Toyota donation revvs up transportation career programs

Transportation-industry students at Clairemont, Crawford, La Jolla, Madison and Mira Mesa high schools were greeted this school year with a sampling of new drive-train drop-ins (motor, transmission and drive-train components) donated by Toyota Motor Sales USA, Inc.

This donation will provide for practical instruction and support the broad and challenging curriculum standards for the programs by allowing students to work with a variety of engine types.

Mossy Automotive Group, which includes Toyota dealerships, works closely with San Diego Unified programs and helped facilitate the donation.

"We at Mossy Toyota and all of our Mossy dealerships in San Diego have a very strong commitment to our public education, especially San Diego Unified," said Dale Snow of Mossy Automotive Group. "We realize we have an enormous responsibility to our community and our students. We have committed to use all of our available resources to help improve the learning environment and provide the latest in educational materials and personnel support. Whether its internships, equipment donations, employee resources' we at Mossy stand by our schools and the bright future of our community." 

On hand for the dedication Nov. 6 were Rick Shinkle, Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc.; Richard Lester, Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc.; Snow of Mossy Automotive Group; and Larry Englebrecht, Carl Kingsbury, and Omar Sevilla, San Diego Unified automotive technology teachers.

Students in the transportation program have the opportunity to receive college credit for the majority of courses in the program from Miramar College. Having a variety of engine types available to students to study makes the course more reflective of the overall industry. Toyota plans to support student learning by providing master technicians as classroom speakers and mentors to enhance student achievement.
At the Clairemont High ceremony, students from four different schools teamed up with Toyota master technicians to provide demonstrations to the public with the new motors. Among the engines donated were hybrid types which attracted the most attention at the event.

Toyota Motor Sales USA Inc., donated 34 new drive-train drop-ins (motor, transmission, and drive-train components) to six San Diego Unified School District transportation programs. Donated drive-train types included Camry (hybrid and non-hybrid), Lexus ES330, Lexus ES350 RAV4, Yaris, Lexus IS250, Lexus IS300, Lexus IS350 and 4Runner models.

San Diego Unified School District provides Career Technical Education to more than 28,000 students each day through the Office of College, Career and Technical Education. The transportation industry sector is designed to provide a foundation in transportation services for all industrial technology education students in California. There are eight focus areas that fall under the transportation sector, each with different career opportunities: on-road; off-road; stationary; rail; water/sea; air; space; and small engines and specialty equipment.

For more information on this College Career and Technical Education Program, contact the CCTE office at (858) 503-1758.

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Funds donated by district staff help USO feed military families

The Community Service Association of the San Diego Unified School District -- the district's employee-funded charity -- has donated $2,500 to the local USO to purchase additional tables for the free Tuesday night dinners for active military personnel and their families.

Growing demand for the Tuesday night dinners, has resulted in attendance exceeding the number of available tables and chairs, families often had to take their food to the downstairs portion of the center, sit at separate tables or wait for a vacant table.

The USO used the Community Service Association donation to purchase 20 folding tables and two table dollies on which they will be stored. During a five-year lifetime, the additional tables will accommodate more than 28,080 individuals per Tuesday night dinner.

USO operates the USO San Diego Downtown Center and the USO Neil Ash Airport Center and offers a variety of services, helping to provide a touch of home to military personnel and their families. Both centers receive more than 150,000 visits annually and offer a comfortable and friendly place to relax while off-duty or traveling and provide complimentary snacks and refreshments.

The Community Service Association is a non-profit association organized to solicit contributions from district employees for recognized charitable agencies in San Diego County. Traditionally, CSA donates funds to organizations that support educational, health, and human services, as well as arts, research projects and literary projects.

For more information regarding USO visit its website at www.usosandiego.org. For more information on the Community Service Association please visit its website at www.sandi.net/csa.

