La Jolla, Scripps Ranch Students Receive National Merit Scholarships

Jaena Han of La Jolla High School and Nitish Padmanaban of Scripps Ranch High School have been awarded the prestigious National Merit Scholarship for 2011.
National Merit $2,500 Scholarship winners are the Finalists in each state judged to have the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills, and potential for success in rigorous college studies.

They were selected by a committee of college admissions officers and high school counselors. These Scholars may use their awards at any regionally accredited U.S. college or university.

National Merit Scholarship Corporation is a not-for-profit corporation that operates without government assistance. It was founded in 1955 specifically to conduct the annual National Merit Scholarship Program. The majority of scholarships offered each year are underwritten by approximately 440 independent corporate and college sponsors that share the program's goals of honoring scholastically talented youth and enhancing their educational opportunities. For more information go to http://www.nationalmerit.org/.

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.

Classified Staff Honored for Contributions to San Diego's Schools

Classified Employees of the Year

Robin Hoffpauir Video

Thanks To…

Primary Sponsor Additional Sponsors

Each year, San Diego Unified honors its classified employees during Classified School Employees Week, which is designated by the California Legislature each May.

Classified employees are those without teaching credentials and include custodians, office support staff, classroom assistants, and central office staff and managers. San Diego Unified has honored its classified employees every year since 1983.

2011 Classified Employee of the Year

Robin Hoffpauir
Expediter
Strategic Sourcing and Contracts Department

If you asked anyone involved in purchasing with the district who to call on for help, Robin Hoffpauir would undoubtedly be the first name mentioned. Over her 23-year career, Robin has developed into a vital figure for the district, working in the Strategic Sourcing and Contracts Department. According to her colleagues, she consistently works with an optimistic attitude and is able to overcome any issues that come up. She has been described as “someone who genuinely cares about the other person’s issues as if they were the only ones she ever worked with.”

Hoffpauir is admired for her problem solving skills and is seen as the “go-to person” when it comes to any procurement, financial, inventory or budget issue. However, she is most recognized for her work ethic and dedication to serving students, teachers, staff and community.

“There is no one at the district more committed to the success of district students and teachers,” says Contract Specialist John Groll. “Through Robin’s stellar leadership, many projects in danger of failing or falling by the wayside have come to a successful conclusion. Every day, through her above and beyond commitment to excellence, district students are achieving their goals.”

San Diego Unified congratulates Robin Hoffpauir and her family on her selection as 2011 Classified Employee of the Year.

Runner Up

Charles James
Instructional Behavior Technician
Morse High School

Charles James is an instructional behavior technician who works with Special Education students at Samuel F.B. Morse High School. He also serves as the Junior Varsity head football coach as well as the track and field coach. He provides mentorship to his students and athletes by exhibiting the unique leadership qualities and skills he is known for:

“I am honored to have known Charles James for the past five years. Although Charles is an instructional behavior technician in General Education classes, he takes the initiative to modify the class instruction materials and resources so that students with special needs are also able to access required information. He has prepared and taught lessons with extensive utilization of imaginative and creative ways to meet students’ needs. He would be a tremendous asset to any school and community.”

Tai L. Oliver, Instructor
Morse High School

“In the five years that I have known Charles, he has demonstrated an unparalleled commitment to everything he has undertaken. He has placed emphasis on scholastic achievement for all students with whom he comes in contact. A self-starter, his example always serves to motivate others. However, his ability to affect the lives of others extends well beyond the academic arena.”

Erma Delancy, Instructor
Morse High School

Gates Millennium Scholarships Go To Six High School Grads

Gates Millennium Scholarships Go To Six Students


Graduating seniors at LEADs and International Studies at San Diego High, Kearny International Business, Crawford IDEA and Morse have been named Gates Millennium Scholars for 2011.
Funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the program provides 1,000 students across the country with a good-through-graduation scholarship to use at any college or university of their choice. The program also provides Scholars with personal and professional development, as well as academic support throughout their college career.

