Jones Elementary students raise money, produce toiletry bags for homeless

When “I Was Homeless” authors shared the story of homeless child Kevin Liu, fourth- and fifth-grade students at Jones Elementary were moved. Moved to raise money to buy toiletries for those in need.

The students gathered funds and sought donations from local retailers and businesses, which enabled them to produce more than 400 toiletry bags with travel size items, including toothpaste, toothbrush, mouthwash, tissue, protein bar, hand sanitizer, hand lotion and bottled water.

Students shopped for the items at Vons and Costco, then assembled the bags with the help of staff, parents and community partners. Vons donated $225 to the school while local dentists donated toothbrushes and toothpaste.

“We could not have done this without the support of our Jones School families on our Fundraising Fridays,” said Principal Rita Powell.

Pastor Louie from the Serra Mesa Community Church, one of the school’s partners, and his wife, Ms. Yvonne, helped to distribute the bags to those in need.

The exercise not only taught the students about math and money while shopping, but about providing service and giving back to those less fortunate.

For more information on the school’s efforts, contact Principal Powell at 858-496-8140.

Principal Selection Community Meetings

The end of June traditionally marks the time of year when there are changes in leadership at school sites as a result of retirement, promotion, personal choice or reassignment.

In the district’s continuing efforts to keep interested stakeholders informed about leadership personnel changes at schools and at the district, the following schools will be posting openings for new principals in 2014-15: Mission Bay High School, Serra High School, SCPA, Twain High School, Bell Middle School, Balboa Elementary, Cabrillo Elementary, Carver Elementary, Field Elementary, Freese Elementary, Hancock Elementary, Jerabek Elementary and Loma Portal Elementary.

As these principal positions are filled, it may result in leadership changes at other schools. The district will continue to communicate future leadership changes as they may occur.

The principal selection process will continue to be a community-based, open process led by the area superintendents. The community process includes staff and parent input.

We encourage you to participate in this process by attending the meeting at your school site. Input from parents and staff is important to making sure the needs and focus of a school are reflected in its leadership. Parents and school site staff should receive a separate notification from their school with meeting details. Here is the full schedule of meetings:

Mission Bay High School: Monday, July 7, at 5 p.m.
SCPA: Wednesday, July 9, at 5 p.m.
Serra High School: Thursday, July 10, at 6 p.m.
Twain High School: Wednesday, July 9, at 4 p.m.
Bell Middle School: Monday, July 7, at 5 p.m.
Balboa Elementary: Monday, July 7, at 8:30 a.m.
Cabrillo Elementary: Meeting held June 11
Carver Elementary: Meeting held May 27
Field Elementary: Thursday, July 17, at 4:30 p.m.
Freese Elementary: Meeting held May 29
Hancock Elementary: Tuesday, July 8, at 4:30 p.m.
Jerabek Elementary: Wednesday, July 9, at 6:30 p.m.
Loma Portal Elementary: Tuesday, July 8, at 5 p.m.

The district’s goal is to have all schools begin the 2014-15 school year with principals in place.

Eight students in Class of 2014 divide $150,000 in Broad Prize scholarships

Eight students from seven schools in the Class of 2014 divided the $150,000 in scholarship money received by San Diego Unified as a result of its nomination for the 2013 Broad Prize for Urban Education.

The students are: Dustin Nguyen of Crawford High School; Jake Brooks and Linh Ngo of Madison High; Nathanael Maracle from Pt. Loma High; Kevin Sibaja Allec, SciTech at San Diego High; Gerardo Perez, School of Business and LEADS at San Diego High; Tyler Wallake, San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts; and Ari Krasner, University City High School.

The Broad Prize scholarship recipients attending four-year colleges or universities will receive up to a $20,000 award ($5,000 per year, paid out over four years). Students attending two-year colleges or vocational schools will receive up to a $5,000 award ($2,500 per year, paid out over two years). Awards are for undergraduate study only.

"Many excellent students applied and the program was extremely competitive this year. In a competitive scholarship program, not every student can receive an award," said Connie Baumgartner, Program Manager with Scholarship America Scholarship Management Services, which handled the selection process on behalf of the Broad Foundation.

The initial review and evaluation of applications was completed by Scholarship Management Services with careful consideration given to each student’s academic record and all other information including financial data provided on the application. An independent selection committee further reviewed application materials and selected recipients.

