What's New in GUHSD

2014-2015 Golden Apple Awards & Retirement Ceremony

Several Golden Apple recipients pictured with members of the GUHSD Governing Board and Superintendent Swenson

The 30th Annual Golden Apple Awards & Retirement Ceremony was held on Monday, May 4, in the Bob Guess Theater for the Performing Arts at West Hills High School in Santee. The Golden Apple Awards event recognizes outstanding teachers selected by the student body in each of the District’s high schools and other educational programs.

The Governing Board and the students of the Grossmont District, through their respective ASBs, host the evening in honor of those teachers who were selected as the 2014 – 2015 honorees at their schools.

The 2014-2015 Golden Apple Award recipients include:

Chaparral: Bill Deerfield

El Cajon Valley: Sarah Michelson

El Capitan: Hilary Nau

Granite Hills: Danny Root

Grossmont: Amber Garrett

Helix Charter: Aleen Jendian

Monte Vista: Deirdre Oakley

Mount Miguel: Stacey Johnson

Santana: Tim Barry

Steele Canyon: Luis Cely

Valhalla: Keith McKee

West Hills: Courtney Pate

Adult Education: Susan G. Taylor

Alternative Education (Phoenix Program): Robert Maines

Career/Technical Education: Jenn Hanzal

Special Education: Kyndel Ross

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We also recognized four classified employees who were selected on the basis of their outstanding service throughout the year:

First Quarter: Kelcy Sutton, Special Education Aide

Second Quarter: Saul Hernandez, Guidance Information Specialist

Third Quarter: Robin Pistole, Budget Specialist

Fourth Quarter: Josephine “Jo” Willson, Administrative Secretary

Saul Hernandez, GUHSD Classified Employee of the Year

Saul Hernandez, was further honored as he was selected as Classified Employee of the Year for the Grossmont District.

In addition, we rounded out the evening by honoring district employees who have retired during the 2014 – 2015 school year. Click here to view the event program, including the list of retirees. We thank them for their service to our youth and wish them much happiness in this next stage of their lives.

One of the highlights of my job is having the opportunity to recognize these outstanding teachers, classified employees, and retirees who are working hard to ensure that the student experience in GUHSD is positive.

I thank the following community partners and organizations whose generous donations helped make this annual event possible: Boyd Anderson Photography; Fagen, Friedman & Fulfrost LLP; Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo; Stutz, Artiano, Shinoff & Holtz; and SixTen, Inc. I also recognize the following District services for their assistance with this event: GUHSD ASB organizations, CTE Floral Design Program, Food Services, Media Services, West Hills Strings & Guitar and West Hills High School.

El Cajon Valley, Monte Vista & Steele Canyon Highs Schools Receive Prestigious Gold Ribbon Designation

El Cajon Valley, Monte Vista, and Steele Canyon Highs Schools were named Gold Ribbon Schools this week by the State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson. 

They were among 180 high schools honored under the award program, which is temporarily taking the place of the California Distinguished Schools Program.

"These schools are academically successful, vibrant, and innovative centers of learning and teaching," State Superintendent Tom Torlakson said. "They provide great examples of the things educators are doing right—embracing rigorous academic standards, providing excellence and creativity in teaching, and creating a positive school climate."

The California Gold Ribbon Schools Award was created to honor schools in place of the California Distinguished Schools Program, which is on hiatus while California creates new assessment and accountability systems.

Schools applied for the award based on a model program their school has adopted that includes standards-based activities, projects, strategies, and practices that can be replicated by other local educational agencies.

Champion of Champions Event Celebrates CTE Pathway Students

Mount Miguel Marketing Pathway student Melanie Herrera was one of many CTE Champions recognized. Pictured here with teachers Jeff Wood and James McFarland

The 33rd annual Career Technical Education Champion of Champions Event was held on Thursday, May 7, 2015, at the Ronald Reagan Community Center in El Cajon. Everyone was welcomed to “CTE Country” as Jim Perondi from South County SELPA provided musical entertainment. Flowers were furnished by the students from the Floral Design class at Chaparral 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/Chaparral High Schools (Eugenie King, teacher), Santana (Donna Small, teacher), and El Cajon Valley (Christine May, teacher).

