A SWEETWATER UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT PUBLICATION
SEPTEMBER 2013 | ISSUE 1
SWEETWATER
CURRENTS
S W E E T WAT E R iPAD GENIUSES CURRENTS ON THE GO! SIGN-UP NOWSEPTEMBER & 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 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 3 | I S S U E 1
CONTENTS
4 EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION SURVEY 5 THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER 6 SWEETWATER IPAD GENIUSES 10 COMMUNITY VOICES 11 THE BUZZ FEED
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12 FUN FACTS ABOUT OUR SCHOOLS 13 COMMON CORE STANDARDS 14 CBOC RECRUITING NEW MEMBER
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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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SUHSD EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION SURVEY As employees in the Sweetwater Union High School District, we all have the ability to transform our district. Through your input, we hope to gauge where we are as an organization and better define our strengths and challenges as we move forward to better our district. The following Employee Satisfaction Survey should take approximately 15-20 minutes to complete. Your input is completely anonymous. The data from the survey is collected by a third-party entity outside of the district who will then share the results with us. Once the data is compiled, we will use the information to highlight some of the things we do well, and improve areas where there are challenges. Again, we thank you for all of your efforts to make the Sweetwater Union High School District the best it can be and we appreciate your time in filling out this survey. To access the survey, click here. Access will close on Friday, September 6th. Thank you! Edward M. Brand, Ed.D. Superintendent
A proud member of the Sweetwater Union High School District www.sweetwaterschools.org
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SEPTEMBER 2 0 1 3
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! D E M R O F STAY IN SLL THE NEW A N O P U CATCH SITE TRICT WEB IS D E H T VISIT E NEWS PAG
School Board Meeting
TBD
Check
District Website for Updates
2013 Education Summit Thursday, September 12, 2013 at Castle Park High from 5:00 to 8:00 PM. As we have done in years past, the event will feature updates and presentations on the latest happenings in the district. This year, the focus of the Summit will be on school safety and security.
FOLLOW OUR BOARD MEETINGS LIVE AND DIRECT
twitter.com/SUHSD
September
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ine tl o H s t’ n e d n te in r esday, e Sup nt’s Hotline on Tu de en nt ri pe Su e th
and 4:30 g calls at 70 between 2:30 Brand is acceptin r. 55 D 1at 69 th ll r ca de n, in er m ery A re first Tuesday of ev suggestion or conc e a th ve en ha u op yo is e If in 3. tl nt. The ho September the superintende h it w ly ct re di lk p.m. to ta month.
www.sweetwaterschools.org
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SWEETWATER iPAD GENIUSES
They’re a little younger than what you’ll find at The Genius Bar in an Apple store, but our Sweetwater middle school iPad geniuses are providing the same service: customized tech-support from a knowledgeable, Apple-trained professional. In our case, they just so happen to be in 8th grade. “I love helping people with [an iPad] problem and then while you’re helping them, they also teach you a couple of things too,” said Brenda Hopkins, 8th grader at Southwest Middle School and one of their four resident Sweetwater iPad geniuses.
www.sweetwaterschools.org
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A District-Wide Phenomena
Sweetwater iPad geniuses can be found on almost all Sweetwater Middle School campuses. Over the summer break, Apple Product professionals trained 60 students, providing them with the iMovie App and the skills to create iMovies. iMovie is currently not provided to all middle school students with an iPad. Hopkins and the other 59 of her peers were selected by their teachers for displaying exceptional iPad and technology skills. “When we arranged for the iMovie training, we had no idea how far each school would run with it,” says David Damico, Director of Educational Technology. “It’s a wonderful reward to see the students and teachers taking such ownership.” Martina Gutierrez, Southwest Middle School Librarian, coordinates the use of their own Sweetwater iPad geniuses. Geniuses are available to teachers and students for four out of the six school periods. Students assist with a variety of tasks from downloading apps, logging in and out of profiles, printing documents, and more. Gutierrez is impressed by the students’ initiative and their ever-expanding skills and knowledge base. She tells her geniuses,” “This could be your job, your future.”
