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.

Read More

New Cabrillo Elementary School mural has a Navy touch

A new mural on the campus of Cabrillo Elementary School in Pt. Loma is the work of students and a Navy volunteer, Petty Officer John Willman.

The mural of iconic San Diego Bay sites -- sailboats, the San Diego Coronado Bay Bridge, and downtown -- close by the campus. Students worked on the mural with Willman.

"Petty officer Willman is an exceptional volunteer who has been with Cabrillo for the last two years. Since his arrival at Cabrillo he has demonstrated a high degree of commitment and professionalism towards community service," said Principal Nestor Suarez. "As a muralist he has taken on the challenge of working with students to create artwork that was used to beautify the library wall with a mural depicting the life, nature, and culture on the bay of San Diego."

Suarez said Willman also works as a volunteer noon duty, math tutor and other duties around the campus. He is one of hundreds of Navy and Marine Corps personnel who volunteer time in San Diego schools.

Volunteer service is a big part of Vision 2020, San Diego Unified School District's roadmap to the future. According to the vision, "community involvement with active school volunteers and business partnerships adds to the success of students.

"Petty Officer Willman is an invaluable and respected member of our learning community and we are honored that he chose Cabrillo to further his community service," said Suarez.

Find out more about Cabrillo Elementary by calling Principal Suarez for a tour at (619) 223-7154.

Read More

Kumeyaay Elementary gets grant from Jimmie Johnson Foundation, Lowe's Toolbox for Education

NASCAR champ Jimmie Johnson's foundation has awarded Kumeyaay Elementary School in Tierrasanta a $45,799 to create an outdoor science classroom that will include a native plant habitat and a weather station.

The 2013 Jimmie Johnson Foundation/Lowe’s Toolbox for Education Champions Grants were awarded to schools in Chandra and Jimmie Johnson’s respective hometowns of Muskogee, Okla., El Cajon, Calif., and where they currently reside in Charlotte, N.C., and totaled $470,000.

The funded projects for 2013 range from resurfacing and rubberizing a track to outdoor learning centers. Several schools also received technology grants to purchase new computers.

"It builds a better tomorrow,” said Daniel Wheeler, a sixth-grade student from KIPP Charlotte, a 2012 grant recipient. “It means a lot because Mr. Johnson chose [to help] this school and not only has it taken an effect on our grades, but it has taken an effect on our hearts, too."

“When you hear from students like Daniel you realize how much the kids we support really appreciate the opportunity to learn,” said Johnson, who is currently atop the standings in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship.

“The fact that the Jimmie Johnson Foundation and the Lowe’s Toolbox for Education program can come together to impact the learning experience for these kids is very gratifying.”
More than $3.1 million has been contributed over the past four years through the Champions Grant program.

“Lowe’s is honored to continue to partner with Jimmie and Chandra Johnson to support the needs of local students and schools across the country,” said Joan Higginbotham, Lowe’s director of community relations. “These grants will help enhance critical educational opportunities and build a stronger foundation for thousands of children.”

To see a detailed list of the 2013 Champions Grant projects, please visit www.jimmiejohnsonfoundation.org.

Read More

Hancock Elementary School gets renovated library from Target and The Heart of America Foundation

Target Corp. and The Heart of America Foundation have completed renovations of the library at Hancock Elementary School in Murphy Canyon, with 2,000 new books, new fixtures and decorations and technology, including iPads.

This year, Hancock Elementary School is one of 25 elementary schools across the country to receive a library makeover as part of the Target School Library Makeover program. Through programs like this one, Target is on track to give $1 billion for education by the end of 2015.

The program also provided seven books for each student to take home following the unveiling celebration.

Superintendent Cindy Marten welcomed Rep. Scott Peters, California Sen. Marty Block, California Assembly Member Shirley Weber and Dr. Randy Ward, Superintendent of the San Diego County Office of Education. Principal Yolanda Lewis joined her former Hancock Vice Principal Quyen Corral (now at Central Elementary School ) and others to cut the ribbon and open the library.

In addition to the library makeover, the Target Meals for Minds food pantry will provide more than 22 pounds of fresh produce and staple foods to students and families.

