SOUTH BAY UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT
ANNUAL NEWSPAPER 2015 - 2016
BOARD OF TRUSTEES Dear SBUSD parents, guardians, and community members,
Barbara Elvia Elliott-Sanders Aguilar President Vice President
Thomas Schaaf Clerk
Chris Brown Member
Melanie Ellsworth Member
TABLE OF CONTENTS Bayside STEAM Academy News......................................................3 Berry News...........................................................................................4 Central News.......................................................................................5 Emory News.........................................................................................6 Imperial Beach Charter News...........................................................7 Mendoza News....................................................................................8 Nestor Language Academy Charter News.....................................9 Nicoloff News....................................................................................10 Oneonta News..................................................................................11 Pence News.......................................................................................12 Sunnyslope News..............................................................................13 VIP Village News................................................................................14 SBUSD News.....................................................................................15 SCHOOL DIRECTORY Education Center 601 Elm Avenue Imperial Beach, CA 91932 (619) 628-1600 Supt., Katie McNamara www.sbusd.org
Imperial Beach Charter 650 Imperial Beach Blvd. Imperial Beach, CA 91932 (619) 628-5600 Interim Principal, Melissa Griffith Asst. Principal, Vacant
Bayside STEAM Academy 490 Emory Street Imperial Beach, CA 91932 (619) 628-2500 Principal, Kevin Coordt
Oneonta School Imperial Beach Charter, West 1311 Tenth Street 525 Third Street Imperial Beach, CA 91932 Imperial Beach, CA 91932 (619) 628-8600 (619) 628-8900 Principal, Marla Fernandez Interim Director, Michelle Syverson Pence School 877 Via Tonga Court Mendoza School San Diego, CA 92154 2050 Coronado Avenue (619) 662-8100 San Diego, CA 92154 Principal, Robert Daily (619) 424-0100 Principal, Jil Palmer Sunnyslope School Asst. Principal, 2500 Elm Avenue Clinton Anderson San Diego, CA 92154 (619) 628-8800 Nestor Language Principal, Cynthia Smith-Ough Academy Charter 1455 Hollister Street VIP Village (Preschool) San Diego, CA 92154 1001 Fern Avenue (619) 628-0900 Imperial Beach, CA 91932 Principal Guadalupe Avilez (619) 628-8690 Asst. Principal, Beatriz Carlos Director, David Sheppard
Berry School 2001 Rimbey Avenue San Diego, CA 92154 (619) 628-3500 Principal, Gil Luna Central School 1290 Ebony Avenue Imperial Beach, CA 91932 (619) 628-5000 Principal, Armando Lopez Emory School 1915 Coronado Avenue San Diego, CA 92154 (619) 628-5300 Principal, Jennifer Grondek
Nicoloff School 1777 Howard Avenue San Ysidro, CA 92173 (619) 428-7000 Principal Rigo Lara Asst. Principal, Estela Corrales
Katie McNamara, Ed.D. Superintendent
Last year, South Bay Union finalized our Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP), which describes how we intend to meet annual goals for all students, with specific activities to address state and local priorities. The LCAP represents the work of several stakeholder groups, including certificated staff, classified employees, administrators, parents, students, and community members. As our school year concludes, I am proud to share the progress we have made on two of our four LCAP goals.
GOAL 1 – LEARNING AND ACHIEVEMENT FOR ALL Today more students than ever are succeeding in more rigorous classrooms, developing the kinds of knowledge and skills that will help them succeed in middle and high school as well as college and careers. We have been very serious about promoting the use of 21st Century skills such as critical thinking, creativity, communication and creativity. Today: • Chromebooks are used every day all day by third through eighth grade students. • The rigorous Common Core State Standards are implemented in every classroom with more engaging instructional practices. • Workshop Model Studio Classrooms are in place with focus areas that include reading, writing, mathematics, and inquiry. • Classrooms and school libraries have more books. Focus on Reading at Grade Level and Enjoying Reading We are on a mission to guarantee that all students will read at grade level by third grade and beyond. Our schools have been phasing in the use of a reading assessment and teachers have been receiving training to strengthen the teaching of reading. One of our schools assessed every student in reading and after four months 14% more students were at grade level. Another school assessed every student and four months later 20% more students were at grade level. Next year every school will be tracking reading growth and achievement three times each year. To learn to read, children have to have opportunities to read and read a lot! We have been pouring books into classrooms and school bookrooms. Every classroom received at least 175 books to add to their classroom library collections and schools received over 1,500 books for school bookrooms that can be shared by classroom teachers as a rotating part of their collections. While we are tracking student progress about achievement, our greatest hope is to create an environment in which children fall in love with reading and see reading as so enjoyable that they want to read for the rest of their lives. GOAL 2 – POSITIVE SCHOOL CULTURE FOR ALL School Culture In order to support school culture, we hosted Dr. Anthony Muhammad at our District Kick-off Event in July. Dr. Muhammad is recognized as one of the field’s leading experts in the areas of school culture and organizational climate. We were fortunate to have Dr. Muhammad remain after the Kick-off Event to work with a smaller group of school leadership teams. Dr. Muhammad returned to the District several times this year to continue this work. In addition, school culture has been an area of focus at Instructional Leadership Team with teachers and Leadership and Learning meetings with site leaders. Welcoming Environments All sites have established goals to focus on improving school environments to make them more welcoming and attractive for students, families, and the community. Our Facilities team is continuing the installation of electronic marquees at all sites, and several of our schools improved playground areas with new equipment, shade structures, and benches this year. Additional campus upgrades are planned at schools during summer break. Action: Positive Behavior Supports A new Student Support and Accountability Coordinator is in place, working directly with site teams to create and implement positive behavior support for students, including restorative practices. We increased the number of School Psychologists by three this year to provide individual and small group counseling support. CONTINUED ON PAGE 15
