students on National Merit Scholarship semifinal list

Congratulations to students from Patrick Henry, La Jolla, Mira Mesa, Pt. Loma, Scripps Ranch and University City high schools that are on the list of National Merit Scholarship semifinalists, released Sept. 14.

Qualifying as semifinalists means the students are in the running for some of the $34 million that will be divided among recipients this spring by the National Merit Scholarship Program. The program estimates that about 90 percent of the semifinalists will advance to be finalists, with more than half of those receiving scholarships or other assistance.

The semifinalists are: Sophia Quiroz from Patrick Henry High; Erica Eisen, Ryan Farley, Grace Henahan, Meredith Lehmann, Ryan Mann, Yuhao Wang, Ashley Weller, Qian Zhang and Ardis Zhong from La Jolla; Anglea Pham, Mira Mesa; Anthony Cook, Pt. Loma; Sarah delos Santos, Jacob Fineman, Brian Hie, Kevin Hu, Ryan Seo, Hyungjin Shin, Vivek Vishwanath and Amy Zheng, Scripps Ranch; and Kyle Ingraham and Hailan Pang, University City.

"I join everyone in the San Diego Unified School District, and in the San Diego community, in recognizing the hard work and achievement demonstrated by these students," said Bill Kowba, San Diego Unified Superintendent. "We wish them the best of luck in completing the process and receiving their scholarship."

Winners of the scholarships will be announced this spring.

According to National Merit, semifinalists must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by the high school principal, and earn SAT scores that confirm the student’s earlier performance on the qualifying test in order to advance to the final level. The semifinalist and a high school official must submit a detailed scholarship application, which includes the student’s essay and information about the semifinalist’s participation and leadership in school and community activities.

UC High Student Grant Proposals Result in Ugandan Labs

UC High biomed students

Students in the University City High biomedical program wrote grant proposals that have resulted in more than $15,000 in equipment donations to a college in Uganda.

"Our students have demonstrated leadership, developed teamwork, and above all, gained an introduction to the world of grant writing, a necessary component in contemporary society,” said Ellie Vandiver, UC High Biomed instructor.

After hearing from Dr. Kathryn Ely, a representative of Quench and Connect, a program that helps provide clean water and educational supplies to secondary schools in that impoverished African nation. The benefactor chosen was Gayaza Cambridge College, which has been praised for its academic excellence. The school offers physics, biology and chemistry programs, but due to a lack of equipment, students cannot complete fundamental science labs.

Last school year, UC High students presented proposals to a panel of professionals consisting of PhDs, parents, administrators, grant writers and representatives from VWR International and Fisher Scientific, large science supply companies. Over the summer, VWR International decided to fund and supply 85 percent of the student proposed supplies. Fisher Scientific is currently evaluating if it can supply the remaining 15 percent.

For more information, please contact Vandiver at evandiver@sandi.net. 

IN THE NEWS: University City High School Student Wins AMN/HCC Scholarship

Joshua Yang, a senior at University City High School, has been named the recipient of the Eighth Annual AMN/HCC Scholarship essay contest presented by the Health Care Communicators (HCC) of San Diego and AMN Healthcare. Read more.

Ford Salute to Education Scholarship Recipients

Students from 10 San Diego Unified schools have been awarded $1,000 scholarships from the San Diego County Ford Dealers Salute to Education Program which encourages students to continue their education after high school.

The program focuses on recruiting students who have earned recognition for their achievements, and contributions to their school and community. Although academic accomplishments are considered, it is not the only determining factor in who receive the scholarship. The following students were among the 100 scholarship recipients:

Crawford CHAMPs: Edith Chavez

High Tech High School: Sherilyn Bumatay, Jeffrey Payne

Hoover High School: Alay Cristales, Isabel Herrera, Kieu Nguyen, Karen Sanchez, Anjelica Thang, Minh Vo

La Jolla High School: Torrey Czech, Max MacMillan

Madison High School: Alicia Baniak, Zhen Wang

Mission Bay High School: Mary Nguyen,

Preuss School UCSD: Jasmine Brasswell, Mai Chu, Alyson De la Rosa, Jocelynn Nobouphasavanh, Alexander Tesfamichael, Alma Villa

Scripps Ranch High School: Catherine Grant, Kevin Huvnh, Megan Patten, Jordan Wong

Serra High School: Benjamin Lopez

For more information, visit the Salute to Education website.

Governor’s Challenge Competition Celebrates California Fitness Month

Note: April 30 Deadline:

Schools are strongly encouraged to promote physical activity during the month of May, which is California Fitness Month. One way to promote physical activity is to encourage participation in the 2011 Governor’s Challenge Competition--a free contest among K-12 schools that challenges California students, parents and teachers to get more active, healthy and fit.

