SOUTH BAY UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT
ANNUAL NEWSPAPER 2016 - 2017
BOARD OF TRUSTEES Dear SBUSD parents, guardians, and community members, As we conclude the 2016-2017 school year, I am thrilled as I reflect on the work of our teams and of our many accomplishments!
Melanie Ellsworth President
Chris Brown Vice President
Elvia Aguilar Clerk
Barbara Elliott-Sanders Member
Cheryl Quiñones 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 Principal, Melissa Griffith Asst. Principal, Veronica Reyes
Nicoloff School 1777 Howard Avenue San Ysidro, CA 92173 (619) 428-7000 Principal Rigo Lara Asst. Principal, Estela Corrales
Bayside STEAM Academy 490 Emory Street Imperial Beach, CA 91932 (619) 628-2500 Principal, Kevin Coordt
Imperial Beach Charter, West 525 Third Street Imperial Beach, CA 91932 (619) 628-8900 Director, Michelle Syverson
Oneonta School 1311 Tenth Street Imperial Beach, CA 91932 (619) 628-8600 Principal, Marla Fernandez
Berry School 2001 Rimbey Avenue San Diego, CA 92154 (619) 628-3500 Principal, Gil Luna
Mendoza School 2050 Coronado Avenue San Diego, CA 92154 (619) 424-0100 Principal, Jil Palmer Asst. Principal, Clinton Anderson
Pence School 877 Via Tonga Court San Diego, CA 92154 (619) 662-8100 Principal, Robert Daily
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
Nestor Language Academy Charter 1455 Hollister Street San Diego, CA 92154 (619) 628-0900 Principal, Guadalupe Avilez Asst. Principal, Beatriz Carlos
Sunnyslope School 2500 Elm Avenue San Diego, CA 92154 (619) 628-8800 Principal, Cynthia Smith-Ough VIP Village (Preschool) 1001 Fern Avenue Imperial Beach, CA 91932 (619) 628-8690 Director, David Sheppard
Katie McNamara, Ed.D. Superintendent
We continue to work toward the goals detailed in our Local Control and Accountability Plan and, this year, we focused on three goals: • All students reading at grade-level by third grade • Fostering risk-taking and innovation • Nurturing a positive and welcoming culture at every school
Central to these initiatives was the implementation of reading assessments and using data to improve the instruction of reading, ensuring that all students have regular access to technology and digital resources, offering innovative professional development through a partnership with Columbia University’s Teachers College Reading and Writing Project, and addressing needs related to school climate and culture. We also increased our efforts to publicize our District and the incredible dedication of our students, families, staff, and community. On March 11, we hosted Discover South Bay Union to share news about our District and each school with the community. The event provided us the opportunity to highlight our new programs and the many ways our schools are responding to requests from parents and the instructional needs of students. All twelve of our campuses were represented, including Imperial Beach and Nestor Language Academy (our K-8 schools) and VIP Village Preschool. District and school staff were available to talk about their schools, answer questions, and assist families with transfer requests, registration packets, and more. Several of our community partners, including the Boys & Girls Club, our Military School Liaison Officer, the South Bay PTA Council, the SBUSD Education Foundation, Grand Canyon University, Mission Federal Credit Union, and the San Diego Padres “Pad” Squad also participated. We are grateful to these organizations, who support South Bay with donations, sponsorship of special events, and funding opportunities. We were thrilled to share information about our schools as well as our unique programs: • The Bayside STEAM Academy, which was officially launched in July 2016, focuses on learning Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics. Instruction includes rotations for STEAM and student-selected electives during exploration time. Bayside also sponsors competitive robotic and submersible student teams. This year, the site added an Augmented Reality Sandbox, which provides students a real time, interactive environment to learn about topography and the impact of climate on the terrain. • The Dual Language programs at Sunnyslope Elementary and Nestor Language Academy offer students a language-centered instruction option. The Two-Way Spanish Immersion program at Nestor (K-8) is a language-oriented program designed to build fluency in both Spanish and English and provide students the opportunity to develop their listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills in both languages. Sunnyslope’s K-6 Dual Language and 50/50 Bilingual program is an additive program, which maintains the native language while adding a second language to support high levels of bilingualism, biliteracy, and multicultural competence. • The Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) and Instrumental Music programs, appeal to students interested in the arts and performing. The VPA program, at Mendoza Elementary, provides students (in grades 4-6) opportunities to showcase their talents with a focused concentration on art, dance, singing, set design, or music. The Instrumental Music program, available to South Bay students in grades 3-8, offers weekly instruction at the student’s school. Both programs highlight student work and achievement in performances each spring. CONTINUED ON PAGE 15
2 | South Bay Union School District NEWS
Kevin Coordt, Principal
BAYSIDE STEAM ACADEMY NEWS
BAYSIDE STEAM ACADEMY A
Y E A R
Your child’s journey to the future begins here at Bayside! Our main goal is to develop innovative, creative, problem solvers. We are preparing our scholars for the future through engineering challenges, Arduino robotics, and submersibles. We are creating a culture of risk taking and failing as a means to revise, improve and move forward. Our scholars are learning from their mistakes, and through this process, they are becoming critical thinkers and effective communicators. They are not only learning about the world of work, but they are simultaneously developing grit and perseverance. We don’t know what problems our scholars will be encountering in 10-15 years, and we don’t know what type of technology will exist, but we know Bayside is developing and
I N
R E V I E W
setting the foundation of skills necessary for our students to solve those unforeseen challenges of the future. We are creating scholars that will think outside the box when trying to solve problems, because we don’t want them to solely depend on a certain platform as the only solution. Scholars are becoming creative and curious about the world around them. They are beginning to realize that they too can solve a real world problem. They are learning to research, investigate and work collaboratively to develop, revise and test prototypes as a means of expressing an idea or a concept. Our scholars currently receive Exploration Time (STEAM electives) and STEAM Rotations.