2 | South Bay Union School District NEWS
Kevin Coordt, Principal
BAYSIDE STEAM ACADEMY NEWS
6TH GRADE SEA PERCH SUBMERSIBLES
BAYSIDE ROBOTICS TEAMS On December 5, 2015 the first Bayside robotics team, Team W.I.R.E. (Wiring, Inquiring, Robotics, Engineers), comprised of all sixth graders, competed in their first Arduino robot challenge at the S.T.E.A.M. Maker Festival. The challenge asked the students to design, create, and program a robot to follow a line that not only curved and changed direction, but reduced in width as well. Out of about fifteen teams comprised of elementary, middle, and high school students from around the San Diego County, Team W.I.R.E placed third. The success of the robot was a direct result of their hard work, perseverance, and dedication of the entire team. We have since added two additional robotics teams, consisting of fourth and fifth graders. Our two new teams, The Arduinos and The LEDers were challenged to design and program their robots to follow the original track and compete against the experienced sixth grade team at the Bayside STEAM Fair. After each round in the competition, each team was allowed to reanalyze and tweak their code to improve their robot’s sensors. After all of the rounds, the sixth grade team made an astonishing comeback from last place to first as their robot almost completed the track, pushing Team Arduinos, a more consistent robot out of the first place slot. The LEDers were not far behind with many successful runs as well, placing third with a solid score.
SEA TURTLE MURAL
With the support and guidance of Todd Stands from the IB Arts Bureau, a select group of 3rd-6th grade students in our after school program were able to participate in designing and creating our beautiful sea turtle mural. The students were led throughout the process with Todd’s artistic abilities and skills. Students were engaged and collaboratively worked together demonstrating the importance of each individual’s work and how their individual work contributed to the final project.
In January, our sixth grade team embarked on a journey to create submersibles. They first attended a full day training where they experienced firsthand the process of building it as well as the steps that they would then need to implement with their classes. Students worked collaboratively in teams of 3 to build their submersibles. They were first taught how to properly use the appropriate tools that they would need throughout the process. Some of those tools included: a drill, PVC pipe cutter, soldering iron, wire strippers and screw drivers. Part of building the frame included having to measure and cut all PVC pipes to specific lengths and then using a drill to cut holes to allow the submersible to go underwater. Next, each team had to waterproof their motors. After having built the motor, the students had to test it to see if it was properly functioning. They then connected the motor to the control box which then needed to be attached to the frame of the submersible. Students had to test and adjust their plans if the equipment was not functioning properly. After each submersible had been built and fully tested, the students had the opportunity to visit the Living Coast Discovery Center where they were able to put their submersibles in the shark tank. Each team then had to drive the submersible and hit two targets underwater within a specific amount of time. The sixth graders also displayed, presented and taught other students how to drive and navigate the submersible in a pool during our STEAM Fair.
BAYSIDE’S STEAM FAIR
On April 15, 2016, all of our students had the opportunity to participate in our first annual Bayside STEAM Fair on campus. The event was similar to an interactive science fair which included: rockets, boat races, submarines, a 3D printer, Art bots, littleBits engineering, and even a robotics competition. Our students were even challenged in building a ship that would hold the most pennies without it sinking! Some of our 6th graders were also able to demonstrate their speaking skills and abilities during their oral presentation on the design process of creating their submersibles. We also partnered with our after school program who set up an art station by making art using bubbles. There was so much excitement and energy from all of our students, families and staff! We had over 70 families and community members join us for the engaging afternoon!
LITTLEBITS Thanks to a $500 grant from the South Bay Union School District Education Foundation, our 2nd graders in Mrs. Christensen’s class have been able to design and create various projects using electronic circuits called, “littleBits.” These fun gadgets have included building a motorized fan, a waving machine, spinning signs and most recently a remote control car.
South Bay Union School District NEWS | 3
BERRY NEWS
Gil Luna, Principal
LEARNING AND ACHIEVEMENT FOR ALL Intervention groups are an important component to learning on our campus. This year some of our teachers have focused on providing differentiated support for some of our neediest students. The support that the teachers provided occurred afterschool as they wanted to increase the amount of time that the students receive support beside the time they get while at school. The afterschool interventions targeted reading skills, comprehension, math concepts and reasoning, guided reading, English learner support and Imagine Learning. Students were selected based on their needs as determined by teacher data. They were then invited to participate and had to adhere to some guidelines such as attendance, participation and citizenship. The teachers were in constant communication with parents or guardians as a partnership in supporting the students. As the programs are coming to an end teachers are assessing students with formal and informal tools to determine the growth and effectiveness of the programs.
