Schools and district offices will be closed Monday,
February 12, in observance of Abraham Lincoln’s Birthday, and Monday, February 19, in observance of George
Washington’s birthday.
February is Black History Month
Black History is celebrated during the month of
February. Information and teaching resources regarding black history are available on the district
website.
National School Counseling Week
February 5 – 9, 2007 is
National School Counseling Week. This year’s theme is
"School Counselors: Helping Students Reach New Heights.” Learn more about the district’s Counseling and Guidance
Department and all the services it provides by visiting the
website.
Baker Elementary Opens Daycare Center
Baker Elementary in partnership with Harmonium has opened the Baker Children's Center, the first onsite daycare for
teachers and administrators in the district. The center is currently licensed for children 6 weeks to 3 years old.
The center is open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and follows the single track year round calendar. Cost is $36 a day based
on full-time enrollment. Part-time care is also available. Applications are now being accepted. For information
or an application, call (619) 264-3139, ext. 4006.
Nominate Your Site Classified Employee of the Year
School sites and district offices are encouraged to
nominate a deserving candidate for the 2007 Classified
Employee of the Year
awards. A nominee 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 2, 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 grangel@sandi.net or (619) 725-8172.
District Trainings
•
CSET Prep Courses Scheduled
The district's Teacher Preparation and Student Support Division will offer California Subject Examinations for
Teachers (CSET) Prep Courses to prepare teachers for the March 17, 2007 exam. Classes begin Thursday, February 22.
Courses are available in Single Subject English
, Single Subject Science
, Single Subject Mathematics
, and Multiple Subjects
. Courses are free for district employees; $60 for others. The registration form
is due Thursday, February 15, by 5 p.m. For information or to register, contact Gail Butler at
gbutler@sandi.net or (858) 539-5330.
•
Procurement Card Training
Accounts Payable will conduct a procurement card training
in the Ed Center auditorium on Thursday, February 15, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Attendance at this training is required
to obtain a district procurement card. Any employee interested in applying for a district procurement card, is a
new approving official or who plans to become an approving official (or cardholder) at a later date should attend.
Principals, site administrators, financial clerks and secretaries are also encouraged to attend. RSVP to Julie
Nguyen at jnguyen1@sandi.net or (619) 725-7669 by Friday, February 9.
San Diego Parent University Classes Start February 13
The second quarter of classes (English |
Spanish) for parents of students attending
Title 1 schools will begin Tuesday, February 13. The free classes offer helpful information on parenting issues along
with tools and techniques to help children achieve academically. Classes are held Tuesdays and Wednesdays, from 9:30
to 11:30 a.m., at the Harold J. Ballard Parent Center. Free childcare is provided and transportation may also be
provided. For information, contact Elneda Shannon or Bea Fernandez at (619) 293-4431.
Funding Alerts
•
Recognizing Outstanding Library Humanities Programs
The Sara Jaffarian School Library Award recognizes an
elementary or middle school library that has conducted an exemplary program in the humanities during the prior school
year. The award consists of a $4,000 cash prize, a plaque, and promotion of the winner as a model program at a
training opportunity for other school libraries. The deadline to submit a nomination form is Tuesday, February 27.
•
Rewarding Unsung Heroes
The ING Unsung
Heroes awards are given to K-12 educators pioneering new teaching methods and techniques that improve learning.
Every year, 100 finalists are selected to receive a $2,000 award, payable to both the winning teacher and his or her
school. Of the 100 finalists, three are selected for additional awards: $25,000 for first place; $10,000 for
second place; and $5,000 for third place. The application deadline is Monday, April 30.
•
Grants for the Inventive Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams grants foster inventiveness among high school
students who work in teams. The InvenTeams experience is intended to generate excitement about the rewarding process
of identifying a problem or need, brainstorming solutions, and working hands-on to develop a prototype. Grants of up
to $10,000 support each team’s efforts. The application deadline is Friday, April 27.
Professional Development
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Community Service/Service-Learning Training for Educators
The SDUSD Community Relations Department and Volunteer San Diego are offering two separate community service/service-learning
trainings on Thursday, February 22, from 9 to 11:30 a.m., and from 4 to 6:30 p.m., at the United Way Building. Principals,
teachers, staff and parents are welcome to attend. This “hands-on” training will explore the elements of creating effective
projects that integrate community service with academic learning. The $25 registration fee will be waived for all San
Diego Unified employees. To register, submit
registration form
or contact Jessica End at jend@volunteersandiego.org or (858) 636-4124. For
information, contact Nancy Hemmings at nhemmings@sandi.net or (619) 725-5597.