The 35 CTE pathways are offered on all campuses and are established on one of the 15 different industry sectors recognized by the State as important to California’s economy and workforce. One student from each pathway at each school was honored as the Outstanding Pathway Student of the Year.

Click here to view the program.

Sandy Ryan presents Terry K. Ryan Future Teacher Scholarships to two students

The 2015 celebration also recognized two students from the Education Pathway, Mary Sako, Granite Hills High School, and Kira Duffett, Grossmont High School, who are aspiring teachers, and were awarded the Terry K. Ryan Scholarship presented by Ms. Sandy Ryan. Monte Vista High School Automotive Pathway student Colin Donaghue was recognized for Outstanding Achievement in Automotive Technology at the San Diego County Office of Education. Additionally, Santana High School student, Ashley Lopez, represented GUHSD CTE as the outstanding district CTE student at the San Diego County Office of Education Awards Ceremony in April.

Retiring teacher Mike Helkenn once again provided exceptional entertainment as the Master of Ceremonies. In addition to the great annual Champions event, the district CTE teachers, along with the entire CTE Administration and staff, deserve special recognition for the quality programs they provide for the students of East County every day. 

Superintendent Ralf Swenson

What's New in GUHSD

Mount Miguel Student Earns $100 Prize in Ethics Essay Contest

Superintendent Swenson and Allaura Ailey

GUHSD’s Career Technical Education program was front and center at the San Diego East County Chamber’s monthly breakfast meeting today. In addition to highlighting the award-winning CTE programs in our schools, we also recognized the winners of the Chamber’s Ethics in Business Conference essay contest, which was open to all students who participated in the conference.

Thanks to the generosity of the San Diego East County Chamber membership, four East County students were selected, including Mount Miguel student Allaura Ailey.

Allaura and her aunt, along with Principal Steve Coover, and teacher Bridget Desonia were present as she read her essay to the Chamber members.

Community Partner Steve Devan Honored

Steve Devan honored as Community Partner

Last week, Grossmont Schools Federal Credit Union CEO Steve Devan was prominently featured at the annual San Diego County School Board Association’s “Honoring our Own” Awards Dinner at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel on Friday, April 24.

I nominated Steve Devan and was proud to be beside him as he was honored as Community Partner of the Year. Please join me in congratulating Mr. Devan on this high honor. We deeply appreciate his commitment to our schools in the region.

The beautiful floral centerpieces for the event were created by the Chaparral High School ROP Floral Design class and Grossmont High School’s NJROTC Color Guard presented the colors at this annual event that highlights those who contribute so much to the field of education.

Santana Students Lead the Way

Second place finisher "Team Legitimate" advances to the state competition

Santana High School entered two teams in this year's Introduction to Engineering Design/Project Lead the Way (PLTW) San Diego Regional competition. This year's regional competition was held Saturday April 18, 2015, at Kearny High School. 

"Team Legitimate" members: Colton Gerry, Kevin Kelly, and Noah Kemp earned 2nd place, while their counterparts "Crimson Typhoon" consisting of Selina Wade, Ashley Lopez, and Ryan Bratlien, earned 3rd place in the 2015 Chevron Design Challenge. 

The teams were tasked to design a step ladder with a special feature that would assist the elderly for household use. Fifteen teams competed overall and the top three finishers move on to the state competition held on May 16, 2015, in Folsom.

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Best wishes to our two Santana teams that are advancing and will compete against the other top teams in the state.

29th Annual GUHSD District Art Show Opens May 15

I hope you will join us for the opening reception of the 29th Annual GUHSD Student Art Show at Westfield Shopping Center-Parkway Plaza, near JC Penney. The opening reception will be held on Friday, May 15, at 5:30 p.m., with an awards ceremony. Student artwork will be on exhibit through Sunday afternoon.

The district student art exhibition has grown and developed into a wonderful exhibit over the past 28 years, with ten different categories, including: black & white drawing, color drawing, painting, photography, creative photography, digital arts, sculpture, functional ceramics, printmaking, and metalwork/jewelry, with beginning and advanced divisions in each category. This event is made possible with the generous support of the Associated Student Bodies of all district high schools.

