Sunday, March 10, 2019

National History Day San Diego Winners


Longfellow Spanish Immersion 8th grade students Abegail H. and Malia L. will represent San Diego at the National History Day California competition in Rocklin, CA on May 10-12, 2019. They won at National History Day San Diego (NHDSD) on March 2, 2019 with their portrayals of Alexander Hamilton and Abigail Adams in the Individual Performance category. The students each researched their chosen historical figure throughout the fall semester, using both primary and secondary sources. They wrote and on NHDSD, they performed a first-person narrative as that figure, and connected it to the National History Day theme, “Triumph and Tragedy.” Since students are in a Spanish Immersion program, they first wrote and performed their skit in Spanish at Longfellow, and later reworked their presentations for performance at the County and now State levels.

These students also participated in NHDSD: Laura P. (Nancy Ward), Simone H. (Ann Bates), Tatiana B. (Benjamin Franklin), Avery R. (who received honorable mention and is a runner-up for her performance as Deborah Champion), Rosette K. (George Wythe), Lisbon Z. (Hercules Mulligan), Chloe J. (Mercy Otis Warren), Abigail C. (Peggy Shippen), Maya J. (Margaret Corbin). Congratulations to Longfellow 8th graders and their history-social science SLIM (Spanish Language Immersion) teacher, Kimberly DeBerzunza!!




Middle School students participate in E-Week with Northrop Grumman

One of San Diego Unified School District's valued partners, Northrop Grumman hosted a series of events during National Engineering Week for our middle school students in February! E-Week promotes the importance of career and technical education as well as encouraging students to pursue higher levels of math and science.

Students enrolled in the Gateway to Technology course at Bethune K-8 participated in a Snap Circuits Activity on the Northrop Grumman campus. Electrical and Mechanical engineers were on hand to walk the students through an overview of electrical circuits. After learning the basic theories of how circuits work, the students worked in groups to solve problems and then create a variety of projects using the Snap Circuits parts. Students learned how to make motors and fans work, turn on buzzers, and light up LEDs!

Marston Middle School students were able to work directly with the engineers to build Arduino Planet-Finding CubeSats and participate in two James Webb Telescope inspired experiments using luminosity and infrared sensors.

Northrop Grumman hosted Bell Middle School and Lewis Middle school for an Introduce a Girl to Engineering experience as well. The students were inspired by the many female engineers at Northrop Grumman and walked away knowing they could join them one day!
Students from Marshall Middle School participated in a modified egg drop challenge, modeling Northrop Grumman engineers that design devices to land a payload safely on a small target. The students designed a container to safely hold a "Smart Egg." Northrop Grumman collaborated with Fab Lab to create 3D-printed eggs containing an accelerometer and wifi-capability. The eggs measured force and acceleration, providing real-time data used to gauge the success of each group's device. Devices were connected to a quadcopter which attempted to lift the devices up and release them on a specific target.

E-Week concluded with a visit from Northrop Grumman to Challenger Middle school where over 250 sixth grade students learned about Operation #Polar Eye, a partnership between Northrop Grumman and San Diego Zoo Global. Three engineers and a graphic designer showed footage from the arctic, and how drones were used to monitor polar bears in relation to their habitat and the climate. Questions from students about the extremely cold climate led to a discussion on how an engineer's job is to design solutions to problems. Students were encouraged to look into careers in the field of engineering and also careers who work in partnership with engineers such as graphic design.

Many students remarked that these were the most memorable experiences of their school careers! Thank you Northrop Grumman!

Rowan Elementary & Bell Middle School Circle Youth Training Graduation Ceremonies


Congratulations to our Circle Youth Leaders from Rowan Elementary and Bell Middle School for completing their 10 week Circle facilitation course. Rowan students started facilitating circles in the classrooms last Thursday and Bell students will be beginning on the 19th of March.

For more information on the details of when the circles are actually taking place, please call the Restorative Justice Practices Department at 619-725-7394.






Social Emotional Learning (SEL): Mindfulness Activities at Challenger Middle School

Mindfulness activities in schools have surged in popularity due to the numerous benefits on SEL skills, such as attention and emotional regulation. Many researchers are trying to better understand the impact of mindfulness activities in schools. The research is promising, especially in an article by Jha, A. P., Krompinger, J., & Baime, M. J. (2007). Mindfulness training modifies subsystems of attention. Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience, 7(2), 109–119. Challenger Middle School and their counseling team coordinated a mental health awareness day that involved yoga, deep breathing and a labyrinth walk. Students who learned these skills will have additional tools to cope with the challenges of life.

