February 2012

B O A R D o f T r u s t e e sJ i m C a r t m i l l • B e r t h a J . L ó p e z • J o h n M c C a n n • P e a r l Q u i ñ o n e s • A r l i e N . R i c a s a

D r . e d w a r d m , b r a n d S u p e r i n t e n d e n t

SWEETWATERC U R R E N T S

NCM AND GJH IN RUNNING FOR NATIONAL RECOGNITIONBoth National City Middle and Granger Junior High are among 27 finalists nationwide vying for Excellence in Urban Education Awards presented by the National Center for Urban School Transformation (NCUST)."These schools are among the best urban schools in the nation," stated Dr. Joseph F. Johnson, Jr., Executive Director of NCUST. "Although these schools serve low-income communities with an array of challenges, every finalist boasts achievement results that exceed state averages for all students."Schools that win the excellence awards have a supportive learning environment filled with rigorous curriculum, engaging instruction and positive relationships between students, faculty and parents.

TWO PRINCIPALS HONORED AS OUTSTANDING LEADERS Two Sweetwater District principals, Mary Rose Peralta of Granger Junior High and Jose Brosz of Otay Ranch High, have been named 2012 Administrators of the Year by the Association of California School Administrators.Each year, a handful of educators are honored for outstanding job performance based on their experience, demonstrated leadership and success in promoting student achievement."Both Mary Rose Peralta and Jose Brosz are standout school leaders who are making a difference in children's lives every day," said Dr. Edward Brand, superintendent. "They each have channeled their passion and vision to create dynamic school environments where students are challenged to achieve their potential.”

FREE ELECTRONICS RECYCLING THIS SATURDAY You can discard your old electronic waste, help the environment and the Sweetwater District this Saturday, March 3. Just bring your electronic junk to the south parking lot at the District Office between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.Recycle San Diego will be there to accept all kinds of items including monitors, plasma and LCD screen TV's, laptops, printers, copiers, faxes, scanners, cell phones, telephones, VCR's and DVD players.Items that will not be accepted are appliances, lamp bulbs, alkaline batteries and other hazardous waste materials. For more information, contact Recycle San Diego at (858) 569-1807 or visit their website at www.RecycleSanDiego.org

February 2012

B O A R D o f T r u s t e e sJ i m C a r t m i l l • B e r t h a J . L ó p e z • J o h n M c C a n n • P e a r l Q u i ñ o n e s • A r l i e N . R i c a s a

D r . e d w a r d m , b r a n d S u p e r i n t e n d e n t

SWEETWATERC U R R E N T S

CVH TENNIS PLAYERS ENJOY RESURFACED COURTSChula Vista High has tournament-ready newly resurface tennis courts paid for by the Greater San Diego Tennis Council.Led by Chula Vista High ’68 Graduate Rocky Halfon, the Greater San Diego Tennis Council paid $28,000 to resurface the tennis courts at Chula Vista High. The tournament-ready courts were installed in Spartan blue. Following the ribbon-cutting on March 28, CVH Tennis Team Captain Christian Shook faced off in a demonstration doubles-game against players from the Tennis Council.Prior to the restoration, students had been unable to play competitive tennis at Chula Vista High because of the poor condition of the courts.

“FIDDLER ON THE ROOF” AT CHULA VISTA HIGHSCPA students at Chula Vista High School are proud to present "Fiddler on the Roof," March 2, 3 and 4. It will be the first musical theatre production in the new Jack Tygett Performing Arts Center. The production includes 75 students who represent the departments of drama, vocal music; orchestra, dance, band, art, stage tech and sound tech. Performances are March 2 at 7p.m., March 3 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., and March 4 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students and may be purchased at the door. For more information, call 619-476-3378.

MARCHMARCHMarch 2, 2012 National Read Across America Day

March 12, 2012 Board Meeting

March 11, 2012 Daylight Savings Time Begins

March 17, 2012 St. Patrick’s Day

March 20, 2012 First Day of Spring

March 31, 2012 Cesar Chavez Day

February 2012

B O A R D o f T r u s t e e sJ i m C a r t m i l l • B e r t h a J . L ó p e z • J o h n M c C a n n • P e a r l Q u i ñ o n e s • A r l i e N . R i c a s a

D r . e d w a r d m , b r a n d S u p e r i n t e n d e n t

SWEETWATERC U R R E N T S

ROBOTICS TEAMS RECEIVE FINANCIAL SUPPORTGenerous donations from BAE Systems have helped benefit the FIRST Robotics Competition Teams at six Sweetwater Schools.Awards of $1,500 were given to Alternative Education--Full Throttle--Team #2599; Castle Park High School--Rookie Team #3967; Eastlake High School--TitanBOT--Team #2543; Hilltop High School--EPIC Robotics--Team #2193; Olympian High School--Eagle Tech--Team #3226; Sweetwater High School—Robosapiens--Team #3704.Special thanks to Mr. Ed Ketz, Mr. Doug Coffey, and Ms. Pat Schwenke for making these donations possible. BAE Systems is a worldwide company are engaged in electronic warfare systems, military and commercial digital engine and flight controls, hybrid electric drive systems, cyber & intelligence operations, ship repair and modernization services, and air and maritime activities.

