Student and Parent Input Needed, Tell Us What You Think!

Please complete the below community survey available in several languages by Friday, May 4^th.  The Advisory Committee on School Board Member Elections has created a survey to gauge opinion on some of the topics related to the Board of Education elections. 

English
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The San Diego City Council has asked the San Diego Unified School District to propose recommendations to the City Council with potential changes to school board elections. The San Diego Unified School District Elections Advisory Committee has been tasked with gathering community feedback on this issue within in a tight timeline. Click here for background information you may find helpful. 

Career Fair Experience at La Jolla High School

On Wednesday April 25, the La Jolla High School counselors hosted a school-wide, day-long career fair experience. Students had the opportunity to listen to a business panel, an environmental science panel, participate in mock interviews with dozens of volunteers in a speed dating format, other students Unlocked Their Genius using Thrively, and at lunch dozens of outside organizations and clubs shared information about their organization. This was an incredible event where students got to expand their understanding of the post-secondary options out there. We thank the LJHS counselors, and volunteers, for all the time and effort they dedicated to this event.

Patrick Henry College Fair

On Thursday, March 22, 2018 Patrick Henry High School students participated in a well-organized and successful College Fair that was directed towards STEM Majors.

The students from Pershing Middle and Lewis Middle had an opportunity to participate.

Parents' Guide to Student Success

The National PTA’s Parents' Guide to Student Success provides an overview of what your child will learn by the end of each grade level in mathematics and English language arts/literacy. This guide is based on the new Common Core State Standards

• Ideas for activities to help your child learn at home 

• Topics of discussion for talking to your child’s teacher about his or her academic progress

Click here to download the guide.

SAT Fee Waivers

Did you know that students can access SAT Subject Fee waiver as early as grade 9? This means students in their freshmen year of high school can being taking SAT subject exams (optional for admission in to most college).

San Diego Unified and YMCA begin local partnership at Pacific Beach Middle School

San Diego Unified, Pacific Beach Middle School, and Beach and Bay Family YMCA will come together prior to Pacific Beach Middle School’s Back to School Night to celebrate a growing partnership that is transforming Pacific Beach Middle School into a center of community.

Marking the completion of the first phase of facilities upgrades, a ribbon will be tied, not cut, to symbolize a community coming together for the benefit of Pacific Beach families.

Click Here To View The KUSI Report. 

National Take Back Day for Unused Medications

The opioid epidemic is affecting our children in record numbers. National statistics reveal that 3000 children were poisoned by opioids, 60% were less than 5 years old, and almost all occurred in the home. In a recent 2 year period 39 children were admitted to Rady Children’s Hospital for the ingestion of an opioid or narcotic. One part of the solution is storing medications as you would any poison, and disposing of unused medications. April 28, 2018 is National Take Back Day for unused medications. You can drop off unused medications at a drop off event or drop box at selected pharmacies. Below is a brief depicting the problem, and a flyer announcing the Take Back Day and 40 locations across San Diego County. Disposing of unused meds and sharing this with families and the communities you serve is one way we can all help to be part of the solution.

Innovation Centers

The Office of Secondary Schools is pleased to announce the completion of the San Diego High Innovation Center. San Diego High joins Morse, Crawford, Lincoln, and Hoover Innovation Centers to promote student engagement and advancement. The Innovation Centers are one of the targeted interventions in the districts early warning system for dropout prevention that focuses on student chronic absenteeism, poor grades, behavior problems and grade retention. Each center is staffed by a credentialed subject matter teacher that supports students working independently in standards based online instructional curricula in core courses for graduation. Students may take a course for remediation to make up a previous D or F grade, enrichment or AP for weighted credit.
The libraries at each of the schools have been refurbished with new furniture, computers, and promethean boards that encourages and enhances the learning experience for students at each location. With 5 centers operating San Diego Unified has a model for success that contributes to dropout prevention and improved graduation rates.

Students interested in taking classes should see their counselor for approval. The counselor will review the student transcript as well as teacher recommendations into the innovation center programs. Counselors will meet with students to discuss the innovation center opportunities. The students that are identified as good candidates will bring home the required forms and descriptions of the center to discuss with their family. After the students bring back the signed forms to the counselor they can begin their orientation to the Innovation Center as soon as is feasible.