San Diego Unified was named by the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation as one of the top for US school districts to demonstrate the greatest overall performance and improvement in student achievement, while at the same time reducing achievement gaps across ethnic groups and between low-income and non-low-income students.

The $1 million Broad Prize is the largest education award in the nation. It recognizes urban school districts that demonstrate the strongest student achievement and improvement while reducing achievement gaps among low-income students and students of color.

Houston Independent School District won the prize in 2013, receiving $550,000 in college scholarships for high school seniors who will graduate in 2014. San Diego Unified, along with Corona-Norco Unified School District in Riverside County, Calif., and Cumberland County Schools in North Carolina, will each receive $150,000 in college scholarships. There is no application process for the prize; the districts are selected by the Broad Prize committee and invited to participate.

When the announcement of the prize winner was made in September, 2013, Supt. Marten hailed the efforts of students and staff to create a climate of excellence in San Diego Unified.

"It was an honor to be recognized by The Broad Foundation," said Supt. Cindy Marten. "I am grateful to our team of employees who work every day in-and-out of the classrooms for our children. I'm excited for our students who will receive Broad scholarships."

Future chefs show culinary creativity, win prizes from Uncle Ben

Jacob Spears, a first grader at Hancock Elementary in Tierrasanta, and Isabella Genoso, a seventh grader at Challenger Middle School in Mira Mesa, have won Kindle Fire digital pads and a personal video for their culinary creations in the district's first Kids Create Recipe Contest.

Watch Videos

Jacob Spears» Isabella Genoso»

Both recipes were Asian themed and used whole grain brown rice and may find their way onto the cafeteria menu next fall. The contest was sponsored by Uncle Ben's Rice, which donated the Kindles and gift cards for the second- and third-place finishers. Students had to create recipes that used brown rice or whole-grain flour tortillas. More than 200 recipes were submitted.

Spears won first in the division for students in grades kindergarten through five for his Teriyaki Vegetable Rice. Katie Bohonak, Noah King, Carlos DeCastro grade four at Green Elementary School in San Carlos took second for their Fiesta Lettuce Wraps. Third place went to Annabelle Isaacson, first grade, Dailiard Elementary School in San Carlos, for her Mexican Pizzaz.

In the division for students in grades six-12, Genoso, a seventh grader, won for her Teriyaki Chicken with Asian Vegetables and Brown Rice. Second place went to fellow Challenger student Sarah Thach, an eighth grader, for her Wrapped Delight. Kyla Yu-Swanson, in grade six at Thurgood Marshall Middle School in Scripps Ranch, took third place with Ma Po Dofu (Asian Brown Rice w/Turkey and Tofu).

Grand prize winners Spears and Genoso each starred in a video with Uncle Ben's Chef Evan Coben.

The Kids Create Recipe Contest invited students from across the district to try their culinary skills by creating a recipe that used either whole grain brown rice or whole grain flour tortillas and could be served on the school lunch menu. The increased use of whole grains in school meals prompted the contest because San Diego Unified's Food Services Department wanted to hear from the students how they would like to see these foods on their cafeteria menu.

After Isabella created her recipe for the video, Challenger students were invited to try the dish and gave rave reviews, according to Sam Esparza, Food Services Site Leader at Challenger. Same goes for Jacob, whose friends and classmates at Dailiard got to enjoy his creation.
The contest was supported by Uncle Ben’s Rice who donated Kindle Fires for the first place winners. The winners also won a starring role in their own cooking video side by side with a professional chef from Uncle Ben’s and had their recipe served to students at their school. The video was produced by Mary Tyranski, a Food Corps service member with the Food Services Department.

For more information about the Kids Create Recipe Contest, contact Joanne Tucker, Food Services Marketing Coordinator at jtucker@sandi.net

Tomorrow's technologists show projects to San Diego community

Students from Crawford and University City high schools, as well as Marshall Middle School, were champions at the seventh annual College, Career and Technical Education (CCTE) Showcase event at Liberty Station.

The event connects business partners with students and teachers to develop a strong foundation for the economic future for San Diego. More than 300 industry professionals volunteer each year as mentors, guest speakers, or advisers for student teams. The students exhibit products they produce and business problems they solve in collaboration with members of the local business community.

This year’s champion in the High School Team category was Crawford High School’s Urban Revolution project that educated students and community members about energy conservation and healthy living. The project provided opportunities for students to work with community members to learn about science, technology and math.