SHOE AND SOCK GIVEAWAY A BIG SUCCESSContributions from dozens of Sweetwater employees helped hundreds of needy students receive free shoes and socks in the Chula Vista Police Department Shoes and Socks Giveaway in February. Griselda Delgado, who helped coordinate the effort, reported that no child was turned away because of everyone’s contributions.

MARCH STUDENT PERFORMANCE HIGHLIGHTSSweetwater’s talented students from the William Virchis Visual and Performing Arts Department have prepared some wonderful performances for you in March.Their works of art will be on display through March 21st at the District Art Show Gala & Award Ceremony, South Chula Vista Library, 389 Orange Avenue, Chula Vista. On Weds., March 7th you can catch show choirs on stage in the District Show Choir Concert at 6:30 p.m.at Eastlake High’s Ruth Chapman Performing Arts Center, 1120 Eastlake Parkway, Chula Vista. And you won’t want to miss the colorful and beautifully choreographed dances at the District Folklorico Concert, Friday & Saturday, March 16th &17th at 6:00 p.m. at Chula Vista High’s Jack Tygett Performing Arts Center, 820 Fourth Avenue, Chula Vista, 91911. For more information contact the VAPA office at (619) 796-7700.

BEST MOMS STUDENT ESSAY CONTESTTeachers are invited to encourage their students (grades 7-12) to participate in Time Warner’s Best Moms Student Essay Contest. This is a wonderful opportunity for students to practice their writing skills while at the same time recognizing deserving moms throughout San Diego County. Winners from San Diego (moms and student essay winners) will be honored at a special event in May. For contest rules and information, please go to: www.timewarnercable.com

MASD OPENS SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONAttention Sweetwater Management, MASD is once again taking applications for scholarships available to children of current MASD members who are high school seniors and planning to attend college in the fall. The application consists of a personal statement, letters of recommendation and transcripts. Scholarship award amounts range from $250 to $500. For information contact Michael Govea, MASD Scholarship Chair, Michael.govea@sweetwaterschools.org or download the application information here: MASD Application

February 2012

B O A R D o f T r u s t e e sJ i m C a r t m i l l • B e r t h a J . L ó p e z • J o h n M c C a n n • P e a r l Q u i ñ o n e s • A r l i e N . R i c a s a

D r . e d w a r d m , b r a n d S u p e r i n t e n d e n t

SWEETWATERC U R R E N T S

STUDENT ROBOTS FACE OFF ON BASKETBALL COURTDo you like robots? Do you like basketball? If so, come on down to the Valley View Casino Center (formerly known as the San Diego Sports Arena) this weekend to catch the Rebound Rumble—student-controlled robots playing their version of basketball. You can even go to the “Pit Area” and watch student prepare the robots for their matches. Six Sweetwater school robotics teams will be participating: Alternative Education, Castle Park High, Eastlake High, Hilltop High, Olympian High and Sweetwater High. Cheer on the teams Friday, March 2 from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sat., March 3 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sun., March 4 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

STRESS REDUCTION WORKSHOP FOR TEACHERSThe UCSD Center for Mindfulness is offering a stress-reduction workshop just for teachers. It’s happening March 24 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Francis Parker High Schools’ Crivello Hall, 6501 Linda Vista Rd, San Diego (next door to the SDCOE). Participants will be introduced to skills for building emotional resilience and effectively and creatively responding to stressful situations. Registration of $125 includes materials and a light lunch. Continuing education credits are also available through UCSD Extension. For more information email mindfulness@ucsd.edu or call (858) 334-4636.

“EVERY DROP COUNTY” STUDENT VIDEO, PHOTO AND ART CONTESTHigh school students living in the Otay Water District area are invited to participate in contests promoting the theme that water is life, “Make Every Drop Count.” A $100 prize will go to the top three entries in the Poster Contest. Student videographers can compete for a $500 first prize and $250 second prize for a one-minute video. The deadline for the video and poster contests is March 30. A photography contest will award $200 to the top three winners and $250 to the best of show. There are both a color and black and white photography categories. Students may submit no more than three photos total. Photos must be 8” x 10” glossies mounted on 16” x 20” black poster board. The deadline for the photography contest is March 26. For more information visit www.otaywater.gov or call Victoria Galloway at (619) 670-2529.

SWEETWATER STUDENTS SHINE IN SCIENCE FAIROver 200 District students with 180 projects from ten District schools participated in the 2012 Sweetwater District Science Fair held at Sweetwater High. Screeners from the Greater San Diego Science and Engineering Fair Board selected those projects which would be moving on to the Greater San Diego Science and Engineering Fair, which will take place on Wednesday, March 21 in Balboa Park.Each year two sweepstakes awards in the Junior Division are given at the SUHSD Science Fair, one in the life sciences and one in the physical sciences. This year's winners were: Laura Shimasaki (BVM) in Life Science and Lucia Gonzalez (RDR) in Physical Science.For a complete list of all winners, click on the attached link. Science Fair Winners

February 2012

B O A R D o f T r u s t e e sJ i m C a r t m i l l • B e r t h a J . L ó p e z • J o h n M c C a n n • P e a r l Q u i ñ o n e s • A r l i e N . R i c a s a

D r . e d w a r d m , b r a n d S u p e r i n t e n d e n t

Ron Pietla

SWEETWATERC U R R E N T S

KUDOSCongratulations to the Compact for Success Program for receiving the 2012 CollegeKeys Compact Innovation Award from the College Board Advocacy and Policy Center. Awards are given in the categories of “Getting Ready,” “Getting In,” and “Getting Through.” Only one award is given per category in each region. Sweetwater was honored under the “Getting Ready” category and was among 16 national winners for 2012.

