Last month I informed you
that the Grossmont Union High School District had initiated drinking water
testing for lead across the District. In February 2017, we formally requested
testing from the four agencies that serve our school district: Helix Water District,
Otay Water District, Lakeside Water District and Padre Dam Municipal Water
District.
Following the strict
sampling instructions set forth by the State Water Resources Control Board,
testing has been completed, and I'm pleased to report that all of GUHSD’s high
school campuses passed with flying colors! All campuses were below the minimum
recordable levels.
Click here to view
the test results.
Joint
Meeting of GUHSD & GCCCD Governing Boards
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| GUHSD Governing Board (front row) and GCCCD Governing Board (back row) |
At our third annual joint
meeting on May 16, the governing boards of the Grossmont Union High School
District and Grossmont Cuyamaca Community College District reviewed the steps
being taken to strengthen a partnership that is better preparing students for
college and offering a way for them to pay for the first year of their higher
education.
The meeting’s purpose was
to discuss the work in the past year and make plans for the future of the East
County Education Alliance, a 3½-year partnership between the two districts. The
goals of the Alliance are to inspire students to focus on college and careers,
develop a seamless pathway from high school to college, improve completion
rates, and prepare students for the workforce.
Through the Alliance, the
Higher Edge Promise Scholarship is offering a free year at Grossmont or
Cuyamaca College to all Grossmont Union High School graduates who participate
in college-preparation events. The scholarships will first be offered to
graduating high school seniors in the class of 2019 who take the necessary
steps to earn the Promise.
The Alliance efforts got a
boost this year when the college district was awarded a $1.5 million two-year
California College Promise Innovation Grant from the California Community
Colleges Chancellor’s Office. The money will be used to fund the Alliance’s
outreach and college preparation program, which includes college campus visits,
mentoring programs, Parent Nights and career workshops to introduce high
schoolers to the demands of college and a career.
The funds will also be used
for an online student support and data system to improve student retention and
completion rates.
The Alliance is much
broader than many other programs offering free college to high school students.
In addition to the Higher Edge Promise Scholarship, participants in the
Alliance are working to better align curriculum, developing programs to
encourage high school students to attend college, and making efforts so that
more students can take college classes while still in high school.
Students who are seeking a
Higher Edge Promise Scholarship will be required to participate in engagement
activities and college preparation events throughout their time in high school
that will help ensure they are academically prepared for the rigors of a
college education.
2016-17
Sportsmanship Awards Ceremony
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| 2016-17 Sportsmanship Award Recipients. Photo: Boyd Anderson |
The 2016-17 Sportsmanship
Awards Ceremony was held on Tuesday, May 16, at the La Mesa Community Center.
At the annual event, 22 GUHSD student athletes took to the stage to accept
their awards in the presence of family members, coaches and school officials.
Two students from each high school in the District were honored, not just for
excellence in sports, but in recognition of their sportsmanship and character.
After accepting their
awards, the students and their family members received complimentary photos
courtesy of Boyd Anderson Photography. Parents, siblings and other family
members stood with the students after pictures with coaches and administrators
were taken.
The Grossmont Athletic
Conference is the only one in San Diego County to present sportsmanship awards
of this kind. I believe the event is an important extension of what we aim for
as an educational institution and is consistent with upholding the CIF 16
Principles of Pursuing Victory with Honor.
Congratulations to the
following 2016-17 Sportsmanship Award Recipients:
El Cajon Valley High School
– Ana Garate, Balfred Carrillo
El Capitan High School – Savannah
Minshew, Tanner Bingham
Granite Hills – Ally
Fordham, Josh Verdon
Grossmont – Chloe Camarero,
Franklin Jacob Golojuch
Helix Charter – Calleagh
Turner, Jacob Hernandez
Monte Vista – Amy Smelko,
Troy J. Gunter
Mount Miguel – Janiza
Sanchez, Angel Vaca
Santana – Karen Cruz, Trent
Forster
Steele Canyon – Kaitlyn
Stathas, Yusuf Smith
Valhalla – Jennifer Fox,
Gage Bulette
West Hills – Brooke
Anderson, Zachary-Thomas Weaver
The event program is
available here.
Champion
of Champions Event Celebrates CTE Pathway Students
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| Mount Miguel Marketing Pathway student Christian Del Villarreal was one of many CTE students honored. Pictured here with teacher James McFarland. |
The 35th annual Career
Technical Education Champion of Champions Event was held on Friday, May 19,
2017, at the Cuyamaca College Student Center. Everyone was welcomed to
celebrate the CTE Champions with school site CTE pathway showcase tables.