Superintendent Ralf Swenson

What's New in GUHSD

I begin this issue of Newsline with the announcement of two leadership changes:

Robin Ballarin was appointed as the new Principal of West Hills High School at the Governing Board meeting last week. During her 21-year career with the District, Robin has served as a teacher, Vice Principal and Director II, Curriculum. Robin is recognized as a leader both in the District and in the educational community. Her experience as an educator and administrator will enable Robin to be successful in leading West Hills High School.

Dr. Kimberlee Hedrick has been appointed as the new Principal of Mount Miguel High School. Dr. Hedrick’s start date is July 1, 2015. She is currently serving as the Principal of Kenmore Junior High School in Bothell, Washington; she also was a Vice Principal at Lynnwood High School. She earned her Doctorate in Educational Leadership & Policy Studies, Education Specialist Degree in Education Administration, Masters in Teaching, Master’s in Business Administration and a Bachelor of Arts in Speech Communication.

Congratulations to both!

Annual AVID Student Leadership Conference

Valhalla students complete a "Home Group" poster at the start of the AVID Conference

On Thursday, April 16, I delivered opening remarks to GUHSD’s Annual AVID Student Leadership Conference, which was held at the Ronald Reagan Community Center. AVID stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination. It is a post-secondary, college readiness system that is designed to increase schoolwide learning and performance for all students, focusing on those students in the academic middle. Monte Vista High School has been recognized as a National AVID Demonstration School.

The AVID Student Leadership Conference focuses on developing leadership skills and exploring ideas on how to become student leaders on their campuses. This year’s theme was, “AVID is my Superpower!” Annual keynote speaker Steve Gonzalez, Founder and President of Dream Weavers, guided students through a series of team-building activities that challenged them to solve problems and work collaboratively.

I’ve witnessed firsthand the difference that this vibrant program can make in the lives of students. I thank our Categorical Programs office and AVID site coordinators for their commitment to this vital program.

Granite Hills Brings the Heat

The "Mean Beans" culinary team from Granite Hills

The recent record-breaking radiating heat in San Diego County was also felt at the annual chili cook off at Granite Hills High School. On Wednesday, March 25, teams of students from teacher Jill Enright-Stewart’s CTE Culinary Arts pathway presented their creations to a panel of judges made up of teachers, administrators, and members of the El Cajon Police Department.

There was a tie for first place between “Mean Beans” (Sarah Black, Emily Wujek, Brianna Swenson, and Karena Sanchez) and “Afterburn” (Jazz Phillips, Blake Branvall, and Alicia Vargas). Third place went to “Fiery Flame” (Tilea Armstrong, Sofia Medina, Marcos Dobia, and Marissa Ackerson).

The Afterburn team will be entering their winning chili in the City of El Cajon’s Chili Cook-Off on May 16, where they will represent the El Cajon Police Department.

“Bowls of Steel” (Johnathon Francis, Angelica Sarenana, and Kyler Gilliland) won for best cornbread.

The Culinary pathway at Granite Hills High School prepares students for post-secondary educational opportunities and careers in the Hospitality and Culinary industries. For more information about this and other Career Technical Education programs in the district, visit the CTE website.

El Cajon Valley Students Examine US Legal System

An El Cajon Valley student tries on the robe aside Hon. Janis Sammartino

Twenty-two students in El Cajon Valley teacher Brad Sheffer’s government class participated in the Open Doors to the Courts program. This national program welcomes thousands of students into local federal courthouses around the country. The annual event was divided into three segments: Credit Abuse Resistance Education (CARE) hosted by experts in the field of bankruptcy law; a Legal Careers Panel; and a mock trial in which students took on the various roles.

Bankruptcy Court Judges Laura Taylor and Margaret Mann discussed the ramifications of using credit and how to wisely use credit cards. They also discussed the pros and cons of student loans. The goal of the CARE program is to train young men and women to intelligently manage their credit and to keep them from ever seeing the inside of a bankruptcy court.

Students also heard from an Assistant U.S. Attorney and Federal Defender, as well as  a U.S. probation officer, courtroom deputy, court reporter, interpreter, and Deputy  U.S.  Marshal, who each discussed their individual roles. These professionals also shared information about the education and experience required to attain these positions.

