Follow DePortola Middle School Students On East Coast Tour

Eighth graders from de Portola Middle School in Tierrasanta will be on their East Coast trip Sunday-Friday, May 15-20 and will be blogging on the school's website, allowing everybody to share in their exploration of the nation's capitol and other historic sites.

The 52 students will be joined by six teachers and staff members, who will write about their experiences on a special blog on the school's website. Teacher Sheila Weiner will be making her 24th trip with her students as advisor and faculty sponsor.

According to Principal Elizabeth Gillingham, the students have been raising money and keeping their grades up for the trip.

"They have been anticipating this trip since May of 2010 ... and maybe much longer than that," she said. "They had to maintain a 3.0 citizenship GPA and a 2.75 academic GPA."
Activities will include a visit to New York City, Washington and Arlington National Cemetery, where the students will lay a wreath.

"The students going are all great ambassadors of de Portola and we're excited to take them to see our nation's capitol," she said.

For more information, contact Gillingham (after May 23) at de Portola, lgillingham@sandi.net.

Local Educators Recognized With 'Honoring Our Own' Awards

Four San Diego Unified administrators are among 27 county-wide saluted by the Association of California School Administrators and the San Diego County School Boards Association.

The recent "Honoring Our Own" ceremony takes note of standout administrators at schools throughout San Diego County and hosted by the San Diego County Office of Education.

Recognized from San Diego Unified were:

• Irene Hightower, Vice Principal, Rosa Parks Elementary: Administrator of the Year, Elementary Co-Administrator Category;
  
• Matthew Jordan, Building Services Supervisor III, Administrator of the Year, Classified Leader Category;
  
• Peggy Zickert, Manager, Program Monitoring, Administrator of the Year, Curriculum and Instruction Category;
  
• Bruce Ward, Director, Physical Education, Health Education and Interscholastic Athletics, Administrator of the Year, Central Office Administrator Category.

The awards ceremony, held at the Sheraton San Diego Resort and Marina, was dedicated the evening to former Poway Unified Superintendent Don Phillips, Ed.D, who died earlier this year, for his valuable leadership in public education and for children.

For more information, go to the event website.

Celebrating the Dedication of Classified Employees

May 16-20 is Classified School Employees Week. Since 1986, California has taken the third week in May to honor classified school employees and the significant contributions they make to the education, safety and well-being of students. Please take a moment to thank a classified employee for providing the valuable support services that help children succeed in school.

Message from Supt. Bill Kowba: Stay the Course

With less than 45 days to the end of our traditional school year and less than 60 days until the end of our fiscal year, I wanted to let all of our employees and school communities know how much your hard work and commitment to academic excellence are appreciated. The end of the school year is typically a demanding and even stressful time with testing, graduation and end-of-year priorities. This year, there is the added tension and anxiety created by our significant budget unknowns. During these trying times, staying the course with a focus on our students and their success is more important than ever. Read more.

IN THE NEWS: School board considers major cut in busing

Grappling with huge reductions in state funding, the San Diego school board will consider in June a plan to severely cut back school bus transportation, which currently serves about 15 percent of the students.

News coverage

• San Diego Union-Tribune»
  
• Voice of San Diego»
  

Lunchtime Brings Arts Alive at Lincoln

It's a musical Friday every week at lunch in the Lincoln High School quad, as students from the Center for the Arts perform for the other three schools at the Lincoln Park campus.

Part of the Lincoln High School Center for the Arts program “ArQ” (pronounced ‘ark’-Arts in the Quad), it's designed to bring the arts alive at “The Hive.” Teachers, administration and program creator Deborah Nevin believe that opening up this opportunity to reluctant students will allow for an expansion of choices regarding the arts.

Many students that listened attentively at a recent concert had never heard an orchestral instrument live.

“This is pretty cool," said one sophomore. "I might want to learn to do that."

Future Friday performances will include dance, choir, theater and sign to music. For more information, contact Kelli Dower, vice principal, Center for the Arts, Center for Social Justice, Lincoln High School, (619) 266-6540, or kdower@sandi.net.

IN THE NEWS: Local teams seek solar boat crown

Students from San Diego High’s School of Science and Technology and High Tech High School in San Marcos will be among 40 teams from across Southern California competing in the ninth-annual Solar Cup competition that starts Friday in southwest Riverside County.

Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune.