GSA Advisor Training Success

On Nov. 28th, LGBTQIA+ Education & Advocacy co-hosted a countywide GSA (Genders & Sexualities Alliance) Advisor Training. The event brought together GSA advisors from schools from all over San Diego County. Advisors where provided with tools and resources necessary to empower their students as leaders. The advisors were also treated to a panel where students shared about their needs from educators, students, and family members that best ensure their safety and affirmation at school and at home.

National Hispanic College Fair exposes students to future opportunities

Students throughout San Diego Unified participated in the National Hispanic College Fair, on Friday, November 30, 2018. The event was held at the University of San Diego: Hahn Center, they hosted more than 35 colleges and universities. The wonderful 1-on-1 representatives provided insight information on admissions, colleges, majors and campus life for 11th and 12th grade students. Point Loma High School student, Abraham Arana, was excited about exploring the different options available to him and connecting with multitude of representatives.

The National Hispanic College Fair has partnered with San Diego Unified counselors to provide this free opportunity for high schools. Jaime Chavez, intervention counselors, took over 48 students San Diego High School and was already planning on increasing opportunities for students next year. School counselors work on creating connections for students, Dave Silva, Head Counselor of Mira Mesa High School highlighted the importance of connecting students with colleges representatives he shared “they give them information and tell them that college is accessible and they can go” an important message that continues to encourage our students to pursue their post-secondary dreams.

Coming of Age Story Play at Morse High School

This powerful play will make its debut on Dec. 7th at Morse High School. The play reflects the experiences of transgender youth in high school and will provide the student audience with a safe place to explore issue of bullying, harassment, and acceptance in the context of gender identity.

Listening Tour at Perkins K-8

An integrated team of counselors, teachers, and administrators from the Integrated Youth Services Department held a listening tour during Perkins K-8 Family Tuesday. Parents were invited to share about their strengths, their child's strengths, and the strengths of all students at Perkins. After reading with their children in their classrooms, parents identified community resources they are currently accessing and later gathered a list of community resources they would like to connect with. The integrated team will utilize this feedback to implement school supports to promote positive school climate by fostering a culture of care. Thank you Perkins parents!

LEGO partnership provides unique learning opportunities at Sunset View Elementary

LEGO recently partnered with SDUSD to provide materials for our TK/K students in our STEAM schools. The students are using LEGO to build models and demonstrate their learning. Keith Kostrzewski, from LEGO Education, joined principal Jamey Jaramillo and visited TK and K classrooms at Sunset View Elementary during their STEAM block. Students used the Design Process to build LEGO houses and compared them to “stick houses” from the story The Three Little Pigs. Mr. Kostrzewski was very impressed with the use of academic language the students displayed when explaining their projects and creative models the students built!

San Diego Unified attends BlueTech Week in partnership with The Maritime Alliance

The Maritime Alliance hosted the 10th annual BlueTech Week Conference at the Intercontinental Hotel in downtown San Diego during the week of November 5th. 

Over 25 San Diego Unified employees attended the Gala and Dinner and were treated to a keynote presentation from Dr. Dimitri Deheyn, Associate Research Scientist at Scripps Institution of Oceanography who shared his inspirational work on Biomimicry and studying organisms from the ocean. 

The Executive Director of School Innovation and Integrated Youth Services, Cheryl Hibbeln, was joined by principal Kimberly Meng, Marine Science Teacher Steve Walters, and Keith Kostrzewski from LEGO Education on a panel to discuss the BlueSTEM pathway within the Mission Bay cluster. Attendees from as far as Norway were in the audience for the discussion.

Students from Mission Bay High School attended the exhibition portion of BlueTech week and were inspired by the amazing opportunities in the Blue Economy!

It’s here - The Hour of Code!

Computer Science Education Week (CSEdWeek) is here! It is an annual program dedicated to inspiring K-12 students to take interest in computer science. During CSEdWeek, students participate in “an hour of code” where they have the opportunity to learn how to program or code a computer and/or have guest speakers from industry and universities visit their classrooms.