Tuesday, March 5, 2019

The Visual and Performing Arts Department (VAPA) of the San Diego Unified School District announces winners of the 2019 VAPA Spotlight Awards


The VAPA Spotlight Awards celebrate some of the many successes happening in the visual and performing arts across our district, at all levels, and in all disciplines.  These awards highlight outcomes that are aligned with the goals of VAPA’s strategic plan, adopted by the Board of Education in 2016.  Awardees were nominated by the district’s VAPA stakeholder community including teachers, parents, community arts partners, administrators, and students.  The winners were selected by a committee that included a teacher and representative from the district's VAPA Advisory Council, a representative from the VAPA Department, and a representative from the VAPA Foundation.  In addition to the awards, the VAPA Foundation will also be sponsoring $250 scholarships to the four student award recipients.

This year’s VAPA Spotlight Award winners are:

·       Artistic Achievement Award
o   Kelly Hatfield, Student, Serra High School
o   Katherine Perrine, Student, La Jolla High School
·       Artistic Growth Award              
o   Erin Cortes, Teacher, Taft Middle School
o   Dr. John Reynolds, Teacher, San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts
·       Artistic Innovation Award
o   Carmen and Kevin Kasner, Parents, Mira Mesa High School
o   Bill McClain, Teacher, Carver Elementary School
o   Reyna Turner, Teacher, Loma Portal Elementary School
·       Creative Community Engagement Award
o   Catalina Valenzuela, Classified Staff, Crown Junior Music Academy
o   Daniel Kriley, Teacher, Mira Mesa High School
o   Jeanne Christensen, Teacher, Mira Mesa High School
o   Matthew Mulvaney, Teacher, Mira Mesa High School
·       Creative Leadership Award
o   Derek Murchison, Principal, Zamorano Fine Arts Academy
o   Aaron Blokker, Teacher, Serra High School
·       Rising Star Award
o   Noah Sanchez, Student, San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts
o   John Riley, Teacher, Crawford High School
o   David Robinson, Student, Crawford High School

Awardees will be recognized at the 2019 VAPA Spotlight Awards Presentation on Wednesday, March 13 at 6:30 pm in the Board Room of the Eugene Brucker Education Center located at 4100 Normal St., San Diego, CA 92103, immediately following the District Art Show opening on the 2nd floor.

For more information, contact:
Visual and Performing Arts Department (VAPA)
Russ Sperling, Director – rsperling@sandi.net
Tim Benson, Program Manager – tbenson@sandi.net

Monday, March 4, 2019

Youth Advocacy: Follow us and Share on Social Media

The Youth Advocacy Department has been building our online presence as an important way to stay in touch with students, families, community organizations, and district staff online and across several social media platforms. Please follow us and share the amazing work you are doing with Youth Advocacy!



Twitter: @YOUTHSDUSD Instagram:youthadvocacysdusd Facebook:@sdusdyouthadvocacy

And check out some of the amazing resources on our website at https://www.youthadvocacy.us

We look forward to sharing all of the great things happening within our district!

PowerUp Courses are Helping!

Teachers using Transitions to Algebra in the PowerUp courses met to collaborate around strategic curriculum implementation and share their success stories. The verdict is in, and both teachers and students LOVE it! Teachers report students are gaining confidence in their foundational skills and in their abilities to communicate reasoning. Students are digging in to complex problems and feel like they have the skills to do it! Transitions to Algebra is a real winner!

Vertical Alignment

Several English teachers from the Lincoln cluster sacrificed half a day, on Saturday, February 23rd, to participate in collaborative work led by Sonja Badu-Thompson, Lincoln Cluster Gear-Up Literacy Coach, and JahB Prescott, Resource Teacher at Lincoln High. Teachers from grades 6-12 excitedly filled the room to continue working around improving the reading and writing skills of students. Teachers began the meeting by creating Donors Choose projects and searching grants to bring resources to classrooms that provide give students access to culturally relevant texts. During the vertical alignment meeting, teachers had the opportunity to share strategies and discuss teaching practices that allow students to experience a smooth transition from middle to high school. In the end, teachers walked away with an agreement of strategies that will be taught at each grade level in order to prepare students for overall academic achievement. Please visit the following links to support classrooms.


https://www.donorschoose.org/project/reviving-our-classroom-library/3917362/?utm_source=dc&utm_medium=sendFriend&utm_campaign=tpc_complete&utm_term=teacher_6233382&rf=sendFriend-dc-2019-02-tpc_complete-teacher_6233382&challengeid=21348787 

