A SWEETWATER UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT PUBLICATION
NOVEMBER 2013 | ISSUE 1
SWEETWATER
CURRENTS
C O M PA C T F O R S U C C E S S 14TH ANNUAL 7TH GRADE VISIT TO SDSU
CURRENTS ON THE GO! SIGN-UP NOWNOVEMBER & STAY UP DATE WITH SWEETWATER www.sweetwaterschools.org 2013TO | ISSUE 1 SWEETWATER CURRENTS 1
S W E E T WAT E R C U R R E N T S N OV E M B E R 2 0 1 3 | I S S U E 1
CONTENTS 04 SPARTAN UNIVERSITY HELPS STUDENTS REACH POTENTIAL
10 MOCK INTERVIEW PROGRAM PREPARES HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS FOR
06 THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER
12 COMMON CORE STANDARDS 15 STRANGE HOBBIES AND UNUSUAL
07 COMPACT FOR SUCCESS
FUTURE EMPLOYMENT
TALENTS IN SWEETWATER!
14TH ANNUAL 7TH GRADE VISIT
17 07 04 www.sweetwaterschools.org
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Board of Trustees Jim Cartmill • Bertha J. López • John McCann • Pearl Quiñones • Arlie N. Ricasa Dr. Edward M. Brand Superintendent Produced by: Grants & Communications
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Late Summer Series: Sunrise, Sundowns, and Saturdays So much goes on when the sun goes down at Sweetwater Schools. We here at Sweetwater Currents would like to take some time to acknowledge the hard work of staff and students who dedicate their time before and after school. For the next few issues, we’ll be taking a look at some of the programs that make a huge difference in the lives of our students; from academics to athletics and everything in between.
SPARTAN UNIVERSITY HELPS STUDENTS REACH POTENTIAL Near the end of each school day, students at Chula Vista High School (CVH) start receiving little white slips of paper with a header that reads: “Spartan University: Reach your Potential.” The slip is a mandatory “invitation” to sharpen academic skills in a pre-designated after school study environment. Just like every Sweetwater District high school, CVH has a strong commitment to supporting students. Hundreds of students stay after school for practices, whether they’re in the band, in a club or in a competitive sport. Thanks to Spartan University, hundreds of students can also be found working hard on academics after the bell rings, including Saturdays while other teens are sleeping in or playing sports or video games. “We know exactly who shows up and who doesn’t,” explains Becky Bravo, Coordinator of Spartan University, “Because the call slips have a barcode on them, which we scan when they check in to www.sweetwaterschools.org
Spartan University afterschool.” Not only do they have a barcode, but the slip also lists the specific standard they need to be working on when they get there, whether its describing rotations and reflections of various shapes for Geometry class or analyzing text structure for English class. Bravo generates approximately 300 of the mandatory passes each week. It’s impressive to see 250 students at their school on a Saturday, but they’re not just showing up because they have to; they’re present because they really benefit from it. First of all, the work they do after school is mostly technology-based: they get to be on computers using software like Khan Academy and other student-centered, individualized study tools. “Our students enjoy coming here,” says Bravo. “They have fun learning and what they accomplish in each session goes right back into their grade in their classes, so it has a very personal payoff for our young Spartans.”
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Spartan University spends most Saturdays preparing students for college applications and college life in general. Last Saturday they participated in a scholarship application workshop, a skill that could lead to lots of college dollars for the graduates. Future plans include more peer tutoring and
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mentoring through a project called PLUS: Peer Leaders Uniting Students. Principal MaryRose Peralta beams about the program saying, “I love it. I just absolutely love it. It helps the kids, it helps out our parents, and all of our staff is deeply committed to making it a success. What more could I want?”
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NOVEMBER 2 0 1 3
Mariachi Scholarship Foundation Dia de Los Muertos Fundraiser
1 The 47th Annual District Band Pageant
9
School Board Meeting
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SAVE THE DATE DECEMBER
3&4
8pm Copley Symphony Hall. Concert-only tickets are $20-$85 and VIP Tickets are $150. Buy now MariachiScholarshipFoundation.org
Saturday November 9 at 6pm at Montgomery High School Stadium, 3250 Palm Avenue, San Diego, CA 92154. Enjoy a night full of pageantry excellence as band students from throughout the district perform.