These electives range from oceanography and music to art and engineering. Students also participate in two hours of weekly STEAM Rotations, which focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics. Students in grades 4-6 have the opportunity to be on a competitive robotics team and receive tailored instruction and lessons on robotics four times per week. Every Bayside student also receives several sessions focused on the Robotics Strand. We have continued to develop additional community partnerships with the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Living Coast Discovery Center, Earth Discovery Institute (EDI), Qualcomm’s Thinkabit Lab, and Fleet Science Center in order to deepen and enhance the learning for each of our scholars.
South Bay Union School District NEWS | 3
BERRY NEWS
Gil Luna, Principal
BERRY A
Y E A R
This year, the Berry team implemented the Latino Family Literacy Reading Project program, which was created in response to the growing Latino community and the need for effective literacy programs tailored to meet the needs of Latino parents and children. The program teaches parents how to interact with literature when reading with their children and also encourages reflection and discussion by reading in the language the family knows. The materials are chosen to reflect the social, cultural, and linguistic knowledge of parents. With the support of Learning and Innovation Coordinator Lisa Celaya, classes were planned over
4 | South Bay Union School District NEWS
I N
R E V I E W
a ten week period on Thursdays. The classes were structured in 1.5 hour blocks, allowing for 45 minutes of book talk and 45 minutes of project time. During each session, parents received a book (in English and Spanish) from the lending library provided with the curriculum. Each book was read aloud in the session and then parents took the books home to share with their children. The following week, we introduced another book and a strategy that the parents could try at home. Using sentence starter/frame charts, parents were able to practice conversations they would later use at home. Every participant also created a portfolio that they were able to keep at the conclusion of the program.
These sessions supported our work on the Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) goal of Parent and Community Engagement. Berry parents were very excited to be part of this work and were committed to improving their reading experience in class and at home. Our parents made a lot of connections with the stories and shared their personal experiences about family struggles and being immigrants to a new country. We are very proud of our parents and know they will remain a committed part of the Berry community for years to come!
Armando Lopez, Principal
CENTRAL NEWS
CENTRAL A
Y E A R
Central Elementary has partnered with Beachmaster Unit One from the U.S. Navy to work with K-6 students as mentors and role models. Beachmaster One is a Beach Party Unit based at the Coronado Naval Amphibious Base. The Military Mentorship Program was developed during teacher collaboration and the staff agree that all students need different types of support systems as they grow and develop emotionally, academically, and socially. The students benefit from an additional adult role model outside of their classroom teacher. Kilee Lamm, the founding teacher of the program, believes that the biggest impact on students has been that the mentors have been an extremely positive influence and have benefited the school by improving the overall culture and climate. Kilee’s husband, who is in the Navy, inspired her to begin the mentorship program.
I N
R E V I E W
Her husband, and his colleagues, believe that commitment to serving our country goes beyond military support and that service begins with our younger generations. Every Thursday, Beachmaster One brings a group of mentors to work with a wide variety of students at Central. The Program was designed using a similar mission and purpose to the Big Brother/Big Sister International Program. Students also learn to utilize the morals and values of the United States Navy. This program has been successful at Central as students await their mentor visit each week. When the Navy visits each Thursday, students receive academic tutoring in all subjects, exercise in a “Boot Camp” to support their physical fitness, and participate in group discussions about decision-making. Our students truly ap-
preciate the interaction, support, and guidance they have received. One fourth grade student stated, “I appreciate working with my mentor. I get to talk about things and they give me advice on how to deal with challenging situations.” A sixth grade student added, “I like the program because they actually want to know who we are. They also share with us stories in their life.” After interviewing the students involved in the program, they were thrilled that the Navy takes time from serving our Country to be mentors. As we re-evaluate the program needs, we hope to continue including students who thrive from the support from our Navy Mentors. Ms. Lamm is currently in discussions with Beachmaster One to arrange a visit to the Naval Amphibious Base at Coronado. She also is considering expanding the program by partnering with other South Bay schools.
South Bay Union School District NEWS | 5
EMORY NEWS
Jennifer Grondek, Principal
EMORY A
Y E A R
I N
R E V I E W
With support from our families, community partners, and school team, Emory Elementary has a thriving school community! Emory students have the opportunity to learn about themselves and the world around them. Included below are a few of our fun school events, which highlight our strong community partnerships and diverse offerings to support our student’s development of critical thinking skills, communication skills, collaboration, and creativity. Our thriving school community provides various opportunities to challenge and engage students as well as their families.
partment of Homeland Security, San Ysidro Health Clinic, San Diego Sheriff and Police Departments, Federal Navy Fire Station, Border Patrol, FBI, DEA, our wonderful parent volunteers, and the Emory Student Council and PTA, students learned about making safe and healthy choices. Students heard about the dangers of illicit substances, got fit doing Zumba, watched a canine unit safety routine, visited a mobile surveillance bus, sat in an MRAPP tank, and visited the mobile health clinic. Emory students and families work together with their community partners to make safe and healthy choices.
Health and Safety Week Emory students, staff and families understand that the foundation of a strong mind is being safe and healthy. This year, we celebrated Health and Safety Week. Throughout the week, students created educational videos about the importance of making healthy food choices and how to have fun being active. On Wednesday, we celebrated Walk and Bike to School Day. The week culminated in our Health and Safety Fair. The event kicked-off with the first ever Emory Flash Mob! Led by Spotlight Dancers from each classroom, our students had fun, and got fit by dancing along with their classmates and guests. With support from the De-
Innovation Fair Sixty five percent of elementary school students will work in a job which has not yet been invented. As we prepare our students for middle school, high school, and beyond, in addition to teaching the basics (reading, writing and mathematics), we are ensuring that our students have the opportunity to think critically, be creative, collaborate with others, and practice public speaking. To support these efforts, this year, Emory hosted its first Innovation Fair to inspire creativity amongst our students and promote fun family quality time. In family teams of two or more, students developed confidence by making presentations and strength-
6 | South Bay Union School District NEWS
ened critical-thinking skills by designing a project based on the ideas about which they are passionate. One family team re-purposed recycled materials to create art. Another student designed her own jet pack. To make the world a better place for students, an Emory team made “calm down” bottles for the purpose of supporting students with autism. At Emory, students have opportunities to Imagine, Create and Innovate. Family Campout The Emory School community came together this fall at our Family Campout. Students, staff and families brought in tents, sleeping bags, air mattresses and camp chairs in preparation for sleeping out on the Emory School field. The event began with families helping each other setup tents. Some families have been campers for years, but for others this was their first time in brand new tents. After a communal dinner in our lunch area, we headed to the multi-purpose room for some fun family games. The Emory PTA, which sponsored the event, provided prizes and supplied s’mores. With a night sky show hosted by the San Diego Astronomical Association, the event was an educational and fun way for Emory families to spend time together.
Melissa Griffith, Principal // Veronica Reyes, Asst. Principal
IMPERIAL BEACH CHARTER NEWS
IMPERIAL BEACH CHARTER A This year is a charter renewal year for Imperial Beach School. Along with our renewal, we are excited to announce that we are expanding our Middle School Program. We have added 64 spaces to our seventh grade cohort, for a total of 128 seventh grade students for the 2017-18 school year! Our eighth grade enrollment will increase the following year. With our expansion, we will have 256 middle school students when we start school in July. We are very excited to be able to offer this opportunity to our community. Based on their grade level, all middle school students will be enrolled in English Language Arts, Mathematics, World Cultures, Life Science,
Y E A R
I N
R E V I E W
Health, Physical Education, Enrichment and/or U.S. History. All content area subjects are taught by our middle school grade level team. Students also have the opportunity to participate in various clubs, including ASB, athletic leagues, robotics, and cooking. Our teachers provide content area support for students to ensure their success. In addition, students who have been involved in South Bay’s Instrumental Music Program may continue their instruction.
Charter’s middle school, students responded:
Our Middle School Program focuses on students developing the 21st Century skills needed to be successful in the interdependent world. When asked what they like best about Imperial Beach
“Middle School Athletics!”
“I like all of the unique programs and I love my teachers.” “I like all of the fun activities and how we have a dedicated area.” “I like the small community - we know everyone!” “I really enjoy participating in the Instrumental Music Program.”
“I really enjoy all of the cool field trips – it’s really awesome!”