University City High School was named the champion in the High School Open category with a project partnering the Project Lead the Way Biomedical Innovations course grant proposal with Quench and Connect, a non-profit organization. The grant proposal seeks to provide funding for a secondary school in rural Uganda and implement funds for the school to maintain a marketable tilapia fish farm.

Marshall Middle School students examined multiple questions about zoos in the 21st century and which animals should have priority in the San Diego Zoo system in order to be chosen as the Middle School Champion. Student teams researched, designed and built a physical or digital zoo enclosure to best meet the needs of the zoo animal, employees and visitors.

Additional schools recognized for their projects included: Kearny Construction Tech Academy’s Energy Initiative 2020 with a focus on energy efficiency in an effort to cut emissions and reduce dependence on foreign fuel (High School Team category); Mira Mesa High School’s WAMPBAT, a machine that allows a person in a wheelchair to run the infield and outfield practice of a baseball team (High School Open category); and Innovation Middle School’s 3D printed wind turbine which highlights the technology and physics that are involved with the generation of electricity with wind turbines, as well as the creation of these turbines and uses that power an LED light.

For more information about the CCTE Showcase, please contact Ralph West, Interim Director CCTE, at rwest1@sandi.net.

Free lunch for families kicked off 2014 Summer Fun Café

Combine a “Walk with Meb and the Padres Friar,” a nutrition decathlon and a free barbecue and what do you have?

The kickoff event of San Diego Unified School District’s Summer Fun Café program, held June 25, 2014 at Skyline Hills Community Park. Mayor Kevin Faulconer, Sandip Kaur, Director of Nutrition Services, California Department of Education, and Superintendent Cindy Marten are joined in the fun.

Summer is a difficult nutritional time for many children. Not only does food insecurity increase among low income families during the summer months, but children also are at greater risk for obesity as they lose access to school meals they rely on during the school year.

The summer meal programs give children the nutritious meals they need to keep hunger at bay and remain healthy throughout the summer. San Diego Unified’s Summer Fun Café meals also support the community’s other summer programs and help draw children into educational, enrichment and recreational activities that keep them learning, engaged, active, and safe during school vacation. Participating in the Summer Fun Café program requires no paperwork, reservations or income qualifications.

San Diego Unified School District Food Services Department partners with the City of San Diego Park and Recreation Department, Military Child and Youth Programs, San Diego Public Library and several non-profit organizations to help fill the summer nutrition gap. The Summer Fun Café is funded through the US Department of Agriculture’s “Seamless Summer Feeding Option” and will be at 61 sites: 28 Park and Recreation Centers, 14 community and military sites, and 19 schools.

“Join us for lunch this summer,” said Gary Petill, San Diego Unified¹s Food Services Director. “It’s fun, it’s free, it’s easy and when the kids head back to school in the fall, they will be strong and ready to learn.”

Check out the Food Services website for a list of locations and special barbecues.

Madison High garden, students, culinary teacher featured in Target ad

IN THE NEWS: Target Stores' 30-second commercial highlights company's donation to Madison High School, garden's positive impact on learning. The school's culinary arts teacher, Justin Halbert, joined a Target representative and a student on NBC 7's morning show. Watch video»

Gage Elementary students' artwork flying high at Lindbergh Field

Student artwork from Gage Elementary School in San Carlos has been selected for display at the San Diego International Airport's Commuter Terminal.

ArtReach Teaching Artist Jack White created this lesson that allows students to create a contour map of the face. The result is both a science project and a self-portrait. Fourth and fifth graders at Gage learned about the development and utility of the contour map while also exploring self-portraiture. This is one of a series of ArtReach workshops in development that focus on the juncture of science and art.

The Portrait Maps created during the lesson used photographs of their faces to create 3-D self-portraits. Portraits created by 26 students are on display at the Commuter Terminal at the airport now through August. The exhibit is pre-security so anyone can enter and enjoy the art.

Gage Elementary students have worked with ArtReach Teaching Artists since 2010. ArtReach has helped students create original art in a variety of media from paint to pastels to collage and more.

Find out more about Gage Elementary by visiting its website.

Wangenheim Middle School welcomes, thanks Chargers for weight room

A grant from Chargers Champions program has brought new fitness options to Wangenheim Middle School in Mira Mesa.