6pm-10pm in the Board Room at 1130 Fifth Avenue Chula Vista, CA 91911. Follow the LIVE Sweetwater feed on Twitter
Holiday Sing Tuesday & Wednesday, December 3 & 4 at 6:30pm at Olympian High School Pavilion, 1925 Magdalena Avenue, Chula Vista, CA 91913. Choirs and show-choirs from throughout the district provide a full stage of holiday music as well as traditional musical numbers for two consecutive nights.
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COMPACT FOR SUCCESS On Saturday, Oct. 26 San Diego State hosted its 14th annual Compact for Success seventh grade visit. The campus visit brought 4,500 seventh grade Sweetwater Union High School District students and parents to SDSU for a welcome ceremony at Viejas Arena. The visit included student workshops, an information fair, live entertainment and campus tours. SDSU President Elliot Hirshman opened the welcome ceremony with words of encouragement for the prospective students. “For many of you, today may be the first time you are on a college campus, but with hard work and dedication we can work together to ensure that it will not be the last,” Hirshman said. “You can, each and every one of you, go to college.” Read the full article in SDSU’s “The Daily Aztec” here.
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MAR VISTA HIGH SCIENCE TEACHER RECEIVES MARINE SCIENCE AWARD The Poseidon Academy of Ocean Science  and Technology (at Mar Vista High School in Imperial Beach) is the only accredited Ocean Science Academy in the state of California. Founded by Mario Olmos and Michael Sixtus in 1996, Mario said the program really took off after John joined the faculty in 1998. Eventually a third teacher was added, and today the program has more than 170 students from 9th to 12th grade who receive a minimum of two hours each day of instruction in ocean sciences and technology in addition to innovative hands-on projects. John was nominated to the Awards Committee by 2011 Marine Science Teaching Awardee Rick Nichols, who ran the Maritime Academy at Mar Vista. Rick was taken not only by John's dedication to his profession but to the success of each student in the program, working to ensure that eligible students had the opportunity to participate in summer internship and mentorship opportunities. Congratulations, John, for all that you do for your students.
The Maritime Alliance Foundation
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MAGICAL MOMENT FOR HARRY POTTER BOOK CLUB AT HILLTOP MIDDLE Students in The Harry Potter Book Club (HPBC) at Hilltop Middle School (HTM) recently had the unique opportunity to hold a virtual club meeting with the members of “Alohomora,” a popular weekly Harry Potter podcast conducting a global reread of the entire Harry Potter series. Kat Miller, Caleb Graves, and Eric J. Scull from the “Alohomora” podcast joined librarian Erin Southam and the members of Hilltop’s HPBC via Google Hangouts for a discussion of selected chapters from “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.” Book club members read the assigned chapters and led the group discussion. Students and podcasters also spent time discussing Harry Potter fandom and getting to know one another. “We had a blast!” remarked podcaster Kat Miller, “The kids are really great, and I adore their passion for the series. I was older when the series came out, so I never experienced it with that raw, kid energy. Nice to see first hand that it is living on!” The students are excited about the prospect of holding virtual meetings in the future. As one student remarked, “I thought it was so fun! I loved meeting others who like Harry Potter! Can we do it again?”
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Students Receive Hands-On Training to Perfect Interview Skills
MOCK INTERVIEW PROGRAM PREPARES HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS FOR FUTURE EMPLOYMENT A mock job interview is a great way to prepare and know what to expect for the real deal. In today’s challenging job market, high school students may have only a handful of opportunities to ace a job interview and land that all-impactful first job. Thanks to the Office of Special Services at the Sweetwater Union High School District, students from 11 Sweetwater high schools participate in the Transition Partnership Program (TPP) which, provides mock interviews for students with mild learning disabilities. The interviews ensure students are ready to gain a realistic experience during interview scenarios. This year, nearly 90 students participated in mock interviews, and according to Joseph Prosapio, Special Services Teacher on Special Assignment, the goal is to double that number in the upcoming academic year. This is the fourth year Prosapio and his team have facilitated the program. “I believe this workshop is one of the most important things we can do for our students,” said Prosapio. “With more and more companies doing hiring online, a successful interview is becoming more and more crucial.” Held twice a year (fall and spring), the pre-interview workshop and mock interviews provide students with real world experience and interaction with potential employer volunteers, many of whom have professional backgrounds in recruiting, such as FIDM, U.S. University, retired and current teachers. Click here to read the full story.