POSITIVE SCHOOL CULTURE:
This year Berry Elementary has been focusing on providing Tier 3 level intervention supports for our students at risk. Our Tier 1 support consists of intervention teachers are trying in the classroom. Tier 2 supports are those offered to students in collaboration with the parents or the Principal. Our Tier 3 supports are interventions offered for students that need a little more support. This level of support is offered through our psychologist who is on our campus every day of the week to support our students. She has reserved two days a week to provide social thinking groups in which we focuses on helping kids figure out how to think in social situations. Our students are taught to observe and think about their own and others’ thoughts and feelings. They also learn the connection between their thoughts, feelings and behaviors and how they impact others. We also provide our students with one on one counseling opportunities as determined by the input we receive from staff and parents. Our groups serve a range of students with different needs but we want to highlight our art therapy group. In this group session the students were creating cherry blossoms with paint and soda bottle. The purpose was to figure out strategies to help us calm down. Some children really benefit from activities that are quiet and a good way to do that is with an art project.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT We are proud to continue our partnership with Feeding America. Feeding America is a non-profit organization and is the nation’s largest domestic hunger relief organization. The nationwide network of food banks provides more than 3.6 billion meals to virtually every community in the United States through food pantries and meal programs. At Berry we have been fortunate to partner up with the organization to provide a food pantry for our families. The food pantry is only possible through the donated items we receive from Feeding America. We receive a truck load of items that are then set up by our parent volunteers. Deserving families will then receive a number and form a line to receive their items. The meals usually consist of fruits, vegetables, grains, protein and canned goods. The food pantry is open to all our families and currently we serve over 200 families. Additionally, the food pantries are calendared in partnership with Feeding America and the dates are set before the year start. With the exception of holidays and school vacations the pantry is open to families every other week on Tuesdays. We are very proud to be able to support our families. 4 | South Bay Union School District NEWS
Armando Lopez, Principal
CENTRAL NEWS
NUTRITION CLASSES (PARENT ENGAGEMENT)
Central parents participated in free nutrition classes hosted by the San Ysidro Health Center in February and March this year. The classes included information on the benefits of eating well and safety of food at home, the benefits of exercise and nutrition guide, food portions and reading food labels, and different types of fats and how to eat well on a budget. These classes assisted our families with information to help prevent, reduce, and control health problems.
NAVY SUPPORT POSITIVE SCHOOL CULTURE AND CLIMATE FOR ALL
Each year, Central has partnered with the U.S. Navy to support student events and student recognition. In the past, the Navy has participated in Reading Night, Science Night, Jump Rope for Heart, and the Fall Festival. Our Navy partners have assisted in ensuring that each event was a great experience for our students, families, and the community. This year, the Navy has visited each month to recognize the students who have had perfect attendance for the entire month and to recognize the highest Average Daily Attendance for each grade level. We appreciate the support of the Navy and will continue our partnership next year with a new “Big Brother/Big Sister” mentorship program.
BUCKET FILLING - POSITIVE SCHOOL CULTURE AND CLIMATE FOR ALL This year, we have focused on character building through a new Bucket Filling initiative that recognizes students for saying positive things or performing a kind act. For every action that is not kind, students must empty their buckets. We are teaching and recognizing students for being Bucket Fillers in an effort to continually enhance school climate and culture. Each month, we focus on a character trait that supports filling buckets, such as honesty, respect, and self-control. We hope to encourage our campus community to follow our student’s example and fill buckets everywhere!
South Bay Union School District NEWS | 5
EMORY NEWS
Jennifer Grondek, Principal
FAMILY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TO SUPPORT STUDENT SUCCESS At Emory, our families are partners in supporting the academic success of their children. With the support of our Community Volunteer Coordinator, Cindy Pillado, we continue to have outstanding participation from our volunteers. Whether reading with students in the classroom, helping out at the book fair or organizing classroom libraries- we are grateful for the support that volunteers provide to our school. As we value their input, we offer opportunities for families to assist in making important school decisions. At Coffee with the Principal, parents voted on various playground remodel options. Through the School Site Council process, families approved the recommendation to purchase additional technology for student use. Our active English Language Acquisition Committee advises on decisions related to the needs of our English Learners. New this year, we have provided English as a Second Language and Self Esteem classes for our families.
EVERYONE A READER LEADERSHIP PROGRAM
Through a partnership with the San Diego County Office of Education, we trained 30 student leaders in grades five and six to serve as reading tutors to students in first grade. Our older grade students serve as cross age peer tutors and volunteer their time to read with emerging readers one day per week during their recess break. Not only does this help our fifth and sixth graders develop and practice their leadership skills, research has shown that peer mentoring programs in elementary school can increase the use of critical thinking skills, improve interpersonal skills, produce academic gains, improve attendance, enhance self-esteem, and increase the use of conflict resolution skills.
EMORY STUDENTS HAVE CHARACTER Emory students, in addition to focusing on our three school expectations that students are Safe, Respectful and Responsible, explored specific character traits this year including Kindness, Honesty and Integrity. Research shows schools that teach character education report higher academic performance, improved attendance, fewer disciplinary issues and less vandalism. Some of our fourth grade students were inspired by the character lessons and formed a Kindness Club with the goal of “turning the community into a better place.” Check out their website thekindnessclub.wix.com/kindness-club-sbusd.
EVERY DAY COUNTS
Showing up for school has a huge impact on a student’s academic success starting in kindergarten and continuing through high school. Even as children grow older and more independent, families play a key role in making sure students get to school safely every day and understand why attendance is so important for success in school and in life. It is our goal that all Emory students arrive to school on time and attend school every day. This year, we have continued our tradition of honoring students with perfect attendance each trimester with our VIP Attendance luncheon. New this year, we have celebrated perfect weekly attendance. Every day counts!
