 |
| El Cajon Valley High School welding students pictured with teacher Nick Williams on the final day of their internship at US Joiner, just prior to receiving offers of employment. |
Strong business partnerships are
vital to Career & Technical Education programs. Last school year, El Cajon
Valley High School teacher Nick Williams met with several local businesses
seeking to make connections to promote the El Cajon Valley High School welding
facility and provide opportunities for our student welders. One company that
was particularly receptive was US Joiner. US Joiner is a multinational ship
repair and refit company with facilities across the United States, Europe and
Asia. US Joiner spoke to us of their aging workforce and the current
global lack of skilled welding and fabrication candidates.
Representatives from US Joiner
management worked with us to build a curriculum to augment the current welding
and fabrication curriculum offered at El Cajon Valley High School to teach our
student/welders the skills needed to be successful in the military ship repair
industry. Eight hard-working, highly-skilled seniors participated in the
pilot year of what was essentially an on-campus internship. Students
worked with US Joiner welding documents to complete their welds to stringent
military specifications. Following graduation, all eight students were
invited to participate in a paid, ten-day internship at US Joiner's Lemon Grove
facility. Seven El Cajon graduates accepted the opportunity and all were offered
(and accepted) full-time employment upon completion of the internship.
Their employment includes competitive entry-level salaries ($14-17 hourly),
with full medical, retirement, leave and vacation benefits.
Monte Vista Launches Game Design and
Development Pathway
 |
| The Monte Vista Game Design and Development Pathway team visit Sony Online Entertainment |
Monte Vista High
School is implementing a new Game Design and Development Pathway with a cohort
of its tenth grade students. Pathways integrate rigorous academic instruction
with a demanding technical curriculum and field-based learning. This Game
Design and Development Pathway will be implemented with the Linked Learning
approach, which includes students taking their Game Design and Development
class together with English, World History and Biology classes as a cohort. Integrating technical and academic
content ultimately deepens student understanding and makes learning more
exciting and relevant.
The teacher team participated
in a two-week Linked Learning Summer Institute where they designed interdisciplinary
projects to engage students through authentic, client-driven, real-world
challenges.
The Monte Vista Game Design and Development Pathway team also visited
Sony Online Entertainment here in San Diego for an industry tour. The team was
able to meet with professionals from all aspects of the Game Design Industry
including: Customer Service, Quality Assurance, Production, Design,
Programming, Community, Marketing and Public Relations, and Art. The industry
professionals shared specific skills needs in Game Design and Development, as
well as the work readiness skills of effective communication and teamwork.
Thank you to Sony Online Entertainment for arranging this tour and to the Monte
Vista team who brought the pathway to fruition for our students.
Santana
Named 2013-14 Combined Sports School Champions
 |
| L: Santana Athletic Director John Bobof, Vice Principal Larry Oedewalt and Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services Theresa Kemper |
At the September 16 Grossmont Athletic Conference meeting at the
La Mesa Community Center, Santana High School was recognized as the Grossmont
Athletic Conference 2013-14 Combined Sports School Champion.
This prestigious award is presented annually by the Conference
to the GUHSD school that wins the most league championships in a given year.
Santana High School won twelve championships, eight outright and four shared.
The awards were presented by Assistant Superintendent of
Educational Services Theresa Kemper and Conference President Brian Wilbur. Also
present was the CIF-SDS Assistant Commissioner John Labeta. Santana
representatives, Vice Principal Larry Oedewalt and Athletic Director John
Bobof were present to accept the awards.
Click here to view all 2013-14 Grossmont Athletic
Conference League Champions. Congratulations to the Santana Sultans on being
named the 2013-14 Combined Sports Champion!
Save the Date: GOT PLANS? Career & College
Fair on Oct. 11
In partnership with the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College
District, we are hosting our eleventh annual Got Plans? Career
& College Fair for high school students and parents on Saturday, October
11, 2014, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. at Cuyamaca College, located at 900 Rancho San
Diego Parkway in El Cajon.
Students and parents will
be able to interact with admissions representatives from public and private
universities, community colleges, vocational schools, and the military.
Free workshops will
review information on four-year universities, two-year colleges, financial aid
and career opportunities. New workshops this year will update parents and
students on changes to the SAT and ACT, as well as cover transfer options from two-year
colleges to four-year universities. Some workshops will be offered in Spanish
and Arabic.
More information will follow. In the meantime, please mark your
calendar and plan to attend. Admission to the fair is free and open to the public.