Flowers were furnished by the students from the Floral Design class at El
Capitan under the expert guidance of Brenda Davis-Landini. Culinary delights
were prepared by the Culinary Arts and CTE Restaurant Services classes at
Granite Hills (Jill Enright, teacher), Valhalla High School (Missy
Korn-Heller, teacher), Santana (Donna Small, teacher), and El Cajon Valley
(Christine Baptista, teacher), and IDEA Center (Laureen Botticelli).
Click here to view
the program.
The 42 CTE pathways offered
on GUHSD campuses have been established based on the 15 different industry
sectors recognized by the State as important to our economy and workforce. One
student from each pathway at each school was honored as the Outstanding Pathway
Student of the Year.
The 2017 celebration also
recognized three students from the Education Pathway, Vallarie Basa, Granite
Hills High School, and Cassidy Davila and Carissa Meeker from Grossmont High
School, who are aspiring teachers, and were awarded the Terry K. Ryan
Scholarship. The program concluded by recognizing CTE retiree Mrs. Donna Small.
Regional
Collaboration Expands ‘One San Diego Skills for Success’ Program to Entire
Region
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| Santana Student Shane Kirk Shares his CTE Pathway Success Story with Media |
On Thursday May 18, the
County of San Diego hosted an event that brought together civic leaders,
including mayors, community college presidents, school district superintendents
and local businesses to encourage the business community to open their doors to
young people for work-based learning opportunities. This would include expanding
opportunities for our students to participate in programs such as job shadowing
and internships.
GUHSD was fortunate to have
such great representation from the leaders of our cities in the East County. Santana
High School student Shane Kirk was featured at the event and shared his CTE
pathway experience, as well as the opportunities it has provided for him
including an internship with SunPower.
Next
Generation of Great Teachers in East County Competition Event
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| Judges Provide Feedback on Education Pathway STEM Presentations |
On Wednesday May 17,
Education Pathway students from Grossmont, Granite Hills, and Mount Miguel High
Schools competed in the first ever Next Generation of Great Teachers in East
County Competition Event at Grossmont College.
Ten teams of two students
each presented a STEM lesson that they developed for elementary age students. The
teams were judged by a panel, which included Superintendent Tim Glover. In the
end, the team of Williams and Lewis from Mount Miguel High School took first
place in the competition.
Congratulations to all who
participated!
East
Region Apprenticeship Fair
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| East Region Apprenticeship Fair at Grossmont College |
On Friday May 12, The
College & Career Readiness Department, in collaboration with Grossmont
Adult Education and the Grossmont Cuyamaca Community College District, hosted
an Apprenticeship Fair at Grossmont College.
Nearly 20 apprenticeship
programs from San Diego and Imperial Counties were represented at the event,
along with over 160 students from GUHSD. The students were given the opportunity
to attend several workshops including: An Overview of the Trades, Females in
Apprenticeships, and Professional Skills.
Grossmont
Adult School Hosts OASIS Awards Ceremony
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| 2016-17 Oasis Award Recipients |
Grossmont Adult School held
its seventh annual OASIS Awards ceremony on May 12 at Grossmont College. OASIS
stands for Outstanding Adult Students, Instructors, and Staff.
Over 100 people celebrated
this year’s honorees. The celebration included desserts, awards, and door
prizes. The 2016-17 OASIS Award winners follow.
Student Award Recipients:
Diah Asker (Adult Basic
Education)
Philip Bol (Pre-Literacy)
Aleah Dixon (Vocational
Nursing)
Sara Ferrer (High School
Diploma)
Naomi Foster (Lifelong
Education)
Raymond Massey (High School
Equivalency)
Ana Veltmeyer (English as a
Second Language)
Natalia Willis (Dental
Assistant)
Instructor Award
Recipients:
Maria Chavez (Medical
Assistant)
Gary Clarke (Correctional
Education)
Tracee Leebolt (Veterinary
Assistant)
Amy Mann (Lifelong
Education)
Angelica Olivares (English
as a Second Language)
Diane Rojas (Lifelong
Education)
Staff Award Recipient:
Barbara Mistak (Account
Technician)
Community Partner Award
Recipients:
Mohammed Alyaqoobi
(Volunteer for ESL Program)
Myrtle Niesley (Business
Partner)
Danielle Sanderson (Medical
Program Partner)
Congratulations to all!
In closing, I wish you all
a safe, happy and meaningful Memorial Day.
Dr. Tim Glover
Superintendent