GLOBAL CARDBOARD CHALLENGE Emory Students are 21st Century Learners. Teachers provide opportunities for students to think critically, communicate, collaborate, and create. Our Third Grade students participated in the Global Cardboard Challenge which is an opportunity for children to play and learn by using simple materials to build the things they imagine. Kids are challenged to create and build out of cardboard, recycled materials and imagination. We put on the Global Cardboard Challenge because it engages children in creative play, fosters creativity, ingenuity, resourcefulness, perseverance and teamwork, gives children an opportunity to explore their interests and passions and provides a platform for communities to actively foster and celebrate child creativity.
MILLION WORD CHALLENGE Reading is important for children to succeed in school and in life. The more a child reads the better reader that they become. From February to May, Emory students participated in the Million Word Challenge. The challenge is designed to address the issue of reading proficiency and to help students develop habits that will make them successful students. The habit of daily reading correlates with better reading skills and higher academic achievement. During the Million Word Challenge Emory students logged 2,264 books. Our top reader, read 116 books!
EMORY STUDENTS WRITE COMPUTER CODE Coding is not just a skill. Rather, it’s an entirely new way of thinking when it comes to problem solving. On Friday, December 11, 2015, students at Emory participated in the worldwide movement called the Hour of Code. We challenged our students to write computer code. Using tools available at code.org, students wrote code and practiced their critical thinking skills having Disney Princess Elsa ice skate or Star Wars BB8 pick up scrap metal. Students in our sixth grade GATE class, regularly visit the computer lab and write code to move robots in complex patterns. As Steve Jobs once put it: “Everybody in this country should learn to program a computer … because it teaches you how to think.”
6 | South Bay Union School District NEWS
Melissa Griffith, Interim Principal // Michelle Syverson, Interim Director
IMPERIAL BEACH CHARTER NEWS
CHARGER’S PLAY60 AT IBCS SUPPORTS DEVELOPMENT OF THE WHOLE CHILD
IBCS COFFEE TALKS SUPPORTS PARENT AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Imperial Beach Charter School (IBCS) is committed to strengthening the school-home connection and introduced IBCS Coffee Talks with the Administrative Team this year as an additional means to do so. Sensitive to needs expressed by our community, site administrators created a public forum aimed to inform our families on the most recent topics surrounding education. The first Coffee Talk was held soon after the Smarter Balance Test Results (CAASPP) were released, providing families with useful information on how to interpret the new data and how to best support their child moving forward. Additional Coffee Talks continued all year covering topics including the benefits and guidelines surrounding parent volunteering and a more in-depth look at how Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) supports a positive school culture. We want to welcome and encourage families to join us at all future Coffee Talks and contribute to the dialogue surrounding educational topics and how it relates to your child’s education. Please look for upcoming Coffee Talks in our monthly IBCS calendars.
We continuously seek opportunities to promote health and wellness at IB Charter. This year, we partnered with Play60, the National Football League’s campaign designed to encourage sixty minutes of daily play for students as a means to reduce childhood obesity. On February 22 close to 200 students participated in a Junior Chargers Training Camp through Play60. The event was led by organizers of the event, as well as parent volunteers and off-duty public
safety personnel. Sponsored by Kaiser Permanente, students worked their way through a variety of football drills including halfback pads, knock-away dummies, and ladders. During the event, a strong emphasis was made about the importance of physical fitness and making positive and healthy choices in life. In addition to tshirts and goodie bags, students left the event feeling energized and refocused on the importance of daily play and living a healthy lifestyle.
IBCS SAFETY PATROL PROGRAM SUPPORTS A POSITIVE SCHOOL CULTURE FOR ALL
Imperial Beach Charter’s Safety Patrol Program is one of the many ways we promote a safe learning environment for our students. Led by Sandra Diaz, and in partnership with the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC), Safety Patrol members take on the responsibility of street patrol, hallway patrol, and flag patrol, and participate in ongoing trainings aimed to build positive character traits, leadership, confidence, teamwork, responsibility, respect, and a sense of community. Students participating in our Safety Patrol Program are prideful in the work they do, as they should be! Recognized on January 14, 2003 through a Proclamation presented by Chairman Greg Cox and the members of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, IB Charter recognizes “Imperial Beach Elementary Safety Patrol Day” on the anniversary of this day and takes the opportunity to celebrate and thank the Safety Patrol for their outstanding leadership and public service.
