What's New in GUHSD

A Successful Business Partnership

Marcel Becker, General Manager of Trident Maritime Systems, discusses the need for skilled welders

San Diego is home to the largest and most capable shipbuilding and repair industry cluster on the West Coast. With such a strong demand for welders in San Diego and beyond, the Metal Masters Pathway at El Cajon Valley is enabling students to begin careers in the welding/metal fabrication industry while simultaneously preparing them for college-level metals programs.

Last week, the San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce’s Business & Education Committee highlighted a vital business partnership between the welding program at El Cajon Valley High School and Trident Maritime Systems.

It featured a presentation from Marcel Becker, General Manager of Trident, who spoke about their mutually beneficial collaboration with the welding program at El Cajon Valley and how successful the curriculum was in preparing students for jobs in the shipbuilding and repair industry.

Annually, our students enrolled in Advanced Welding and Fabrication classes are tested and awarded with Welder Certifications from the American Welding Society. Certification by the American Welding Society is the international standard of welder certification and is the first step toward gaining employment in a welding career.

Marcel candidly began his remarks noting that he “didn’t go to Penn State,” he “went to the State Pen,” and through opportunity and job training, he has built a successful, rewarding and well-paying career. 

His interest is two-fold: helping meet the industry demand and giving back to his community by increasing the opportunities available to our East County students. 

El Cajon Valley Assistant Principal Nick Williams, spoke to the value of the partnership citing that welding students who graduate with the requisite skills are being offered entry-level welding jobs starting at $18 - $25 per hour.

I compliment Marcel Becker and the school site staff who are responsible for the success of this growing program.

11th Annual East County Young Men’s Leadership Conference

2016 Young Men's Leadership Conference Attendees

Mount Miguel High School hosted its 11th Annual East County Young Men’s Leadership Conference last Saturday, January 23. The theme was "Strive for Greatness: Invest in Your Success."

The conference brought together over 90 young men along with inspirational and successful professionals. Workshops and breakout sessions provided an innovative and engaging atmosphere for those in attendance. The goal was to motivate, support and encourage young men to effect positive change in their lives through self-empowerment and good decision-making.

Presenters included: Mr. Timothy Shaw, high school counselor and Lemon Grove School Board member; Dr. Mark Jeffers, English Department chair and founder of the Matador Early College program at Mount Miguel High School; members of the Student African American Brotherhood of San Diego State University; Dr. Jerome Payton, adjunct professor and Director of Curriculum and Training for Tactical Training Group Pacific; Damion Donaldson, College and Career Counselor at California State University San Bernardino; Anthony Haile, Jr., Certified Engineering Project Manager and community advocate; Jason Crawley, Youth Minister and Program Director at the Urban Youth Collaborative; Dustin Hollins, School Resource Officer; Johnathan Adlam, Green Energy Specialist, social justice advocate and youth sports coach; Lavar Watkins, Workforce Development Specialist; and Kristina Hereford-Watkins, educator, community activist and STEM specialist. The closing activity was a tie drive led by Michael D. Love, adjunct counselor at Southwestern College and San Diego City College. Every young man in attendance received a free necktie and instruction in how to tie it. Jerrod ‘Jay’ Arnold offered an inspiring musical performance after lunch.

Attendees receiving neckties with instruction on how to tie them

The keynote speaker was Sade Burrell, author, motivational speaker and community college counselor. Her remarks focused on the power of dedication, hard work and belief in self. Each young man in attendance received a copy of her book, "What Are You Reaching For?"

This conference is the result of collaboration of the Mount Miguel Brother 2 Brother (B2B) club and the Student African-American Brotherhood (SAAB) chapter of San Diego State University. SAAB/B2B is a national organization that encourages and supports young men to embrace the principles of accountability, proactive leadership, self-discipline and intellectual development.

