Measure
BB Passes with 60% Voter Approval
On Thursday, December 8,
the San Diego County Registrar certified the results of the November 8
election. Measure BB for our East County High Schools passed with a 60% yes
vote.
I thank the taxpayers for
their generous and continued support of appropriate facilities designed to
prepare our students for college and careers. In the coming weeks/months we
will be communicating with you regarding the next steps for efficiently putting
the bond dollars to work improving our schools.
This will include:
Finalizing project planning with each school site
Naming the Citizens' Bond Oversight Committee
Selling the first round of bonds
Completion of design on the first group of projects
Bidding and awarding of construction contracts
Stay tuned!
Valhalla
Hosts Freshmen S.O.S. (Seeking Out Success) Week
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| Link Crew Leaders Offer Freshmen Tips on How to Succeed in their Classes at Valhalla |
The Counseling Department
at Valhalla High School recently hosted their annual Freshmen S.O.S. Week,
dedicated to supporting and encouraging the Freshmen class to seek out success.
Seeking Out Success (S.O.S.) is a weeklong event that addresses the three
counseling domains: academic development, career development and
social/emotional development.
Link Crew Leaders helped kick
off the week on November 14 by delivering candy grams and a schedule of the
week’s events to all ninth-grade students. On Tuesday, counselors delivered
classroom lessons focused on career exploration through the utilization of
Career Cruising and hosted a ninth-grade parent night where they provided
parents with an overview of the week’s events and discussed a variety of tools
and resources available to help support their students.
Wednesday was focused on
social/emotional development, including a schoolwide assembly by Rachel’sChallenge, which promotes a culture of kindness and compassion as a means to
improving school climate. Link Crew Leaders returned on Thursday to help
implement Academic Day. Student leaders facilitated a variety of mini workshops
focused on short- and long-term goal setting and academic planning.
In addition, all ninth
graders were individually photographed wearing a cap and gown to inspire them
to think about graduation and their future. To wrap up the week, inspirational
speaker and former Chargers running back Terrell Fletcher addressed the
students. He shared stories of personal persistence and triumph and encouraged
them to stay focused on reaching their goals.
Thanks are extended to the students
and staff at Valhalla who helped to make this event a success for our students.
Automotive
Industry Open House at Monte Vista
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| Mark Clifton (Clifton Mercedes) and Eric Lund (East County Chamber) Observe our Auto Students |
A dozen Automotive Industry
members got a workforce development boost at an Open House on Tuesday, November
15, at Monte Vista High School and Cuyamaca College’s Automotive Technology
Departments. The joint event was hosted by the San Diego East County Chamber of
Commerce in partnership with Mike Fleming, the Automotive Instructor for Monte
Vista High School, to showcase the facilities, programs, and students. Thanks
are extended to the many attendees who signed up to become guest speakers, host
mock interviews, offer job shadows, discuss internships, and join the advisory
board.
Monte Vista High School has
180 students in the Automotive Career Pathway program, and Cuyamaca College has
close to 300 students in this program. Nineteen students participated in the
open house by performing auto tech demonstrations on vehicles during the open
house. Some of these demonstrations included working on head gaskets,
alignment, oil changes, differential, tires, and brakes.
El Cajon Valley Hosts Foothills
Secondary Council PTA Holiday Dinner
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| GUHSD Trustees, PTA Leaders and Staff Enjoyed a Delicious Student-Prepared Meal in the Wigwam |
On Tuesday, December 6, the
Foothills Secondary Council PTA held its annual Holiday Dinner in El Cajon
Valley’s Wigwam restaurant.
Culinary Arts teacher
Christine Baptista’s students spent more than a week planning and prepping for
the evening event. The dinner that we enjoyed that evening was truly delicious
and the hospitality was superb. After the meal students shared their respective
roles in meal preparation and execution. I thank Foothills Council PTA
President Lisa Stewart for hosting the event at the Wigwam to highlight our
talented students and facilities.