KINDNESS ASSEMBLY AT IBCS SUPPORTS A POSITIVE SCHOOL CULTURE
Kindness continues to permeate throughout our daily experiences at IB Charter and we take many opportunities to emphasize the importance of kindness and how it impacts our daily lives. In January, we participated in the Great Kindness Challenge, where students were encouraged to track acts of kindness. With an emphasis on building empathy, unity, and respect, acts of kindness were celebrated and students were encouraged to find ways to be kind to others in and out of school. As a culminating celebration, our school’s PTA funded a kindness assembly aimed to promote positivity, kindness, acceptance, respect, resilience, and empathy. Students were immersed into the importance of filling each other’s metaphorical bucket with acts of kindness and were reminded that everyone has feelings and how we treat each other matters. What our students have learned is priceless: “Kindness is Simple: Fill More - Dip Less.” South Bay Union School District NEWS | 7
MENDOZA NEWS
Jil Palmer, Principal
ACHIEVEMENT FOR ALL
POSITIVE SCHOOL CULTURE FOR ALL
Mendoza Elementary School has worked hard this year to promote a positive school culture to ensure students can learn in a safe, nurturing environment. All of our expectations are centered around the basic concept of Be Safe!, Be Responsible! and Be Respectful! Our Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Committee has identified areas of concern at our school with input from our staff, students and parents. Each Monday, teachers present a common lesson based on the PBIS objective. These range from hallway, playground and cafeteria expectations, to how to “Be a Buddy, Not a Bully” strategies. Having a common theme each week allows for all staff, from the office to the playground, to reinforce good choices and positive behavior. A positive school culture also includes attendance, interacting with the community and having a welcoming school environment. We work with Peter Piper Pizza and Walmart to provide incentives for attendance. Navy Squadron VF-20 supports our Fall Festival, 5th Grade PE testing and other activities by donating their precious time from serving our country to serving our community. Our school garden is a beautiful corner of our campus where students and staff will spend time before school and at lunch, enjoying the serenity and beauty of the garden. The garden has become such a cornerstone of our campus thanks to liaisons the Rock Church and Home Depot, along with community service from local students. Student recognition and celebration is a foundation for a positive school culture. Jil Palmer, the Principal of Mendoza, hosts an Award Assembly every five to six weeks throughout the school year. Each teacher honors four students, two are based on academic criteria which may include improvement, perseverance or performance, and two are based on PBIS for students that personify good choices and building a positive school culture. Students with perfect attendance for this five to six week period are recognized and celebrated and classes in each grade-level with the best attendance are rewarded with a popcorn party and read-aloud by Mrs. Palmer in their room! These assemblies have been well attended by parents and family members, often creating a “standing room only” situation in our large auditorium! 8 | South Bay Union School District NEWS
Mendoza Elementary School has recognized that education is changing. The new Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) test has made teachers, schools and districts take a new look at education. To ensure achievement for all of our students, more than half our staff has been involved with implementing a “Workshop” model in their classrooms. Teachers present a “minilesson” to the whole class, and then allow
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
students to work independently at their own level while they monitor and meet with students. During this hour long block that may focus on reading, writing or math, students practice the skills presented in the “minilesson” or previous mini-lessons and share their outcomes with their fellow students and teachers. To ensure high academic achievement for all of our students, we know that all students must have access to materials that are of high interest and are at their independent reading level. Our teachers have worked hard to organize their classroom libraries, our academic coaches have worked hard to organize our BookRoom and Lending Library, and we look forward to starting next year at full speed as we explore more of the workshop classroom model!
The Mendoza Parent Teacher Association (PTA) is a fantastic group of involved parents who make our school so much better! Our PTA has over 200 members who meet regularly to enhance our school and engage our school community. Our Fall Festival was a huge success thanks to their support and proceeds helped send 6th graders to camp. Our movie nights are a great opportunity for families to relax and spend an evening together and enjoy a G-Rated movie along with popcorn and pizza! Our PTA has raised nearly $10,000 that has been used for everything from buying new emergency “red” backpacks for every teacher, PE equipment, awards for our assemblies, emergency food and clothing for families and also providing each teacher with over $150 to spend at their discretion to enhance learning in their classroom. Teachers have used this $150 for field trips, books and book boxes along with enhancing their classroom learning environments with Trees of Wisdom to enhance reading!
Guadalupe Avilez, Principal // Beatriz Carlos, Asst. Principal
NESTOR LANGUAGE ACADEMY CHARTER NEWS
NESTOR HAS TALENT
NESTOR STUDENTS ENJOY NEW PLAY STRUCTURE What does the new playground structure mean to the students and community of Nestor Language Academy? If you ask parents, they will tell you that the new structure upholds the current standard at Nestor of maintaining a clean and pleasing looking campus and of putting students first. According to Mrs. Patty Mendez who is the parent of two students, second grader Emilio and fourth grader Luis, the new structure “gives students the opportunity to let out their energy so that they can come back to class ready for the lessons.” Mr. Jose, our head custodian shares that he thinks the new structure “is awesome!” He said that “we’ve been waiting for it for years.” In terms of providing basic services and well-kept facilities, there is nothing more important to Mr. Jose. He believes that the campus needs to look nice. In his words “That’s the objective for both kids and parents.” “I love this new play structure!” says a second grade Language Academy student. According to him, the play structure is so cool because he feels that he has a whole new playground and this new structure shows that the school has pride and really cares about the students. When asked if he knew that the play structure was donated by the Nestor PTA, he said “yes, my mom put money in the jar and so did some of my friends.” It is clear that students are proud of the new play structure. The structure really is more than a play toy. It is a symbol of community and it represents and upholds the idea that Nestor is an excellent school where parents work closely with teachers to improve the school site.