South Bay Union School District NEWS | 7
MENDOZA NEWS
Jil Palmer, Principal // Clinton Anderson, Asst. Principal
MENDOZA A
Y E A R
Mendoza Science Fair and Olympiads Mendoza Elementary School is normally thought of as the Visual and Performing Arts school since we host the district’s VPA classes and are proud of the Program. We also want everyone to know that Mendoza has so much more to offer all of our students. Next school year, the District will be focusing on the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and at Mendoza, we are well prepared to move forward! Each spring we host a Science Fair for our students in grades TK-5. Teachers instruct students on the scientific process and offer class time to research and explore their chosen topic. Some students do their project independently, others work in teams. This year, there were over 220 projects on display! Topics covered all areas of science, from hydraulic hands that could move and grip items to tornados and electricity. Projects are displayed all week in the auditorium so classes can visit to see all the great projects. At the end of the week, we invite parents and students for an evening of celebration and evaluation. Our judges visit each and every project, talk with the students, and then score projects on presentation, scientific research or method, creativity, writing, visual display, and overall. So many students were honored and recognized for their outstanding effort and both girls and boys were well represented! The judges included teachers and representatives from the Chula Vista Host Lions, Montgomery Lions Club, First Freewill Bap-
8 | South Bay Union School District NEWS
I N
R E V I E W
tist Church, and Navy Squadron VRC-30 from North Island. What about the students in grade 6, you ask? The week prior to the Science Fair, our 6th Graders competed in our brand new Science Olympiads! Students chose an event and decided to work independently or with a partner to research, design, and create a working model to be tested in the real world. Each day after lunch, a different event was held. Monday was Pop-Bottle Rockets, where students made a rocket from 2 liter soda pop bottles powered by compressed air and carrying a raw egg as cargo. Some went over 100 feet high and had almost 10 seconds of “air time” without breaking the egg! Tuesday was Bridges, an engineering event where Popsicle stick bridges were subject to supporting buckets of sand to measure strength. Wednesday was balsa airplanes/gliders to measure distance and flight time. Thursday returned to engineering, with towers built from pasta, which were measured for strength. On Friday, catapults went for distance and accuracy. Here are some of the overall winners, congratulations to everyone! • Kindergarten - Miranda Herrea • Grade 1 - Alyssa Sandoval • Grade 2 - Sophia Tippets. • Grade 3 - Emely Ramos • Grade 4 - Fyana Aragon and Michelle Rodriguez
• Grade 5 - Maribel Chavez In the 6th Grade Olympiads these future engineers and scientists took the overall spot! • Catapult - Analisa Hernandez and Sophia Gonzalez •B alsa Glider - Thaddeus Young and Luid Bernal • Pasta Towers - Jose Huezo and Annalie Tellez • Pop Bottle Rockets - Katie Norris and Safia Swearingen •B ridges - Ernie Nunez and Andre Catalan The 6th Graders had a blast throughout the whole process and they were proud to display their working models at the Science Fair the following week. All our students benefit from hands-on experiences and the projects get better and better each year! To quote one teacher/judge, “I loved how excited and enthused the students were while presenting their projects! They were passionately talking about their research topics using academic vocabulary, while others listed the specific steps they used to conduct an experiment. As impressed as I was by their science fair projects, I was equally as impressed by the speaking and listening skills they were demonstrating. Mendoza students should be very proud, because I certainly was!” Congratulations to all our student scientists!
Guadalupe Avilez, Principal // Beatriz Carlos, Asst. Principal
NESTOR LANGUAGE ACADEMY CHARTER NEWS
NESTOR LANGUAGE ACADEMY CHARTER A Nestor Language Academy Parent University
“What is it that you would like to learn parents?” That is the question that we asked our parent participants to kick off this year’s Parent Institute. What is a Parent Institute? It is a series of informational workshops designed by Nestor staff, specifically for Nestor parents. The Parent Institute was born out of the desire to offer parents unique opportunities to learn and grow alongside students and staff. At our first meeting, parents had the following requests. “We want to learn more about science,” “We want to learn more about how to help our students with reading,” “We want to learn about technology and how to keep our kids safe when they are on the Internet.” So, with these responses in mind, Nestor Resource Teacher (Gloria Muñoz), Nestor Academic Coach (Gloria Morales) and Nestor Assistant Principal (Bea Carlos) set out to design and deliver monthly opportunities for parents to learn and explore. The workshops were a great success! In November, we learned how to model the love of reading by creating innovative reading spaces at home. In December, our topic was Comprehensive Reading Strategies. Parents walked
Y E A R
I N
R E V I E W
away with a flip book with cues for rigorous questions to ask during evening reading. Our February Science Night was a huge success with over two hundred people in attendance. On that night, students launched rockets and then joined a local scientist in the cafeteria to learn all about the science of gravity and atmospheric pressure. We also partnered with ICAC (Internet Crimes against Children Taskforce) to inform staff, students, and parents about Internet safety. We’ve had a great year and will be culminating our time together with a celebration which will take place in May. Next year, the Parent University will return and it promises to provide many more opportunities for exploration and learning. Nestor Builds Partnerships with Parents
Nestor Language Academy is proud to have a committed group of parents forming part of our English Learner Advisory Committee. This new group of parents, formerly part of the school’s Language Academy Advisory Council, has come together to learn about English Learner programs and also serve as a collaborative group of parents committed to ensuring our second language learners benefit from the daily instruc-
tion students receive at our school. The committee’s hard-working parents have willingly recommended topics for discussion including, helping your child at home and online resources for second language learners. Parents have also learned about the reclassification process for English learners, details about the CELDT assessment, information about state assessment results, and have had the opportunity to provide valuable feedback on the school’s Local Control Accountability Plan. The committee was also able to select officers to represent the English Learner parent group. Special congratulations to our President Irma Aquino, Vice-president Brenda Ramirez, Secretary Araceli Ramirez, and Parliamentarian Elizeth Arias. Our outstanding officers also had the opportunity to attend meetings at the District English Learner Advisory Committee (DELAC). Having the opportunity to receive information and learn about resources has provided our committee with the tools and strategies to share with other parents and ensure our English Learners are successful. We invite other parents to join our committee and look forward to what the next school year brings!