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Honor Theater program features "Let The Eagle Fly"

This year’s 5th Annual VAPA Honor Theatre production featured “Let the Eagle Fly: The Story of Cesar Chavez," John Reeger, music, and Julie Shannon, lyrics. This epic production was directed by William Virchis, director of the Teatro Mascara Magica.

More than 30 students participated as actors, singers, lighting and sound techs, and production staff including students from Lincoln High School’s theatre department under the direction of Maria Christodoulou. Patrick Garcia, VAPA resource theatre teacher, collaborated closely with Lincoln High School, Southwestern College, equity actors from Teatro Mascara Magica, professional musicians, Cygnet Theatre, San Diego Stage and Lighting, SDSU, the Latino Chicano Coalition, Jose’s Restaurante Mexicano, San Diego Unified's Department of Race, Human, Relations and Advocacy, and many generous donors and partners.

Participating schools in this year’s production included: Lincoln, Clairemont, La Jolla and Morse high schools; the San Diego School for Creative and Performing Arts (SCPA), and the Creative Performing and Media Arts Middle School.

This powerful new musical told the inspiring story of how an unassuming ex-farmworker with an eighth grade education challenged and overcame one of California’s most powerful industries.

"It was a life-changing experience for all who participated in the production," said Dr. Karen Childress-Evans, Director of the district's Visual and Performing Arts Program (VAPA). "A special thank you to the SDUSD Board of Education for keeping a vital Central Office VAPA Department so that we can continue to offer these exceptional experiences to our students."

For more information or to donate to next year’s production, please contact Patrick Garcia at pgarcia2@sandi.net.

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Graduates receive college scholarships from San Diego Air & Space Museum and Convair Alumni Association

Source: San Diego Air and Space Museum

The San Diego Air and Space Museum's mission statement is to inspire young people to tackle the challenges of the science, technology, engineering and mathematics academic disciplines and to make-a-difference in the world through an innovative, adventurous spirit. To further this goal, the museum and Convair Alumni Association have selected 13 students in the San Diego region to receive scholarships. The scholarships are given annually on behalf of three Museum-administered scholarship funds: Bill Gibbs, R.A. "Ken" Rearwin and the Convair Alumni Association. To-date, 245 talented San Diego students have been awarded $672,000.

“I'm very proud there are many students studying math and science," said Donna Lilly, president of the Endowment Board at the Museum. "The U.S. really needs to keep up with the global market for math and science in the field of technology." "Every year we interview so many outstanding students," said Charles Pinney, member of the Endowment Board. "Their accomplishments are unbelievable."

Museum President Jim Kidrick commented, "These scholarship programs exemplify our intent to aid deserving students wanting to advance their education - our entire mission is really all about inspiring our next greatest generations to excel in their lives."

San Diego Unified School District graduates received the following scholarships.

Convair Alumni Association Endowment Scholars, 2013

• Tessa Adler, High School: Point Loma High School; Field of Study: Chemical Engineer (will attend Yale)
• Dana Christensen, High School: Clairemont High School; Field of Study: Social Sciences (will attend UCLA)

Each of the scholars submitted an extensive application listing academic achievement, extracurricular and/or community service activities, teacher recommendations, and an essay. They then were interviewed by a panel of judges to determine the final winners
.
For more information please call (619) 234-8291 or visit www.sandiegoairandspace.org.

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$800,000 in art supplies donated by law firm, charity

Early Childhood Resources, LLC, and Price Charities have helped secure more than $800,000 of educational supplies, materials and equipment for San Diego Unified School District arts program.
Materials were delivered to schools throughout the Spring from seven shipments of educational goods donated through the district's Visual and Performing Arts Department.

Donated items included scissors, art supplies, easels, chairs, tables, and racks. Seven truck loads of items contained 30 pallets of goods to be distributed throughout the District, focusing on elementary sites and arts programs.

"So far this generous donation has put additional resources in the hands of our teachers whose funding for their growing programs has been slashed in previous years," said Dr. Karen Childress-Evans, Director of Visual and Performing Arts Programs. "To many teachers these donated items could not have come at a better time. Thank you again to ECR and Price Charities for supporting San Diego Unified students."

