What's New in GUHSD

2015 District Cheer Competition Results

Grand Champions: Granite Hills. Credit: Rob Riingen

The 29th Annual Grossmont District Cheer Competition, also known as “Districts,” was held on Saturday, January 24, in the West Hills High School Gymnasium.

The competition featured teams competing at the Junior Varsity and Varsity levels, in restricted, unrestricted, and co-ed classifications. The Granite Hills varsity team took home the District Grand Champion Award, which is given to the school team with the highest overall points. 

“Districts” offers a unique opportunity for the teams to come together to compete and showcase their skills in the same venue. It encourages school spirit, promotes school morale and crowd sportsmanship, supports interscholastic athletics and demonstrates high standards of leadership.

JV & Varsity – Restricted, Unrestricted, and Co-ed Awards Follow:

Junior Varsity:

Restricted

1st Place – El Capitan
2nd Place – West Hills
3rd Place – Steele Canyon

Unrestricted

1st Place – Granite Hills

Varsity:

Restricted

1st Place – El Capitan
2nd Place – Mount Miguel
3rd Place – Santana

Unrestricted

1st Place & Grand Champion – Granite Hills
2nd Place – Valhalla
3rd Place – West Hills

Co-ed

1st Place – Steele Canyon

Proceeds from the competition are split among participating teams. I thank the community for the support of this district program.

Mount Miguel Hosts Young Men’s Leadership Conference

San Diego Deputy District Attorney Agustin Pena delivers keynote address. Credit: Boyd Anderson

Mount Miguel High School’s Tenth Annual East County Young Men’s Leadership Conference was held on Saturday, January 24. The theme was Protect and Defend Your Dream. Eighty-five students, parents, activists, school administrators and mentors from throughout Southern California attended the annual event. In addition to a number of students from Mount Miguel High School, a large contingent from Rancho Verde High School in Moreno Valley was also in attendance. 

Student workshops and breakout sessions included: Increasing Parent Awareness: The Voices of Successful Men of Color, The Road Map to Success: Educational Tools to Assist Your Men on Their Journey, Differences Between Men and Women, GEYM: Growing Exemplary Young Men, Empowering Students and Parents to Succeed, STUNT 101 (Stuff To Undergo Necessary Transformation), Let Your Presence Be Known, JUSTICE, Creativity and Mental Advancement Through Lyrical Expression, and The N-Word: An Analytical and Historical Look.

The keynote speaker was Mr. Agustin Peña, Deputy District Attorney for the City of San Diego. Presenters included Alejandro Castillo (school counselor), Michael D. Love (community college counselor), Timothy Shaw (high school counselor), O’Neal Stidum (San Francisco State University student), Jerome Payton (college professor), Michael E. Love (Mount Miguel teacher), Shakira Williams and Jerome Williams (Mount Miguel High School alumni and community activists), Dr. Mark Jeffers, Ed.D. (Mount Miguel teacher), Dr. Carlton Floyd (University of San Diego Associate Professor), Mr. Brett Fisher (Engineer), LTJG Jorge Colon (Naval Officer, Instructor), LT Dario Brooks (Pilot, Instructor), Mr. Randy Jones and members of the Student African American Brotherhood (SAAB) from San Diego State University.

The young men in attendance left with a number of skills and strategies to keep their dreams alive through self-empowerment, enlightenment, heightened awareness, and good decision-making. The conference was sponsored by the Brother 2 Brother club of Mount Miguel High School. Mount Miguel High School, the Lemon Grove Collaborative, the Grossmont Union High School District, Dr. Nicodemus Watts, M.D. and Mr. Luis Castro provided support for this event.

East County Career Center Links Employers with Job Seekers

Job seekers queue up for a hiring event

On Tuesday, January 20, the East County Career Center teamed up with the Spring Valley Library to host a hiring event for Smart & Final. There is a new store opening in the community, and they were looking to 30 people for the new location, as well as 20 others for current openings at other County locations.

Business Services Coordinator Susan Roberts-Egley, coordinated and promoted the event in collaboration with Spring Valley Library’s Branch Manager Jennifer Teitelbaum. Smart & Final brought 25 employees to assist with the paper screening, interviews, and preliminary reference checks that were all done on the spot. 

The East County Career Center is part of the Grossmont Union High School District, under the direction of the Adult Education Department. It is the first career center created in San Diego County to provide a one-stop shop environment for career planning and job search assistance.

Save the Date: Grossmont College Open House on 2/21

Grossmont College will host an open house from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., on Saturday, February 21. The event is designed for prospective students and will feature free application and financial aid workshops, campus and department tours, program and department information, and live entertainment.

Faculty, staff and student volunteers will be present to help prospective students learn about the variety of academic programs, including certificate and associate degree programs, and student services provided on campus, such as counseling, financial aid and scholarships, among others. Workshops are designed to assist incoming students with completing the college’s free online application and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

The event schedule includes:

• 10 a.m. – noon: Application and Financial Aid Workshops
• 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.: Information Fair on Academic Programs and Student Services
• Noon – 2 p.m.: Academic Information Sessions and Specialized Tours
• Live entertainment and campus tours will be available throughout the event

The event is free and open to the public; parking is also available for free that day. Grossmont College is located at 8800 Grossmont College Drive in El Cajon.

Superintendent Ralf Swenson