South Bay Union School District NEWS | 9
NICOLOFF NEWS
Rigo Lara, Principal // Estela Corrales, Asst. Principal
NICOLOFF A
Y E A R
Affiliation with the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project Nicoloff is highly focused on ensuring that our students become lifelong readers who love to read and read often. We are committed to providing our students with a solid foundation in literacy so that they are successful in their academics and are college and career ready. For the past three years we’ve been working on a very strategic approach to target specific student reading behaviors during small group settings. Through this work, we have gotten to know our students as readers and have tailored our instruction to meet their specific needs. Our students have spent an enormous amount of time independently reading high interest, accessible books of their own choosing. This year we have partnered with the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project, a research organization at Columbia University, to build on the work and continue to develop students who are critical readers and writers. The mission of the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project is to help students become avid and skilled readers, writers, and inquirers. This goal is accomplished through research, curriculum development, and through working shoulder-to-shoulder with students, teachers, and school leaders. The organization has developed research-based tools and methods for teaching reading and writing, for using performance assessments and learning progressions to accelerate progress, and for literacy-rich content-area instruction. One of the benefits of being a Teacher’s College (TC) affiliate school is the high quality professional development provided to our teachers. This school year alone, TC staff developers have provided each teacher with ten hours of professional development. The staff develop-
10 | South Bay Union School District NEWS
I N
R E V I E W
ers led state-of-the-art demonstration teaching within classrooms and modeled research-based strategies on the effective teaching of reading and writing. Our teachers have had the opportunity to practice implementing the strategies with students while the staff developers provided coaching and feedback. Teachers have embraced the opportunity to be professionally engaged in new learning, have their thinking challenged, and be given immediate feedback when practicing lessons. The learning that takes place with this type of approach is powerful and has a direct impact on student learning. The implementation of Reader’s Workshop has had a positive impact on both the professional learning of our teachers and on student learning. This research-based approach to teaching reading has allowed us to continue to strengthen our literacy focus in several ways. The Workshop model encourages students to have more choice in the books they read independently and the topics they write about, which increases the motivation to engage more deeply in reading and writing. Our teachers report that more students are reading books independently for longer periods of time and that the volume of their writing has increased significantly from previous years. Reader’s Workshop teachers recognize that all students are “readers” by acknowledging what they can presently do well and then coaching them to take the next step. Therefore, all of our students see themselves as readers and build the confidence needed to persevere in their reading journey. In addition to the small group reading groups that we had in place to address student needs, our teachers are also conferring with students individually to provide specific feedback and coaching related to their individual needs. We believe this type of individual support has made a difference in moving students along the reading continuum.
Meet one of our Staff Developers, LISA CORCORAN
Can you describe the work that you do and why you chose to follow this line of work? Lisa: I truly have the best job in the world. I get
the opportunity to work with children AND teachers!! My work centers around what is best for all learners. I assist K-2 teachers in understanding and implementing reading and writing curriculum. This curriculum identifies each child’s strengths and helps them achieve individualized success. I model classroom lessons and small group instruction, as well as coach teachers as they try new approaches to enhance their instruction. I have worked as a teacher for 16 years, and as a literacy coach for 3 years. During that time, I discovered I have a passion for curriculum! I advocate for teachers to be part of an ever growing and changing learning community. We are never done learning! We are passionate about what we do, and we pass that passion onto our eager students.
There has been an obvious impact on teaching and learning at Nicoloff thanks to your support. What has been the highlight of working with staff? Lisa: The staff at Nicoloff has made me feel like
a member of their school family. Their eagerness to try new teaching strategies is an inspiration. They have pushed themselves to do difficult work, all in the name of what is BEST for their students. I couldn’t have asked for a better school to work with!