Every year, Nestor celebrates students by holding its annual talent show. For years, the show has been a joint effort between parents and teachers. This year, volunteers have stepped up and the show was completely organized and operated by parents, from the music to the rehearsals to the costumes to the lights. Our core parent group includes many parents who regularly volunteer in our parent center but also gives parents who otherwise would not participate, an opportunity to step up to a leadership role. This year’s talent show hosted students from grades Kindergarten to grade 8. The show was MC’d by seventh grader Mariel Origel and eight grader Jacob Ayala. When asked why he feels that the talent show is an important event at Nestor, Jacob said “it shows that there is hidden talent at Nestor.” Mariel Origel said “What surprises me is when someone does something totally original.” Both students did an excellent job introducing each act and building excitement within the members of the audience. Both Mariel and Jacob have mothers who are active parents at Nestor. It is no doubt that they are benefiting from a culture of cooperation, which is definitely alive and thriving at Nestor Language Academy.
South Bay Union School District NEWS | 9
NICOLOFF NEWS
Rigo Lara, Principal // Estela Corrales, Asst. Principal
LCAP POSITIVE SCHOOL CULTURE FOR ALL
LCAP LEARNING AND ACHIEVEMENT FOR ALL: BATTLE OF THE BOOKS
Battle of the Books is finishing up their second year and has seen a continual growth in numbers and in excitement amongst the students. There are many elements that make Battle of the Books a unique program. 1. The Books: We select 20 modern titles that span a variety of genres and topics, including award winning titles. 2. The Book Clubs: Teacher, admin, and parent led. This year clubs focused on enriching the reading with accompanying art projects and activities. 3. Community Connections: The public library continued their partnership with BOTB, purchasing the 20 titles and designating an exclusive area in the library. 4. Competition and Party: Numbers have grown for participants in both! 5. Grand Prize: Students that read all 20 books this year get the privilege of painting their favorite BOTB book cover onto a library ceiling tile that will stay in our library! Next year is already unfolding as we make plans for author visits, partnerships with the local high school’s art program, outreach projects with a local children’s homeless shelter, and much more!
LCAP BASIC SERVICES TO SUPPORT STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT JOG-A-THON
We are excited to announce our first annual JOG-A-THON! It was a great success, thanks to the teamwork and enthusiasm of our students, parents and teachers. Our goal was to raise a total of $10,000, which would give us a great start in working toward the modernization of our playground and beautification of our school. However, we believe that with everyone’s help and support, we can achieve our ultimate goal. This year’s JOG-A-THON was a fun and memorable event that brought the entire school together to work collectively in improving our playground and school grounds. We also want to promote the importance of healthy living, physical fitness, teamwork and school spirit! 10 | South Bay Union School District NEWS
PALS (Peers Achieving Leadership Skills) is an extracurricular club whose primary focus is community service. The mission of this group is to foster civic responsibility and altruism through student-initiated projects and activities. In its inaugural year, a partnership between the sixth grade and TK-Kindergarten teachers was established to facilitate peer mentorship between the sixth grade volunteers and TK-Kindergarten students. Through peer mentorship, the sixth grade volunteers gained leadership skills (mentorship, communication, conflict-resolution, commitment, responsibility, etc.) as well as valuable life skills (self-esteem, confidence, ability to foster positive relationships, etc.) Coinciding with this, kindergarteners also improved on their social skills; they learned to verbalize ideas, cooperate, collaborate, and appreciate others. In the future, we plan to expand our focus from volunteering at the classroom and school level to participating in neighborhood and community events, and/or planning community outreach activities.
LCAP PARENT AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TO SUPPORT STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT PARENT EDUCATION
This school year Nicoloff has partnered with the Sweetwater Union High School District to provide parent education classes for families from our community. Two classes are currently offered. Multilevel parenting classes offer the opportunity for the parents, grandparents or caregivers, of preschool age children to learn how to play a more positive and effective role in their children’s lives. This is accomplished through active play, reading, art activities, field trips and out side play time. Core parenting skills are the main focus. The focus is on child development, health and safety, improving communication and discipline. There are two levels of instruction. The Tuesday/ Thursday class focuses on 3 year olds and the Monday/Wednesday/ Friday classes are for 4 year olds who will be attending Kindergarten the following year. Our English as a Second Language (ESL) class is for all students 18 and older whose first language is not English. Our ESL classes cover grammar, vocabulary, reading, writing, listening and speaking in both life skills and academic settings. The goal of our ESL program is to improve the students’ level of communication in English. Our ESL class utilizes different teaching strategies depending on students’ English abilities, interests, and needs.
Marla Fernandez, Principal
ONEONTA NEWS
LEARNING AND ACHIEVEMENT AND ALL We are very proud of our work around English Language Development (ELD), which is one of our top priorities for meeting the needs of our English learners. At the State level, as part of an accountability measure, there are three Annual Measurable Achievement Objectives (AMAOs) for students learning English. At Oneonta, we were able to meet two of the targets on the California English Language Development Test (CELDT). We met AMAO #1 by having students advancing up one level of proficiency and AMAO #2 for students who have been in the U.S. for more than five years reaching advanced levels of English proficiency. This success can be attributed to consistency of ELD instruction throughout the grade levels and the high status of ELD as a content area. Congratulations to our students and instructional team!
PARENT AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
PARENT AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT This year, we were fortunate to have been selected as the site for the UCSD Alumni Day of Service on February 20. Two teachers, Ms. Nichols and Ms. McNally, initiated the beautification project and their contagious energy resulted in having over 140 volunteers in attendance. The team planted native gardens, constructed an above ground garden for each grade level, and also painted a U.S. map on our playground. The volunteers were joined by South Bay Superintendent Katie McNamara, Trustee Melanie Ellsworth, Imperial Beach Mayor Serge Dedina, UCSD Alumni Association President Jerri Malana, parent volunteers, Student Council members, and classroom teachers. We are grateful to Chris Garcia from Therapeutic Landscape Design Services for all of the hours he volunteered to develop landscape plans and complete the beautiful landscaping on our campus. We are also thankful to the following companies for their generous donations: Home Depot, Southwest Boulder and Stone, San Diego Botanical Gardens, and the Oneonta Student Council.