The Wigwam is the only
student-staffed restaurant in the district. The Restaurant Services Pathway is
in the Hospitality, Tourism, & Recreation Industry sector and is a two-year
sequenced CTE pathway consisting of Restaurant Services and Restaurant
Management. Students learn about restaurant and culinary occupations, develop
culinary skills, create recipes, prepare for the Food Handler’s Card test,
visit professional kitchens and culinary venues, and learn how to apply these
new skills in their future careers.
Our students are obtaining
invaluable experience in the Wigwam restaurant as well as through school and
community catering events that support students learning skills in an authentic
setting.
Academic
League: Battle of Santee
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| Santee's Varsity Academic League Team with Coach Becky Short |
In Academic League news, of
special note this week was the Santana at West Hills Varsity match where the
winner won the right to display the Santee City Council's Perpetual Trophy for
a year.
The West Hills’ science
lecture hall was the location of the match, where it was determined in a score
of 95 - 32, that Santana’s Varsity team earned the right to display the
perpetual Santee City Council Trophy this year.
On hand to present the
trophy on behalf of the Santee City Council was Council Member Rob McNelis.
Also present was Wolf Pack principal Robin Ballarin. Congratulations to these
two Santee teams for their impressive intellect and sportsmanship.
East
Region Adult Education Consortium Hosts Field Trips to Community Colleges
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| Adult School Students Learn About Opportunities at Grossmont College |
One of the East Region
Adult Education Consortium's objectives is to open higher education doors and
facilitate smooth transitions to college for adult students. On October 28 and
November 4, field trips to both Grossmont and Cuyamaca Colleges provided a
unique, explorative way to learn about college opportunities.
More than forty students
toured the campuses, listened to presentations from different certificate and
academic departments, learned about different student support services, student
organizations, and financial aid opportunities. Students from all major
Grossmont Adult Education programs participated: English as a Second Language,
Health and Medical Career Training, High School Equivalency and High School
Diploma Preparation. Some of the students had just started in September, while
others will be finishing their high school program next Spring and graduate in
May.
These trips would not have
come to fruition without support from GUHSD's transportation department and the
respective college outreach teams. Bimonthly field trips are planned for the
future. We thank our Grossmont Adult Ed teachers and staff for encouraging students
to participate and the Consortium's transition services team for co-organizing
and facilitating the events.
More information on East Region Adult Education is available here.
Student
Art on Display at Mission Trails Visitor Center Gallery
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| IDEA Center Student Art on Display at the Mission Trails Visitor Center Gallery |
The work of student artists
from Grossmont, IDEA, Monte Vista, Mount Miguel, Steele Canyon, Valhalla, and
West Hills High Schools is on display at the Visitor Center Gallery at Mission
Trails Regional Park. The "Natural Views" art exhibition will be on
display through January 6, 2017, in the Mission Trails Regional Park Visitor
Center Art Gallery. The public is also invited to a free reception hosted by
the artists on Saturday, December 10, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.
You’re
Invited: IDEA Center Student Showcase on December 16
On Friday, December 16,
from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., IDEA Center High School is holding an open house
to showcase student presentations structured in the format of a gallery walk.
Presentations will include:
12th Grade Humanities -
IDEA Center "Shark Tank"
11th Grade Humanities - Top
Chef Meets US History
Math - Probabilities and
Addiction
Culinary - Gingerbread
Houses
Biology - Outbreak at IDEA!
Chemistry - Carbon Dioxide
and Your Car
Art, Construction and so
much more!
You are invited for all or
part of the day. IDEA Center High School is located at 1600 North Cuyamaca
Street in El Cajon.
Save
the Date: 12th Annual East County Young Men’s Leadership Conference on 1/21
Mount Miguel High School
will host its 12th Annual East County Young Men’s Leadership Conference on
Saturday, January 21, 2017, from 8:15 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
The conference is open to
all young men in grades 6 – 12 throughout San Diego County. The goal is to
motivate, support and encourage them to effect positive change in their lives
through self-empowerment and wise decision-making. More information is
available here.
Dr. Tim Glover
Superintendent