For more information please visit https://www.sandiegounified.org/reconnection

Morse Softball Wins Championship Game

Morse 12 San Diego 11, in 10 innings @ Monte Vista Silver Classic Championship game.
This was a hard fought game dating back nearly a month. After one completed inning the game was suspended because of rain on 10 March. The score at that time was Morse 7 San Diego 5. It was a very sloppy beginning due to the conditions. After four innings Saturday, San Diego was up 11-10. The Tigers tightened up their defense holding the Cavers to 0 runs the final six innings. AJ Borja lead off the 7th with a triple, later scoring on a game tying single by Veronica Quinino, It took another three innings before a run was scored. Briana Garcia lead off the 10th with a sharp single up the middle, later scoring on a single by Alyssia Valdez. The defense held in the bottom of the 10th, shutting down the cavers in order.

 Final score: Morse 12 San Diego 11. Great game Tigers!

La Jolla Vikings Boys Volleyball So-Cal Tournament Champs

Congratulations to the La Jolla High Boys Volleyball team for winning the Chick-fil-A Southern California Boys Invitational Tournament up in Orange County.

Gabe Featherstone and Berkeley Miesfeld were selected to the All-Tournament Team and Berkeley was also selected as the Tournament’s Most Valuable Player MVP.

In addition, Miesfeld was selected at the Union Tribune Athlete of the week.

SRHS Athletics Website Still #1 In California And #8 In The Nation

The Scripps Ranch athletics website maintains the #1 spot in California and the #8 spot in the nation. Rankings are based on the number of page views the sites receive each month.

Click on link below for California March 2018 rankings:

VNN California Web Stats March 2018

Click on link below for National March 2018 rankings:

VNN National Web Stats March 2018

San Diego Workforce Partnership Opportunity Summit

On Thursday, April 12th, students from various schools in San Diego Unified attended San Diego Workforce Partnership’s Opportunity Summit. The day was dedicated to engaging professionals and young adults in exploring solutions to the population of 16-24 year olds in our community who are either not working or not in school. San Diego Unified students and staff were there in full force and so honored to be a part of the day.

“Check Your Mood” experience for LJHS Students

 On Monday, April 9 a majority of La Jolla High School students, through their PE class, participated in a “Check Your Mood” experience. San Diego Health and Human Services and LJHS Counselors led presentations on common mental health issues, students went through a basic non-diagnostic health screening, and accessed resources for stress, anxiety, and depression. This event is one aspect of the whole-child approach and ensures our students have the awareness and tools to enhance mental health.

Academic League Matches on ITV Studios

 Watch Madison High School vs. Our Lady of Peace and Hoover High School vs. Morse High School ITV Studios has these Academic League regular season matches and more available online at https://itv.sdcoe.net/ITV-Shows/Academic-League.

NCWIT Aspirations in Computing Awards!

The San Diego affiliate of the National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT) held their awards ceremony on Tuesday, April 17 at Qualcomm. The NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing (AiC) honors women in grades 9 through 12 who are active and interested in computing and technology, and encourages them to pursue their passions. Award for AiC recipients are chosen for their demonstrated interest and achievements in computing, proven leadership ability, academic performance, and plans for post‑secondary education.
Mission Bay High School Junior Nina Morch and Sophomore Jaden Symon received San Diego Affiliate Honorable Mention awards.

Nina has been actively involved in robotics since she was six years old and hopes to continue through college and career. She is currently the mechanical lead on her robotics team and is proud to have won several design awards last year. Nina would like to apply her robotics knowledge to start robotics programs in middle schools to engage younger students.

Jaden became interested in software development and computer science at a young age. She has taken computer science classes not only at Mission Bay High, but outside of school as well to continue to develop her skills. Not only does she enjoy software development, but surfing and playing competitive sand volleyball.

Nina and Jaden are now part of a long-term community for female technologists, from K-12 through higher education and beyond, encouraging persistence in computing through continuous engagement and ongoing encouragement at each pivotal stage of their educational and professional development. They are part of a group of technically inclined girls and women are offered opportunities to learn through computing-related activities, network at virtual and in-person meetups, receive visibility for technical achievements, and grow leadership and entrepreneurial skills by leading computing outreach programs in their local communities. Additionally, they gain exclusive access to scholarships, internships, and job opportunities. All of these benefits are made possible by NCWIT Alliance Members, AiC peers in the network, and adult influencers who serve as volunteers and mentors. This collective investment is making a considerable and sustainable impact on future technology and innovation by increasing women’s meaningful participation.

The NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing builds a talent pool for the growing technical workforce and helps academic and corporate organizations celebrate diversity in computing by honoring young women at the high-school level for their computing-related achievements and interests. Award recipients are selected based on their aptitude and aspirations in technology and computing; leadership ability; academic history; and plans for post-secondary education.

Also honored, SDUSD teacher, Shirley Miranda with the San Diego NCWIT Aspirations in Computing Educator Award for her contributions to computer science education in San Diego. She has had several regional NCWIT high school winners and one national winner over the years. The Aspirations in Computing Educator Award identifies outstanding educators who play a pivotal role in encouraging young women to explore their interest in computing and technology, and recognizes these educators for their efforts to promote gender equity in computing.

Congratulations to Nina, Jaden and Shirley!

Clairemont High School Students Give Industry Pathway Tour to Joint Board Meeting

On Tuesday, April 17th, students from Clairemont High School provided a tour of the school’s four industry pathways to various board members on site prior to a joint board meeting between San Diego Unified School District and San Diego Community College. Board members asked students questions about their experiences in industry themed academies, such as their contribution and understanding developed as part of hands-on, real-world projects, and were able to see innovative physical spaces for learning, such as the Academy of Business trading floor.

E2E Innovation Lab

The San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) has recently partnered with USD’s Jacobs Institute for Innovation and Education to develop an innovative learning space where industry and students can tinker in and collaborate on projects and challenges. Education to Employment Lab (E2E) combines the concepts of a makerspace, learning lab, and classroom. By reimagining what learning looks like, E2E offers 30 different workshops to help students develop their self-efficacy, self-esteem, and mindsets as they discover their own strengths, interests, and values.

In an effort to prepare students for life after graduation from high school, SDUSD plans to open several E2E labs at high schools across the district. The first site, located at Kearny Education Complex opened its doors to students in September and had an official grand opening on March 19, 2018. E2E Coordinator, Candice Fee; SDUSD Superintendent Cindy Marten; Executive Director of the Jacobs Institute, Dr. Heather Lattimer; USD’s Dean of Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering, Dr. Chell Roberts; and Kearny student and E2E intern Adrian Torres spoke, highlighting their collaboration and the effect it has had on student achievement. The ribbon cutting was well attended by Area Superintendent Kimmie Lochtefeld, Kearny cluster administration, community members, industry partners, Kearny teachers, students, and parents.

The mission of the lab is to bridge the gap between education and employment through hands-on experiences connected to the world of work. Serving the Kearny community, E2E has worked with several industry partners including Booz Allen and Hamilton, the USS Midway, Cal Coast Credit Union, Junior Achievement, Metugo, Urban League, San Diego River Park Foundation, Upward Bound, Brandiose, Scripps Institute of Oceanography, and SAY San Diego; post-secondary partners such as UCSD, USD, CSUSM, and Mesa College; engaged students in all four small schools on the Kearny campus in over 4,000 experiences; and provided internships to 102 students, 20 of which were paid through a collaborative effort with San Diego Workforce Partnership. The E2E effort has only just begun and will continue to make the impossible possible as it transforms the way we view education.

UC campuses to use waitlists for freshman and transfer students

All campuses, except Merced, will use waitlists for freshman and transfer applicants. An invitation to be on the list is not a guarantee of a future admission offer. Each campus has its own specific process for waitlisted applicants.

Click here to view Waitlist Process FAQs.

Accepting a freshman University of California Admission Offer

Students accept an admission offer by agreeing to and meeting the provisions/conditions outlined in the offer and submitting their Statement of Intent to Register (SIR) with the SIR deposit to reserve their space at a campus. The SIR deposit is $250. Some important things to keep in mind about accepting a UC admission offer:

1. SIR Deadlines: The SIR deadline for freshman applicants is May 1.

2. For students who received an application fee waiver, the SIR deposit may be deferred until financial aid is disbursed.

3. The SIR deposit is nonrefundable and non-transferable. Admitted students cannot submit a SIR to more than one UC campus. If an applicant changes his or her mind regarding which UC campus to attend prior to the SIR deadline or accepts a waitlist offer from another UC campus, the original SIR deposit is not transferable between UC campuses. The previous deposit is forfeited and a new deposit must be submitted.