Friday, March 1, 2019

Math in Action at Taft Middle

Walking into a math class at Taft Middle School might make a parent wonder, “is this a math class?” Students are in teams and the teacher moves around the room to interact with each group. The room is buzzing with discussion and debate as students think through challenging real-world problems.
CPM, College Preparatory Mathematics is student-centered and problem-based. Created for teachers, by teachers, CPM is based on three pillars: 1) Collaboration - Guided by a knowledgeable teacher, students should interact in groups to foster mathematical discourse. 2) Problem-based learning - Students should engage in problem-based lessons structured around a core idea. 3) Mixed, Spaced Practice - Practice with concepts and procedures should be spaced over time; that is, mastery comes over time.
At Taft, students have the opportunity to engage and learn math as active participants through collaboration, creativity, communication, and critical thinking.
 

iMiddle and Tesla Partner to Inspire Next Generation of Engineers

It was an exciting day for the middle school students who visited Tesla's factory on February 22nd in San Diego where they were able to learn about careers in Engineering while learning about Tesla motors and how they are producing the next generation of sustainability. The girls from Innovation Middle School participated in the event on "Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day". As part of the event, the students got to tour the Tesla factory and participate in hands-on workshops. The girls were taught how to create a simple motor using a battery, copper wire, paper clips, and tape. It was led by Envirolution, a nonprofit that works toward science, technology, engineering and math career development in K-12 education. Innovation Middle School is proud to offer a rigorous STEAM program in their makerspaces including Gateway to Technology courses, robotics, medical detectives and more.

Theatre Company Founded by SDUSD Student Four Years Ago Continues to Thrive

Four years ago a Mt. Everest Academy junior, Adira Rosen, approached principal, Courtney Brown, with a robust plan to start a theatre company at school. Today the company is thriving with an upcoming modern rendition of Alice in Wonderland debuting March 12, 13, and 14. The production cast includes close to 50 students ranging in age from 4 through 17 and showcases the unique structure of Mt. Everest’s non-traditional school setting where students in grades TK-12 have numerous opportunities to interact and build community. Ms. Rosen originally wrote that the goals for the company were to “provide a nurturing and educational opportunity for students to participate in theatrical productions” and to “teach versatile skills... that can be applied to many real-world situations.” Ms. Rosen grew up in children’s theatre and wanted to share her love for the arts with other students. Her original vision has truly come to fruition and is a fantastic example of student agency, finding your passion, and giving back to your community. Please come join us for a whimsical night of theatre and see our students in action!

Oceans and Robots and Volcanoes, Oh My!

Dana Manalang, author of ROPOS and the Underwater Volcano, visited Sunset View Elementary on Wednesday, February 27th and Sessions Elementary on Thursday, February 28th. Kindergarten students learned about plate tectonics and the ocean seafloor through Manalang’s engaging presentation and text. The students at Sunset View and Sessions are part of San Diego Unified’s STEAM program. Dana helped bring the E in STEAM to life. As an engineer and an author, she truly is an inspiration!

To learn more about Dana Manalang and her book, ROPOS and the Underwater Volcano, visit robotsdiscover.com and check out her recent presentation at Ignite Seattle.

Ocean Beach Elementary Hosts District's Winter Wellness Showcase

In late February, School Site Wellness Coordinators, District Wellness Council Members and San Diego County community partners convened at Ocean Beach (OB) Elementary for the district’s inaugural Winter Wellness Showcase. The event was an opportunity for those guiding wellness efforts throughout the district to celebrate wellness-in-action at a school site. The group toured the school’s campus to learn how OB Elementary staff, parents and students have been successfully collaborating to support the health & well-being for their school community.

Principal Marco Drapeau, first grade teacher Leanne Tanner, long-time community outreach liaison Donna Lamb, occupational therapist Kristy Nalder, PTA health champion Jody Madigan and UCSD Center for Community Health’s School Wellness Program Director Rachel Kramer led the tour. Together they shared strategies for active recess, staff walking paths, school gardens, garden to café, healthy fundraising, action-based learning, Harvest of the Month, effective community partnerships and healthy celebrations for staff and students. Afterwards, Food & Nutrition Services Department hosted a Smart Snacks Tasting for attendees to experience some of the healthy food options available from the District’s Catering Department.

The District Wellness Council would like to thank and congratulate the Ocean Beach Elementary School Wellness Committee and their PTA’s Healthy Choices Sub-Committee for their amazing work in wellness! Special thanks to our partners UC San Diego Center for Community Health, Alliance for a Healthier Generation and California Schools VEBA for their partnership in the Winter Wellness Showcase!

To learn more about our District Wellness Initiative, please visit https://www.sandiegounified.org/health-and-wellness or contact Kate McDevitt, District Wellness Supervisor at wellness@sandi.net.
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)