•
Podcasting Class
The Podcasts are popping up everywhere and changing the way we think about news and information. Learn how to broadcast your
school bulletin, lectures, student reports and parent communication in a hands-on class being offered by the San Diego
County Office of Education (SDCOE) Technology Center. No ipods required. For information and to register, go to the
SDCOE website or contact Becki Goehl at
bgoehl@sdcoe.net or (858) 292-3832.
Free Red Cross CPR Training is Set for March 10
The 16th annual Red Cross CPR Saturday is set for Saturday, March 10. Hundreds of instructors and volunteers will
teach CPR to the public at this free, three-hour training. The training will be held at the San Diego Concourse,
202 C Street, Downtown. Classes begin at 7 a.m. All participants who successfully complete the course will receive
certification at no cost. Children ages 5-11 can participate in Basic Aid Training and Whales Tales water safety
training. For information or to register, visit www.sdarc.org or call (858)
309-1275.
Student Opportunities
•
Mingei Museum Offers Free Admission/Transportation to Title 1 Schools
Bring your students to Mingei International Museum in Balboa Park. Thanks to
generous support from QUALCOMM, Inc. and the McGraw-Hill Companies, admission and transportation to the museum are free for
students from Title 1 schools. Students and teachers will also receive a free family pass. For information or to schedule a
visit, contact education@mingei.org or (619) 239-0003, ext. 107.
•
Mystery Writing Contest for Grades 2-5, 6-10
MWA: Reads, a Mystery Writers of America (MWA) literacy program, is holding its second annual
Joan Lowery Nixon Award mystery writing contest
for grades 2-5 and grades 6-10. The winner of each category will receive a $250 cash prize. Submissions for the contest will
be accepted until Wednesday, February 28.
•
NIAF College Scholarships
The National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) is offering scholarships for the 2007-08
academic year. High school seniors of Italian descent, with at least one ancestor who emigrated from Italy, or any students
majoring or minoring in Italian language, Italian studies, Italian-American Studies, or a related field can apply.
Scholarships range from $2,000 to $15,000. The application deadline is Thursday, March 1.
•
Harvard Offers Free/Reduced Tuition to Low-Income Families
Harvard University is offering undergraduate students from families making less than $60,000 the opportunity to attend the
university for free. In addition, Harvard also has reduced fees for students from families with incomes between $60,000
and $80,000. For information about Harvard’s free or reduced tuition plan, visit the university’s
financial aid website.
Upcoming
Events
•
Parent Forum in Area 2
Superintendent Cohn, Area 2 Superintendent Chelsea Smith and Assistant Superintendent for High Schools Nellie Meyer will host
a Parent Forum
on Tuesday, February 20, from 6:15 to 8:30 p.m., at Wangenheim Middle School. Although the meeting is being held in Area 2,
parents from throughout the district are welcome to attend.
•
Innovation in Education and Learning 2.0
The Point Loma Cluster is hosting the first "Innovation in Education and Learning 2.0" event on Thursday, February 8,
from 6 to 8 p.m., at Correia Middle School. The event features Alan November, an internationally recognized leader in
education technology, and is open to the public, free of charge. For information and to RSVP, go to
www.correiamiddle.com.
•
Cookies with Carl
The next Cookies with Carl will be held Monday, February 26, from 4 to 6 p.m., at Walker Elementary School. Employees are
invited to come by and speak with Superintendent Cohn and hear what other employees have to say.
•
Annual County Superintendents’ Dinner
Superintendent Carl Cohn will be the guest speaker at the Annual County Superintendents’ Dinner/Reception
on Wednesday, March 14, at Tom Ham’s Lighthouse. Social hour begins at 5 p.m. $30 per person. RSVP by Friday, March 2.
For information, contact Jeannie Steeg at jeannie@aasdcs.org or (619) 295-2118.
In The News
The State Senate hearing on post-secondary career education held Wednesday, January 31, at Stanley Foster Construction Tech
Academy at the Kearny Complex, was covered by KPBS-FM radio and KBNT-TV
Channel 17.
The grand re-opening of Serra High School’s auto shop – now part of the School-to-Career program – got an early start today
when Fox in the Morning’s Ruben Galvan did his live, morning segments from the facility. A formal grand opening is scheduled
later in the day.
For more details on these stories, check out the News section on the district’s home page.
Are
there any other topics on which you'd like an update? Send a "Newsline
Idea" email to communications@sandi.net.
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