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ALL EYES (AND
LENSES) ON iPADS
What does this look like to you? It’s actually evidence of how iPads are enhancing the science lab experience at Montgomery Middle. Seventh grade students are loving lab time because they get to use the microscope in conjunction with their iPads. “I saw my students putting their iPads up to the microscope lens,” explains teacher Sara Chai, “and was quite impressed to learn that they were documenting their observations of Elodea cells by taking a detailed photo!” Chai says the best part about the photo is that the students came up with the idea themselves. “It really shows how much they’ve taken ownership of the iPads.”
KUDOS!
Southwest Middle School Kudos to Southwest Middle School (SOM) Staff who attended the 5K Fun Run for Jose Montano. Montano is an inspirational SOM student who is bravely battling brain cancer. He was featured in last month’s
Sweetwater Currents
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CO CO M RE MO N N ER
Common Core Update Presented at Board Meeting
The California Common Core Standards are all over the news these days. With all the local and national press “The Common Core” is receiving, it can be difficult to determine just how schools are making this important shift happen. As with any important initiative, the implementation of the California Common Core Standards (CCCS) is a carefully planned and ongoing process. So where are we in this process? Here at Sweetwater Schools, teachers and administrators have been leading the way since we first recognized how technology is changing the world and workforce that our graduates will enter. Maria Castilleja, Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction, presented a CCCS synopsis at the most recent board meeting to report on our district’s progress with implementing “The Common Core.” “We’re making sure that we keep everyone informed of our plans and progress with the Common Core,” says Sweetwater Schools Superintendent Dr.Edward Brand. “Community involvement is now playing a more important role than ever.” Take a moment to familiarize yourself by viewing the presentation here.
District Teacher Selected for SBAC Digital Library Panel Sweetwater District Mathematics Teacher, Daniel Cohen, Ed.D. has been selected as one of a team of approximately 150 California educators that will evaluate professional learning resources for inclusion in a Smarter Balanced Digital Library, set to be released by 2014.
Dr. Cohen is a Mathematics Resource Teacher for the District-Wide Academic Support Team (DWAST) and former Math teacher at Chula Vista High. He is also an alumnus of Sweetwater’s own Mar Vista High School. “I’m honored to have been selected for this effort,” says Cohen, “so that I can bring the Sweetwater perspective to the creation of this invaluable digital resource collection.” Teachers were selected for the panel based on their expertise and experience with the common core standards, using formative data tools and working with specific student populations. The Smarter Balanced Digital Library is a critical component of the Smarter Balanced system of assessments that will include a variety of resources to improve teaching and learning. It is interactive and allows educators from member states to use and rate resources and collaborate.
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A Reason to Learn/The Future of Learning
Technology is one aspect of the California Common Core Standards that is playing a bigger role in determining what students need to learn. Why? Part of the reason is because in the age of communication, collaboration is key. Collaboration itself has evolved thanks to free tools like Google docs, Skype, Dropbox, and an everexpanding world of “apps” that work on multiple platforms, be it desktop or laptop computers, smartphones, televisions, tablets, and even watches. We now can connect with people across the globe to share ideas and discuss issues that are important to everyone. To do this effectively, students have to master advanced interpersonal communication and collaboration skills that are a natural prerequisite in digital spaces. Take an idea like pen pals: two classrooms from across the globe can exchange letters and drawings through standard mail. Obviously classrooms can still do this, but they can now engage with “pen pals” instantaneously via email, live chat, and digital video conferencing feeds. To do this well, students need to know how to express ideas clearly and succinctly in writing; they need to know how to be convincing and credible to people they do not personally spend time with everyday; they need to be aware of what is happening around the world; and they need to be technologically proficient in order to participate, compete and thrive in these environments. As Sweetwater teachers engage in professional development, they are exploring the implications of existing in this kind of instant and technology-based world. A plethora of inspirational videos abound on YouTube to help us navigate in this ever-changing digital landscape. The following is one such video that we thought was worth sharing. It asks the question, “What is most essential for our students to learn?” The answer these experts give might surprise you.