What can you do to support the “Hour of Code” and provide opportunities for your child and others?

Ask what your school is doing December 3-9 for CSEdWeek and the “hour of code”. Volunteer at your student’s school for the “hour of code” – especially if you are a CS professional. If not, volunteer and learn alongside the students! 

Have your student visit https://csedweek.org/learn or https://code.org/hourofcode/overview to try coding. The site provides activities for all grades (TK – 12 for beginners and those comfortable with coding) themed popular characters (such as Moana, Minecraft, Frozen, Star Wars, Monster High and Hot Wheels) to themes like sports, pirates and dance parties. 

Even pre-readers can learn to code! CSEdWeek is held in recognition of the birthday of computing pioneer Admiral Grace Murray Hopper (December 9, 1906).

Literacy in the STEAM Classroom

Over the summer, Barnes and Noble partnered with SDUSD to incorporate literacy in the STEAM classroom by compiling a list of book titles that would compliment the NGSS CA Science Framework. They provided book recommendations for strengthening learning around plants and animals, weather patterns, and pushes and pulls.

32 schools are piloting STEAM curriculum in TK/K. Barnes and Noble has expanded classroom libraries benefiting 114 teachers and over 3,000 students. The STEAM curriculum integrates literacy through read alouds that develop students’ habits of mind and grows their content knowledge.

Barnes & Noble is working on expanding educational partnerships and specialized services for educators across the nation, as well as recognizing innovative programs and STEM/STEAM services throughout the grades. Mary Meier is the Market Business Development Manager at Barnes & Noble. To collaborate with Barnes and Noble on educational initiatives contact Mary by email at mmeier@bn.com and by Twitter at @BN_Innovation.

You can also get involved by visiting the Mira Mesa Barnes & Noble’s STEAM Saturday to celebrate all things STEAM. STEAM Saturday is open for the entire community and involves stations of hands-on activities hosted by Barnes & Noble and community organizations. There is a make-and-take component as well as the opportunity to engage with tech products and experiments. Barnes & Noble picks a featured school or organization to co-host the event who also receives a portion of the proceeds. They love having new exhibitors and partners and would like to encourage schools and groups to reach out to be featured at the event. The next STEAM Saturday is co-hosted by Science Delivered and will take place on February 2nd, 2019 at 1:00 p.m. Participants can enter a raffle to have a chance of leaving with a surprise!

Erosion and Scientific Inquiry At Vista Grande Elementary

2nd grade Vista Grande students are learning about erosion. This week the students went outside to test and observe the effects of wind, water, ice and earthquakes on the earth’s surface. They collaborated in teams using stream tables, sand, water, ice and science beakers to test the elements. The students created a chart to record their data in their STEAM journals and investigated how each element shaped and moved earth material around the earth. They concluded that erosion and the shape of the earth’s surface is continually changing. They also had a lot of fun engaged in the NGSS Science and Engineering Practices. This investigation was just in time for the winter storms outside.

New Music Building Breaks Ground at Mira Mesa High School

Band and orchestra students at Mira Mesa High School participated in a groundbreaking ceremony on Tuesday, November 13, to celebrate construction of a new music building and other campus-wide improvements.

With construction equipment in the background, hundreds of music students performed while flanking the groundbreaking location. Their early morning performance was followed by a brief speaking program and the groundbreaking ceremony.

The new music building provides a band rehearsal room, orchestra rehearsal room, practice spaces, and storage. In an interview with KUSI, Band Director Jeanne Christensen noted that there are 211 students in the marching band this year, and they do not fit in their current classroom. Orchestra Director Matthew Mulvaney wrote, “We are tremendously thankful to have the opportunity to move into this new space - one that will meet the needs of our students, ensembles, and community.”

Other improvements at Mira Mesa High School include a new classroom building that will provide 14 classrooms and additional educational support space, and upgrades to existing buildings and systems. This project is funded by San Diego Unified School District’s Propositions S and Z, which are local bond measures approved by San Diego voters to repair, renovate and revitalize neighborhood schools.