Read More

New shoes at Fay Elementary courtesy of Gaylord-Hansen Mortgage

Every student at Fay Elementary in City Heights received a fantastic new pair of shoes, as Gaylord-Hansen Mortgage, in collaboration with San Diego Unified’s Office of Children and Youth in Transition distributed nearly 700 pairs of shoes to ensure that the students of Fay Elementary could begin the 2013-2014 school year in style.

The event included a delicious school lunch BBQ provided by Food Services. 

There were many smiling faces to be seen that day as volunteers from Gaylord-Hansen, MCAS Miramar, Naval Base San Diego, and other community members worked to fit shoes and socks on kindergarten through fifth grade students.  It was hard to tell who was happier, the volunteers or the children.

The Gaylord Hansen Mortgage Team; a branch of Caliber Home Loans, believes in giving back to the local community. They created the Gaylord-Hansen Shoe Foundation to provide San Diego’s neediest school children with the opportunity to receive a brand new pair of shoes.  By donating $30 from every loan transaction, they are able to improve the lives of children in this small but significant way.

For more information, contact the Office of Children and Youth in Transition at (619) 725-7054.

Read More

University City community raises $12,000 for local schools

Oktoberfest in University City proved to be a big success for the neighborhood's schools.

The fifth annual event, organized by EdUCate, the University City High School cluster group, broke all attendance and fund-raising records, as more than 1,500 attendees put nearly $12,000 in the till for the cluster's students.

Schools in the University City cluster are University City High School, Standley Middle School, and Curie, Doyle and Spreckels elementary schools. Title sponsor was the University City Community Association.

According to EdUCate, local breweries contributed to the popular beer garden were: AleSmith, Ballast Point Brewing Company, Coronado Brewing Company, Gordon Biersch, Mission Brewery, Monkey Paw Pub and Brewery, Rock Bottom Brewery and Stone Brewing.

Other sponsors included: 3 Steves Winery, Coldwell Banker UC Agents, Ditzler Family Chiropractic, Feerick and Associates, Golden Triangle Optometric, LabDx, Larry Yandel Jr. Memorial Youth Sports Fund, Melanie and Achim David, Patricia Freund and Family, Primerica: Paul & Debbie Hedley, Ruby Huizar and Family, Samala-Gafford Family, The French Gourmet, The Madden Family, The Skillen Family – in honor of Larry Yandel, Tom and Brook Feerick, UC Rugby Club and Wikitiki.

The many fun activities for kids included food, games and entertainment from Standley Middle School and University City High School marching bands.

Oktoberfest also brought out all the school principals for their annual challenge. For this year’s toilet paper rolling event, bragging rights belong to UCHS Principal Jeff Olivero.

 Oktoberfest would not have been possible without the many parent and student volunteers – thanks to all the Curie parents and students that helped out! Big thanks to those who contributed to the Dollar-A-Day (DAD) program, who received special treatment at Oktoberfest.

It’s not too late to participate– go online and contribute at least $180, or $250 gives you and a friend VIP status at EdUCate’s Taste of the Triangle on May 2. For more info or to contribute, go to: http://www.uc-educate.org/

Read More

Angier Elementary students create can sculpture to ‘say no to drugs and bullies’

More than 2,600 cans were collected and built into a tower by Angier Elementary School students to show that they “just say no to drugs and bullies,” part of the school's Red Ribbon Week activities.
The collected items from the food drive are then used by teams from each grade to construct creative can towers and structures.

"This is a great opportunity to challenge the students' cooperative learning skills,' said Principal Andrew Gergurich, "their engineering techniques, and their creative abilities, while using an everyday item.
"After they construct these towers, we then donate the food to the Serra Mesa Food Pantry."

This year Angier All-Stars and families had donated more than 2,600 cans of food. 800 more cans than 2012. The additional cans not only helped in constructing huge structures, but will help many needy families in the Serra Mesa Area, and restock the Serra Mesa Food Pantry.

"Our All-Stars and families never cease to amaze me! They are so generous and always willing to give back to our great Serra Mesa community," said Principal Gergurich. "This was a great event that not only focused on the importance of saying no to drugs and bullies, but provided resources to needy individuals in our school community."

For more information on how to donate to the Serra Mesa Food Pantry please call 858-278-2633. If you would like more information on Angier Elementary please contact the office at (858) 496 ­ 8295 or email Principal Gergurich at agergurich@sandi.net.

