A SWEETWATER UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT PUBLICATION
MARCH 2014 | ISSUE 1
SWEETWATER
CURRENTS
2014 SUHSD S C I E N C E FA I R CURRENTS ON THE GO! SIGN-UP NOW & MARCH STAY UP DATE WITH SWEETWATER www.sweetwaterschools.org 2014TO | ISSUE 2 SWEETWATER CURRENTS 1
S W E E T WAT E R C U R R E N T S M A R C H 2 0 1 4 | I S S U E 1
CONTENTS 04 COMMUNICATION LIAISONS SEARCH 07 SUHSD LIBRARIES GO PAPERLESS 05 MONTH OF MARCH 08 CONGRATULATIONS SANDRA HODGE 07 SWEETWATER MATH FIELD DAY 09 SCIENCE FAIR AWARDS
04 09 06 www.sweetwaterschools.org
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Board of Trustees Jim Cartmill • Bertha J. López • John McCann • Pearl Quiñones Dr. Edward M. Brand Superintendent Produced by: Grants & Communications
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! D E M R O F STAY IN WS ALL THE NE N O P U H CATC EBSITE ISTRICT W D E H T IT VIS E NEWS PAG
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Be a Communication Liaison Do you want to contribute to spreading the good news going on at your school site or department? The Grants and Communications Department is looking for self-motivated individuals who will serve as the voice of their site. In this role, the liaison is responsible for acting as a bridge between their site and the Communications office. The purpose of this role is to enhance the flow of information provided to the Communications office for publication content (Currents) and website/media spotlight opportunities. If you are interested in serving in this role, please contact the Grants and Communications Department at (619) 691-5578 or gcomm@sweetwaterschools.org.
Submitting to
Currents is g e
tting easier!
In order to ca pture all the w onderful thing Communicati s going on in th ons Team has e Sweetwater developed a n Click on the li district, the G ew Currents S nk below to su rants and u bmission Form bmit all Curre for your conv nts story idea enience! s, events, kud os etc. in a sim convenient fo rmat! ple and Visit http://w ww
.sweetwatersch ools.org/curre nts/
SUHSD Student Art Exhibition March 8 through April 8, 2014 South Chula Vista Library Come and view works of art created by the talented students of the Sweetwater Union High School District. Works of art by Middle and High school students will be on display. Come and experience incredible pieces of two dimensional and three dimensional artwork.
Gala & Awards Reception Friday, March 21st 6pm - 8pm
www.sweetwaterschools.org
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CALENDAR MARCH 2014 5
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Blood Drive Wednesday, March 5, 11am - 3:30pm Sweetwater Union High School District 1130 Fifth Avenue Chula Vista CA 91911 SUHSD Student Art Exhibition Thursday, March 8th - April 8th @6pm South Chula Vista Library 389 Orange Avenue Chula Vista, CA 91911
2014 Early Spring VIP Invitation You are cordially invited to our upcoming district wide events in February and March. Click here for the VIP Invitation
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South County Superintendent’s Forum Thursday, March 13, 4pm- 6pm Dolphins Restaurant 570 Marina Parkway Chula Vista CA 91910 Board of Trustees Meeting Monday, March 17 - 6pm - 10pm Sweetwater Union High School District 1130 Fifth Avenue Chula Vista, CA 91911 Annual CUE Conference Thursday, March 20 Palm Springs Convention Center 277 N Avenida Caballeros Palm Springs CA 92262
iVIE Student Video Competition – Call for Entries Students can have fun while learning about collaboration and public service by creating a video for the Innovative Video in Education (iVIE) program. The contest is open to students throughout the county in kindergarten through 12th grade. It culminates with an awards show May 6. Submissions are due by 5 p.m. March 7. The cost to enter is $10 per video. More information is available at www.ivieawards.org.
www.sweetwaterschools.org
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Mar Vista Academy Science Teachers Presenting at CUE Annual Conference March 20 & 21, 2014 Annual CUE Conference - Palm Springs Convention Center Mar Vista Academy Science teachers Alicia Johal & Marielle Venturino will be presenting "Apps for the Middle School Classroom" at the upcoming CUE conference. Topics of discussion include: engagement, participation, student success, collaboration and more. Bring your iPad! For more information visit www.technologyqueens.weebly.com for more information about their projects & events.
Cycle Eastlake & Eastlake Half Marathon April 26, 2014 Click here for more information!
T’S A H W E E S D N DA E V L O V N I Y A T TER S A W T E E W S E H T HAPPENING IN COMMUNITY
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Sweetwater Middle School Libraries Are Going Paperless Sweetwater middle school libraries are going paperless! Well, not exactly paperless. Library notices will now be delivered electronically. In the past, library notices have been printed and delivered to students. That has all changed now that students have access to Google accounts. The Google account provides students access to many resources including email and Google Drive. Rancho del Rey Middle Library was the first to pilot this new email interface. Other schools have also embarked on this new project including Castle Park Middle, Hilltop Middle and Chula Vista Middle.