Oneonta School has been fortunate in fostering a wonderful relationship with our parents and community. Our parent volunteers are very committed to providing support for our teachers and students by helping in classrooms or by completing work orders after teachers have planned lessons. One of the highlights from our parent volunteers is their desire to learn about various topics that are offered through the San Ysidro Health Center. All parent education courses are free and the parents have shared that they find the courses informational and valuable to their role of parents; both at school and at home. Parents are given tasks to do at home, which are then shared with the group. The culminating activity is to share their task with their child so that they model the importance of learning at any age.
South Bay Union School District NEWS | 11
PENCE NEWS
Robert Daily, Principal
POSITIVE SCHOOL CULTURE NO EXCUSES UNIVERSITY
LEARNING AND ACHIEVEMENT FOR ALL LESSON STUDY
Lesson study at Howard Pence has provided teachers an opportunity to collaborate in a very specific manner where the intricate parts of a lesson are discussed in great detail and scrutiny. Each grade level plans a standards based lesson where one participant teaches the lesson while colleagues observe. Constructive feedback is provided by all team members, including the principal and academic coach, then the lesson is taught a second time by another member with the revisions in place. This has proven to be a very effective instructional tool where teachers have been able to improve instruction through a trusting environment.
JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT BIZTOWN
Howard Pence fifth grade students attend the Junior Achievement sponsored BizTown event. Biztown is a place where our 5th grade students discover how the ‘real world’ works. Students learn to collaborate and work with their peers in job-like scenarios. They are taught responsibility, budgeting skills and what it means to be part of a working community. It is the ultimate experience in educating and developing the ‘whole child.’
PARENT AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TO SUPPORT STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION LUNCHEON
Howard Pence shows how valuable their volunteers are at its annual Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon. In accordance with Cinco de Mayo, over sixty people came to school to be recognized for contributing their time and dedication to Howard Pence. The volunteers come from a wide range of avenues. Parents, community members, military partners and more all have a hand in making Howard Pence a special place for children. 12 | South Bay Union School District NEWS
Howard Pence is in its sixth year of belonging to the network of No Excuses University. NEU continues to set the culture for Howard Pence in establishing the belief that with effort, focus and GRIT, each student will attend the college of their choice someday. Every class is affiliated with a university and every child keenly aware of their target college graduation year.
BASIC SERVICES TO SUPPORT STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT BREAKFAST IN THE CLASSROOM
The Child Nutrition team at Howard Pence provides a vital service to our students. Every day they serve over 700 students a healthy and nutritional breakfast and lunch. Unique to Howard Pence is the Breakfast in the Classroom (BIC) program. Breakfast helpers for each classroom arrive prior to the beginning of school to help set up. Upon entering the room, each child has a morning breakfast waiting for them. As the teacher begins the morning routine, children enjoy a nutritional breakfast ensuring a proper start to each day.
Cynthia Smith-Ough, Principal
SUNNYSLOPE NEWS
ATTENDANCE
The San Diego Pad Squad attended Sunnyslope’s Outstanding Attendance Kick Off Assembly to recognize students’ outstanding attendance and to encourage students to stay in school. Good attendance helps kids succeed in school and bolster their self-esteem. By recognizing students’ improvements as part of a school-wide comprehensive approach, Sunnyslope School is creating a school-wide culture and emphasis on attendance that is accompanied by a deep commitment to ensuring students are engaged in the classroom and motivated to learn.
COMMUNITY
PARENT ENGAGEMENT Sunnyslope School celebrates and honors all of the fabulous parent volunteers with an annual appreciation luncheon. We value all of the hard work, time, and dedication of our families to support the connection between home and school. We strongly believe that a strong home-school connection will set the stage for a child who will grow up with a love for learning. Families enjoyed a variety of tasty foods that were contributed by the Sunnyslope staff and each family member received a special certificate recognizing their service in supporting our partnership to increase student achievement.
Sunnyslope School families spend quality time together and building their literacy skills at their 2nd Annual Family Literacy Night. During this event, families participated together in various literacy activities that they can also do at home. Some of the activities included making personal family books, creating and reciting poetry, and word bingo games just to name a few. Research indicates that family literacy activities contribute to children’s success in school and that family literacy programs can provide opportunities for educational success for parents and children. By providing these experiences at Sunnyslope, families can become part of an extended classroom and build on the work of the school.
Sunnyslope students support The Jose Montano Foundation and give from the heart by painting “Rocks of Hope” and putting together snack bags that get delivered to children battling cancer in hospitals throughout the county. Students learn about compassion and how even the smallest act of kindness can make a positive impact on others. Sunnyslope students learn firsthand that when we help others, we are also helping ourselves. Research shows that when we give from the heart, our oxytocin levels go up, which helps to relieve stress and create the feeling of happiness.
Sunnyslope students learn about teamwork and also get in shape with the support of our US Navy partners. Students get the opportunity to participate in various team-building and cooperative games that help students enhance their communication and collaborative skills to accomplish the mission. Students learn that every person on the team plays a valuable role and that by working together, they can accomplish their goals.