For more information on the programs, see the VAPA website.

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Thanks to Salvation Army, NBC 7 for ‘Bikes for Kids’

The long-running Bikes for Kids program from the Salvation Army Sierra Del Mar Division and NBC 7 San Diego has made students at several San Diego Unified schools proud in recent months.

The program gives free bicycles to elementary school students nominated by their school, teacher or a member of the community. Recent free rides go to students at Linda Vista, Fulton, Kumeyaay, Gage and Zamorano schools.
One special day each week, NBC San Diego Morning News weathercaster Whitney Southwick rides into a classroom on a brand new bicycle, and presents it to the child along with a helmet and lock.

A Salvation Army officer gives the child a certificate of recognition and then both the officer and Southwick talk to the class about why this child was chosen, bicycle safety, and the importance of a positive attitude in life. The program is supported by donations to the Salvation Army and the station.

For more information on the winners, go to the Salvation Army website: March | April

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Giving help: PB Town Council helps Buccaneers suit up Read more: San Diego Community News Group - Giving help PB Town Council helps Buccaneers suit up

IN THE NEWS: Pacific Beach Town Council directors Greg Daunoras and Cathie Jolley attended a Friends of Pacific Beach Secondary Schools meeting recently and presented Mission Bay High School athletic director Jorge Palacios with a check for $570 to help pay for new spring sports uniforms. Read more from Beach and Bay Press»

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Bayview Terrace ceremony kicks off K to College Program

Free school and dental supplies valued at nearly $70 to low-income students are going to Bayview Terrace Elementary School students thanks to the K to College program.

The program was able to launch earlier than expected due to a donation from local tech firm, Huawei Technologies.

A special assembly to celebrate the kickoff of this program was held at Bayview Terrace recently. Students, staff, parents, district personnel, volunteers from Huawei Technologies, Superintendent-designate Cindy Marten, civic leaders, and representatives from K to College were in attendance. The program intends to expand to other schools in the area and become a twice a year event at each school.

Bayview Terrace Principal Magdalena Tavasci was grateful for the donations. Each kit contains paper, pencils, index cards, binders, dictionary, complete dental kit, and other supplies.

“The gifts being provided by Huawei and K to College will be incredibly valuable in helping students feel more prepared and motivated when they enter the classroom," she said.

K to College is a nonprofit that aims to promote equal access to quality education by ensuring every student has the resources and tools to learn from kindergarten to college. K to College is especially appreciative of its partners, such as Huawei Technologies, who help bring resources to underprivileged students throughout the state.

“It’s only possible with the generosity of companies like Huawei, who choose to invest in their local and future workforce,” said Benito Delgado-Olson, the executive director of K to College. “That is why we are proud to have them as our first San Diego and statewide sponsor.”

  – Brenna Goodsitt

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Grant helps expand safety camera coverage at La Jolla High

Thanks to a $10,000 Public Schools Grant from the philanthropic group Las Patronas to the La Jolla High School Foundation, additional safety and security cameras are expected to be installed.

The cameras are planned to be located around the perimeter of the school, in key locations previously out-of-range of the current equipment. These cameras serve multiple purposes: they are used to help prevent truancy, theft, break-ins and potential dangers for studentsqqwand faculty, among others, according to school receptionist Jo-Ellen Palreiro.

With La Jolla High’s open campus and differing elevations, this is a very difficult task.

“La Jolla High School is different from most other schools in the district, [in that] there are many nooks and crannies where students and adults can hide,” said Will Hawthorne, La Jolla High Vice Principal. “The cameras will be placed in strategic locations that give us a broad scope of the entire campus,”

There are currently 26 cameras scattered around the campus. The new funding is expected to purchase an additional 12 cameras.