GUHSD Honor Band & Orchestra to Perform on Saturday

The GUHSD Honor Band and Orchestra will perform on Saturday, January 30, at 7:00 p.m. at Helix Charter High School. The ticket booth opens at 6:00 p.m.  

The Honor Band and Orchestra are comprised of talented high school musicians who have auditioned from throughout the District. We are fortunate to have guest conductors working with these students. Dr. Travis Cross will be conducting the Honor Band. He serves as the Associate Professor of Music and Department Vice Chair at UCLA. Michael Gerdes will conduct the Honor Orchestra. Mr. Gerdes is the Director of Orchestras at San Diego State University. 

Please join us for an evening of wonderful music. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for high school students, and free for military, veterans, seniors and youth.

Save the Date: East County TechFest 2016 on 2/20

GUHSD is set to host the third annual East County TechFest on Saturday, February 20, from 8 a.m. - 12 p.m., at West Hills High School. Last year, more than 200 teachers gathered to learn about new strategies and tools. More information is available here.

Superintendent Ralf Swenson

What's New in GUHSD

IDEA Center Students Become Beta Testers

Technology guru Roger Wagner helping IDEA Center students learn programming

Last Thursday, January 14, IDEA Center High School held a well-attended open house to demonstrate its array of pathway classes and provide campus tours. Students showcased their work in culinary, construction, digital arts, cosmetology, and floral design.

In Digital Arts teacher Diann Kueny's classroom, student-crafted presentation boards “came alive” by linking subject matter areas of interest to YouTube videos on Chromebooks. Students were excited to learn that for the first time ever, they would link a physical project to digital media from a Chromebooks. Assisting in the effort was a device called a HyperDuino, which was wired to sensor lights that connect the project boards with a Chromebook. The effect was to transform a static presentation board into an interactive, digital media presentation.

With the guidance and passion of Roger Wagner, a technology entrepreneur and CUE (Computer Using Educators) Board Member, students began learning the fundamentals and application of programming as they explored the possibilities of linking digital media along with physical projects. 

Students selected subjects ranging from literature and art to the history of hip-hop and computer components for their projects. Next, they conducted research on their topics and began to create interactive displays with digital content. 

The assignment involves beta testing this innovative technology with an overseas programmer. During the day students are testing their skills with various inputs and outputs, while at night, the programmer fixes any glitches that may have occurred.

We thank our CTE teachers as well as business leaders like Roger Wagner, who share their time and talent with our students, helping them explore possibilities while developing a real world application to what they are learning in the classroom.

…

Last week, we honored the athletic prowess and achievement of two programs - Helix Charter Football and Steele Canyon Volleyball:

2015 CIF-SDS Football Open Division Champions Honored

Governing Board recognition of the Helix Charter Varsity Football Team

2015 CIF-SDS Volleyball Division III Champions Honored

Governing Board recognition of the Steele Canyon Varsity Volleyball Team

Save the Date: GUHSD Honor Band and Orchestra to Perform on 1/30

The GUHSD Honor Band and Orchestra will perform on Saturday, January 30, at 7:00 p.m. at Helix Charter High School. The ticket booth opens at 6:00 p.m.  

The Honor Band and Orchestra are comprised of talented high school musicians who have auditioned from throughout the District. We are fortunate to have guest conductors working with these students. Dr. Travis Cross will be conducting the Honor Band. He serves as the Associate Professor of Music and Department Vice Chair at UCLA. Michael Gerdes will conduct the Honor Orchestra. Mr. Gerdes is the Director of Orchestras at San Diego State University. Please join us for an evening of wonderful music.

Superintendent Ralf Swenson

Superintendent Swenson to Retire on July 1, 2016

The Governing Board of the Grossmont Union High School District held its first board meeting of 2016 last night, during which I announced my plan to retire as Superintendent on July 1, 2016, after six years of service to GUHSD. I will forever be grateful for the opportunity to work alongside such a fine collection of teachers, staff and administrators. Our district is home to innovative and creative teacher leaders who are gaining recognition on the state and national level for the work we are doing in preparing our students to be college and career ready upon their graduation.