Read More

Heart screening finds eight teens at risk

The Eric Paredes Save A Life Foundation screened 815 teens on Sunday, October 20 at a free cardiac screening facilitated by the wonderful administration at Patrick Henry High School. The screening sought to detect heart abnormalities that could put teens at risk for Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA), a silent killer of 7,000 kids annually.

Eight teens were found to be at risk, meaning they had a heart abnormality dangerous enough to be referred to a doctor for follow-up evaluation and treatment. SCA can strike without warning signs - the first symptom is often death. EKGs, like the ones given at PHHS, are not a part of a teen’s annual check-up or pre-participation sports physical.

Free screenings provided by the EP Save A Life Foundation in partnership with local high schools include a health history, EKG, and echocardiogram if indicated. The EP Save A Life Foundation has screened nearly 10,000 teens since 2010, detecting almost 100 heart abnormalities that were serious enough to cause SCA.

Parents can register their teen for future screenings at EPSaveALife.org.

Read More

Second-Hand Bikes Give Lifeline To San Diego Refugees

IN THE NEWS: Edith Okello enjoys riding her bike home from Crawford High school in City Heights. Her long braided hair blows in the breeze as she glides down Orange Avenue. But the 15-year-old’s journey hasn’t always been this carefree. Read more from KPBS»

Read More

Three counselors get $1,000 grants for excellence from San Diego Downtown Kiwanis

Longtime Counseling Department supporter Kiwanis Club of San Diego has awarded three, $1,000 grants to school counselors Nico Negrette of Balboa Elementary in Shelltown, Clara Hayashigawa from Miller Elementary in Tierrasanta, and Trina Lee, head counselor at Hoover High in City Heights.

During the 2012-2013 school year, it sponsored an incentive project to support the school counselors with the Six-Step Accountability Process known as MEASURES (Mission, Element, Analyze, Stakeholders-Unite, Results, Educate Stakeholders) and subsequent Results Reporting. School counselors who participated in this process drafted their MEASURES with principal support and monitored the progress of their students.

At the end of the 2012-2013 school year, they presented their results through a peer review process and three school counselors were recognized at the All School Counselors’ Opening Meeting on September 19 at San Diego State University.

 San Diego Unified School District extends its congratulations to all three recipients and their gratitude to the Kiwanis Club of San Diego for its continued support.

Read More

Japan Foundation grant adds $20,000 of joy to Barnard dedication

It was a joyous occasion last Friday as dignitaries from around the globe joined Board of Education members Kevin Beiser and Richard Barrera, Superintendent Cindy Marten and Principal Eddie Park to formally dedicate the new location for the Barnard Asian-Pacific Language Academy.

Now located at the former Bayview Terrace Elementary School campus, Barnard has kindergarten through grade six and is expanding its language offerings, thanks in part to a $20,000 grant from the Japan Foundation, Los Angeles. The school will now offer dual-immersion programs in Chinese, which it has offered since 2007-08, Korean, which began last school year, and Japanese.

"This grant is provided through the Japan Foundation’s Salary Assistance Grant Program for Japanese Language Courses," the Foundation said in a news release, "which is one of our several grant programs designed to support US educational institutions to initiate, expand, or maintain their Japanese language program."

Principal Eddie Park welcomed the visitors, as well as Barnard students and families to the dedication.

"We recognize that raising children in the modern world is a team effort and our students benefit from a strong educational team that includes school, community and you," he said.

The school is now located at 2445 Fogg Street (92109). For more information, contact Park at (858) 800-5700.

Read More

Montgomery Middle's garden grows thanks to Whole Foods, volunteer

The Montgomery Middle School garden was the location for a fun Whole Foods Market volunteer project after the school recently won a Garden Grant from the supermarket chain.

Together with elementary students visiting from Bayside Community Center’s Academic Club in Linda Vista and volunteers from The Bishop’s School in La Jolla we will share in celebrating service and collaboration in a beautiful school garden setting.

"We're excited to roll up our sleeves to help prepare the garden for cool weather crop season with our partners at the school," said Ray Kau, Store Marketing Supervisor for the chain's Hillcrest store. "This was family-friendly, three-hour project with tasks for everyone ages 7 and up!"

The work at the historic Linda Vista campus included learning about cool weather and warm weather crops while painting whimsical plant identification signs to be used in the garden boxes, preparing garden beds with compost and planting with cool weather seeds and starter plants. Some kids also sketched their favorite plant or spot in the garden which will be used to create a mosaic art piece that will be displayed at the store.

