Students display work at STEM event, meet Congresswoman Davis

Congresswoman Susan Davis, Sofia Coseip
and Jayda Warburton.

For anyone who still thinks that girls don’t like robotics and all things related to science, technology, engineering and math, a day at the “Engaging Girls in STEM” event may finally convince them otherwise.

More than 80 students, educators, and organization leaders joined Congresswoman Susan Davis to talk about careers in the STEM fields and how young women can get involved and develop their skills in these areas.

Among the attendees were Muirlands Middle School eighth-grader Sofia Coseip and Jayda Warburton, ninth-grader at Pt. Loma High School, who participated in the event as part of the Boys and Girls Club of Linda Vista robotics program. Their team, the Stuffed Dragons 6565, had the opportunity to showcase their robot to attendees, including Congresswoman Davis.

The Stuffed Dragons were joined by several other groups of young women engaging in STEM activities, including the Girl Scouts and the Society of Women Engineers, who also had the opportunity to display their work.

Local female business leaders led a panel discussion in which they reminded the young attendees to “surround themselves with mentors and advocates who recognize their talents” and to “find their passion and do what makes them happy.”

Congresswoman Susan Davis hosted the event in collaboration with STEAM Connect and YMCA Youth and Community Center in North Park.

For more details on the event and careers in the STEM fields, visit the event website.

San Diego Met Senior Awarded Nordstrom Scholarship

San Diego Met High School senior Hannah Brown was awarded a $10,000 scholarship from the Nordstrom Scholarship Program, presented by Anita Crandall (pictured on right with Hannah), Nordstrom Diversity Affairs Director in the San Diego region. Students are selected on the basis of their academic accomplishments. The selection committee also looks for individuals who have a strong sense of community and humanity mixed with the desire to succeed in college and excel in life.

Crandall presented the scholarship to Hannah at a special assembly on Oct. 19. "For me personally Hannah demonstrated a determination to do something beyond what she ever thought was possible," Crandall said during the presentation. "She has a quiet strength that is refreshing and although I wasn¹t on the committee, I was cheering for her."

Since 1994, Nordstrom has awarded college scholarships to hard-working high school students from across the country. The company will award 80 scholarships of $10,000 in 2013. The scholarships are paid out in equal installments of $2,500 over four years to the college of the student¹s choice.

Selection criteria requires that high school juniors live in one of the 31 states where Nordstrom operates a Full-line or Rack store. Students who demonstrate outstanding community involvement and scholastic achievement are welcome to apply for the scholarship. Students must have an un-weighted cumulative GPA of 2.7 and must also be eligible to attend a four-year college or university in the United States during all years for which the scholarship is awarded.

Hannah has completed a number of academic internships while attending Met High School. Currently, she is an intern at 3 D Robotics working with hobby drones. She has been accepted to LeTourneau University in Longview, TX where she plans to major in Electrical Engineering.

For further information contact Principal Mildred Phillips at MPhillips@sandi.net or (619)388-2297.

Kearny CTA, Crawford IDEA Students Compete in Canstruction Event

Kearny CTA students create their "Hunger is No Game" sculpture.

Sculptures created with food cans by students from Kearny High Construction Tech Academy (CTA) and Crawford’s School of Invention & Design Education Academy (IDEA) won awards for “Best Meal” and “Best Use of Labels” as part of the eighth annual Canstruction competition held recently at Horton Plaza.

CTA’s structure, “Hunger Is No Game,” was a 7-foot, 3-inch book representing the Hunger Games book/movie series and CTA’s advocacy in preventing hunger. CTA won the award for Best Meal and is in the running for a national award.

“Literacy is the biggest way to avoid poverty,” said Law Thao, president of the 18-member team.

IDEA’s sculpture “Ameri-Can” received the “Best Use of Labels” award. Built by only five students, the structure was made from canned tuna and tomato soup cans.

The event combines the elements of artistic expression, engineering, and charity by using food cans as the only construction material. No interior structural support is allowed. This year, the students competed against five other architecture and engineering firms in San Diego.

All sculptures remained standing for several days after the event, then the canned food is boxed up and donated to local food banks. For additional information about this year’s event, please see a recent story in the UT San Diego. For details about Canstruction in San Diego, visit http://www.canstructionsd.org/.