4. Some UC campuses may require the student to attend an Orientation. Orientation is valuable to your student's successful matriculation and can be a great opportunity to make new friends! Students should review orientation options early to secure a date that best meets their schedule.

5. Students may be required to submit a Statement of Legal Residence (SLR). The SLR is used to determine a student's classification as a resident or non-resident for tuition purposes.

From the University of California Counselors and Advisers Bulletin  received April 10, 2018

International Baccalaureate Organization Exams

The International Baccalaureate® (IB) assesses student work as direct evidence of achievement against the stated goals of the Diploma Programme (DP) courses. In addition to academic skills, DP assessment encourages an international outlook and intercultural skills, wherever appropriate. Student results are determined by performance against set standards, not by each student's position in the overall rank order.

The International Baccalaureate® (IB) Diploma Programme (DP) uses both internally and externally assessed components to assess student performance.

For most courses, written examinations at the end of the DP form the basis of the assessment. This is because these examinations have high levels of objectivity and reliability.

Externally assessed coursework, completed by students over an extended period under authenticated teacher supervision, forms part of the assessment for several programme areas, including the theory of knowledge (TOK) essay and the extended essay (EE).

In most subjects, students also complete in-school assessment tasks. These are either externally assessed or marked by teachers and then moderated by the IB.

Click Here For Schedule

The Value of Internships

Through relationships with San Diego Workforce Partnership and the Ruben H. Fleet Science Center, Kearny’s E2E lab was able to place several students in paid internships in the last several months. Now, these students are sharing their stories with others in the hopes of increasing volunteerism at the Fleet. The students are even featured on their promotional material! E2E continues to connect students to the world of work through hands-on learning experiences.

FC Barcelona Sends FCB Escola Coaches to Mission Bay High School

Mission Bay High School girls soccer players were excited to learn about the Barca methodology and values from coaches and the technical director affiliated with the best program in the world. As part of an ongoing partnership between FC Barcelona and the San Diego Unified School District, this was one of the five school visits scheduled for the 2017-18 school year. 

SDUSD Students Brought Youth Perspective to the 2018 Opportunity Summit

Hugo Gutierrez 

By Hugo Gutierrez, a Clairemont High School student that attended the event: 

The San Diego Workforce Partnership Opportunity Summit was a gathering of young adults, employers and workforce professionals that came together to discuss the issues which have plagued San Diego for many years. The youth had a chance to share their stories and their struggles to the workforce professionals. Then we (as students) were given an opportunity to attend specialized workshops which discussed various issues ranging from mental disabilities to the disadvantages which young people in low income families face. The highlight of the event was when Diego Oliva, a SDUSD student, got the opportunity to co-moderate a panel and ask the district four supervisor candidates questions on what they plan to do about the problems San Diego is facing. Homelessness and mental health were the major topics on the table. At last, this 2018 Opportunity Summit allowed many workforce professionals and employers the opportunity to discuss the issues that have haunted San Diego County for years from the perspective of young people.

National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day

May 10th is National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day. This year’s theme is “Partnering for Health and Hope Following Trauma”. The focus is to bring awareness to the importance of an integrated health approach, including Mental Health, to supporting children, youth, and young adults. For more information visit the continually updated Awareness Day 2018 page.

New Common App Guide from U.S. News

High school Juniors, check out the latest U.S. News & World Report digital guide on everything you need to know about the Common App. This is a great resource for families and anyone learning about the college application process.

Morse Wins PB & J Sandwich Classic!

On Saturday, April 7, 2018, fifteen teams of students and professional culinary chefs competed in the Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich Classic. The first annual event was open to the public to sample all the unique peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and have the opportunity to vote for their favorite. A panel of professional judges selected the overall event winner. All proceeds benefited Sports for Exceptional Athletes.

The competing teams were pre-assigned a flavor of jelly, peanut butter and loaves of bread. Teams provided their own secret ingredients for their sandwiches which had to be prepared on site. Morse High’s culinary students won the “Peanut Butter Cup” with a Thai Chicken, Mandarin Orange Marmalade, Peanut Butter Panini. They won the student competition and went on to win the grand championship – beating the restaurant winner. Congratulations to Sara Smith (Morse Culinary Arts Teacher) and her students!

The event was sponsored by Jellybear Jelly Company, Pacific Beach Peanut Butter Company, and Panera Bread.