Teachers of the Year Named for 2011

Alcorn, Chalupsky and Winn to be Honored at May 3 Celebration

Lee Elementary teacher Mark Alcorn, Marshall Middle's Jean Chalupsky and Jonathan Winn of Crawford High's School of Community Health and Medical Practices (CHAMPS) have been named San Diego Unified School District's Teachers of the Year for 2011.

The trio will be saluted at the Day of the Teacher celebration, scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 3, at Mission Bay High School. More than 130 Teachers of the Year from individual schools, Future Educator Scholars and the latest class of the district's Board Certified Teachers will be honored.

A Teacher of the Year is selected for each school level. Alcorn is a fifthgrade teacher at Lee Elementary School in South Bay, Chalupsky teaches eighth grade English Seminar at Thurgood Marshall Middle School in Scripps Ranch, and Winn is a calculus teacher at Crawford CHAMPS High School in City Heights.

"This is a trio of extremely talented teachers," said Superintendent Bill Kowba. "They represent everything that is right about being dedicated to students and shaping the next generation of Americans."

A college job as a teacher’s aide allowed Mark Alcorn to apply his computer problem-solving skills to teaching elementary students; he decided teaching was more rewarding so it was good-bye computer sciences, hello elementary school kids. A local product, he graduated from Patrick Henry High School. He has been teaching at Lee Elementary since 2003 and in San Diego Unified for more than 20 years.

A need for a more interesting college job led Jean Chalupsky to teaching, a career that now spans more than 20 years. She's taught at Jerabek Elementary and is currently an eighth grade English seminar teacher at Thurgood Marshall Middle School. Her love of literature and fascination with the writers' historical context continues to challenge her students.

Jonathan Winn has only been a teacher for six years, joining Crawford CHAMPS as a math teacher four years ago. Winn has developed a high voltage classroom atmosphere that inspires high school students to get excited about math and how it shapes everyday life. He's a calculus evangelist, expanding the reach of the program to include an ever-larger number of students.

Alcorn, Chalupsky and Winn will go on to the San Diego County competition along with the district’s three Runners-up for Teacher of the Year, Gay Young from Kumeyaay Elementary, Britney Sandoval from Lewis Middle School, and David Evers from San Diego High School of International Studies.

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Whitman Elementary Teacher Named Hero by Local Radio Station

Whitman Elementary Teacher Angelina Reed has been honored with this month’s Teachers Are Heroes Award sponsored by FM 94.9 and Azusa Pacific University. Reed was chosen out of more than 26,000 teachers from 725 schools around San Diego County.

Reed has taught at Whitman since 2004 and is a Special Education teacher, working with with both moderate students and students with disabilities. She works to provide her students with a rigorous academic education both in special education and in the general education settings. Motivated by the idea that students with disabilities deserve the same opportunities as all students, Reed encourages teachers to focus on their strengths and not their disabilities.

Since 2001, FM 94.9 and Azusa Pacific University have presented this award to the most deserving teachers and educators. Award recipients also receive prizes for themselves and their classroom, as well as an opportunity to attend a celebration at Legoland California with their entire class.

For more information, contact Whitman Elementary Principal Pamela Thompson at pthompson1@sandi.net.

Academic Achievements Honored at 14 Title I Schools

Significant Academic Gains Noted by State Dept. of Education

Academic achievements at 14 Title I schools in the San Diego Unified School District have been noted by the US Dept. of Education.

The schools are: Angier, Barnard, Boone, Chesterton, Florence, Jones, Ocean Beach, Pacific Beach, Sequoia, Vista Grande and Wegeforth elementary schools; Kearny High Digital Media and Design, and the San Diego High School of International Studies high schools; and King/Chavez Primary Academy Charter School.

"This is a well deserved recognition of the excellent work being done by the students, teachers, principals and staff at these schools under very difficult conditions," said Superintendent Bill Kowba. "Students in Title I schools have great challenges and we congratulate them on the improvements documented to receive this award."

Presented each year, the Title I Academic Achievement Awards go to schools who receive federal funds under the Title I Program, which helps students living below or near the poverty level. The extra funding is used by schools in a variety of ways.
To win this award, the school shows that students are making significant progress toward proficiency on California's academic content standards, meeting state targets for two consecutive years.

Each principal will be treated to a state-funded reception and banquet at the Disneyland Hotel in May.

For more information about the California Title I Academic Achievement Award reception and banquet, please visit the California Dept. of Education.

Safe Space Kits Go Out to All Middle, High Schools

Thanks to a generous donation from the Verizon Foundation, all district K-8, middle and high schools will receive a free copy of the Safe Space Kit, part of a nationwide campaign to build inclusive, safe learning spaces for all students. Safe Space supports the work of the district’s Safe Schools Task Force, a group of district and community leaders working together to develop and implement a stronger anti-bullying policy for our schools. Read more.

Spring Fun Café Brings Free Lunch to Year-Round Students

April brings multiple opportunities for San Diego Unified School District children on Spring Break to have free lunches and snacks and participate in family BBQs as Spring Fun Café begins a three-week run on Monday, April 11.

Lunch will be free to kids age 18 and younger at eight City of Sna Diego Recreation Centers, a community centers and at eight schools. Some of the locations will also have breakfast and snacks available.

The Spring Fun Café family barbecues are being held on the following dates:

• April 13: Memorial Park, 2902 Marcy Ave. (next to Logan Elementary).
• April 20: Cherokee Point Elementary, 3735 38th St. (92105).

Please check our website for further details.

 

This program is a collaboration between: the San Diego Unified School District Food Services Department and Office of Youth in Transition and the schools involved; City of San Diego Park and Recreation Department; Jackie Robinson YMCA, Feeding America San Diego. and several schools make these programs possible.

The program is funded by the Seamless Summer Lunch Program from the US Department of Agriculture.

Check out the Food Services website or contact Joanne Tucker at jtucker@sandi.net or (858) 627-7316.

Follow Prop. S on Facebook and Twitter

Learn more about Proposition S and the projects being completed under the bond program by following us on Facebook (search: Proposition S) and Twitter (username: PropositionS). The new sites were launched today! Prop. S, the $2.1 billion bond measure passed in 2008 by San Diego voters, is providing resources to repair, renovate and revitalize our neighborhood schools. Besides the district-wide technology upgrades, new classroom buildings are complete at Pt. Loma and Hoover high schools; stadiums are being upgraded at high schools around the district; new marquees were installed at various elementary schools; and multiple College, Career and Technical Education facilities opened at San Diego High, Clairemont and Madison high schools. Find out more about these and other activities at your schools by following Prop. S. If you aren’t already following San Diego Unified on Facebook and Twitter, you can find them at: facebook.com/SanDiegoUnified and twitter.com (username: sdschools). For even more information on Prop. S, visit our web site at www.sandi.net/PropS or call 619-725-7252.