Hunter Family Music Memory Music Bee, Orchestra Nova Honor Students

It was a 21st century version of the old "Name That Tune" TV show as teams from elementary schools recently competed to see who could identify snippets of songs played by a live orchestra.

The Fourth Annual Hunter Family Music Memory Music Bee, sponsored by Orchestra Nova, welcomed students from all over the county, with competition in grades 3-4 and 5-6. Held at Birch North Park Theatre, May 22, bronze, silver and gold ribbons were given to winners correctly identifying musical excerpts performed by a live orchestra. San Diego Unified School District winning teams included:

Bronze ribbon winners:

• Bayview Terrace Elementary 3-4 and 5-6 teams – Gretchen Robrock, teacher
• Golden Hill Elementary 3-4 team, Virginia Simpson, teacher
• Hickman Elementary 5-6 team, Kathy Stanton, teacher
• Jerabek Elementary 5-6 team, Margie Orem, teacher
• La Jolla Elementary 3-4 team, Julie Greathouse, teacher
• Ross Elementary 5-6 team, Malou Rogers, teacher

Silver ribbon winners:

• Crown Point Junior Music Academy 5-6 team, Debbie Burton, teacher
• Doyle Elementary 3-4 team, Mary Laiuppa, teacher
• Golden Hill Elementary 5-6 team, Virginia Simpson, teacher
• Hickman Elementary 3-4 team, Kathy Stanton, teacher
• Jerabek Elementary 3-4 team, Margie Orem, teacher
• E.B. Scripps Elementary 3-4 and 5-6 teams, Dr. Linda Lungren, teacher

Gold ribbon winners:

• Crown Point Junior Music Academy 3-4 team, Debbie Burton, teacher
• Torrey Pines elementary 3-4 team, Rebecca Tang, teacher
• Whitman Elementary 3-4 and 5-6 teams, Tom Waczek, teacher

For more information on the program, contact Karen Childress-Evans at 858-539-5349 or mailto:%20kchildressevans@sandi.net.

Solar Boat from SD High SciTech Goes The Distance

SciTech at the San Diego High Educational Complex placed second in the two back-to-back 90-minute endurance races during the Metropolitan Water District's Solar Cup competition last weekend.

The SciTech team found the perfect balance between solar energy and energy conservation and scored the maximum number of points on the written technical reports that are required for all teams to compete.

The three-day competition with 40 teams from around the Southwest began with a series of qualifying events to ensure the boats met rules and were safe and seaworthy.

On day two, teams attached solar-collections panels to the boats for the endurance races. On the final day, the panels were removed and, using solar energy stored in batteries, raced down a 200-meter stretch – like drag racing on water.

“Over the last three days, all of the Solar Cup participants have had hands-on experiences in problem-solving, teamwork and sportsmanship that will serve them well as they continue to complete their educations and start their careers. In the end, in our eyes, they’re all winners,” said Randy Record, district vice chairman.

Solar Cup is the culminating event from seven months of hard work by student teams to design, equip and build their 16-foot, single-seat canoes out of marine-grade plywood powered only by the sun.

For more information, please contact Katie Carl, CTE teacher, at kcarl@sandi.net or the Solar Cup website at http://www.mwdh2o.com/mwdh2o/pages/education/solar_cup/solar_cup_01.html .

IN THE NEWS: SD High Arts Mariachi Band on Morning TV

The Mariachi Band from the San Diego High School of the Arts performed Friday, Jan. 14, on the KBNT-TV Morning News (in Spanish). Watch video from KBNT-TV»

Lincoln, Porter Schools Host Event Giving Away 9,000 Toys

This holiday season was surely a little brighter thanks to Toys for Joy. That was the name of the community event hosted by Lincoln High and Porter Elementary on Dec. 11,  sponsored by The Rock Church in Point Loma.

The event brought together some 7,000 students and families from the Lincoln Park community and was an example of how the district's civic center use permits play an important role in our communities.

More than 9,000 toys were distributed to students and children, including 64 bikes. The lucky children who were last in line won 10 of those bikes.

In fact there were so many new toys and gifts, the children couldn't take them all. The undistributed toys were given to other community organizations to give to other children. Grownups also received holiday gifts. In addition to the toys, 225,000 articles of clothing and 10,000 bags of groceries were given away.

The event was run with the help of more than 1,000 volunteers. For information, contact Debora Beaver at (858) 627-6204 or dbeaver@sandi.net.