Marla Fernandez, Principal
ONEONTA NEWS
ONEONTA A At Oneonta, students proudly demonstrate leadership skills in the classroom, throughout the school campus, and at home. In our first year of implementing the Leader in Me program based on Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, our teachers have taught and embedded the leadership habits of being proactive, begin with the end in mind, put first things first, seek first to understand, then to be understood, think win-win, sharpen the saw, and synergize. Ms. Hernandez, who lives in the community, shares, “It is so cool to hear from parents that they love Oneonta due to its positive culture and spirit.” When asked about how she has enjoyed the Leader in Me, 4th grade student, Lillian Mendoza responds, “We are helping each other and communicating with each other to solve conflicts before they escalate. I practice the habit of seeking first to understand then to be understood, by listening a lot more to my friends and not blurting out what I think or feel.” To get the program off the ground, Principal Fernandez applied for a grant from the Panda Restaurant Group in partnership with Leader.Org. Before the beginning of the school year, she received the wonderful news that Oneonta had received a generous three-year grant to support the implementation of the program, along with the services of a consultant and coach. Each teacher has received four days of professional development from a consultant on the 7 Habits that laid the foundation for instruction in the classroom. One of the tasks of the Lighthouse Team was to write personal mission statements. Upon speaking to several fifth grade students, they shared the following about their mission statements, “When we set goals, we also come up with action steps to reach our goals. We have set goals for exercise, reading chapter books and moving up reading levels. When we reach our goal, we check it off and move on to a new goal.” The Lighthouse Team, comprised of a teacher representative from each grade level, has received further professional development from a Leader in Me coach. They presented at a staff meeting and recruited Action Teams for the following areas: Leadership Culture, Professional Learning Team, Student Learning, Leadership Environment, Shared Leadership, and Family Learning. Each team is responsible for providing and
Y E A R
I N
R E V I E W
supporting key components of responsibilities for each action team. In January, Oneonta kick-started their public relations about the Leader in Me program by partnering with UCSD with the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. The event, which was broadcasted by a local news station, highlighted the work of over 300 UCSD and Oneonta students, teachers, and parents. They spent a Saturday morning building garden boxes, constructing a kinesthetic activity box, and worked on other service projects. A group of volunteers painted colorful pillars with key words from the 7 Habits so that as soon as students, parents and community members enter our campus, it is clear that Oneonta is promoting the Leader in Me program. After the Day of Service, the enthusiasm of the Leader in Me program continued to grow with the support of the action teams. Team members began to do the work of promoting the program more in-depth by creating a new bulletin board in the Burress Auditorium, making a 7 Habits video with students from each grade level, a selfie 7 Habits bulletin board, and taking pictures of every staff member to display in our school office with the quote, “Leadership is action, not a position.” Ms. Sandoval’s fourth grade students developed our school’s Leader in Me brochure, “Leaders inspire others to be Leaders.” In fact, a key concept of the program is to “leadersize,” meaning that student’s voices are to be heard in making school decisions and disseminating information. Examples are student presenters at assemblies and school events and recruiting parents to take surveys before and after school. Besides the growing visibility of the program, it is even more important that our students utilize the language of the habits, as well as practicing them in their everyday lives. Whether at school or at home, our students are seeing themselves as leaders. Students who traditionally may not have seen themselves as leaders, are now demonstrating the leadership skills that are important now and in the real world. The application of leadership was evident when three students co-presented with Ms. Fernandez the highlights of Oneonta at a Board meeting in March. “I am so proud of all three of our students, particularly the student
who has been known to be shy. He demonstrated confidence and was not afraid of speaking at a public forum.” Ms. Sanchez shared that he came back the next day and said, “If I could do that, I can do anything!” In preparation for a visit from the South Bay Board of Trustees and Superintendent McNamara, two of the action teams planned the schedule and each member contributed to the events of the day. On the day of the visit, our student leaders anxiously awaited our guests who were welcomed by students who were professionallydressed, used a firm handshake, made eye contact, along with voicing, “Good morning. I am a leader. Welcome to Oneonta.” To have a record of the visit, our Oneonta press/photographers were ready to take candid photos. Afterward, our guests were met with a song by our Transitional Kindergarten students, a welcome banner by two of our Kindergarten classrooms and a Leadership poem by our bilingual third grade. Next, they were escorted by student docents to visit classrooms where they were received by student ambassadors and during the classroom visits, a leadership habit was embedded in the lesson. At the end of the visit, the Trustees and Superintendent enjoyed a farewell leadership song. When asked after the visit about their experience as classroom docents, two first grade students responded, “Nos sentimos feliz porque fuimos lideres. We felt happy because we were leaders.” Their teacher, Mrs. Esquer, observes that students using the language of the 7 habits in the classroom. “Pon lo primero, primero. Put first things first” and students are reminding each other, “You need to be proactive.” As the school year begins to wrap up, the students, staff and parents are very proud of the accomplishments and goals that were met in the first year of implementing Leader in Me. “It has been very exciting to see the efforts of our teachers to get the program off the ground. Their enthusiasm is contagious and, in turn, the students have made the 7 Habits their own by internalizing the leadership habit that has made the most impact on them as a student and at home” shares Principal Fernandez. Our students say it best, “Great leaders don’t tell you what to do, they show you how it’s done.”