My retirement letter is available here. Please know that my full attention will be on the many pressing matters and important initiatives in which we are presently engaged over the next several months.

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GUHSD 2016 Governing Board Officers

In further Governing Board news, at its annual organizational meeting in December the Board appointed Robert Shield to serve as President, Dr. Gary Woods as Vice President, and James Kelly as Clerk. President Shield reaffirmed his continued commitment to making a positive difference in the lives of students as he leads the Board through 2016.

Jim Stieringer, who joined the Board in 2012, and Priscilla Schreiber, who began serving in 2000, are the district’s other trustees. 

Board Elections Moving to By-Trustee-Area Selection, Effective November 2016 Election

The Governing Board of the Grossmont Union High School District will host three public hearings to receive input and testimony regarding proposed trustee areas. The Board has determined to apply to the San Diego County Committee on School District Organization to change the District’s method of electing its Governing Board from “at-large” voting to “by-trustee area” voting, in which members of the Board are elected by the voters of the trustee area in which they reside. The Board will consider plans prepared by the District’s demographic consultant and based on the 2010 Census. 

The proposed maps and related materials will be available online at: www.guhsd.net after January 22, 2016. The public hearings are scheduled to take place on: January 26, 2016, at 4:00 p.m.; February 11, 2016, at 6:00 p.m.; and February 25, 2016, at 4:00 p.m. The first and third public hearings will take place as part of Special Governing Board meetings and will commence at 4:00 p.m.; the second public hearing will take place as a part of a regularly-scheduled Governing Board meeting and will commence at 6:00 p.m. The meetings will be held at the East County Regional Education Center located at 924 East Main Street in El Cajon.

More information is available here.

Grossmont Tops La Mesa Urban Trails Design Competition

Grossmont Students win La Mesa Urban Trails Design Competition

Last fall, students at Grossmont High School accepted an invitation from the La Mesa Urban Trails Design Committee to participate in a high school competition to redesign University Avenue in La Mesa from Troy Street to La Mesa Boulevard. Students were encouraged to use Sketchup, a 3D modeling and design application for the drawings. Teacher Patrick Giovengo introduced the idea to his AP Computer Science students and had seven teams from freshmen to seniors prepare designs using Sketchup, Maya 3D animation software, and paper drawings.

Design firm KTU+A sent two representatives who presented to students the general parameters and displayed some creative urban ideas from other cities. The students made decisions based on the amount of space to work with and the general layout of University Avenue. Students had about four weeks to complete their designs and submit them to KTU+A. The designs were printed and mounted for display at the La Mesa Block Party in downtown La Mesa.

Students Jacob Ennis and Jack Curtin won the overall contest by designing a dry creek bed with designated bicycle and pedestrian paths. Their design beat out nine other submissions that came from Grossmont and Helix Charter High Schools. The design greatly improves the concrete landscape that currently exists and made it a more natural area to walk or ride. 

The picture that follows is the winning design. I think you will agree that exceptional student talent is on display here:

Valhalla Student Named an Essay Contest Winner  

Valhalla Junior Cameron Elliott with his winning essay

Students in Valhalla teacher Stephanie Sellers’ AP English Language and Composition were given the opportunity last fall to enter an essay contest for extra credit. The contest was part of The LegiSchool Project, which is a civic education collaboration between California State University, Sacramento, and the California State Legislature, administered by the Center for California Studies. The Project's mission is to engage young people in matters of public policy and state government by creating opportunities for students and state leaders to meet and share ideas on the problems affecting Californians. 

The essay contest’s theme was "political participation by youth," challenging students to write about why they think voter turnout among youth is low and the importance of voting to them and their peers.

Valhalla Junior Cameron Elliott, was named one of ten winning essayists who will receive round-trip travel to Sacramento to take part in a Legislative Summit on March 2, 2016. Winners will have the chance to meet with state leaders and share their thoughts on this important topic.