Defensive tackle Corey Liuget, A.G. Spanos, Chargers Executive Vice President, Principal Dr. Matt Fallon were on hand for dedication of the facility, funded by a $40,000 grant from the program. Watch video»

"What the Chargers have done is invaluable," Principal Fallon said at the dedication event. "Besides the monetary donation, which is incredible, it demonstrates to the kids the importance of community and helping one another.”
Spanos, grandson of family patriarch Alex Spanos, said his grandfather began the Chargers Champions program as a way to give back to the community.

“This is a special initiative because it was started by my grandfather to help our schools,” said A.G. Spanos. “With budget cuts in the state, usually some of the first programs to get cut are the athletic programs. It is very important for students to create proper habits to stay fit and active for their lives. Therefore, our organization and my family feel it is important to help make up for that shortfall and create a better quality of life for the young people of San Diego.”

Fallon said the weight room will make Wangenheim a healthier place.

“We put the grant in taking a shot in the dark and this has been thrilling,” he said. “We’ve always wanted a fitness room but have never been able to afford or put it together even though we knew it was very important for the quality of our physical fitness program. When we were named it was really wonderful."

Patrick Henry High School might be the toughest golf course in town

IN THE NEWS: The Henry Cluster STEMM Foundation, an organization dedicated to enriching science, technology, engineering, math, and music and arts education in the eleven schools of the Patrick Henry Cluster, is excited to host the 2014 Henry Cluster Mini Golf Challenge. Teams of students from kindergarten through twelfth grade have been working hard all year to design and build mini golf holes, and they’ve been having a pretty good time doing it. Read more from Mission Times Courier»

Crawford cross-country alums raise $1,000 for current students

A group of former Crawford High School cross-country runners organized a 24-hour relay marathon to raise money for Crawford's current cross-country team, many of whom were not properly outfitted for competition. Co-organizer Yale Strom, father of a San Diego High School cross-country runner, noticed that some of the competitors from his alma mater weren't running in proper running shoes. After coordinating with the Crawford High School administration and athletic director Darcel Glover, Strom contacted his former teammates. Along with a few "celebrity guest" runners, the Crawford Colts (classes of 1974-80) raised more than $1,000 for the cross-country distance runners at the May 24 event. They'll buy new training and racing flats for their upcoming 2014-15 cross-country and track seasons. It's not too late to contribute, either by visiting the donation website or mailing a check payable to Crawford High School with "cross-country team" in the memo line to Principal Ana Alvarez, Crawford High School, 4191 Colts Way, San Diego, CA 92115. For more information, contact Principal Alvarez at  (619) 362-3700

Mira Mesa High scholars have a soft spot for kids at Ronald McDonald House

Some of Mira Mesa High's top scholars had a soft spot for kids... working to collect enough money to buy more than 100 brand new pillows for the kids at the Ronald McDonald House.

The students are members of the Mira Mesa High California Scholarship Federation (CSF) club, with donations and help coming from fellow students, staff, and the Mira Mesa community.

“Every child should have a pillow to sleep on at night," said CSF President, Kristine Lee. "The second we heard the Ronald McDonald House Charities had 102 children without pillows, we got right to work,”

Mira Mesa High students worked directly with the volunteer coordinator at the San Diego Ronald McDonald House Charities to identify their greatest area of need. Lee and her team then went back to Mira Mesa High and ran a very successful marketing campaign and drive to collect pillows.

The MMHS Pillow Drive came to a successful conclusion when Charles E. Day, CEO of the San Diego Ronald McDonald House Charities, met students from the CSF club at the Mira Mesa Big Lots to pick up 102 pillows that the CSF club had raised money to purchase for children in need.

For more information on the program, contact Stacey Seiders, Mira Mesa High ASB advisor, at (858) 566-2262 ext. 4412.

PTA salutes dedication of volunteers working with children at San Diego schools

What's the value of PTA volunteer hours?

According to the San Diego Unified Council of PTAs, it is $7,638,632.10. That's more than half the amount that San Diego Unified receives in a typical year from the California Lottery.

The San Diego Unified Council of PTA’s held its annual Founders Day Celebration at San Diego State University  on May 19. The recognizes the founders of the PTA, including Alice Birney and Phoebe Hearst, and provided the opportunity to acknowledge the contributions that parents, teachers, principals, and community volunteers make at our schools.

Derby Pattengill, President of the San Diego Unified Council of PTAs, presented Board President Kevin Beiser (pictured above) with a symbolic check for $7,638,632.10. The check represents the monetary equivalent of  the volunteer hours contributed by PTA volunteers during the 2013-14 school year. Board President Beiser said, “the value of time and effort invested by our PTA volunteers is beyond measure.”