KUDOS!
Rancho del Rey Middle School Congratulations to Rancho Del Rey Middle for winning the overall Sweetwater Math Field Day competition! Participation in the event allows students to demonstrate their math knowledge through competition, conceptual understanding and problem-solving. SUHSD’s Math Field Day is designed as an enrichment activity to promote mathematical reasoning, teamwork and a balanced mathematics curriculum for all students! Congratulations again Rancho Del Rey! Click Here for Math Field Day results.
www.sweetwaterschools.org
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KUDOS!
Kristin Gendreau Kudos to Mar Vista High senior Kristin Gendreau who recently signed a letter of intent to play softball at Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee Wisconsin! Kristin joins seniors Jimmie Hill and Andres Preceado, also signing academic and athletic letters to play sports at the university level. The Mar Vista High student athletes signed their letters at the Hall of Champions in Balboa Park earlier this month!
KUDOS!
Nancy Acerrio Kudos to Hilltop High Athletic Director Nancy Acerrio, named Athletic Director of the Year for the CIF-San Diego Section by the California State Athletic Directors Association. Nancy has served the Sweetwater district since 1986. The generation of lives she has impacted is countless. Congratulations Nancy for your prestigious honor!
KUDOS!
Sandra Hodge Kudos to SUHSD teacher Sandra Hodge! Sandra was featured in the Star News as one of the Chula Vista Chamber of Commerce 2013 award winners in appreciation for her leadership and dedication to the Sweetwater District. Sandra is a long-time employee and advocate for the students and staff of Sweetwater. Kudos to Sandra for her outstanding honor and dedication to our students and community!
www.sweetwaterschools.org
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2014 SUHSD SCIENCE FAIR AWARDS The Sweetwater school community came together on February 6th to recognize and celebrate the wonderful projects created by students for the SUHSD District Science Fair. Students in grades 7-12 completed 170 outstanding projects. Fifty-eight projects were selected to go on to the Greater San Diego Science and Engineering Fair! Students did an excellent job of developing projects that asked testable questions and followed the scientific method. Congratulations to all students who participated! Click on each category below for results!
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Animal Sciences Behavioral Science BioChemistry Chemistry Engineering - En + Trans Engineering - El + Mech Engineering - Mat + Bio
Environment Math, Medicine & Health Micro Biology Physics Plant Sciences Product Testing
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Mh Mb P Ps Pt www.sweetwaterschools.org
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Superintendent | Dr. Edward M. Brand
SUPERINTENDENT’S COLUMN THE SPEED OF KNOWLEDGE The great American architect, author and inventor Buckminster Fuller, invented the “knowledge doubling curve” that measures the amount of time it takes for knowledge to increase. According to Fuller, up until 1900, knowledge doubled every century. At the end of World War II, knowledge was doubling every 25 years. Today, it’s believed that knowledge doubles every 12 to 18 months. The true key to increasing knowledge is access - access to a supportive learning environment, and access to tools that facilitate learning. As a teenager, Bill Gates was given access to a General Electric computer and a teletype machine. His teachers gave him access to their knowledge and access to computer time. I believe that we have a responsibility to give our students access to the tools that they need to succeed in life. Over the years, the Sweetwater District has developed several initiatives that provide students with opportunities for success. The Compact for Success and our partnership with Alliant University and Point Loma Nazarene provides access to college. Our iPad initiative provides access to technology and learning 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year. As the speed of knowledge increases, so does the need to increase the speed at which we access that knowledge. Learning and instruction have changed drastically over the past several years and the Sweetwater District intends to keep pace. Our staff has been working hard over the past several years to implement the Common Core State Standards and to do it in a way that gives students the best opportunity to succeed. We want to prepare students to not only keep pace with the increase in knowledge, but to also contribute to that knowledge.
www.sweetwaterschools.org
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If you read about the most successful, innovative and creative people in history, they all share a few key traits. They have a drive for knowledge and a drive to make an impact on the world in which we live. They don’t let failure get the best of them and they never give up. In the Sweetwater District we need to instill these values in ourselves and in our students. There are no obstacles that we can’t overcome and there are no challenges that can’t be remedied. Most importantly, we have the ability to give our students access to the skills and the tools that they will need for success. Let’s not forget that we make an impact in our students’ lives on a daily basis and one day, they will contribute to the speed of knowledge.
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30 p.m g calls at tween 2:30 and 4: Brand is acceptin be r. D 70 at 55 th 1r de 69 ll in th. m A re tion or concern, ca day of every mon es es gg Tu su st a fir e ve th ha u en tline is op March 4. If yo rintendent. The ho pe su e th h it w ly talk direct
www.sweetwaterschools.org
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