The mission of San Diego City Schools is to improve student achievement by supporting teaching and learning in the classroom.
Choose an Article Presidents’ Day Observance Server Maintenance and Upgrades Scheduled in February Spring Intersession Openings for Classified Employees Nominations for Classified Employee of the Year Cookies With Carl District Workshops Invention and Design Educational Academy (IDEA) Student Showcase Association of African American Educators (AAAE) 15th Annual Conference Annual Water Conservation Poster Contest Speech Contest for High School Students Third, Fourth, Fifth Grade Teachers Needed for Focus Group University of San Diego (USD) Offers Two Summer Institutes Free Professional Development Classes in Teaching the Arts New on the Web In The News	February 16, 2006 B/W version  Previous Newslines
Presidents' Day Observance
On Monday, February 20, all school sites and district offices will be closed in observance of Presidents' Day.
Server Maintenance and Upgrades Scheduled in February
During February, the IT Department has scheduled a series of maintenance tasks on all servers and upgrades to the Zangle server. In order to complete these tasks, the IT Department has planned two system outages: • On Saturday, February 18, from 8 a.m.-noon, all systems will be down, including Zangle, email, PeopleSoft, Encore, etc. • On Wednesday, February 22, from 5-9 p.m., the Zangle server will be down and users will not be able to access student data during these outages. Classroom teachers will not be able to view student information, edit assignments in Gradebook, or post marks. The IT Department apologizes in advance for any inconvenience caused by these outages.
Spring Intersession Openings for Classified Employees
Spring Intersession is quickly approaching and Human Resources is now accepting applications for eligible classified candidates. If you are a classified employee (OTBS/PARA), employed at a year-round site, and are interested in working from April 17 -28, please fill out and submit a bubble sheet by February 24. Bubble sheets are available at your school site or by contacting Grace Gutierrez at (619) 725-8114 or Gloria Rangel at (619) 725-8172. If you previously submitted a bubble sheet/application for Winter Intersession, you must re-apply for Spring Intersession to be considered for employment.
Nominations for Classified Employee of the Year
In May, the Board of Education will present the 2006 Classified Employee of the Year Awards to an outstanding man and woman. School sites and district offices are encouraged to nominate deserving candidates. A nominee for the award must be a classified employee with at least three years of service in a monthly position. The deadline to submit a nomination petition  is Friday, March 3, by 5 p.m. Completed petitions should be sent or hand-delivered to Gloria Rangel at the Education Center, Room 1241. For information, contact Gloria at (619) 725-8172 or grangel@sandi.net. In conjunction with the presentation of selected Classified Employees of the Year, the Board of Education will adopt a Resolution recognizing May 14-20, 2006, as Classified School Employees' Week. To honor the district's classified employees, the board has requested that a classified employee be selected from each school/work site to also be recognized at the May 16 meeting. Please use the selection form  to submit the name of your site's classified representative. Please send or hand-deliver completed forms in a sealed envelope to: Gloria Rangel, Education Center, Room 1241, no later than 5 p.m. Friday, April 14. For more information, contact Gloria Rangel at (619) 725-8172 or grangel@sandi.net.
Cookies With Carl
All SDCS employees (classified and certificated) are invited to attend the next “Cookies with Carl” on Wednesday, February 22, from 4 -6 p.m., at Bethune Elementary School, 6835 Benjamin Holt Road, San Diego, 92114, (619) 267-2271. This third in the series of informal meetings with Superintendent Cohn gives employees the opportunity to come by and speak with Dr. Cohn as well as to hear what others are saying. If you have something you would like to share with or ask of the superintendent, please plan to attend.