"The San Diego Unified Council of PTA’s is proud to work alongside the district to support students,”  said Pattengill. "Last year, the symbolic check was for $4.2 million, and this year, it is at $7.6 million. This represents a large increase in the amount of time, energy and enthusiasm that PTA volunteers bring to schools."

This year marked the council's 25th year.

Morse, Scripps Ranch culinary students help chefs with 'secret baskets'

Culinary Arts and Management students from Morse and Scripps Ranch high schools assisted chefs in the fourth annual Secret Basket Cook Off and Mixer sponsored by the San Diego County Chapter of the California Restaurant Association.

Each student was paired with a chef to prepare an entrée with a secret ingredient. Chefs were to bring all their cooking utensils and pots/pans to the event where they were given chicken as the protein and fresh cherries as the secret ingredient.

The winning team was Chef Percy Oani from the Shores Restaurant, assisted by Morse student, Adrianne Ronquillo. Other participating students included Mathew lam and Cameron Lopez from Scripps Ranch and Ciara Jones from Morse.

The students were able to spend time with the judges after the event as well as all the participating chefs in the competition. The event is a fundraiser to benefit the students and schools that compete in the ProStart competition every spring.

For more details on the Culinary Arts and Management program, please Angela Croce, CCTE Program Specialist, at acroce@sandi.net. For more details on the San Diego County Chapter of the California Restaurant Association, please visit http://www.calrest.org/member-services/community-networking/san-diego-county/.

Morse High students celebrate completion of financial literacy course

Certification in financial literacy was presented to 118 Morse High School students through their Foundations in Information Technology course in early May. The students participated in lessons from the Financial Genius Program from Everfi. Topics included credit scores, taxes, insurance, credit cards, investing, mortgages, savings, and 401Ks. The program at Morse was sponsored by US Bank.

“Grasping even the most basic lessons will allow our students to make good choices before making important monetary decision," said Barbara Adams, CCTE teacher. "If turn, this careful planning may help them avoid personal debt and improve their chances of achieving financial security. We don’t want them to have to learn the hard way.”

For more information on Everfi’s Financial Literacy program, please visit http://www.everfi.com/everfi.

Local artist helps Lindbergh Schweitzer students create mural

Working with parent volunteer Emily Dolton, owner of Art, Murals, Design and Wall Treatments, the students in rooms 46 and 47 at Lindbergh Schweitzer Elementary School knew there would be art involved.

One of the most popular children's books this year, The Day The Crayons Quit, by Drew Daywalt, inspired Dolton to create the project. In the book, the crayons writel letters to Duncan, the crayons' owner, expressing their anger. Dolton had the students read the letters aloud then handed out Popsicle sticks with a color on one side and a place (sky, land, sea) on the other.

The students then drew something they would find in their place and colored it with that main color crayon. Emily then cut out and glued the objects to a painted background she created. The result is a beautiful colorful landscape filled with rainbows, airplanes, fish, volcanoes, cars, snakes, mermaids, boats, hot air balloons, helicopters, clouds, jellyfish and more.

The mural now has a permanent spot in the East Campus hallway.

Reaching students through stories and art is a passion for Dolton, a mother of two, who serves the school in many artistic ways. Not only does she disguise herself on Read Across America Days as The Cat in the Hat, or The Grinch, she has painted murals on the playground, murals in staff lounges and most recently, the breezeway poles at the entrance to the school.

Carson student gets surprise visit from Challenged Athletes Foundation

Travis Martinez, a second grade student at Carson Elementary, received a surprise visit from the Challenged Athletes Foundation and a special gift of a new basketball wheelchair! A team from the Challenged Athletes Foundation, along with Carson staff members and Travis' mom, were in on the surprise visit.

It is the mission of the Challenged Athletes Foundation to provide opportunities and support to people with physical disabilities so they can pursue active lifestyles through physical fitness and competitive athletics. The foundation believes that involvement in sports at any level increases self-esteem, encourages independence and enhances quality of life.

"Travis shows us each and every day that obstacles can be overcome," said Princpal Joe Frescatore, "and there's no stopping his bright spirit, determination, and perseverance! Congratulations, Travis!"