Finally, the students participated in the culminating event: a scripted Mock Trial presided over by U.S. District Judge Janis L. Sammartino. The trial  explored  the  real-life  hazards  of texting while driving. The day emphasized the importance of civic responsibility, good citizenship and impartiality to these young men and women preparing to leave high school and enter the adult work force.

Superintendent Ralf Swenson

What's New in GUHSD

GUHSD 2015-2016 Teachers of the Year with the Governing Board and Superintendent Swenson

2015 – 2016 Teacher of the Year Recognition Ceremony

At the Governing Board meeting on April 16, we recognized the Teacher of the Year nominees from each of our schools. This is a great honor, as each nominee was selected by their peers. 

School site nominees are interviewed by a panel comprised of previous Teachers of the Year and District personnel. The panel selects two representatives from this distinguished group to recommend to our Board of Trustees for consideration for the San Diego County Teacher of the Year competition. If selected to represent the County, the next step is the California Teacher of the Year Competition. 

These GUHSD teachers are representative of the quality of our educators. I am pleased to present to you the GUHSD 2015-2016 Teachers of the Year:

El Cajon Valley High School:

Franz Ruiz – Biology, AP Environmental Science

Granite Hills High School:

John Houston – Social Science, AP US History

Grossmont High School:

Tom Eklund – Physics, AP Physics

Monte Vista High School:

Marisa Alvarado – Biology, AP Environmental Science, Science 1C

Mount Miguel High School:

First Sergeant Brian Bennett – JROTC Army Instructor

Santana High School:

Donna A. Small – Culinary Arts, Foods and Nutrition

Valhalla High School:

Shoshana Adams – Humanities II

Alternative Education/Chaparral High School:

Brenda Davis-Landini – CTE Floral Design

And our two 2015 - 2016 GUHSD Teachers of the Year who advance to compete at the County level for San Diego County Teacher of the Year:

Matt Norris & Andie Cooke, GUHSD Teachers of the Year, who advance to the County Competition

Andrea (Andie) Cooke – Representing El Capitan High School

Andie is a Spanish and AP Spanish Teacher as well as the Chairperson of the World Language Department at El Capitan High School, where she has been teaching since 2005.  Andie reports that teaching the Spanish language and culture is her passion. She enjoys teaching the beginning classes and watching her students grow to comprehend the language and participate conversationally.

According to Principal Laura Whitaker, “Andie pours her heart and soul into her teaching and she genuinely cares about her students.”  A colleague shared, “She is dynamic and full of motivational energy that really inspires her students.”

Matthew Norris – Representing West Hills High School

Matt is a Social Science, AP World History Teacher and the Infinite Campus Trainer/Teacher Coach at West Hills High School, where he has been teaching since 2003. Matt was inspired to become a teacher after a six-week trip to Mexico, where he visited factories, mines, businesses, farms, and presidential palaces. There, he saw the power of education in changing lives.

Principal Robin Ballarin describes Matt as organized, diligent and extremely dependable. He cares deeply about his students and their learning. A colleague shared, “Matt is an extraordinary teacher, who consistently pushes himself to provide the best learning experience for his students on a day-to-day basis, year after year.”

Please join me in congratulating Andrea Cooke and Matthew Norris, as well as our other inspirational Teachers of the Year! We are very proud to have these fine teachers represent their school sites and our district as our 2015-2016 Teachers of the Year.

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In closing, I share with you a number of board recognitions, many of which showcase the academic achievement and athletic prowess shown by our talented students:

Varsity Academic League Champions, Helix Charter High School

Junior Varsity Academic League Champions, Santana High School

Retiring Academic League Coordinator, Richard Beach

2015 Fall CIF-SDS Girls' Basketball Division IV Champions, El Capitan 

2015 Fall CIF-SDS Boys' Basketball Division III Champions, El Cajon Valley

Director of Information and Technology Services, Rick Roberts, Receives State Recognition

What's New in GUHSD

El Cajon PD recognizes Grossmont students and staff

Grossmont High School was highlighted in the news this week to showcase how the El Cajon Police Department is working to utilize students’ innovative minds to work collaboratively on an issue as important as school safety.