District Workshops
No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Training For Special Ed Teachers The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 contains specific teacher requirements that must be met by all “core” academic subject teachers. For the first time, Special Education teachers who provide instruction in a core academic subject will be included in the NCLB Highly Qualified Teacher (HQT) audit for 2005-2006. The San Diego Education Association (SDEA) and the district will present a joint training for Special Education teachers and all interested site administrators on NCLB compliance requirements for Special Education teachers. This training will review the High Objective Uniform State Standard of Evaluation (HOUSSE) process for experienced Special Education teachers as well as explain the options for compliance for Special Education teachers new to the profession. The training is scheduled for Wednesday, March 1, from 3:30 – 5 p.m. at Mission Bay High School Auditorium, 2475 Grand Avenue, San Diego, 92109. Reservations for the training are not required. NCLB HOUSSE process training materials for site administrators and Special Education teachers is available at www.sandi.net/nclb. The SDCS Guidebook for Assessment of Qualification of Experiences for HOUSSE and the PowerPoint training materials have been updated with Special Education examples. CSET Prep Courses for Teachers The Teacher Preparation and Student Support Division will be offering a California Subject Examinations for Teachers (CSET) Prep Course to prepare educators for the March 18, 2006 CSET. The courses will be held at Kearny High School, 7651 Wellington Way, Linda Vista, 92111. Passing the CSET allows educators to become compliant with the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act and its “highly qualified teacher” requirement. Courses are available for Single Subject English , Single Subject Science  (Chemistry/ Physics/ Biology), Single Subject Mathematics , and Multiple Subjects  with an optional book available for purchase for $20.00. The course schedule is as follows: • Thursday, February 23, from 4:30-8:30 p.m. • Tuesdays, February 28, March 7 and 14, from 5:30-8:30 p.m. • Thursdays, March 2, 9, from 5:30-8:30 p.m. • Thursday, March 16, from 5:30-8:30 p.m. (Multiple Subjects and only) Courses are free for SDCS employees and $60 for others (checks only). View and print the registration form . Registration is due no later than 5 p.m. on Tuesday, February 21. For more information, call Gail at (858) 539-5330. Emerging Technologies Workshop SDCS Educational Technology Department is presenting a series of workshops to provide an overview of and resource for some of the latest technologies. The next workshop is: • Wednesday, March 7, 4 – 6 p.m., at the Center for Technology, Montgomery Middle School, 2470 Ulric, Room 305, SD, 92111. Blogging in Education - Weblogs or "blogs" are public journals. They encourage self-expression, reflection and “voice.” Learn what blogs are and some ideas for how to use them in education. To register for the workshop, go to http://edtech.sandi.net. Discover Class Professional Tools: Online Resources is a five-week course being offered at the Instructional Media Center (IMC). This class will introduce attendees to the electronic educational resources available to teachers and students. This research process will teach how to access, evaluate, discard, select and use information from multiple sources. It is a great opportunity to learn how to develop the skills and understanding needed to find, process, and use information effectively. This course will meet Thursdays, February 23 - March 23, from 4-7 p.m. Registration fee is $15. For more information or to register for the class, visit the Discover web page.
Invention and Design Educational Academy (IDEA) Student Showcase
February 21 – 24 is National Engineering Week. The Invention and Design Educational Academy (IDEA) at Crawford High School Educational Complex has partnered with businesses such as Raytheon, Rick Engineering, Caltrans and D.R.Horton to schedule speakers, competitions and hands-on events each day of the week. The highlight of the week’s activities will be the “IDEA Student Showcase” on Thursday, February 23, from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m., at Crawford High School Educational Complex, 4191 Colts Way, San Diego, 92115. Parents and community members will have the opportunity to see various projects (such as artwork, engineering and architecture projects, presentations) created by students from IDEA. Light refreshments will be provided. For more information, call (619) 583-2502.
Association of African American Educators (AAAE) 15th Annual Conference
The Association of African American Educators (AAAE) will hold its 15th Annual AAAE Conference on Friday, March 31, and Saturday, April 1, at the Mission Valley Marriott Hotel, 8757 Rio San Diego Drive, San Diego, 92108. This year’s theme is "Educational Revival: Moving beyond Excuses.” The focus for the conference is to challenge San Diego’s educational community to confront the persistent issues facing our children and, more importantly, to empower ourselves to make meaningful changes. Keynote speakers include Dr. Maulana Karenga, professor of Black Studies at California State University, Long Beach and Dr. Noma LeMoine, director of programs for Standard English Learners for the Los Angeles Unified School District. The cost of the conference is $150 for current AAAE members and $175 for non-members, if registration and payment is received before March 10. Late registration is $175 for members, $200 for non-members. On-site registration on Friday, March 31 is $225. For registration brochures, contact Vernon Moore at (619) 208- 0698 or rmoore@sandi.net or visit the AAAE website.
Annual Water Conservation Poster Contest
The City of San Diego Water Department invites all 1st-6th grade students to participate in the Sixth Annual Water Conservation Poster Contest. This year’s theme is “Save Water San Diego!” Each student who creates a poster to enter into the contest will receive a certificate of participation. Winners will receive a U.S. Savings Bond, four tickets to the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center and a certificate of excellence. The entry deadline is Wednesday, March 29. For more information, download the entry form , visit the City of San Diego website, or call (619) 533-5312.