“Education innovators like Dr. Sugata Mitra, visiting professor at MIT; Sal Khan, founder of Khan Academy; and Dr. Catherine Lucey, Vice Dean of Education at UCSF, are redefining how we engage young minds for a creatively and technologically-advanced future.”
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Tell us what you think by posting a comment using #futureoflearning on our Facebook page.
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COMMUNITY EVENT CALENDARS
STAY INVOLVED AND SEE WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE SWEETWATER COMMUNITY
SWEETWATER
CHULA VISTA
NATIONAL CITY
IMPERIAL BEACH
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CV
NC
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COMMUNITY OPPORTUNITIES Affordable Care Act Townhall Meeting Tuesday, November 5th, 2013 6pm to 8pm SYHC Adult Day Health Center 3364 Beyer Blvd., San Ysidro, CA 92173 Click here for flyer
E-Waste Recycling Event Supports Palomar High School Scholarship Foundation Saturday, November 16th, 2013 9am to 2pm Palomar High School 480 Palomar St, Chula Vista CA 91911 Click here for flyer
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SWEETWATER VOICES Sweetwater Union High School District is the sum of all of its parts: our schools, our staff, our students, and our community. Please take a moment to keep in touch by letting us at Sweetwater Currents know more about YOU.
Strange Hobbies and Unusual Talents in Sweetwater! Hobbies are often time good ways of breaking with the day-to-day routine, flexing your skills, and interacting with like-minded individuals. In today’s world, especially with the help of the Internet, strange and unusual hobbies are more and more common. Sweetwater Currents is looking to hear from staff members with truly rare and unique hobbies. Send in and share your interesting or unusual hobbies to gcomm@sweetwaterschools.org. Then check out the MidNovember issue of Currents for the complete Sweetwater staff list!
Workplace Relatives Working with family members can be everything from rewarding and fulfilling, to having a sense of commonality. It’s no secret many Sweetwater District personnel have family members employed in the district. Do you have a relative/s that work within the Sweetwater District? We want to know how wide your family tree extends! Please email gcomm@sweetwaterschools.org with name, site and relationship of you and your relative/s.
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KUDOS!
Darcie Vargas Kudos to Darcie Vargas, senior at Sweetwater High for being named the November NBC San Diego Inspirational Student of the Month! According to the staff at Sweetwater High, Darcie is a positive role model who maintains academic excellence with a 3.74 GPA, while excelling at extracurricular activities including ASB President, Red Devils Cheerleading Squad, and modeling for Quinceñera Magazine. Darcie Vargas has demonstrated leadership at Sweetwater High by her involvement with ASB since her freshman year. She has also participated in the MANA de San Diego Hermanitas Mentorship Program that provides positive role models of successful, educated, Latina mentors through monthly seminars, one-on-one mentorship and the opportunity to associated with other likeminded Latina high school students from across San Diego County. Congratulations Darcie!
KUDOS!
Sweetwater Staff on Compact for Success Visit Kudos to Sweetwater Staff on another successful Compact for Success visit to SDSU. Our middle school counselors and staff did an excellent job in recruiting parents and students to attend. Over 4,500 parents and students attended and 70 school buses were used to get everyone there. In addition to our middle schools, we had 7th graders from San Ysidro, South Bay and 3 Chula Vista Charter schools.
KUDOS!
National City Middle School Kudos to National City Middle School for a successful celebratory groundbreaking ceremony in honor of a new two-story building housing classrooms, ASB department, computer lab, video production studio, “green space” courtyard and teacher parking lot. “This project sets an example that green schools are healthy schools and they enhance the learning environment for our students,” Sweetwater Superintendent Ed Brand said. “We will continue to work toward building ‘green schools’ and making the learning environment the best it can be.” Congratulations!
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KUDOS!
Castle Park High School Kudos to Castle Park High School for their commitment and diligence with the
Open Doors to Justice program. The Castle Park High school students recently attended this great event and it was easy to see how excited they were to participate in the mock trials and learning about careers in law. This event would have not been possible without the hard work and dedication of the students, staff and the Curriculum and Instruction Department. Â From the writing of the script to the role playing and coordination of the event, the event was a huge success! Read more about the Open Doors to Justice program in this news release from the San Diego Superior Court.
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