School Minimum Day Schedules May Change to Accommodate Lunch

Minimum day schedules at 36 schools are slated to change over the next few weeks as the schools will be including time for lunch in minimum day schedules.

Under state law, all California school children must have the opportunity for a meal during the school day, during the instructional minutes of the school day. The schools changing their schedule had omitted lunch on minimum days. Students will not be allowed to leave campus until every student has had the opportunity for a meal.

The schools involved are: Dailiard, Grant, Hancock, Language Academy, Sandburg, Torrey Pines elementary schools or K-8s; Bell, Challenger, Clark, Correia, Dana, DePortola, Farb, Innovation, Lewis, Mann, Marshall, Marston, Memorial Prep, Millennial Tech, Muirlands, Pacific Beach Middle, Pershing, Roosevelt, Standley and Wangenheim middle schools; Patrick Henry, Kearny, La Jolla High, Lincoln, Mira Mesa, Mission Bay, Morse, Pt. Loma, Scripps Ranch and University City high schools.

"The district wants to ensure that every child is given the time and opportunity for a healthy and nutritious meal each and every school day," Phil Stover, Deputy Superintendent Business, said in a letter to parents at the affected schools. "This adjustment may resut in extending the school day on early release and minimum days by up to 35 minutes."

Schedule changes can be disruptive but this change is necessary to bring the district into compliance with the State law and, more importantly, to provide a healthy meal for all students, he added.
Specific schedule changes and the effective date will be provided by the school site administration in the next few weeks.

For more information, contact: your principal; Drew Rowlands, Executive Director, Auxiliary Services at (858) 627-7121; or Gary Petill, Director of Food Services (858) 627-7301.

Dixieland Jazz Festival Experiencing a Youth Movement

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Run Club Brings Early Risers to La Jolla Elementary

How do you get 75 percent of your elementary school to arrive 20 minutes early in order to run laps before class? Start a Run Club!

La Jolla Elementary opens its gates each morning to a horde of eager runners. Students, parents and teachers head purposefully up to the field, pick up their scan cards and begin running or walking laps. After each lap they slow down to have their cards scanned by parent volunteers using the new Student Lap Tracker System. It automatically tracks each runner’s daily and cumulative laps, and it has contributed to the popularity boom of the Run Club at the public school this year.

"This automated Run Club system is really motivating our students to get more exercise every day, which helps their overall health and their ability to concentrate in class," said Principal Donna Tripi. "We also have noticed fewer tardies in the morning. We have nearly 100 percent participation, with more than 500 runners in grades 1-5."

"I always want to be at school in time for Run Club," said 4th grader Lauren Nitahara, who is proud to report to her family each evening the number of laps she ran that morning.Parent volunteers, too, are gratified.

"Volunteering for the Run Club scanning is really rewarding. I truly enjoy getting to know students from all grades, and the Lap Tracker is also a conversation piece at dinner," said Bjorn Backlund, parent volunteer.

"Approximately 75 percent of our student population runs each day. It's a great way for the students to start their day. I thank our excellent PE Teacher, Kelly Wiskus, and our parent volunteers for making it happen," said Tripi.

Coach Wiskus has been working toward this degree of success since she started Run Club three years ago. At the end of each year, she holds an awards ceremony to honor the runners and their miles.
"It is so great to see the students and parents out there every morning exercising and building healthy habits that will last a lifetime!"
 For more information on the program, contact Tripi at dtripi@sandi.net.

Fusion of art, mind results in palpable successes

IN THE NEWS: San Diego can boast complete music programs in every elementary school, more than 60 active community partnerships and also an ever-expanding wealth of integrated programs that serve 131,000 students districtwide.  Read more from the San Diego Community Newspaper Group»

State Legislative Staff Members Conduct Fact-Finding

Legislative staff members at Kearny DMD.

The California State Legislative Staff Institute selected San Diego Unified for this year's annual visit by 20 Sacramento legislative staff members who work on education issues.