"This event was fun, uplifting, and kid-friendly," said Kau. "This was an opportunity for customers, team members, and kids to partner together in service to our community. We'll have plenty of garden related activities to engage everyone. The best part is working together to service our edible community!"

The store brought along a "magical build-your-own salad-bar for kids and grown-ups, plus all the fixings" where they could join in the fun of the fun of "eating a rainbow" in honor of the Whole Kids Foundation.

For more information on the garden, contact Emalyn Leppard at Montgomery Middle School, 858-397-6600.

Read More

Going green raises money for Pacific Beach schools

IN THE NEWS: Returning students and staff at Kate Sessions Elementary School in Pacific Beach had a surprise waiting for them the first day back at school: a $500 check for the school’s music and arts program from Go Green 4 Education. Read more from the Beach and Bay Press»

Read More

Ex-Charger Fins New Passion Helping Kids

IN THE NEWS: Hoover High students benefit from Burt Grossman's "affinity for kids." Read more from UT San Diego»

Read More

Foundation aims to improve science Patrick Henry cluster schools

IN THE NEWS: The Henry Cluster STEMM Foundation will raise funds and work with the parent-teacher organizations at Patrick Henry High School and the schools that feed into it to promote student interest and engagement in the STEMM subjects. Read more from SCOOP San Diego»

Read More

Home Depot employees, Madison High students join Sequoia Elementary community in school mini-makeover

A mid-summer freshening at Sequoia Elementary School brought not only the school's community together, but 10 students from cluster school Madison High, with local business partner Home Depot supplying paint and five employee-volunteers.

"Students, parents, teachers and Home Depot employees worked together to make Sequoia Elementary more inviting for the new year," said Principal Ryan Kissel. "All of the materials, including the paint and paint brushes, were generously donated by Home Depot."

More than 50 volunteers painted flowers on the school's fence and repainted many areas around the campus, including book characters on the concrete walkways and lines on the blacktop. The crew also pulled weeds on August 17.

For more information, contact Kissel at (858) 496-8240.

Read More

San Diego's got backpacks thanks to Nick Cannon, Office Depot

Award-winning actor, comedian and host of “America's Got Talent” Nick Cannon joined the Office Depot Foundation to distributed 4,000 colorful new sackpacks to deserving children served by non-profit organizations, schools and agencies in the San Diego area.

Happy backpack recipients

The Foundation – the independent charitable giving arm of Office Depot®  – presented the sackpacks, which contain essential school supplies, during a special “Back-to- School Celebration” at the Mission Valley Office Depot store on Aug. 22.

The non-profit organizations, schools and agencies that to received sackpacks at the event included Pazzaz Inc./New ERAA Planning Committee (in collaboration with the San Diego Unified School District), Bayside Community Center, YMCA of San Diego County.

This is the eighth consecutive year that the Office Depot Foundation has donated backpacks or sackpacks to Pazzaz for the New ERAA event.

"In keeping with our mission – Listen Learn Care − we created these fun and exciting sackpacks in response to what kids have told us they like,” says Foundation President Mary Wong. “Every year, we have seen our donations bring hope to children whose families might not be able to afford to buy school supplies. Parents and teachers alike tell us that we truly are helping children to build self-confidence, boost self-esteem and achieve greater success in the classroom – all as a result of being properly prepared for school.”

Through the award-winning National Backpack Program, which is now in its 12th year, the Office Depot Foundation plans to help children prepare for school by donating 400,000 sackpacks across the United States and internationally – the most ever in a single year. The sturdy, specially designed sackpacks come in seven different color combinations with kidfriendly graphics.

By the end of 2012, Office Depot and the Office Depot Foundation will have helped more than 2.9 million children since the inception of the program in 2001.

To give sackpacks to children this year, the Foundation is hosting more than 25 “Back-to-School Celebrations” in cities across the U.S. and in Puerto Rico – five of which will include Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet in the NASCAR® Sprint Cup Series™.

In addition, thousands of sackpacks are being distributed through Office Depot stores in hundreds of local communities and in collaboration with Office Depot’s Business Solutions Division in select cities.