A Growing Effort
Montgomery Middle School is taking the The Genius Bar concept a step further. While they have four Sweetwater iPad geniuses that have the iMovie App and training, they now have two sections of home-grown geniuses as well. “These students are available every day during lunch-we call it The MOM Genius Bar- to assist students who are having issues with email or iPad applications,” said Rudy Torres a teacher who oversees the program along with teacher Sara Chai. “In addition they have been trained on technology trouble-shooting in regards to our multimedia equipment that is used by teachers on daily basis. We’re still working out some of the details, but the students are a very capable and an eager bunch!” says Chai. The Sweetwater iPad genius effort at Southwest Middle, Montgomery Middle, and other SUHSD Middle schools complement the district’s iPad initiative. Placing iPads in the hands of our Sweetwater students is not just about students having this technology, it is ultimately about the possibilities that technology provides to students when they know how to harness its full potential. And for that, we’ll need our geniuses.
www.sweetwaterschools.org
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NOTICE A
NYTHING
DIFFEREN T
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We’re giving Sweetwater Currents a facelift! News travels fast these days and it’s our mission to bring you the most current news and announcements from Sweetwater schools and our surrounding communities. From now on you can count on not one, but TWO issues per month. Superintendent Dr. Edward Brand is among those excited for the facelift, saying “keeping families and communities connected to the classroom is key to our success at every Sweetwater District school.” Sweetwater Currents has always been available to the public via sweetwaterschools.org, but now anyone and everyone are welcome to sign-up to receive issues in your inbox. Plus, if you follow us on Facebook and Twitter, you’ll be “in the know” on a daily basis. Let us know what you think about the changes using the hashtag #sweetwatercurrents in your Facebook and Twitter posts.
KUDOS!
Southwest High School Kudos to Southwest High School on the success of the Career and College Recruitment Fair: “Creating a Culture of Education!” Held this past week, the fair began introductions by Dr. Juan Andrade, Jr., president of USHLI. The featured keynote speaker was Carlos Ojeda Jr. President and CEO of Coolspeak, LLC.
www.sweetwaterschools.org
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ROSETTA STONE RETURNS FOR SUHSD EMPLOYEES Parlez-vous Frances? Parli Italiano? Rosetta Stone and SUHSD are partnering once again to offer Rosetta Stone online subscriptions to all SUHSD employees at a discounted rate of $79! SUHSD employees will gain online access to all levels of any language offered by Rosetta Stone for one year. If you are interested, please contact Crystal Robinson in the Adult Ed Department for more info: (619) 796-7200. The deadline for payment is Monday, September 30th.
KUDOS!
Kyle McCellan Kudos to Kyle McCellan, student at Bonita Vista High and Local Eagle Scout. McCellan collaborated with Lowe’s to create an emergency preparedness package for every classroom at Bonita Vista Middle. Way to go Kyle!
STAY INVOLVED AND SEE WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE SWEETWATER COMMUNITY
EVENT CALENDARS {
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SWEETWATER CHULA VISTA NATIONAL CITY IMPERIAL BEACH
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Y T I N U M M CO E H T M O R LL O P K VOICES F O O B CE A F R E B M E SEPT This month’s question:
Fall sports are on their way! How important do YOU think athletics are in a student’s overall academic success?
Stay connected to what’s trending at Sweetwater! Each month, we will be posting a poll on the Sweetwater District Facebook page. Take the poll here and share your comments and stories.
HERE COMES FALL! Fall Sports are upon us!! Click on a school logos to see their Athletics Calendars!
Bonita Vista High
Castle Park High Chula Vista High
Montgomery High Otay Ranch High
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Eastlake High
Olympian High San Ysidro High
Hilltop High
Southwest High
Mar Vista High
Sweetwater High
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BUZZ
FEED
www.sweetwaterschools.org
If you’re not following us on Facebook and
Twitter, you’re missing out! Here is some of what you might have missed:
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FUN FACTS ABOUT SWEETWATER SCHOOLS OLYMPIAN HIGH SCHOOL Principal: Elaine Elefante-Leano Open since: 2006 Mascot: North American Bald Eagle School Colors: Black, Teal, Gold
Lyrics for both the Alma Mater and fight song were written by Olympian High English teacher Steve Rodriguez.
The fight song music was created by Eric Mabrey, also a teacher at Olympian High. Mabrey is part of the original staff and is a former San Diego County “Teacher of the Year.”
Listen to Olympian High School’s Fight Song Here!
www.sweetwaterschools.org
SEPTEMBER 2013 | ISSUE 1 SWEETWATER CURRENTS 12
COMMON CORE STANDARDS State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Announces Two Publications to Help Schools and Students Transition to Common Core State Standards With schools beginning the year deeply engaged in the transition to the Common Core State Standards, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today announced that they are available in print for the first time. CDE Press, the publishing arm of the California Department of Education, is now offering print versions of the California Common Core State Standards: English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science and Technical Subjects (CA CCSS for ELA/Literacy) and California Common Core State Standards: Mathematics (CA CCSSM). Previously, the documents were available only online. At the same time, Torlakson released a short video explaining in plain language the importance of
California's transition to assessments based on the new Common Core State Standards "These standards are the blueprints for remodeling our education system, laying out step-by-step what students need to know and be able to do to graduate ready to start a career or go to college," Torlakson said. "And if we're updating how and what we teach students, then we have to update the way we test as well." Read the full CDE news Release here.