South Bay Union School District NEWS | 11
PENCE NEWS
Robert Daily, Principal
PENCE A
Y E A R
Partnership Shapes Culture at Howard Pence
Who would have known that a little boy’s passing could result in a huge impact on the culture, mindset, and awareness of altruism at an elementary school? Yet, that’s exactly the effect the partnership between the Jose Montaño Foundation and Howard Pence Elementary has had upon the school. The story began in April 2011 at Berry Elementary, when ten year old Jose Montaño was a student and was diagnosed with a rare type of malignant brain cancer called Medulloblastoma. For three years, Jose underwent more than 30 cycles of radiation and chemotherapy treatments. Despite the challenges he was facing, Jose remained strong, courageous, and kept his belief of putting others first. It began small, with Jose connected to a chemotherapy machine, toting a wagon along the hall-
12 | South Bay Union School District NEWS
I N
R E V I E W
ways of Rady Children’s hospital. Jose distributed toys, healthy snacks and most importantly, his feeling of love, hope and inspiration to all of the families undergoing treatment. Jose continued to fight his battle with cancer courageously while maintaining his optimistic outlook and generosity. During his treatment, Jose established quite a reputation for himself. He hosted a Change for Change Fundraiser, requested and received a new playground for Berry School through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, organized a 5K walk, was recognized as the Inspirational Student of the Month, and had two days declared in his honor by both by the City and County of San Diego. Eventually, Jose lost his battle with cancer, but not before he had established a Foundation and ensured it would continue. This is the legacy Jose Montaño leaves. This past year, Mr. Jose
Montaño, Jose’s father, reached out to Pence asking if we would be willing to assist in carrying on Choncho’s (Jose’s nickname) legacy by having classrooms assist in packing those snack bags Jose delivered. Mr. Montaño shares Jose’s story with each class emphasizing the way Jose lived his life despite facing terminal cancer. Jose never gave up, put others first, and found a way to make everyone’s days better. The Foundation has touched the families of over 20 classrooms at Pence who are inspired by Choncho’s drive. In our initial schoolwide fundraiser, we raised over $1,700, the most ever by a first year school. Our students now see the world in a different light and realize the importance of thinking of others first, something that effects our entire school culture. We thank the Montaño family for the impact and influence one boy’s dream has given Pence students, staff, and community.
Cynthia Smith-Ough, Principal
SUNNYSLOPE NEWS
SUNNYSLOPE A
Y E A R
Did you know that research studies indicate that teaching our children to speak more than one language can provide children with surprising and long-lasting benefits in their lives? Sunnyslope families do and that is why Sunnyslope’s Dual Language 50/50 Bilingual K-6 Program was created to respond to requests from families for a language-centered instructional option. According to the Associated Press, 66 percent of the children in the world are raised to speak two languages, compared to 6.3 percent of the children in the United States are. With the majority of the world’s population being bilingual and multilingual, Sunnyslope School began a journey to provide its students with a world-class bilingual education.
I N
R E V I E W
After speaking with parents, observing model programs, and researching options, the Sunnyslope team implemented its first 50/50 Dual Language Immersion Kindergarten class in the 2016-2017 school year and celebrated this accomplishment with a Dual Language Reception inviting staff and community. Research indicates that Bilingual instruction has a positive effect on intellectual growth, enriches and enhances a child’s mental development, and improves a child’s understanding of his/her native language. Furthermore, the improvements in cognitive and sensory processing, driven by bilingual experience, may help a bilingual person to better process information
in the environment, leading to a clearer signal for learning. Bilingualism also increases job opportunities in many careers where knowing another language is a real asset. In addition, there are also valuable social benefits that come from being bilingual, among them the ability to explore a culture through its native language or talk to someone with whom you might otherwise never be able to communicate. The Sunnyslope team is very excited, proud, and passionate about our new Dual Language 50/50 Program and about providing our students with high levels of bilingualism, biliteracy, and multicultural competence for years to come.
South Bay Union School District NEWS | 13
VIP VILLAGE NEWS
David Sheppard, Director
VIP EXPERIENCE VIP Village, which is home to the youngest learners in the South Bay, is known for its monthly “big events.” This year all VIP Preschool sites added a new event for the month of April, the VIP Experience. VIP Village’s Family Services Liaison, Marina Vasquez, described the development of the new event this way, “We wanted to have an event that promoted disability awareness for all of our children. We included activities that help make young children aware of disabilities and also incorporated hands on experiences with the arts, science, and physical activities that include the child’s family.” All events at VIP village are designed to include families on campus to share in the learning experiences of each event, but to hear Noah (age 4) in Ms. Zimmerman’s class, it’s just pure enjoyment. “I got to blow a sailboat all the way down a long tube and by blowing through a straw I made my sailboat go super fast.” The event also gave parents the opportunity to register for kindergarten.