Thousands more are being given to kids through the Foundation’s partnerships with a dozen non-profit organizations serving children nationally and internationally. The Foundation has teamed up with four new partners this year − AARP Experience Corps, Food For The Poor, Operation Homefront, and Speedway Children’s Charities. Continuing partners include the Tony Stewart Foundation, Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA), the National Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Association, Feed The Children, the Kids In Need Foundation, Zach Bonner’s Little Red Wagon Foundation, the National Foundation for Women Legislators, and Samaritan’s Feet International, which will distribute sackpacks both nationally and overseas.

For the fifth consecutive year, donations will be made to children of the Navajo Nation in Arizona. For information on the Foundation and its initiatives, go to www.officedepotfoundation.org/. More information about the National Backpack Program can be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/officedepotfoundation. You can also follow the Foundation on Twitter at www.twitter.com/officedepotfndn. The National Backpack Program’s hashtag is #OfficeDepotFndnKids.

Read More

Crawford High collaboration honored by State Bar of California

IN THE NEWS: Thomas Jefferson School of Law's Crawford Legal Institute Mentorship Bond Program gets Education Pipeline Award from California State Bar. Read more from San Diego Daily Transcript»

Read More

Project Ujima families to study historic Montford Point Marines

Families in San Diego Unified's African-American parent program, Project Ujima, will be getting to know members of the historic Montford Point Marines next school year -- and sharing their stories with San Diego -- thanks to a $9,986 Community Stories Grant from Cal Humanities.

Montford Point Marine veteran Joe Jackson shows his Congressional Gold Medal, awarded to all of the Montford Point Marines in 2011.

Students and their parents/guardians will interview the first African-Americans in the Marine Corps, called Montfort Point Marines after the segregated training center used for blacks from the Corps' integration in 1941 through 1949. Other African-American Marines are also planned to be interviewed for their perspective on the contribution of blacks to the Corps.

"This grant offers our families a unique opportunity to work with the Montford Point Marines of San Diego, our project partners, and broader San Diego community to develop inspirational stories," said Elneda Shannon, Project Ujima Director. "The reality of the Montford Point Marines affirms the strength and resiliency of everyday people, lessons we hope are learned our kids and families."

San Diego is home to several original members of the Montford Point Marines and an active chapter of the Montford Point Marine Association. According to information on the official Marine Corps website, the Montford Point Marines were the first African-Americans in the Corps, following President Franklin Roosevelt's desegregation of the federal government in 1941.

During World War II, approximately 20,000 African-American recruits were trained at Montford Point Camp, according to the website. Though their training was segregated, they went through the same demanding process as all other recruits, ultimately earning the title "Marine." Though officials were initially worried that allowing African-Americans into the Marine Corps would cause racial dissension in the ranks, once they were given the chance to prove themselves, it became impossible to deny that they were just as capable and deserving of the title "Marine" as all other Marines.

Project Ujima, based at San Diego Unified's Ballard Parent Center, is a dynamic program devoted entirely to engaging African-American families in reaching that all-important goal: student academic success.

The grant comes from the Cal Humanities Community Stories Program. According to Cal Humanities, Grants are awarded for projects that give expression to the extraordinary variety of histories and experiences of California’s places and people to ensure that the stories can be shared widely. These narratives help Californians to find cultural commonalities, appreciate differences and learn something new about how to live well together.

“With our state’s incredible diversity, fostering communication and connecting people to a range of ideas is vital for our general welfare,” Said Ralph Lewin, president and CEO of Cal Humanities. “Our grant award enables awardees to pursue the important work of engaging new audiences in conversations around stories of significance to Californians.”

Since 2003, Cal Humanities has supported approximately 400 story projects and granted nearly $3 million to enable communities to voice, record, and share histories- many previously untold or little known. Through video, photography, murals, zines, documentary theater, audio project, and more, these collected stories have been shared with broad audiences, both live and virtual. Cal Humanities is an independent non-profit state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. For more information on Cal Humanities, please visit www.calhum.org.

Read More

San Diego Public Library Summer Reading Program Under Way

Readers of all ages will devour books this summer at the San Diego Public Library. Join the summer reading fun at your local library with prizes, entertainment, story times, music and, of course, lots of great books! It's a great way to enjoy reading over the summer.

All you have to do is sign up (click the age appropriate button at the left), read books, and fun prizes will be yours. If you have someone read to you, that counts too! Receive incentives just for signing up. Read more from the San Diego Public Library»

Read More