What is the Governor’s Challenge?
The Governor’s Challenge is to be active 30-60 minutes a day at least three days a week for a month. Californians taking the Governor’s Challenge can choose to be active in any way they see fit, whether it is walking to school, playing soccer at recess and lunch, or playing on a basketball team after school.

The Governor’s Challenge is FREE, and it is easy for schools to administer on-line.  Participating schools report positive benefits to students’ health and academic success.  Last year over 1.3 million students participated in the 2010 Governor’s Challenge.

What incentives and prizes are available to students and schools?
Three Grand Prizes – State-of-the-art fitness activity centers awarded to the winning:

• Elementary School
  
• Middle School
  
• High School
  
• Grand Prize winners are determined by student participation in the Governor’s Challenge and by support for good nutrition on campus
  
• NEW – Three additional fitness centers will be awarded to schools doing an exceptional job at promoting fitness during May, California Fitness Month
  
• 11 Regional Awards –$6,000 awarded to the top school in each region
  
• Official Certificates of Completion to each student who completes the Governor’s Challenge

How can schools get started in the Governor’s Challenge Competition?Principals interested in having their schools vie for an award in the 2011 Governor’s Challenge Competition should have a school representative sign up as their Governor’s Challenge Coordinator at www.CalGovCouncil.org/Challenge.

District Celebrates $49,000 Investment from the Masons of CA

To kick off the organization’s annual Public Schools Month, the Masons of California recently presented a check for $49,000 to Superintendent Bill Kowba to be applied towards scholarships for high school students. The Investment in Success Scholarship Program offers a unique opportunity for students who may not appear to be college-bound or may not be recognized for academic success, but who possess the desire and determination to overcome personal obstacles to achieve their goals.

The students and staff at Taft Middle School rolled out the red carpet for their special guests on April 1 with a celebration and reception to mark the district’s continued partnership with the Masons. Several Masonic lodges throughout the area already partner with our schools, offering human, financial and other valuable resources to support student success. The district thanks the Masons of California for their continued support of public education. For more information, contact Taft Principal (and Mason) Mike George at mgeorge@sandi.net.

Alumni Firefighter Gives Back to Crawford CHAMPS

Russell Steppe graduated from Crawford High in the 1970s and recently returned to his alma mater with some friends... his Station 1 crew from the San Diego Fire Department.

Steppe, now a captain with San Diego Fire, brought his firefighters to Crawford Community Health and Medical Practices to simulate an emergency on campus. The veteran firefighters showed the students how they respond to the unexpected and discussed the perseverance and dedication needed to pursue a career in the emergency medical system.

For more information, contact Principal William Laine, at (619) 583-2501.

For more district news, subscribe to the Superintendent's Friday Notes.

California Partnership Academy Grant to Crawford Law

With a $15,000 grant this year and $42,000 for 2011-12, the Academy of Law at the Crawford High Educational Complex is receiving funds to help create cross-curricular projects between law, history, math and English courses.
Funded by the California Bar Association to promote legal careers, the grants will also allow for continued study of lawyers, law clerks and paralegals as career paths for Crawford students.
Thomas Jefferson School of Law and California Western School of Law support the academy, which participates in Teen Court on campus and conducts mock trials.

For more information, contact Steve Luttbeg, CCTE Teacher.

Vocational Students Get Increased Opportunities Thanks to Memorial Fund

Kelly McGinnis, 1987-2005

Students continue to have increased opportunities today because of the legacy of Kelly McGinnis, whose family started the Kelly McGinnis Memorial Foundation in his honor after his 2005 death.

More than $7,000 was donated last year to support Career Technical Education (CTE) in our district. Dozens of vocational and continuing education programs and their students have benefited. In December, the foundation donated equipment to Madison High's automotive program and other construction technology classes. 

COOKING UP SUCCESS: Scripps Ranch High culinary arts program, one of many aided by foundation

Other recent recipients include Crawford High's Invention & Design Educational Academy (IDEA) automotive program, Scripps Ranch High's culinary arts and management program, and San Diego students participating in Road Trip Nation, an experience in interviewing people about their life paths and the choices that led them into their careers.

The Foundation was established in memory of Kelly McGinnis, a high school student who had experienced frustration and challenges in school due to learning and visual disabilities and neurological delays until finding success in CTE programs with an emphasis on welding and auto mechanics. These courses became the inspiration he needed to continue to tackle his academic classes and graduate in June 2005. Because of his successes in his CTE courses, he was able to secure full-time employment after graduation. He saw his life turn around and was proud of the success he had achieved with CTE's guidance. 

 For more information on the Kelly McGinnis Memorial Foundation, please visit www.thekmmf.com.

For more district news, subscribe to the Superintendent's Friday Notes.