South Bay Union School District NEWS | 13
VIP VILLAGE NEWS
David Sheppard, Director
VIP VILLAGE
Each year, VIP Preschool hosts several events to celebrate our youngest learners and their families. In 2015-2016, our Preschool locations (VIP Village, VIP West, VIP Nicoloff, and VIP Sunnyslope) participated in a costume parade, Harvest Festival, winter holiday activities, Read Across America, Snow Day, an Art Show, Trike-athons, Olympics, musical performances, and Day of the Child. We thank the Preschool staff and all the volunteers for their work on these events. It was an incredible year!
14 | South Bay Union School District NEWS
SBUSD NEWS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2
As the school year ends, we say goodbye to some of our sixth graders and all of our eighth grade students. We are so proud of these students and we wish them continued success! We are also saying farewell to sixteen retiring staff members. We thank these employees for their dedication and wish them the best in their future endeavors. I hope you have a wonderful summer break. Thank you for your support this year! I look forward to another great year in 2016-2017.
COMPUTERS TO FAMILIES
This year, South Bay Union had the opportunity to partner with Computers 2 San Diego Kids (C2C), which is a non-profit organization that assists qualified families to obtain computers, software, and Internet access at reasonable costs. Having a computer at home means students are able to communicate and collaborate with their classmates regarding assignments, and ultimately sharing their daily learning between home and school. The District hosted two events this year connecting over 200 applicants with Internet access provided by Cox Communications, desktop computers from Computers to San Diego Kids, and free technology training offered at the Otay Public Library. The computers are installed with essential software such as Microsoft Office and C2C provides 1 year free limited technical support.
Sincerely,
Katie McNamara, Ed.D. District Superintendent
We look forward to working with more families at our third Affordable Technology event in August. Please look for information on our website (www.sbusd.org) starting in June.
BUS TECHNOLOGY South Bay Union School District is becoming more and more innovative and using technology in clever ways. In March, we initiated a bus pass system for students and have partnered with Synovia Solutions to provide a GPS providing real time tracking for every bus. Bus passes are provided for students and they have a barcode (much like a grocery store scanner) that is scanned each time they enter and leave the bus. With Here Comes the Bus®, parents can register online to be able to view what time their student got on the bus, when they got off, and where they were dropped. The access is free to parents registered with active bus riders. The full access version/app for smartphone or tablet provides text and email notifications and alerts. By the end of May, routing software will be implemented. In June, parents of bus riders will receive notices with information about the new system. We will begin scanning student passes in July and will launch the parent portal by October 2016. With our new system, we can now track all students in real-time, enhancing student safety. Providing a safe environment for students is our top priority, which is enhanced by knowledgeable bus drivers, dedicated staff, and supportive parents. With a GPS we can track students, vehicles, map routes, and create meaningful reports that help save time and money. When staff create reports they can determine quickly if bus stops are obsolete, consistently running late, overlapping, and much more. With features such as comparative analysis, our team can review on-time performance and keep drivers on schedule. We can also monitor stop arrival and departure times and compare those against schedules, enhancing route compliance. Additional reporting features will provide accurate ridership by bus, stop, and/or route. Fuel usage, wait time, and other reports will help streamline the system. We are excited about this new program! Thanks to our team for their hard work on this project and for being improvement oriented every day!
2016 UNITY GAMES
On Saturday, May 21, to highlight South Bay’s commitment to wellness and the importance of physical activity, the SBUSD PTA Council hosted the 2016 Unity Games at Mar Vista High School. Over 500 students from across the District competed in events including races, pushups, an obstacle course, hula-hooping, skipping rope, and a tug-o-war. The Mar Vista field was filled with family, friends, volunteers, and dignitaries. The event began with a performance by the VIP Village Preschool Stomp Band. Following a welcome by PTA Council President Terry Loyo and remarks from South Bay Superintendent Katie McNamara, an authentic Olympic torch was carried onto the field by runner (and Central School alumnus) Maria Perez Loyo. South Bay Board President Barbara Elliott-Sanders received the torch and announced the start of the games. We welcomed several VIP guests to the Games, including South Bay Union School District Board Trustees Elvia Aguilar, Chris Brown, Barbara Elliott-Sanders, Melanie Ellsworth and Thomas Schaaf, South Bay Superintendent Katie McNamara, Sweetwater Union High School District Trustee Paula Hall, Sweetwater Superintendent Karen Janney (who provided the Olympic torch that she carried in the 1984 games), San Diego Councilmember David Alvarez, Imperial Beach Councilmember Lorie Bragg, and Mar Vista High School Principal Juan Gonzalez. It was a day filled with athletic competition, teamwork, camaraderie, and celebration. Event winners received ribbons and will be featured on the District website. We thank all of the athletes, the supportive families, the volunteers, our military partners (from FASFAC, BMU-1, USS Anchorage, HSM-41, VRC-30, and NCTS), District staff, and the VIP attendees for their participation and support. Most importantly, we are grateful to the PTA Council for their leadership and organization of this event. It was a great way to end the school year!
South Bay Union School District NEWS | 15
SOUTH BAY UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT
SO MANY GOOD THINGS HAPPENING! El Boletín Informativo del Distrito se encuentra disponible en www.sbusd.org
2015 - 2016