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| GUHSD Bus Drivers and Dispatcher receive commendations from Lakeside Superintendent Dr. David Lorden and Superintendent Swenson |
Student safety is a top
priority in the Grossmont Union High School District. Under the watchful eye of
deputies from the Lemon Grove and Santee Sheriff’s Stations, as well as police
officers from the El Cajon and La Mesa Police Departments, our students attend
schools that emphasize safety first.
Earlier this month, it was
widely reported that law enforcement officials called for a Lockdown at El
Capitan and several schools in the Lakeside District, due to a threat against
one of their schools.
Anticipating the need for a
possible evacuation of El Capitan, three of our buses were staged nearby. One
of the waiting GUHSD bus drivers was approached by a representative from the
Lakeside School District requesting assistance in the safe evacuation of their
most threatened school site, Lindo Park Elementary School. The driver acted
swiftly to connect Lakeside Director of Maintenance, Operations &
Transportation Todd Owens with Alison Troxler, a Dispatcher in our
Transportation Department.
Ms. Troxler worked in cooperation
with the three drivers, David Hall, Ramon Sanchez and Jesus Guerrero, to assist
the Lakeside School District with the safe evacuation of its students. Bus Aide
Beverly Weeks, was instrumental in comforting these very scared young students
with her calm demeanor.
The expertise of Alison
Troxler, David Hall, Ramon Sanchez, Jesus Guerrero and Beverly Weeks in
assessing and effectively addressing this situation helped to de-escalate a
very tense situation for these young students and their families.
Lakeside School District
Superintendent, Dr. David Lorden, joined me on Thursday, March 12, to
personally thank our Transportation Department for the collective effort that ensured
the safety of his students from Lindo Park Elementary School on that day. On
behalf of the entire LUSD community, he commended them for their efforts on
behalf of his district and its students. It was a very proud moment for me as
Superintendent to herald the work of these very deserving, unsung heroes who
daily oversee the safe transport of students across the district.
BurnBook
App Threats Disrupting Teaching and Learning
I've been reaching out
through various forums to make parents aware of a mobile app called BurnBook that
is causing serious disruption at high schools throughout San Diego County and
nationwide.
There has been a recent
dramatic increase in the number of students using social media to engage in
cyberbullying and make threats against schools. Many students believe,
incorrectly, that they can anonymously bully, harass, threaten, and hurt other
students and staff – they are wrong, and they will be made known.
When students post
threatening or inappropriate messages for purposes of harassment or bullying,
they can and will face serious consequences at their school and may face arrest
and prosecution by local law enforcement. Threats are not jokes, and the
perpetrators will not remain anonymous. Their identities are indeed
discoverable, and BurnBook’s developer is now warning that vulgar and
threatening posts will not remain anonymous and that an individual’s IP address
can and will be tracked down and shared with legal authorities.
We are encouraging students
to delete the BurnBook app, and we need your help to reinforce this message. In
addition to periodically reviewing the content on your students’ phones,
including apps and photos, please talk with them about the need to guard their
online reputations because privacy is an illusion, and it is wrong to assume
that you will remain anonymous in the digital realm.
In our schools, we have
blocked the access to BurnBook and other similar applications on our district
internet. The responsibility to monitor
students’ inappropriate use of social media use rests on all of us – parents,
teachers, and school administrators alike. While our district is blocking these
apps on our network, students are primarily accessing BurnBook and similar apps
on their cell phones, using their family’s phone/internet service provider –
outside of District control.
Thank you for your assistance
in helping us to stop the disruption these behaviors are causing on our
campuses. Parents with questions should contact school administrators with
additional concerns.
Working together we can keep
our students and schools safe and focused on learning.
Grossmont
Middle College Information Night on Saturday
Grossmont Middle College is
currently recruiting for next year's 11th grade class. They are hosting a
one-hour information session in Griffin Gate, located in the new Griffin
Student Center on the Grossmont College campus on Saturday, March 14, at 11:00 a.m. The application deadline is
Friday, April 3.
Located on the Grossmont
College campus, Grossmont Middle College High School (GMCHS) is a WASC
accredited alternative high school designed for 11th and 12th grade students
who are college capable. Its mission is to assist students in the successful
completion of high school graduation requirements while concurrently completing
college coursework that meets college entrance requirements and also earns
college credit.
Save
the Date: Latina Women’s Empowerment Conference on 3/21
On Saturday, March 21, 2015,
from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Mount Miguel High School will host its 9th Annual
Girl's Empowerment Conference in the school cafeteria. Girls ages 14-18 of all
ethnic backgrounds are encouraged to attend the event which will focus on
breaking through the cultural barriers that prevent girls from reaching their
educational dreams. The keynote speaker for the one-day conference is Carol
LeBeau.
For reservations or
questions, please contact Sylvia Sposato at (619) 667-6451.