In attendance at the groundbreaking were San Diego Unified Superintendent Cindy Marten, Board of Education Trustee John Lee Evans, Facilities Planning and Construction Chief Lee Dulgeroff, Principal Jeff Sabins, VAPA Director Russ Sperling, and Mira Mesa High School students, families, and community members.

Clairemont HS Students Pitch Biometric Security Systems to Clients

Students in Clairemont High School’s Health Academy are learning about biometrics in their Human Body Systems class. After learning about fingerprinting, facial and retinal scans, DNA, and vein geography, students were ready to create proposals for their clients using FlipGrid to address each client’s security concerns. One group proposed using fingerprint scanners to reduce season pass sharing at an amusement park. Another group proposed using vein geography to enhance security for a bank. Teacher Alfie Nowak was impressed that groups considered the ethical implications of using these biometric devices. These students are thinking on their feet and applying their learning to real-world problems. Way to go Chieftains!

Embracing a Growth Mindset

Students in Sarah Murray’s 9th grade literacy support class at Kearny Digital Media and Design are reflecting on the importance of the Habits of Mind in their everyday experiences. Once a week during their warm up, she asks students to think about a Habit of Mind and to deeply consider how it is reflected in their academic and social experiences. This week they focused on the idea of taking responsible risks. She led students through a reflection about ideas such as the value of stepping outside of their comfort zone to take a responsible risk, how they might benefit from that risk, how they have pushed themselves to take those risks thus far in their high school experience, and the difference between taking a risk and taking a “responsible” risk. This kind of metacognitive thinking empowers students to be more mindful of their learning and to participate more actively in their educational experiences.

How to End the Semester Strong!

Hey students - want some suggestions of how to make your grades look better? Here’s 3 easy steps!

Step 1: Look at the PowerSchool details for each of your classes. It is YOUR grade and YOUR responsibility to make sure it is accurate! Do you notice any missing grades? Did you forget to complete or turn in the work? Did your teacher forget to record the grade?

Step 2: Talk with the teacher for each class you want to improve. It is teachers’ favorite conversation to have with their students - they want you to succeed! Show the PowerSchool notes and turn in any missing work. You can say something like, “I just noticed this work was missing and was hoping to submit now.” Too scared to talk in person? Email or write a note and leave for the teacher.

Step 3: Make plans for the future. Good habits lead to success! Identify some habits you can build for long-term success...study sessions, quiet work space, tutorials...all things that successful students do!

Positive School Climate Fiar

Music Winter Concert

Mission Bay Math goes BlueTech!

Mission Bay High School math teachers are jumping on the BlueTech wave! In a cross-course project, math teachers are configuring engaging work around the school’s BlueTech STEAM project. Math teachers are designing hands-on, minds-on work that will ask students to and analyze data collected in their science courses, and lead them to make inferences about their findings. Both teachers and students are excited to see the outcomes of these real-to-life projects!

“Build Up” Parent Orientation at Serra

“Build Up” is a program born from the need to increase post-secondary preparedness and readiness for our military dependents at Serra High School. It is a partnership between the Office of Children and Youth in Transition (CYT) at San Diego Unified School District and the TRIO Upward Bound program at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) funded by a grant through the Department of Defense. The goals of this program are for the participants to explore and learn about the options they have in higher education and to receive tangible support in academics and college and career planning in order for them to be prepared and be ready for their college career. Examples of services and activities are field trips to universities and colleges, after school tutoring, SAT/ACT prep, leadership development, college and financial aid application support, and summer residential programs. All of these benefits/services are at no cost to the families as it is completely grant-funded.

On November 15th, 2018 UCSD, CYT, and Serra HS staff came together to host a parent orientation for the Build Up program to help parents of the Build Up participants to learn more about the program and to understand the different components of the services. Families came with specific questions for the program and at the end of the night many of them are excited about the opportunities this program is bringing to their students.

