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»

Retired teachers help next generation with $1,500 scholarships

Retired teachers are still helping students, donating ten, $1,500 scholarships to members of the Class of 2014.

San Diego retired teachers -- members of the California Retired Teacher Association (CalRTA), Division 4 -- have presented the students with the scholarships at their schools' senior award assemblies.

The Scholarship Foundation of CalRTA Division 4 was established 30 years ago, with Division 4 over the years awarding more than $300,000 in scholarships to more than 300 seniors attending four-year universities.

The 2014 scholarship recipients are: Daniel Foster, Patrick Henry; Tiffany Fung, Pruess; Luis Gay, Point Loma; Analie Islas, Lincoln; Shayn Lozano, Serra;  Ashley Ly,  Hoover; Shatesha Morris, San Diego High School of Business and Leadership; Dustin Nguyen, Crawford; Vy Nguyen, Kearny High School of International Business; and Janelle Spikes, San Diego Metropolitan Regional and Technical.

High school seniors were judged on their academic achievement, school leadership, extra curricular activities, community/volunteer service, financial need, and work/home activities. The scholarship recipients have an average grade point of 3.92 and will be attending UC Berkeley, UCSD, SDSU, Tuskegee, Hampton University, and Brown. Their diverse areas of study include engineering, public health, environmental science, chemistry, Public policy, and criminal justice.CalRTA is proud of its scholarship program that recognizes deserving, hard-working, and intelligent young people.

Donations may be made to CalRTA Scholarship Foundation, Division 4 and mailed to Scholarship Foundation, Division 4, CalRTA, and P.O. Box 33421, San Diego, CA 92163-3421. For further information about CalRTA, contact Carol Patrick at carolclaytorpatrick@yahoo.com or http://div4.calrta.org.

UC High 'Art Attack' brings together campus's budding artists

Artwork, video production, and theatrical pieces came together in one evening of fun as UC High's ArtsTECH academy gave its students in grades 10-12 a chance to perform before an audience of receptive fellow students, parents and community members.

Art Attack began with a visual arts show in which visitors enjoyed an impressive space-themed decor, food, and marvelous student artwork, according to teacher Ian McAvoy. Principal Jeff Olivero and ArtsTECH teacher Andy Zafuto were among those recipients of a talented student's less than favorable, but very funny, caricature.

Later, ArtsTECH's theater students performed numerous skits, monologues, and musical numbers, followed by video creations.

Productions included a noir-styled interrogation of UCHS's new Vice Principal, Mike Paredes, action films that brought awareness to persuasive techniques used in media, as well as animation that showed students' advanced skills in both drawing and technology. Other videos were presented by sophomores, who showed the work they created in a program with the Shoah Foundation at the University of Southern California.

A piano solo piece, that was at times humorous, but also revealed the mixed emotions of leaving the loved academy for graduation, said McAvoy. Teacher Belinda Brown's theater students provided a heartfelt goodbye. Teacher Lauriel Adsit was the last to leave, as her admiring students helped put away the elaborate decorations.

This year's event was particularly emotional, as art teacher Lauriel Adsit and theater teacher Belinda Brown are retiring in June. Additionally, longtime ArtsTECH English teacher John Middleton is leaving for an administrative position at Lincoln High School, said McAvoy.

The ArtsTECH Academy is a three-year program (grades 10-12) which immerses students in a digital-arts focused curriculum incorporating technology, digital art and design skills. Special features include a state-of-the-art digital media lab, art studio, personalized tutoring, and staff and business partner expertise.

ArtsTECH is currently accepting applications from current freshmen to be a part of its 2014-15 sophomore class. For more information on the program, visit its website.

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

A teacher for the toughest times: Caren Waller is an educator at Rady Children's Hospital

IN THE NEWS: For more than 20 years, Caren Waller, has been teaching at Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego. She does everything from read stories to patients to communicate with school districts about how to best serve injured or ill students. When she first started, she was one of three educators who would push a cart around from room to room. Now, there are six teachers and five assistants working from multiple classrooms throughout the hospital.

Waller, a Leucadia resident who attended Patrick Henry High School, tells us about her unique teaching position. Read more from UT San Diego»

Encanto Elementary transformed into cool EnviroSchool

Birds, snakes and even Dr. Zoolittle invaded Encanto Elementary and the students now know better how to care for their environment.

Snake says hi to Encanto students

"EnviroSchool" is a fun and educational workshop that features "scientists" performing a variety of fun and innovative activities for the students and student participation is part of the lesson. The program, which took a full morning, starts Students were greeted by Dr. Zoolittle -- the San Diego Zoo's zany and good-natured "animal researcher" character. During his introductory assembly, Dr. Zoolittle used magic and animals to teach students about wildlife conservation and recycling through audience interaction and lots of friendly humor.

Encanto students then had the opportunity to participate in three structured learning activities.

• The Splash Van: A mobile science lab featuring five different stations where kids use computers, microscopes, chemistry experiments and living creatures to learn about water quality and insect life. The lab teaches students the connection between human activities and the health of the environment. 
• The Green Machine: An interactive exploration program that teaches agricultural awareness at three stations: a soils research station with live earthworms, the water cycle station with dramatic role play scenarios and costumes, and an integrated pest management station with interactive role play and insect puppets. 
• Waste Reduction and Recycling Presentation, and the Recycling Relay: A hands-on presentation with displays of items made with recycled materials that teaches students the importance of waste prevention, reducing, reusing, composting, and recycling followed by a high-energy recycling race where the environment is the winner. 

The Green Machine, Splash Van and relay are operated by the San Diego County Office of Education. Find out more by contacting Debbie Baker, Principal Encanto Academic Academy, at619-344-6700.

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.