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

San Diego High Culinary Arts Students Test Breakfast Options

Culinary Arts students at the San Diego High School of Business were recruited to taste test breakfast options for a new Breakfast in the Classroom program that is in the planning stages for the downtown campus.

"High school students have very discerning tastes," said Sylvia Kravitz, the district's product development technician.

"Adults may find what we think is a great product: it looks good, tastes good, the price is right and it meets nutritional guidelines, but if it doesn't pass the student test, we don't put it on the menu."

Breakfast items not only have to meet guidelines but have to be portable and easy to eat. Students tested fruit smoothies, breakfast flautas, whole-grain cereals and a cherry apple crunch bar. Students also learned about how school menus are developed and about careers in the nutrition field and in the food industry.

For more information, contact Sylvia Kravitz at skravitz@sandi.net.

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

Sun Begins to Shine On Boat Entries

Students from San Diego Sci-Tech High School get started on their 2010-11 solar-powered boat.

Students from Scripps Ranch and San Diego Sci-Tech high schools began their seven-month journey to design, build, test, tune and operate a 16 foot, 24 volt, 320-watt solar-powered boat for the Solar Cup, the nation’s largest solar boat competition.

The San Diego regional competition is sponsored by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.
The Engineering and Green Tech students were provided with wood and materials to begin construction on a canoe-style hull. All boats must conform to the same specifications.

Students will need to spend time studying and using Ohm’s Law and its variations, W = V x I (Watts = Voltage x Current). In full sunlight, the solar panels attached to the student boats produce 36 volts of direct current voltage (V) and have a current output of 9 amps (I). Using the formula, the solar panel will produce 324 watts of power as long as the panel is in direct sunlight [36 x 9 – 324 watts of power].
Students will attempt to maximize all variables with their solar panel placement and design to win the races. Students from Scripps Ranch High hope to take home a solar cup title for a second year in a row, while Sci-Tech  students from the San Diego High Educational Complex are looking for their first win.

The students' boats will compete in a series of races over a three-day period in May 2011.

For more information, please contact Greg Quirin, CCTE Program Specialist at (858) 503-1736.

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

It Was a Rainy Walk to School Day

A rainy October 6 morning did not dampen the spirits of schools participating in the International Walk to School Day.

City Heights elementary schools within two miles of each other that participated in International Walk to School Day. The project a collaboration between the City Heights Community Development Corporation and other community partners -- encouraged nearly 6,000 students and parents to walk to school.

Walk to School participants included Cherokee Point, Central, Fay, Hamilton, Ibarra, Joyner, Marshall and Rosa Parks elementary schools, among several others throughout the district.

Local businesses, community stakeholders and County Supervisor Ron Roberts contributed to a fund to buy themed yellow t-shirts, which unified students across the different schools. The t-shirts meet school uniform requirements and are proudly worn by students year-round.

At Cherokee Point Elementary, City Councilmember Todd Gloria, School Board President Richard Barrera and other officials spoke about the importance of safe walking environments and practices.

Participants then enjoyed a healthy breakfast and a Health and Safety Fair, where representatives from the San Diego County Public Health Department, Red Cross, Police Department, City Heights on Patrol (CHOP) and neighboring high school students offered health and safety tips to families. For more information, contact Principal Godwin Higa at ghiga@sandi.net .

Other participating schools included:

• Lincoln and Morse high school areas. San Diego Unified School Police and San Diego Police departments coordinated efforts in the area, including Porter Elementary. Students from that school met at Kennedy Park, 47th and T streets, anded  to their campus.
• Sunset View Elementary School.
• Curie Elementary School.
• Holmes Elementary School.
• Horton Elementary School.
• Sherman Elementary School.
  

IN THE NEWS: Roosevelt, Mission Bay Receive Three-Year Grant

Roosevelt Middle School and Mission Bay High School received a three-year, $7.5 million grant for their International Baccalaureate programs. Media visited Roosevelt to get the story. Watch video»

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IN THE NEWS: The changing face of kindergarten

One month into the school year, Carter Anderson still spends the first few minutes of any given morning consoling a separation anxiety-ridden, teary-eyed 4½-year-old kindergartner at Perkins Elementary School. Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune»

Student Internship Celebration

Students from the Academy of Finance at San Diego High School of Business celebrated recently with their internship providers after completing 120 hour internships this summer. Each of the 30 participating students earned $1,200 at the end of the internship. Some of the 16 businesses involved included the Omni Hotel (site of the celebration), The Language Academy, R.H. Fleet Science Center, SD County Office of the Alternate Public Defender, and the district's Fiscal and Materials Control Department. For more information about the internship program or the Academy of Finance, please contact Kelly Granfield at kgranfield@sandi.net .