Speech Contest for High School Students
Each year the National Association for Pupil Transportation (NAPT) sponsors a speech contest for high school students in grades 9-12.  The contest requires students to prepare a short speech about the school transportation industry and/or school bus safety.  The winners of local competitions compete at a state level. The winner of the state competition represents California at the national level, which will be held this year in Kansas City.   For the first time locally, a speech contest will be held in San Diego on Monday, April 10, in conjunction with the California Association of School Transportation (CASTO) Annual Conference. SDCS high school debate teams and students are encouraged to participate. For more information, contact Alexandra Robinson, SDCS Transportation Services Department, at (858) 496-8710 or arobinson@sandi.net or visit the NAPT website.
Third, Fourth, Fifth Grade Teachers Needed for Focus Group
San Diego Gas & Electric has been working with the Energy Coalition to improve the electric power situation in California. Recently the Energy Coalition developed a workbook and web site as part of the PEAK energy program. The workbook is targeted at 3 rd through 5 th graders. Teachers (3 rd-5 th grade) are needed to participate in a focus group to discuss the workbook and approaches to educating students about energy efficiency.  The focus group is being held on Monday, February 27, from 3:30 – 5 p.m., at the Maintenance and Operations Center, 4860 Ruffner Street, San Diego, 92111.  Focus group participants will receive a $75 Amazon.com gift certificate. If interested, call or e-mail Patricia Thompson at (925) 935-0270 or at pthompson@summitblue.com. Space is limited to 12 teachers on first-come basis.
University of San Diego (USD) Offers Two Summer Institutes
The School of Leadership and Education Sciences (SOLES) at the University of San Diego (USD) is pleased to announce two exciting summer institutes, Leading Learning for Results and Entrepreneurial Leadership for Schools of Choice. The institutes will take place June 25-29, 2006, at the University of San Diego, 5998 Alcal á Park, San Diego, 92110.  Early registration deadline is Saturday, April 1, to receive discounted rate. The institutes are offered under the auspices of the Educational Leadership Development Academy, a nationally recognized leader in training principals and key administrators.  For more information and registration forms, visit the USD website.
Free Professional Development Classes in Teaching the Arts
Young Audiences of San Diego (YASD) is offering the following free continuing education classes: • Puppets Around the World, by Joe Fitspatrick, puppeteer, on Friday, February 17, from 4 – 6 p.m. • Dances and Songs from Ghana, by Akayaa Atule, master Ghanaian dancer and teacher, on Friday, March 24, from 10 a.m. – noon. • Poetry in Motion, by Jennifer Oliver, dancer, on Monday, April 17, from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. All classes are held at YASD, 4007 Camino del Rio South, San Diego, 92104. RSVP required. For information and to RSVP, call (619) 282-7599 or visit the YASD website.
New on the Web
New Bulletins and Circulars • Administrative Circular 73: "March 2006 Administration of California High School Exit Examination (CAHSEE) - Grades 10 and 11 and Adult Education Students Only" - 02/08/06  • Administrative Circular 74"Reduced Workload Program" - 02/10/06
In the News
The San Diego Union-Tribune ran a story on SDCS Superintendent Carl A. Cohn on February 12. The article, “ Low-key schools chief makes friends,” focused on Dr. Cohn’s first few months in his role. Deaf & hard of hearing students from Madison High School were also featured in a San Diego Union-Tribune article this week.  The four students who make up the school’s deaf/hard of hearing Academic Bowl team will travel this week to a regional competition of the Gallaudet University Academic Bowl for the hearing-impaired in Jackson, Mississippi. According to an article in The San Diego Union-Tribune from February 13, “schools throughout San Diego County report that there are more campus clubs than ever. And there seems to be one for nearly every special interest.”   Clubs at Point Loma and Scripps Ranch high schools were among those included in the piece. Girls from across the district participated in last week’s Sally Ride Science Festival at the University of California, San Diego.  The event, dreamed up and named after the first American woman in space, serves to interest and support girls in science.  Two district students, one from Pershing Middle and one from La Jolla Elementary, were highlighted in an article in the February 13 edition of The San Diego Union-Tribune. Perkins Elementary Reading Recovery/DLL TeacherLinda Williams, co-author of Chicken Soup for the Soul: Stories for a Better World, was featured on an episode of the “San Diego Insider,” a program on Cox Communications Channel 4. The show brought to life four of the stories by San Diegan authors included in the book, which shares stories by authors who are committed to making the world a better place by resolving conflict and overcoming challenges using non-violence and compassion.  For more information, including a list of future air dates and times, visit http://www.4sd.com/insider/insider.php .
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