San Diego Unified students named Gates scholars are: Russyan Mark Mabeza, Morse High; Karla Arment and Anayeli Garcia of the School of International Studies at San Diego High; David Jaramillo of LEADS at San Diego High; Evelyn Ramirez of the School of International Business at Kearny High; and Idris Ahmed of IDEA at Crawford High.

"This is an outstanding honor for these students, reflective of their hard work in high school," said Nellie Meyer, Deputy Superintendent for Instruction. "Many of these students overcame many challenges to reach this level. We wish them all the best as they enter the university of their choice."

More than 13,000 Gates Millennial Scholars have been funded since the program was started with a $1 billion grant in 1999 from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The program is known for its recipients' high graduation rates. The six-year rate of 90 percent is 45 percent higher than the national graduation rates for all students and comparable to the rates for students from high-income families.

For more information, visit the program's website at www.gmsp.org.

School Lunch Superheroes Save the World from Junk Food

The Food Service Department's ninth annual essay contest resulted in the creation of School Lunch Superheroes with amazing powers who saved students, families and the world from all manner of junk food, sugary sweets and poor food choices.

Students were asked to create their own School Lunch Superheroes and describe their powers and write a story about them using their powers to encourage healthy eating and making good choices.

More than 750 students submitted essays and poems that were very imaginative, fun to read, colorful and full of graphic descriptions of ways to get junk food way down on the list of preferred foods.

The essay contest is sponsored by SeaWorld Adventure Park and the Pacific Northwest Canned Pear Service. Winners received gift cards to Barnes and Noble, tickets to SeaWorld, backpacks and artist supplies.

Go to the Food Services website to see the list of winners and read their essays and poems. Congratulations to the winners and all of the students who entered.

For information contact Joanne Tucker, food services marketing coordinator at jtucker@sandi.net or (858) 627-7316.

UCSD-TV's "Health Matters" Explores Safety of Childhood Vaccinations

Vaccines are one of the most important public health advances in the 20th century, yet recent concerns about their safety have caused many parents to opt out of vaccinating their children, potentially causing devastating effects that impact the entire community.


On May 19 at 8 p.m., UCSD-TV's new season of "Health Matters" kicks off with a visit from Dr. Mark Sawyer, medical director of the UCSD San Diego Immunization Partnership, to discuss the safety of childhood vaccinations and the important new student immunization law. Additional broadcast times and online video are available at http://www.ucsd.tv/healthmatters.

Parents and guardians of school age children should tune in as "Health Matters" host Dr. David Granet chats with Dr. Sawyer about the impact of the recent Pertussis (whooping cough) outbreak as well as the new Student Booster Law (CA - AB 354), which mandates Tdap booster shots for all California students entering grades 7 through 12 in 2011. For more information, visit www.shotsforschool.org.

"Vaccines are one of the most important things parents can do for their children," according to Mark Sawyer, M.D., Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases at UCSD, Rady Children's Hospital. "In the case of pertussis  (whooping cough), immunization of all family members is vital for the protection of newborns."

Watch UCSD-TV in San Diego on Cox and Time Warner Ch. 135, Time Warner Del Mar Ch. 19, AT&T Uverse Ch. 99, and UHF (no cable) Ch. 35. Video archives, podcast downloads, broadcast schedules and more are available online at www.ucsd.tv.

Making the Most of School-Family Compacts

Interested in knowing how to craft a better agreement to support student learning among parents, staff and students? Learn how three urban schools made their Title 1 school-family compacts a powerful tool for student achievement.

The article, "Making the Most of School-Family Compacts", co-written by Melissa Whipple, resource teacher for the district's Parent Outreach and Engagement Department, appears in the May 2011 Issue of Educational Leadership. The issue's theme is "Schools, Families and Communities" and how they can work together to support student success. For more information, contact Melissa Whipple at mwhipple@sandi.net.