CO EXPO SALUD DE CORAZON DE MUJERES {WOMEN’S HEART HEALTH EXPO}
Sharp HealthCare is providing a FREE heart health expo in Spanish where attendees will meet and learn from Sharp Chula Vista physicians and nurses who specialize in heart health. The event is Saturday, September 7, 2013 from 8am-12 pm at the Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center. Participants will hear about women's heart disease risks and symptoms and learn about the signs of a heart attack. Attendees will also learn from a dietitian about the link between nutrition and heart health. Attendees will also receive free health screenings and learn what their vitals mean and how to improve them. Breakfast will be provided as well as giveaways. Guest’s are welcome. The event is free, but space is limited. Click here for Flyer To register, click here. For more information, contact Jessica Lopez, MPA, Sharp HealthCare Multicultural Community Relations Specialist at (858)499-4950. *Note: Flyer and link info available in Spanish, as event is in Spanish ONLY
www.sweetwaterschools.org
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Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee Recruiting New Parent of SUHSD Student Member The Sweetwater Union High School District needs is recruiting a new Parent of SUHSD Student member for the Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee. A list of current members may be found here. Please review the Recruitment and Selection Process and fill out the application. Please note: Form 700 is required of all CBOC members. • CBOC Membership Application • CBOC-Recruitment and Selection Process • Form700-12-13
Questions about the process? Please contact Vanessa West at 616-585-6010 (SUHSD Human Resources Division) with questions.
Questions about how the committee operates? Please contact Tom Calhoun, Chief Facilities Executive at 619-585-6060 or email the CBOC Chair with questions/concerns.
SWEETWATER “WEBBY” OF THE MONTH At every Sweetwater school, Web Content Developers are busy making sure their webpages are full of the important information YOU need to know about your school. Each month Sweetwater Currents, will recognize some of our most welcoming and well-designed school websites! And the September Sweetwater “Webby” goes to…
HILLTOP HIGH SCHOOL
Principal: Ernesto Zamudio Web Content Developer: Marc Gonzalez Why we love it: The Lancer pride really comes alive through the site. The wordle banner visually captures the Lancer mantra, “The Focus at Hilltop is Academics…” And who doesn’t love the Lancer faces? Smiles from both students and staff warmly welcome you to their school.
www.sweetwaterschools.org
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Superintendent | Dr. Edward M. Brand
SUPERINTENDENT’S COLUMN A Common Goal As we settle into our second month of school it excites me to see the great things that are already going on throughout the Sweetwater District. Each year it seems like we settle in faster and students and teachers haven’t lost their stride from the year before. As most other school districts are just getting started, we at Sweetwater are well on our way towards another great year.
We continue to successfully integrate technology into the classroom with over 13,000 iPads now being used by all of our 7th and 8th grade students at all of our middle schools. We’ve made Jupiter Grades a standard across the district and we are continuing to make great strides with Canvas to provide support for teachers in the areas of curriculum and instruction.
Another great source of pride this summer has been the amazing run made by the Eastlake Little League players. With 9 members of the team attending Sweetwater Schools, we couldn’t be more proud of their US Championship season.
2013-2014 also means the implementation of the Common Core Standards. This year we changed the District Delta to reflect the importance of this and high priority that we are placing on making sure that our staff and our students are ready for this transition.
www.sweetwaterschools.org
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Common Core has been called one of the most revolutionary changes in American education and a great equalizer for students from all walks of life. With nearly all of the states in the US shifting to Common Core, we want to make sure that California and the Sweetwater District are leaders in this transition.
If you’ve been reading the “Common Core-Ner” here in Currents over the last few months, you have seen the tremendous work that our teachers and staff have undertaken. Soon, the State of California will move away from their current standardized testing system and we will move into new assessments that will measure student achievement.
This transition will take time and there will be occasional bumps in the road, but we know that if we keep doing what we are doing and keep working together, we will come out on top. We encourage parents and the community to ask questions about Common Core and learn as much as you can about this major shift in education.
The Delta emphasizes Teamwork and our goal as a team should always be the success of our students. Success will only be achieved if we work together, support one another and always put students first. Let’s make that our common goal and let’s continue to make Sweetwater the pace setter in the state and throughout the nation. September
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