Clairemont High interns are all business

Student interns from Clairemont High's Academy of Business and Technology just completed two months of real-world work experience and all found teamwork, communication, and adhering to deadlines at the heart of it.

“Having communication with my co-workers and supervisor is key to getting things done the right way”, said senior Selena Valdivia.

“Deadlines will always be a part of life and you will always have them,” said student Brandon Plascencia.

 

California Coast Credit Union, Manpower, Neighborhood House Association, City of San Diego, Rawdin-Baron Financial, Inc. and others were the locations for 27 interns from Clairemont.

Internships are an integral part of academy, a specialized program at Clairemont High. Each senior is required to participate in a field internship during the spring semester and students leave the classroom several times a week to work at a local business where they take on real-world tasks and projects under the direction of an industry supervisor. Back at school, the students work with their instructor to reinforc the skills and knowledge needed to complete internship projects.

The AOBT gives students a competitive advantage by preparing them for college and career, with an emphasis in business and finance. Academy students grow to be innovative, articulate, and socially engaged young adults who take initiative in their communities and personal endeavors.
For more information about AOBT, visit its website: http://aobt.net/

Gage Elementary students run into record books

IN THE NEWS: 30,000 miles is most for school where individuals run as much as 300 miles in year. Watch story from Fox 5 San Diego»

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Hoover High students help map their neighborhood

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) students at Hoover High are working with real-life clients to map the most used routes by students to walk and bike to school compared with those that get the most car traffic. Their findings will be used by KTU+A, a firm seeking to improve the corridors in City Heights in terms of storm water treatment and increasing bicycle and pedestrian activity in City Heights. The student maps are part of a project called City Heights Urban Greening that KTU+A is working on for the City of San Diego. GIS is one of the electives in Hoover High School’s Academy of Information Technology (AOIT).

 Hoover AOIT students have been working with the City of San Diego on GIS projects for several years. In 2010, the students participated in a community service project to create a more walkable neighborhood. Part of the Health Equity by Design grant from Walk San Diego, the project encouraged walking in City Heights by making the community a safer, more enjoyable place. The students used GPS units to collect data for use on a GIS map. Impressed by the students’ work, organizers asked them to participate in a presentation on sidewalk improvements to the City Heights Redevelopment Project Area Committee.

The AOIT at Hoover was established in 2003. Students voluntarily join the academy through a recruitment process. Students enroll in elective courses in Web Architecture, Social Media Marketing, Technical Support Services, GIS, and Multimedia. Teachers plan together across the curriculum to work in teams and create technology driven projects which emphasize core content knowledge in a standards driven curriculum. This integrated approach to curriculum often uses project based learning strategies to motivate students through authenticity and relevancy.

A California Partnership Academy, AOIT is funded by a grant from the California Department of Education. The California Partnership Academy model is a three-year program (grades 10-12) structured as a school-within-a-school. Academies incorporate integrated academic and career technical education, business partnerships, mentoring, and internships.

Watch a KPBS story that focuses on this project. For more information about the Academy of Information Technology at Hoover High, contact Angie Kania at akania@sandi.net or use this link: http://aoit.hooverhi.org/

Superintendent-designate gives views to newspaper editors

IN THE NEWS: In March, Central Elementary School Principal Cindy Marten got a huge promotion when the San Diego Unified school board announced its decision to name her to replace departing Superintendent William Kowba effective July 1. Marten met recently with the U-T Editorial Board. Read interview»

Arts and Culture Festival displays an array of talent at Freese Elementary

The annual Spring Festival at Freese Arts and Culture Magnet School, held on May 24, 2013, was lively, colorful and festive. Students, teachers, parents and friends joined in the drumming and flag parade to kick off the event. Artwork from every student was displayed in the "art gallery". Artwork was inspired by a number of themes, including habitats, Native American culture, birds, hands, and more. Freese's Teaching artists led dance, drumming and puppetry performances/activities and the Freese ASB sponsored a Talent Show. Participants and spectators were "all smiles" during the gala event. Go to photos on Freese website»

Crawford High students develop app for neighborhood information

Inspired by a CNN report about a group that builds mobile-phone applications for government agencies, a group of Crawford High School students decided to try to replicate that model in their City Heights neighborhood. But they shifted the focus to community organizations.


Their first project was creating an app for Mid-City Community Advocacy Network (Mid-City CAN), so City Heights residents could stay up to date on events, news, social media and staff contacts.

The group of students, called Crawford High School Apps for Community, in Andrea Cascia’s College Career and Technical Education Web Architecture class, spent about six weeks creating the app.


Team member Arlene Flores, 16, described what she learned.


“I was able to experience what it was like to work with a client and work with a group to develop something,” Arlene said. “I also learned a lot about Mid-City CAN.”


Students created a mock-up of the app with design software. They programmed it with internet-coding language and other types of coding, including JavaScript.


They got to show off their finished work at the 2013 Office of College, Career and Technical Education Showcase, where dozens of San Diego Unified students demonstrated their projects. The Apps for Community team had cookies printed with an illustration of a mobile phone containing the Mid-City CAN and Crawford High School logos. Their booth also had signboards explaining some of the background for their project.


The group chose to create an app for Mid-City CAN because they felt a connection to its work.


“I heard about what they do -- they help kids keep off the street and create skate parks and other community-related things,” Steven Ly, 16, said. “I wanted to get involved and help spread the word.”


Other team members included Phuc Nguyen, 16, Kevin Turcios, 17 and Juan Munguia-Lara, 18.


The group’s teacher was pleased by the final product.


“The app will help Mid-City CAN reach its youth audience,” Cascia said. “It is motivating for students to see mobile technology used to do good in their community.”


Steven was the main app developer. He took several online classes to help him develop the app.

“I got to use what I learned online and put it in an app,” he said. “I was the only one in the class that was coding at the moment.”

To download the app, use the QR code in the photo. For more information on the program, contact Cascia at acascia@sandi.net.

Cubberly Elementary event builds bridges to the future

Fifth-graders from Cubberley Juarez, Wegeforth and Jones elementary schools got a head start preparing for the workforce at the second annual Building Bridges to the Future, a career-ready event for elementary students. Approximately 175 kids explored fields ranging from engineering, robotics, the Coast Guard to the arts in directing chorale music.

“It’s never too early to begin thinking about your future," Cubberley Principal Rosemary Cruz told the students. "Begin now so that your learning has meaning and purpose,”

Honored guest speaker, Supt. Bill Kowba explained to students that before joining the school district and being appointed superintendent, he had a long career in the military. Supt. Kowba also explained that one may be in a career for many years and eventually choose a different path later on.

The event featured six presentations from speakers like Shalimar Oliver, an animal control officer for the San Diego County Department of Animal Services, and San Diego Sports Hall of Fame member Willie Buchanon, a former NFL player for the Green Bay Packers and San Diego Chargers. Chemist and Cubberley parent, Brad Savall, from Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development LLC, inspired a student to proclaim his career aspirations.

"I learned so much about science today,” said fifth-grader Alejandro Sanchez. “I want to build new atom structures and molecules and now I know I want to be an engineer, scientist, or chemist when I grow up.”

Presenters encouraged the students to set goals and pursue professions they would love, even if they did not have a particular career in mind already.

The event was organized for Serra Mesa neighborhood schools by Cubberley counselor, Molly Williams and 4th/5th grade teacher, Steffanie Zambrano. For more information please contact Mrs. Williams at mwilliams9@sandi.net.