Earlier in the school year, Grossmont’s School Resource Officer, Jeannine Johns, developed a classroom competition for students and staff to create "Emergency Preparedness Kits."

The competition was a voluntary effort with staff and students to develop emergency kits and plans that could be used in multiple, “shelter in place” emergency situations including natural disasters, fires, active shooter, etc. The plans were to include basic items such as water and sustainable foods, but also plans of action and other innovative ideas. 

El Cajon PD, El Cajon Fire Department and school administrators judged the preparedness kits last month. Two classrooms were selected as winners and the El Cajon Police Officer's Association sponsored a luncheon for them on Wednesday.

The overall goal of the pilot project was to be a more prepared campus for any type of critical incident. We will determine viability for possible implementation at other schools and explore a variety of funding options.

Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee Issues 2014 Annual Report

The independent Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee (CBOC) has issued its 2014 Annual Report to community.

It is publicly accessible via this web site link. Print versions of the report are being distributed to PTAs this month. It will also be available in all school offices, county libraries within the district, and at CBOC and Governing Board meetings.

CBOC community volunteers met a total of 28 times last year. They reviewed all planned projects and expenditures, the district’s Deferred Maintenance program, and annual performance and financial audits completed by an independent auditor. They also reviewed a 2013 Grand Jury report concerning the planned high school in Alpine.

The CBOC annual report provides a comprehensive review of the CBOC’s role as well as challenges and accomplishments of the Prop H/U program. Included in the report is a review of the financial status, projects, and results of the latest audits.

We appreciate the work of these volunteers’ steadfast commitment to actively review and report on the proper expenditure of taxpayers’ money for school construction. I also extend our appreciation to 2014 outgoing CBOC members Nick Marinovich and John Pagenkopp.

Grossmont Healthcare District Awards Scholarships

2015 Grossmont Healthcare District scholarship recipients

At a recent board meeting, the Grossmont Healthcare District (GHD), a public agency that supports various health-related community programs and services in San Diego’s East County region, presented $85,500 in scholarships to 38 high school students interested in a career as a healthcare professional.

The students from 19 high schools in the East County were selected by school administrators for their academic excellence, outstanding citizenship and a desire to improve our world in the healthcare field. Two students from each high school will receive a GHD scholarship of either $3,000 or $1,500. Students will receive checks from GHD at the end of their first semester of college, contingent on completing at least nine units with a grade point average of 2.0 or better.

GUHSD scholarship recipients include:

Chaparral: Martin LaRue, Julia Genovese

El Cajon Valley: Jesery Mendez, Mustafa Haleem

El Capitan: Leslye Santiago, Torie Rogers

Granite Hills: Joshua Kurtz, Holly Benoit

Grossmont: Kaitlyn Moreno, Sean Dawson

Grossmont Middle College: Ryan Zentmyer, Ivan Jebrael

Helix Charter: Vivian Kimberly Hua, Jennifer Lee Sung

Monte Vista: Cierra Johnson, Diana Gonzalez

Mount Miguel: Cinthya Gonzalez, Cierra Conwright

Santana: Kayla Hayes, Samantha Pazo

Steele Canyon: Linh Cook, Brandon Sanchez

Valhalla: Madelyn Dow, Noemi Barragan

West Hills: Iona Vestemean, Jules Hinderliter

GHD has honored local high school students interested in a healthcare career with scholarship grants since 1999. Over the years, hundreds of local high school students have received individual scholarships totaling $962,000.

Thank you for providing financial support to our students so that they may pursue their dream of working in the healthcare arena.

Students Learn About WWII through Visual Presentation

West Hills' teacher Dan Sutton in uniform

At West Hills High School on Friday, March 20, students in Social Science teacher Dan Sutton’s class were transported back to the World War II era as part of an annual living history presentation. The day-long presentation was held in the school’s outdoor amphitheater and provided an opportunity for students to gain a greater understanding of the largest conflict in the history of mankind.

This was the eleventh year of the World War II Living History presentation, which included original vehicles, weapons, Hollywood props and first-person presentations by historical reenactors. The presenters were dressed in original uniforms as they portrayed actual combatants from various countries.

Superintendent Ralf Swenson