Donate your used musical instrument to help a needy San Diego Unified student

It’s that time of year again for the annual Jazz 88.3 Music Matters Instrument Drive. During the month of May, supporters of music in San Diego are asking the community to donate their used musical instruments to Jazz 88.3 to be given to the nonprofit Community Council for Music in the Schools.

This valuable arts organization partners with San Diego Unified’s Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) department to provide musical instruments to students enrolled in district music programs who request support.
San Diego Unified has again been recognized as one of the Best Communities for Music Education in America — 2014 by the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM). It is because of our strong music partnerships that we are able to grow and strengthen our music programs and to provide instrumental music to 100 percent of our elementary schools and almost every secondary school. Your donations are tax deductible.

As more and more students from socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods are participating in district music classes, your support for our music programs is more critical now than ever before. With your help, this could be the most successful Music Matters Instrument Drive yet!

Drop off donated instruments at any Coles Fine Flooring location, or at the Jazz 88.3 business office at KSDS-FM, San Diego City College, 1313 Park Blvd, San Diego, CA 92101. All instruments will be refurbished and distributed among San Diego Unified School District and other county music programs. So if you have an instrument that you no longer need or use, feel free to dust it off and drop it off and help keep San Diego's youth musically-inspired!

For more information please contact Station Manager Mark DeBoskey, 619-388-3037, markd@jazz88.org.

Society of Women Engineers mentor Roosevelt Middle School students

Can you build an eight-foot-high structure out of gumdrops and toothpicks that can hold the weight of an extra large candy bar? The girls from Roosevelt International Baccalaureate Middle School were tasked with this as part of the Women In Engineering Day at San Diego High School. The girls were mentored in the task by a female high school student from the GeoTech Academy, a California Partnership Academy, at the School of Science and Technology at San Diego High. The event was organized and supported by the Society of Women Engineers.

Girls heard from a panel of engineers from various disciplines before embarking on their hands-on activities. The first focused on having steady hands while assembly a circuit to light an LED light. The second was the gum drop tower. A twist was added to the task during construction – no members of the team could talk while assembling their tower. The girls then toured the Solar Turbines facility in Kearny Mesa to learn about gas turbines.

Most of the Roosevelt girls have already been participating in STEM related clubs at Roosevelt – Girls in Science Club and TreoBytes. The Girls in Science Club is a collaboration between the San Diego Zoo and Roosevelt. Each week, students learn about a myriad of animal related topics including habitat loss, conservation, animal behaviors and captive breeding. In addition to behind the scenes views of the animals and their keepers, they get to meet a variety of women working at the zoo and hear about their career paths and how qualities such as compassion, tenacity and hard work helped them to land their dream jobs.

TreoBytes makes technology accessible to kids and provides a learning environment outside of the traditional school where kids can become more comfortable with technology, develop their own game concepts in a team environment and learn the basics of programming, social media and design. Roosevelt students are working to create, develop and launch a crowdsourcing campaign for Good Neighbor Garden, a community partner. Students are learning project management skills, critical thinking, collaboration and business development.

The Society of Women Engineers is a not-for-profit educational and service organization that empowers women to succeed and advance in the field of engineering. Founded in 1950, the society is the driving force that establishes engineering as a highly desirable career for women.

De Portola Middle School gets $5,000 grant from Barona Foundation

De Portola Middle School has received a $5,000 grant from the Barona Education Grant Program to expand the school's robotics program.

More than 70 students are involved in the program, where they learn to build the machines and use computers to program them.

Principal Ryan Brock accepted the grant at a ceremony on campus. The grant application received the endorsement of Assemblyman Brian Maienschein (R-San Diego), who attended the award ceremony. Also attending were Beth Glasco and Bonnie LaChappa from the Barona Band of Mission Indians.

The Barona Education Grant Program funds materials that promote academic improvement, and will benefit current and future students, including books and computers.

The Barona Band of Mission Indians is proud to help make a difference for schools throughout California. Through the endorsement of locally-elected state representatives, schools receive Barona educational funding to purchase much-needed supplies and materials such as books and computers.

De Portola Middle School serves families in the Tierrasanta Murphy Canyon neighborhoods. Campus is centered around a stage used for student activities during lunch. De Portola's educational focus is to prepare students for continued success with rigorous secondary curriculum meeting California State Standards. We are proud to be designated a California Distinguished School and a Taking Center Stage School to Watch.

For more information, contact Princpal Ryan Brock at (858) 496-8080.