Congratulations to ORH Junior Carina Bravo, she was named Outstanding Defense Attorney at the 2012 San Diego County Mock Trial Championship.

Congratulations to Dillon Cruz, student at BVH, for being selected as a candidate for the United States Presidential Scholars Program.

Congratulations to ELH students Brandon Okano (1st band Tenor Saxophone) and Mario Ojeda (Violin Symphony Orchestra) for being selected to perform for the Southern California School Band and Orchestra Associations All-Southern Honor Band and Orchestra.

Congratulations to ELH students Leah Anderson, (Tuba All-State Symphony Orchestra) and Brandon Okano (1st band Tenor Saxophone) for being chosen to perform for the Southern California School Band and Orchestra Associations All-State Honor Band & Orchestra.

Congratulations to Kazuki Tateishi, student at ELH, for performing with the All-Southern Middle School Honor Band.

Congratulations to SYH Principal, Hector Espinoza, for being selected by the AVID Center as one of 12 members to serve on The AVID Principals’ Leadership Collaborative.

Congratulations to Lynn Garcia, HTH Field Hockey Coach and Gil Warren, OHS Football Coach for being honored by the High School Sports Association with the Service to Sports Award for their contributions to student athletes.

Adult Career Technical Education was awarded a $20,000 grant from CTE Teach, Colton, Redlands, Yucaipa ROP. CTE Teach is a highly effective model for preparing new teachers and providing continued professional development for veteran teachers. The following instructors will be mentoring 42 teachers in Adult Career Education: Mary Alvarado (MOA), Nancy Castañeda (MOA), Pamela Nagy (CVA), Patricia Corona (NCA), Anel Martinez (MOA), Annette Otero (MOA), Lidia Puga (CTE), and Leticia Riel (NCA).

Congratulations to Fred Lee, teacher at RDM, for being recognized with the 2012 State Outstanding Jazz Educator Award by the California Association for Music Education for his exceptional teaching and work with student music ensembles.

Congratulations to OHS Decathlon Team for capturing the San Diego Academic Decathlon Title a third year in a row. Academic teams from seven of our Sweetwater District schools also placed in the top 10: HTH—2nd; SUH—3rd; SYH—4th; ORH—6th; CPH—7th; SOH—8th; MOH—10th.

February 2012

B O A R D o f T r u s t e e sJ i m C a r t m i l l • B e r t h a J . L ó p e z • J o h n M c C a n n • P e a r l Q u i ñ o n e s • A r l i e N . R i c a s a

D r . e d w a r d m , b r a n d S u p e r i n t e n d e n t

SWEETWATER SCHOOLS LEADING THE WAY WITH TECHNOLOGYIn the early days of Apple Computers, Steve Jobs was asked about the direction of his company and the potential impact that Apple would have. While he commented that he really didn’t have any idea about where things would lead, he said, “We just know that there’s something much bigger than any of us here.”

At their February meeting, the Board of Trustees approved an initiative that will bring iPads to every 7th grade student in the Sweetwater District and eliminate the use of traditional textbooks.

Over the last several years, we have seen the impact that technology has had on education and the ability that technology has to bring learning to students 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The iPad, in particular, has revolutionized teaching and learning making information literally just a touch of the finger away.

At Hilltop Middle, several of our teachers and students began a pilot project this year where everything done in their classes is managed through iPads. Teachers like Benjamin Black have found ways to conduct their entire class electronically, from lessons to exams to homework. Black says that not only have iPads improved performance, but they have changed that way that students interact with one another in a more positive way.

In addition to putting technology into the hands of students, we will be putting iPads into the hands of teachers as well. A committee made up of teachers, administrators and technology and curriculum staff members are meeting to ensure that we plan and implement this program in a way that makes sense for everyone.

Funding for the initial program will come from Proposition O, which allows us to purchase technology for students. In the future, funds currently earmarked for 7th grade textbooks could be used to fund the iPad program. In addition, the district will continue to seek grant funding for this purpose.

We also realize that an important component to making this successful will be internet access. Although once texts and applications are downloaded, an internet connection is not needed, we are still working on ways to ensure access. All of our campuses are currently enabled with wi-fi and we will be working with several community partners to find low-cost options for home internet access for those that do not already have it.

As Steve Jobs said, we can’t predict where this initiative will lead, but we do know that if we want our students to remain competitive at a global level, we have to act now. This initiative can be a game changer for our students. We have an opportunity to do something great and I know, as we always have, Sweetwater will succeed!

SWEETWATERC U R R E N T S