Superintendent Ralf Swenson

Welcome to 2016 in GUHSD!

As you begin making plans for the year ahead, I wish to remind you that in December we adopted a new, early start calendar for the 2016-2017 school year. You may click here to view it. Similar calendars were also adopted for the 2017-18 and 2018-19 school years. Click here to view all three of the adopted calendars.

Key benefits of the new calendars include:

•Better alignment with our client districts (Fall semester ends before Winter Break)

•More instructional time to prepare for Advanced Placement (AP) exams

•Allows students to attend community college summer programs, internships, and college orientations

•Creates greater opportunity for dual enrollment (students taking college courses)

El Cajon Valley Students Perform Surgery

Teacher Lynette Smith instructs her Physiology students

Health Pathway students at El Cajon Valley High School learned to perform open-heart surgery. Teacher Lynette Smith's Physiology students learned about congenital heart defects and studied cardiovascular anatomy in preparation to perform surgery on a "four-year old patient with an atrial septal defect and a ventricular septal defect,” that was actually a prepared sheep's heart.

Working in surgical teams, students learned how to garb Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), simulated the surgical procedure, practiced their suturing skills and were tested on their knowledge of the related anatomy. These future health professionals now have a greater understanding of not only the anatomy of the heart, but also about healthcare careers, teamwork in medicine and basic medical skills.

Grossmont Students Compete in Technology Challenge

Grossmont students compete at the Women's Hackathon

Students in the Information Technology pathway at Grossmont High School recently participated in a Cal State San Marcos-sponsored Women’s Hackathon. The 12-hour semi-annual event was open to all female high school and college students who work collaboratively to design a website, game, or mobile app that addresses a selected real world challenge.

Prior to the event, teams can plan, storyboard, and determine what they want to do and how they will go about building their solution. The only caveat is that no programming is allowed until the day of the event.

Our students won awards for Creativity, and Originality & Impact. Afterward, they were invited to a special dinner presentation at the Sony headquarters in Rancho Bernardo.

Upcoming Events . . . 

IDEA Center High School Showcase on 1/14

On Thursday, January 14, from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m., IDEA Center High School is holding an open house to showcase pathway classes and provide campus tours. CTE classes will be showing off student work in culinary, construction, digital arts, cosmetology, and floral design. IDEA Center High School is located at 1600 North Cuyamaca Street in El Cajon.

11th Annual East County Young Men’s Leadership Conference on 1/23

Mount Miguel High School will host its 11th Annual East County Young Men’s Leadership Conference on Saturday, January 23, 2016, from 8:15 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Here is a downloadable flyer.

The keynote speaker for the event is Ms. Sade Burrell, author, motivational speaker, college counselor and Mount Miguel High alumnus. She will be giving away 100 copies of her latest book, What Are You Reaching For? 

Presenters will include esteemed educators, professionals, college students, and  community activists who will spend the day sharing their expertise. Workshops and breakout sessions by prominent educators and professionals will provide an innovative and engaging atmosphere. One activity will involve Michael D. Love, college counselor and Mount Miguel alumnus, offering a lesson on how to tie a necktie. Every young man participating will receive a free necktie along with the lesson. 

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.

For more information on how to sponsor or attend the free conference, please contact Mike Love at mlove@guhsd.net. Pre-registration is strongly encouraged.

2016 Cox Scholars Program 

Cox is excited to launch its 2016 Cox Scholars program. Each year, The Cox Cares Foundation awards college scholarships to graduating high school seniors looking to pursue their dreams of a college education. This year, Cox will award up to $110,000 in scholarships to students across their Southern California service area (San Diego County, Orange County, Palos Verdes and Santa Barbara).

Here is a downloadable flyer. Eligibility requirements and application details can be found on their website. The deadline to submit an application is February 3, 2016.

Superintendent Ralf Swenson