According to its website, Las Patronas is a philanthropic organization with a long history of giving. Since its inception in 1946, Las Patronas has donated more than $16 million to more than a thousand charitable institutions in San Diego. The funds distributed to these organizations are generated through year-long fundraising efforts and the annual presentation of the Jewel Ball, one of San Diego’s most enduring social, cultural, and philanthropic traditions.

For more information on the project, contact Hawthorne at (858) 454-3081.

-- Tim Rayner
Editor-in-Chief
La Jolla High School
High Tide

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Hancock Elementary to receive Target library makeover

Grand opening at Kimbrough Elementary in 2011.

Hancock Elementary in Murphy Canyon is scheduled to be the latest San Diego Unified school to receive a makeover from Target School Library Makeover Program.

The school, which primarily serves the Santo Terrace/Murphy Canyon neighborhood of housing for U.S. military dependents. Other schools to receive Target library makeovers in San Diego Unified include Angier, Kimbrough and Miller elementary schools.

"We once again appreciate the generosity of Target Corp. and the Heart of America Foundation," said Superintendent Bill Kowba. "I have attended the grand openings of these libraries and can tell you the children are so excited about the great books and wonderful improvements."

To transform the school library, Target partners with The Heart of America Foundation and enlist the pro bono work of the Target design and construction teams. Additionally, Target relies on its team-member volunteers at local stores and across the country to help breathe new life into the libraries.

Each school will have the option to receive a Target Meals for Minds food pantry. In partnership with Feeding America affiliates, Target Meals for Minds food pantries will provide students and their families with more than 22 pounds of fresh produce and staple foods each month.

“The Target School Library Makeover program is part of our commitment to give $1 billion for education by the end of 2015,” said Laysha Ward, president, community relations, Target. “By reimagining school libraries and transforming outdated spaces into state-of-the-art learning centers, Target hopes to ignite a love of learning and put more children on the path to high school graduation.”

Through initiatives like the Target School Library Makeover program, Target is helping more children reach academic milestones such as reading proficiently by the end of third grade. By the end of 2013, Target expects to have completed 175 school library makeovers and impacted more than 93,000 students through the program.

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Saint-Gobain Solar Guard donates more than $20,000 to schools

More than $20,000 in supplies and cash has been donated to four elementary schools by employees, staff and charitable giving arm of local company Saint-Gobain Solar Gard Performance Plastics.

Lindbergh Schweitzer in Clairemont, Baker Elementary in Mountain View, Gage Elementary in San Carlos and Logan K-8 in Logan Heights each received several boxes of supplies and a check for $1,725 as part of its program to give back to its community. The school supplies were collected and purchased by employees.

At Lindbergh Schweitzer, ASB Officers Kaylee Broadhead, Jordan Salazar and Naomy Harvey greeted Saint-Gobain employees Maria Perez, Moira Peraza and Susie Tolentino and gratefully accepted the company's donations of school supplies and a check.

"Generous businesses such as Saint-Gobain Solar Gard that support teaching and learning in the classroom by providing these donations are another reason students at Lindbergh Schweitzer are achieving success every day," said Lindbergh Schweitzer Principal Deanne Rohde. "We're so grateful for support such as this from our community.

Headquartered in San Diego, Solar Gard makes industry leading architectural and automotive window films, photovoltaics and custom coatings. A division of Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics, a subsidiary of Saint-Gobain, the world leader in the habitat and construction markets, Solar Gard’s architectural solar control window films are proven carbon negative and reduce global greenhouse gas emissions.

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Walker Elementary book donations help expand library

Walker Elementary School has received a $4,200 donation from City National Bank, good enough to purchase more than 800 books from the local Mira Mesa Barnes and Noble Book Store.

As a result, each student at Walker received a brand new book and teachers received free books to fill their classroom libraries.

Jonny Holt, Community Relations Manager at Mira Mesa’s Barnes and Noble Booksellers, and his staff, along with Walker Elementary School worked together to extend literacy opportunities by providing a Barnes and Noble Family Fun Night Book Fair and Fundraiser.