Morse HS MESA Club Organizes Mock MESA Day Competition to Encourage Schoolwide Engagement in STEM

The students in the MESA Club (Mathematics Engineering Science Achievement) at Morse High School are planning to host a Mock MESA Day on campus on December 14, 2018, from 2:30-6:00 pm. Students in the club, with help from several teachers advertising and offering extra credit, are recruiting teams of students to participate in a competition for their choice of three possible projects (Civil Structures, Wright Turn Glider, Mouse Trap Car). The competition will be similar to the competition held annually at San Diego State University for high school and middle school MESA Clubs throughout the county. All Morse HS students are encouraged to participate, with MESA students providing materials for the projects, mentoring, and food at the event. This is a phenomenal student led initiative to increase interest and engagement in STEM related fields.

Olympic Silver Medalist, NYC and Boston Marathon Winner Meb Keflezighi Goes to Grant K-8

Grant K-8 Physical Education teacher Patrice Shumaker has been organizing inspiring speakers for Grant's middle school students to help them learn about determination, courage, kindness, resiliency and hard work from their experience. Meb Keflezighi, Olympic silver medalist, NYC and Boston Marathon winner, recently stopped by to share his story and how to "run to overcome". Meb’s hour long talk to Grant's middle school students was amazing! He shared a terrific message about perseverance, determination, gratitude and hard work.

UCHS Student Goes to Sacramento to Participate in the Student Advisory Board on Education

Zachary Patterson, a SDUSD Student Equity Ambassador and freshman at University City High School, went to Sacramento to participate in the Student Advisory Board on Education hosted by the California Association of Student Councils. Once there, Zachary Patterson brainstormed issues seen in the education system in collaboration with other student representatives. Later that week, he, in collaboration with a group of other students, presented to the State Board of Education. In addition to this, Zachary also voted on who would become the next Student Board Member on the State Board of Education.

SDUSD Hosts Inaugural Wellness Institute for School Health Champions

This fall, staff from more than 160 schools convened for San Diego Unified’s inaugural District Wellness Institute. The effort was part of the District Wellness Initiative to support the health and well-being of all students, families and staff. Each school’s designated wellness coordinator engaged in a full day of learning to explore strategies for student and staff wellness, proper nutrition, health education, regular physical activity, social emotional well-being, and safe school environments. As part of the District Wellness Initiative, all schools complete an annual wellness assessment to identify areas of improvement and develop an action plan for addressing the school’s health needs. During the Institute, community partners and district staff highlighted opportunities and resources to support wellness strategies for school communities. The Wellness Institute was coordinated by the Department of Nursing & Wellness and national partner Alliance for a Healthier Generation, with generous support from Kaiser, UnitedHealth Care and California Schools VEBA.
“We’re thrilled to have had the opportunity to bring together so many of our school wellness champions, district leaders and incredible community partners for this exciting event,” said District Wellness Supervisor Kate McDevitt. “There is power in our collective work. As we move forward, it’s important to ensure that students are helping to lead this wellness effort, and organizing activities for peer-to-peer education. We hope to see many students, parents and community partners joining us at the table as we continue to build a culture of health in our district.”

To get involved in our District Wellness Initiative, please visit https://www.sandiegounified.org/health-and-wellness or contact Kate McDevitt, District Wellness Supervisor at wellness@sandi.net.

Garfield High's 21st Annual Thanksgiving Gourmet Luncheon

On November 15th, Garfield High School held it’s 21st Annual Thanksgiving Gourmet Luncheon at The Prado in Balboa Park. The lunch was prepared by the Garfield HS Culinary Arts student and the Prado chefs & banquet staff and served to over 360 attendees. The event was generously sponsored by the Cohn Restaurant Group with the proceeds going to support programs at Garfield High. Over the past twenty years the luncheon has raised more than $500,000. The program was hosted by student speakers Anthony Rios, Shaila Campos & Jessie Gomez.