From the District

Superintendent, Board President chart course for future, honor graduates
San Diego Unified has all the parts to create America's best school system, but it will take hard work to make it a reality, Superintendent Cindy Marten said at the 2013 State of the District ceremony Oct. 29. "I see a future where we keep our promise to children," she told an audience of more than 400. "I can tell you that we have, right here in our backyard, exactly what it takes to build the best school system in the nation." Opening the program, Board of Education President John Lee Evans spoke about Vision 2020, the district's road map for the future. Read more.

Enrollment Options application period opens for 2014-15 school year
The enrollment period for 2014-15 school choice is Nov. 1, 2013 to Feb. 15, 2014. Families can apply for district programs, such as Magnet Schools, the Voluntary Enrollment Exchange Program and Open Enrollment. Visit the Enrollment Options web page for the online application and other helpful materials. Applications are given a computer-generated random number and are treated equally once received during the open enrollment period -- first come, first served does not apply. Read more.

State superintendent highlights San Diego Unified's approach to Linked Learning
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson visited the Kearny High Educational Complex last week to showcase regional approaches to Linked Learning. "These programs integrate academic and technical study along with work-based learning opportunities to help students follow a seamless pathway from the classroom to college and career," said Torlakson. Read more.

Elementary salad bars taking a dip
Dipper Bars are the newest thing being tested in San Diego Unified cafeterias. Attendees at recent fall festivals at Ellen Browning Scripps, Hickman and Sessions elementary schools were able to sample some of the local, farm fresh, healthy fruits and vegetables from the school's new Dipper Bars. Dipper Bars make salad bar food into finger foods, making them easier to eat at lunch. The Dipper Bar program is being piloted at selected schools. Read more.

Prop S & Z Update: New law requires construction contractors to be prequalified
Due to a new law that goes into effect in January, San Diego Unified is soliciting prequalification information from general contractors and subcontractors wanting to submit bids to the district, or to a prime contractor bidding on district work. The new legislation (AB 1565) was passed and signed into law (California Public Contract Code Section 20111.6) and affects contractors performing work on school construction projects on/after Jan. 1, 2014. Read more.

Remember to turn clocks back this weekend
It's time to fall back at 2 a.m. this Sunday, Nov. 3, as daylight savings time comes to an end. That means all San Diego Unified students will be extra sharp, as they'll have an extra hour of sleep over the weekend.

School News

Heart screening finds eight teens at risk
The Eric Paredes Save A Life Foundation screened 815 teens on Sunday, October 20 at a free cardiac screening facilitated by the administration at Patrick Henry High School. The screening sought to detect heart abnormalities that could put teens at risk for Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA), a silent killer of 7,000 kids annually. Read more.

University City community raises $12,000 for local schools
Oktoberfest in University City proved to be a big success for the neighborhood's schools. The fifth annual event, organized by EdUCate, the University City High School cluster group, broke all attendance and fundraising records, as more than 1,500 attendees put nearly $12,000 in the till for the cluster's students. Read more.

Angier Elementary students create can sculpture to 'say no to drugs and bullies'
More than 2,600 cans were collected and built into a tower by Angier Elementary School students to show that they "just say no to drugs and bullies," part of the school's Red Ribbon Week activities. The collected items from the food drive were then used by teams from each grade to construct creative can towers and structures. Read more.

Roosevelt Middle School students host unique mayoral debate
IN THE NEWS: Labor and business have weighed in. So have Democrats and Republicans. Now it's time for Roosevelt Middle School set to have a say in San Diego's mayoral race. Three of the four leading candidates vying to become the city's next leader have committed to attending an unprecedented student-organized debate. The "Mayoral Community Forum on Education" is a project of the campus' Cesar Chavez Service Club and will feature issues raised by the "Chavistas," as students in the club are called. It is the first student-organized San Diego mayoral debate in recent history. Read more.

Henry's Engineering and Design Academy receives Golden Bell
The Engineering and Design Academy at Patrick Henry High School has been named a Golden Bell Award winner by the California School Board Association. The award, from the organization that represents elected school boards throughout the state, recognizes public school programs that are innovative and sustainable, make a demonstrated difference for students and focus on meeting the needs of all students. Read more.

Hoover High students share highlights of "College Prep Day" at Oct. 22 Board meeting
Four students showed the Board of Education at the Oct. 22 meeting how all Hoover High School students are preparing for college. Each year, the school hosts an all-campus college prep day where the entire student body participates in college prep workshops and prep tests. Students presented a video they created that promoted the event and showed media coverage from the day's activities. Principal Chuck Podhorsky joined the student presenters, as did members of the school’s drum line. Watch the video.

For Parents

California Endowment hosts Local Control Funding Formula Town Hall Nov. 9
The California Endowment is hosting a community forum in San Diego Nov. 9 to discuss the Local Control Funding Formula, the new state method of funding schools. It is one of several meetings that the organization is holding around the state to educate the public on the new system. Read more.

For Students

Cal-SOAP dares students to dream… about college on Nov. 2
California Student Opportunity and Access Program (Cal-SOAP) and UC San Diego are hosting a seminar for students in grades 4-12, parents and community leaders to help encourage youth to think about college and begin preparing them for that path. "The African American Experience" will be held Sat., Nov. 2 from 7:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. at UCSD. Registration is required, but admission is free. Read more.

Student Voices

New gym for Marauder athletes  The Marquee (Mira Mesa High School, San Diego) (10/24)

Navigating the I.B. options  Mission Bay High School Beachcomber (San Diego) (10/24)

In the News

Don't fear common core  Los Angeles Times (tiered subscription model) (9/19)

Educational News

How educators can help boys learn
Male students are lagging behind their female peers in the classroom, are presenting challenges for classroom management and are enrolling in college at a slower rate than girls, Christina Hoff Sommers writes. Psychologist Michael Thompson says girls are held as the standard of behavior and boys "are treated like defective girls." To improve the performance of boys, Sommers, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, suggests maintaining or returning recess to the school day, encouraging boys to read and working with the male imagination. Time.com (10/28)

More top students are entering the teaching profession
Recent research suggests the quality of individuals entering the teaching profession has risen over the past two decades. Among the evidence used to back the claim is the rise in SAT scores among students entering the teaching profession -- with scores increasing 5 percentile rank points from the 1993-94 school year to 2008-09. Increases were especially high among teachers specializing in science, technology, engineering and math. Research also shows that high performers are more likely to go into teaching than in the past. Education Next (Winter 2014)

Next generation of school communication is mobile apps
The backpack flier is increasingly being replaced with technology as a vehicle for schools to communicate with parents. School districts in Virginia and Maryland now have launched mobile applications and mobile-friendly websites in an effort to communicate more efficiently with parents, sharing everything from school news to cafeteria menus. The Washington Post (tiered subscription model) (10/29)

Other News

SmartQuote