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Staff Bulletin is published for employees of San Diego City Schools the 3rd Friday of each month. Send news items and classified ads to: Staff Bulletin Education Center, Room 2145 phone: (619)725-5578; fax: (619)725-5576 e-mail: communications@sandi.net |
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Scenes
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| • | When first grade student Colin Cretain’s grandfather entered him in a contest to bring a Harlem Globetrotter to Colin’s Grant Elementary School classroom, he could only hope he would win. Imagine the surprise when Colin’s grandfather did win! On Tuesday, February 14, Globetrotter Anthony Blakes visited with Colin and his classmates. Blakes spent time talking with the children and demonstrated some of his amazing ball-handling moves. As a special treat, each child in the class received free tickets for his or her family to attend the Globetrotters game at the ipayOne Center later that week. |
| • | The First Tee National School Program trains physical educators to introduce the basics in golf skills to children. The curriculum is based on national physical education standards and emphasizes character-education through an introduction to The First Tee’s Nine Core Values. On Saturday, January 21, 25 SDCS elementary physical education specialists gathered at McKinley Elementary School to attend the First Tee training in preparation for implementing the golf curriculum in February. Twenty SDCS elementary schools will participate in the program this year and 20 schools will participate next year. The district’s participation is a direct result of our involvement in the Buick Invitational, Support Our Schools program and the PGA. |
| • | On Thursday, January 26, 50 deserving students from Kimbrough Elementary School went on a San Diego Harbor Excursion whale-watching expedition. The field trip was part of the “Catch a Rising Star" program. The students were joined by Board of Education Trustee John de Beck and The San Diego Union-Tribune Reporter Helen Gao. The program is the brainchild of de Beck and San Diego Harbor Excursion Company President George Palermo. “Catch a Rising Star” recognizes students for a variety of positive behaviors and achievements - improved attendance, grades, attitude and behavior- and rewards them with an educational field trip. The article about “Catch a Rising Star” appeared in the February 7 edition of the Union- Tribune. |
| • | Students at High Tech High, in collaboration with the department of Conservation and Research of Endangered Species (CRES), San Diego Zoological Society, have successfully begun an innovative study of forensic conservation biology. The focus of the project is the identification of African bushmeat through a barcode-like process using DNA analysis. Bushmeat, a term used to refer to food obtained through the hunting of wild animal species, has become a serious area of concern for conservationists in the last five years. The illegal trade of bushmeat obtained from endangered animal species is considered to be seriously effecting the populations of these animals. The collaborative effort was developed by Oliver Ryder Ph.D., director of genetics for CRES, and Jay Vavra Ph.D., biotechnology teacher at High Tech High. Vavra’s biotechnology students successfully extracted, isolated, amplified and sequenced DNA from dried meat samples. In collaboration with CRES genetics researchers, the students partially or completely sequenced the gene Cytochrome Oxidase I from each dried meat sample and were able to correctly align the sequences generated with existing genetic databases to determine the species of origin. The experimental work is also being supported by Invitrogen Corporation and the San Diego City Schools School-to-Career program. It is hoped is that this new innovation will be incorporated into efforts to stop illegal bushmeat trafficking undertaken through the Consortium for the Barcode of Life. For more information about High Tech High Biotechnology efforts, go to http://hthbiotech.sandiegostc.org/. |
| • | On Saturday, January 28, Serra High School physics students got up early to participate in the MCRD Command Museum’s new education programs. The students participated in two activities. Their first assignment was designed by their physics teacher and former Marine, Ted McColl. The students studied the physics of the artillery pieces in the museum’s courtyard and the specific trajectories of bullets (which are in display cases) used by the Marine Corps throughout the 19 th and 20 th centuries. In addition to their physics lesson, the students listened to a presentation on the history of the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, and it’s significant impact on San Diego history. |
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