14 | South Bay Union School District NEWS
SBUSD NEWS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2
• The Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) program at Emory Elementary is designed to provide unique education opportunities for high-achieving students to challenge them to meet their fullest potential. Instruction in the GATE program may include special classes, cluster groupings, independent study, enrichment, or differentiated learning experiences within the regular school day. • Pence Elementary is South Bay’s No Excuses University (NEU) campus. NEU supports the belief that every child deserves the opportunity to be educated to prepare them for higher education and encourages the idea that every student is college-bound. The campus environment offers the sights and sounds of college, with every classroom having “adopted” a university. • The Leader in Me program at Oneonta Elementary inspires leadership habits for all students. Based on Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, the Leader in Me program teaches 21st Century leadership and life skills to students and creates a culture of student empowerment based on the idea that every child can be a leader. Thank you to everyone that participated in this event. I enjoyed meeting our community and sharing the great news from South Bay. As the year draws to a close, we say farewell to many of our sixth grade students and all of our eighth grade students. Congratulations on your achievements and best wishes for future success! We are also saying goodbye to retiring staff members. Thank you for all you have given to South Bay students and families! I hope you have a wonderful summer. Thank you for your support of South Bay. I look forward to another great year in 2017-2018! Sincerely, Katie McNamara, Ed.D. District Superintendent
YEAR OF INNOVATION The 2016-2017 school year was South Bay’s Year of Innovation. The District team focused on providing students with learning opportunities that included creativity, imagination, and inspiration. As part of the Year of Innovation: • Every student in grades 3-8 has a Chromebook to use in their classroom and every K-2 classroom has Chromebook sets for student use. These devices provide students regular access to technology and electronic resources. • Several of our schools have implemented Genius Hour as part of classroom schedules to provide students the time to work on projects of their choosing. • In November, we launched the Bayside STEAM Academy, a school dedicated to the instruction of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics. • Earlier this year, we hosted the Innovation Caravan, a traveling fair that highlighted student projects, demonstrations, and ideas. Students in grades 5-8 from the Bayside STEAM Academy, Central Elementary, Emory Elementary, and Imperial Beach Charter presented their projects (on topics from stop motion filmmaking and female empowerment to robotics and recycling) to students, staff, and community members. The Caravan provided students the unique opportunity to share their passion while building confidence through presentation and criticalthinking. • South Bay’s first Innovation Expo took place on April 8 at the Education Center. This event featured student and adult speakers, discovery stations, and student projects. Presentation and demonstration topics included science and technology, community service, design thinking, and others! Between speakers, attendees engaged in hands-on activities including robotics and design challenges.
DISTRICT CHAMPIONS This year, Superintendent McNamara launched the District Champions program to recognize students, parents/guardians, staff, teams, and community members that demonstrate outstanding work, dedication to South Bay’s mission and goals, commitment to our community, and strong support for our schools. Congratulations to the following Champions from October, December, March and June: • District-Wide: Jose Montaño Foundation, South Bay Music Club Board, SDPD Officer Alan Anderson, Valdina Burgi, Susan Skillman (North Island Credit Union), Terry Loyo, Glenda Campos, and Hector Villagrana. • Bayside STEAM Academy: Anabel Coyle, Michael Moran, and Susy Chavez. • Berry: Connie Bastida and Brionia Corsentino. • Central: Maud Mulvany, Marisol Casillas, Claudia Juarez, and Juana Lopez. • Emory: Cindy Pillado, Maria Chavez, Hector Gracia, and Catherine Manorina. • Imperial Beach Charter: Adriana Villanueva, Erin Allen, Renee Ivashenko, Maryann Larson, Lorena Mancisidor, Cecily Gibbs, Marc Emmons, Rebecca Jarrett, Shanika Sanchez, and Emma Tubbs. • Mendoza: Mirinda Quillopo and Becky Geiss. • Nicoloff: Yzabella Gonzalez, Camila Anaya, Ruben Flores, Fernando Llorente, Wendy Fitzgerald, Morwenna Baldessari, Cathy Fitzwilliam, Letitia Stanton, Yael Estersohn, Meagan Ramirez, and Petty Officer Chris Flores. • Oneonta: Kymberly Nichols, Miguel Serrano, Renzo Guzman, Greg Corrales, and Bertha Zepeda Lopez. • Pence: Cynthia Gonzalez, Jeanette Walker, Sylvia Castellon, and Gloria Vargas. • Sunnyslope: Mary Beth Zopatti, Sandra Espinosa, Georgina Maestre-Chavez, Aiyanna Garro, Isaac Garro, and Kimberly Garro. • VIP Preschool: Candace Reese, Cherie Maurice, and Sonia Sandoval. The recognition program will continue next year and we look forward to honoring more South Bay Champions!
DISTRICT APP In July 2017, South Bay will be launching a mobile app designed specifically to keep our families and community better informed and connected to what’s going on in our schools. The new District mobile app for both iPhone and Android smartphones will keep you connected while you’re on the go. The app is free and will be available for download this summer. The app will deliver real time school news to your smartphone for fast, up-to-date access. With the app you will be able to: • Get the latest district and school news • Select the schools you want to follow • G et push notifications about breaking news, closures, weather, events, and more • See the latest photos from school events • T ap to see school locations, phone numbers, and staff information District and school news will soon be in the palm of your hand! Please watch for a detailed announcement soon. Thanks for staying connected to South Bay! 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
2016 - 2017