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

First Town Hall Meeting Draws Crowd

More than 100 parents, students, teachers, principals, community members and the media attended the first community Town Hall meeting held Wednesday, Sept. 22, at the San Diego High Educational Complex. Watch a montage video of the meeting. A total of ten meetings are being held throughout the district in September and October to discuss the goals for student achievement, the budget crisis and the Proposition J Parcel Tax measure. Two meetings are scheduled next week: Area 5 Mira Mesa/Scripps Ranch clusters will meet Wednesday, Sept. 29, from 6:30 to 8 p.m., at Scripps Ranch High School; Area 2 Crawford High cluster will meet Thursday, Sept. 30, from 6:30 to 8 p.m., at Crawford High School. For more information and the complete schedule of meetings, visit www.sandi.net/townhalls or e-mail communications@sandi.net.

Smoke, Road Closures from Fire Forces Evacuation of Palomar School Camp

Smoke and road closures due to the 100+ acre fire near Pala prompted school officials to close Camp Palomar and return all 210 students to San Diego this evening.

The students are from Wilson Middle School in Mid-City, Porter K-8 in Lincoln Park and Logan K-8 in Logan Heights. All are sixth grade students and are expected to arrive by school buses at their home campuses by 9:30 p.m. today. Students are accompanied by teachers and other district staff members; no injuries have been reported.

Each school's principal is notifying parents and guardians by the district's emergency "reverse 911" telephone system to pick up their child at school; parents/guardians must have photo identification to pick up their child.

Parents/guardians with questions can contact the San Diego Unified School District Police Department at (619) 291-7678. Students who are not retrieved will be taken to the county's Polinsky Children's Center for the night after every effort is made to contact a parent/guardian.

The camp itself is not considered threatened by the fire at this time, which reportedly has been contained.

The Camp Palomar program has been a part of the San Diego school tradition for more than a half century. Students spend three nights at the historic lodge adjacent to the Palomar Mountain State Park and Cleveland National Forest. While there, they learn about nature and experience different cultures under the watchful eye of teachers and an expert staff.

Met Students Share Experiences with Alpine Community

As the rural community of Alpine prepares for its new high school, inner-city students from San Diego Met High were recently asked to share their experiences at the unique "Big Picture" school on the campus of San Diego Mesa College. Steven Rader, Cynthia Burnette, Karla Cruz, Alia Pyatt, all Met High sophomores, and freshman Justin Sax, presented the Big Picture education model highlights at the Alpine Community Forum, where plans for a new high school were discussed by Grossmont Unified School District Asst. Supt. Mike Lewis on June 8. Alpine community members circulated from station to station speaking with Met staff, including Jill Badger, Kathy Baker, Ray Brandes, Siv Davis, Kate Little, Kathy Nguyen, Donna Pilkington and Clyde Yoshida. Attendees were interested in the San Diego Met's 100 percent graduation and college acceptance rates, math program, academic internship projects and advisory culture. For more information, contact Principal Mildred Phillips at (619) 388-2299 or mphillips@sandi.net.

PowerUp! Volunteers Boost Student Reading

Power Up! is a pilot tutoring program for third grade students who need an additional boost in reading. Parent and community volunteers have been using the Power Up! program at Whitman, Lee, Sherman, Bayview Terrace, and Fletcher elementary schools, working one-on-one with students for six weeks on decoding strategies, high frequency words and fluency. The 36 Power-Up coaches volunteered more than 400 hours, working with 70 students. Fluency -- the number of words read correctly in one minute -- grew by as much as 30 words per minute. Automaticity -- recognizing words at sight as opposed to sounding them out -- increased for high-frequency words; students responded faster and with increased confidence. Volunteers reported a positive experience for students. As one volunteer noted: “It was wonderful to be a part of this child’s learning process. It is life changing for the student and for myself.” For more information, please contact Ellen Tiffany, community relations manager, at (619) 725-5592 or etiffany@sandi.net .