The group included staff members from the Assembly and Senate Education Committees and several other legislative offices who were able to learn firsthand about the programs and operations of California's second largest school district. They met with teachers, administrators and parents directly to ask questions and to get input on legislative issues that they face in Sacramento.

The group visited several schools: Lindbergh/Schweitzer, Central, Cherokee Point and Sherman elementary schools; iMiddle School, Kearny High DMD and iHIgh Virtual Academy.

Following their three-day visit, the group met with Supt. Bill Kowba to share their reactions.

"I was pleased to hear that this influential group of legislative staffers had such a positive impression from their school visits," said Supt. Kowba, "and want to thank all of the participating principals and staff for highlighting the great work being done in our district to advance our students."

The visits were just prior to the start of the Thanksgiving break. For more information, contact Bernie Rhinerson, Chief of Staff, at brhinerson@sandi.net.

Dogs Playing Role in Local Learning

Dogs are playing a more active role in the way some students are learning in some San Diego schools. For one hour, once a month, fourth- and fifth-grade students with special needs at Lafayette Elementary School in Clairemont get a visit from dogs with the K9 Friendly Visitors Program. Watch story from 10 News» 

Schools, Departments Celebrate Parents on National Parent Involvement Day

Sixth-graders at Marston Middle listen to parents
share their college and career experiences.

You may have recently noticed an influx of parents on school campuses, in classrooms and walking through the quad, side-by-side with their students. Were the students in trouble, you wondered? Were students aging more quickly than ever? Luckily, neither was the case. They were all participating in National Parent Involvement Day.

National Parent Involvement Day on Nov. 15 was a collaborative effort between the district’s Parent Outreach and Engagement Department and the San Diego Unified Council of PTAs to recognize parents/guardians and the invaluable role they play in supporting a child's learning at home and at school. Schools and departments across the district celebrated with events large and small.

Sixth graders at Marston Middle School in Clairemont listened to a nurse, piano teacher and restaurant owner, all of whom studied at San Diego State, as they shared how their college experiences impacted their career choices. Each guest had a varying career path, which helped students understand there can be many paths to success.

Students peppered the guests with questions like “Is your job hard” and “What is the best day you’ve had at work”?

The nurse told a story about helping to revive a man by holding his heart in her bare hands. She said that being able to talk the man the next day after he was so close to dying was amazing and one of her best days at work.

Approximately 20 total speakers visited Marston throughout the day to share their experiences.

At Tierrasanta's Serra High, parents joined their students in class as part of “Come To School With Your Student Day.” By shadowing their students during the day, parents got a better understanding of what their child experiences each day at school.

Field Elementary hosted a volunteer breakfast in which more than 20 parents enjoyed a variety of bagels, fruit and pastries that were provided by the staff. Students made colorful posters to thank the many mothers and fathers who share their time at their children’s school.

A Fay Elementary parent spins the lucky
wheel at the school's thank you breakfast.

Fay Elementary said thank you to its parents/guardians from their involvement by hosting a special “Fay Café” in which coffee, cake and Mexican sweet bread were served to nearly 100 parents.

Parents also got to try their luck on the spinning prize wheel, cheered on by teachers, support staff and students. Many parents came away with gift cards, free picture packages, and even turkeys, thanks to several donations from local stores.

Several other schools across the district also hosted events in honor of National Parent Involvement Day.

• Ibarra Elementary held a Community Resource Fair.
• University City High School hosted an Open House for parents.
• Lincoln High School held a “Principal Chat.”
• Standley Middle School handed out kisses…the chocolate kind to parents and guardians.
• Miller Elementary hosted a Juvenile Diabetes Walk
• Ballard Parent Center hosted a Community Resource Fair and parent workshops.

This was the district’s first year celebrating National Parent Involvement Day, and will likely continue to be a yearly celebration. The national event was started 18 years ago by Project Appleseed.

For more information on National Parent Involvement Day, contact Melissa Whipple at mwhipple@sandi.net or your school's PTA representative.