Christian Weissmann, City National Bank’s Vice President, Branch Manager, Reading is the Way Up program, has presented the school with a $4,200 certificate to purchase books from Barnes and Noble including the bookstore’s 25% institutional discount. The Holiday Book Drive is part of City National Bank’s Reading is the Way Up program.

For more information, contact Rochelle Dawes, Principal, Walker Elementary School, at  (858) 271-8050.

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Masons mark Public Schools Month with $161,000 donation

Randy Brill, left, and Jessica Mausner, California Masons; Trustee Richard Barrera; Taft Middle School Principal Mike George; Supt. Bill Kowba

The Masons of California have helped make public education a focal issue in California since their 1920 introduction of Public Schools Week, now celebrated statewide as Public Schools Month each April. As part of this special month, events are being held throughout California this spring, with statewide donations amounting to more than $750,000. The donation is part of the Masons' commitment to making a profound difference for public education throughout the state.

The local chapter of the Masons of California presented San Diego Unified a check for $161,000 at this year's celebration held at Cherokee Point Elementary School on March 27. The donation will support teachers and students in San Diego public schools and provide funding for the fraternal organization's statewide public education initiatives: Raising A Reader and Investment in Success Scholarship Program.

Through the Raising A Reader Literacy Partnership, California Masons are bringing the award-winning literacy and family engagement program to elementary school classrooms in the lowest- performing public schools throughout the state, building strong family relationships and creating a new legacy of literacy. The Masons' donation is supporting the Raising A Reader program at four district elementary schools: Central, Cherokee Point, Joyner and Rowan. Currently,

The fraternity's Investment in Success Scholarship Program, which launched in 2011, provides college scholarships for deserving high school seniors who demonstrate an active pursuit of education in spite of significant obstacles. Students who receive these scholarships demonstrate exemplary character, drive, and scholastic potential, despite challenges in their homes or communities.

“To have the support of the world’s first and largest fraternal organization is a powerful statement about the importance of community involvement in public education,” said Supt. Bill Kowba during the ceremony. “We are very grateful to the Masons for their continuing support of our students, teachers and schools.”

To learn more, contact the California Masonic Foundation at https://www.freemason.org .

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Out with the old, in with the new; Chargers donate equipment to schools

With a new strength and conditioning staff comes a new philosophy.

And with a new philosophy comes new equipment.

That’s why on multiple moving trucks and personnel were on hand recently to remove the old equipment to make room for the brand new ones the Chargers are bringing in.

“Every time you have a change, you kind of have a shift philosophically in what you want to do,” said new Strength and Conditioning Coach Kent Johnston. “A lot of the new things and equipment that we want to get in are because of what we want to accomplish. It’s because of what we believe in doing as a staff to train guys and prep them to first of all avoid injury , that’s the primary task, and second of all to improve their performance on the field.”

So what will the Chargers do with the old equipment that is still in good condition?

The team is donating the free weights and workout machines to the San Diego Unified School District. On hand to oversee the removal of the equipment and transportation to the schools, which include Hoover High, Crawford High School and Scripps Ranch High School, was Bruce Ward, Director of Physical Fitness and Athletics for the District.

“I got a call from the Chargers and they said they had some weight equipment and asked if we would be interested,” he said. “Of course we were. So I came and looked at it and they told us what they had and here we are now.”

Ward has dealt with numerous professional teams over his tenure, but he says the philanthropic nature of the Bolts blows the other teams out of the water.

“I’ve been in three states and fortunate to work with a number of organizations, and people don’t realize the Chargers are more giving than any pro team that I’ve ever seen in any of the states I’ve been in,” he said. “They are all about the students and their achievement not only physically but academically too.”
Johnston, who is just a month into his tenure as the Chargers new strength and conditioning coach, is also impressed by the generosity of the Chargers in deciding to donate this equipment.

“I think it says a lot about the organization,” he said. “It shows how it is a community oriented organization and how they are looking out to better the schools, the kids and the community here in San Diego.”

Courtesy chargers.com

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