As many of you reflect on goals for the new year, I find myself doing the same for the students of the Poway Unified School District. One of our primary responsibilities as educators is to prepare students for future careers. But when an estimated 85 percent of the jobs that will make up the future workforce have not yet been invented (Institute for the Future’s 2017 report), fulfilling our mission of college and career readiness becomes increasingly challenging.

With a continually shifting workplace, education must change how and what we are teaching our young people. Education should be nimble, adaptable and innovative. Education in 2019 should look completely different from 2009 and 1999. Yet how many classrooms across the country are still sticking to the traditional teaching and learning methods of the past to help prepare students for the future?

I saw an illustration the other day, and the message was simple yet striking. It showed an automobile from the 1960’s and one from today. It showed a manufacturing facility from the 1960’s and one from today. It showed a classroom from the 1960’s and one from today. Only the classroom remained unchanged.

Last November, Intel brought its mobile Tech Learning Lab to one of our schools, Design39Campus. The immersive, hands-on experience included virtual reality stations, augmented reality, artificial intelligence, coding and robotics and the Internet of Things. These are the same emerging technologies that the Institute for the Future says are going to completely transform the workplace by the year 2030. While it may sound like science fiction, our students were fully engaged and all-in. There really wasn’t much of a learning curve because today’s students already live in a digital world, with technology seamlessly integrated into their daily lives. In fact, many PUSD schools have established tech support teams comprised entirely of students! Roles have been flipped and our students are becoming the teachers. The natural next step is to ensure technology is seamlessly integrated into their classrooms as well.

We are not suggesting students be glued to iPads or computers all day. Our Technology and Innovation department is taking a very purposeful and systematic approach to integrating technology in our classrooms. How can technology support, enhance, and enrich the standards and curriculum being taught? PUSD has invested many hours into providing professional development and embedded coaching to empower teachers to transform student learning, and to prepare students with the skills necessary to be successful in today’s technological world. From digital citizenship lessons to hour of code activities, students from elementary to high school are benefiting.

In addition to technology skills, students must learn how to be creative, think critically, problem solve, communicate effectively, and collaborate on project-based learning. These type of “soft skills” were identified by a Google study as some of the most important skills to be a successful employee. Students must also be given a clear picture of the various career and college options that are available to them. We use student strength assessments and career exploration tools to help our young people identify their passions and how that translates into possible career goals. Based on their interests and talents, students can then take Career Technical Education courses at the secondary level, with pathways for in-demand careers ranging from construction to computer science, graphic design to agriculture, and digital media to biomedical science.

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This Friday, on February 1, 2019, PUSD will launch our annual survey to gather your input on our Local Control Accountability Plan, or LCAP, which will shape the District’s goals and guide our budgeting priorities for 2019-2020. We want to hear from you! Please watch this video message from Superintendent, Dr. Marian Kim Phelps on why getting your feedback is so important.

In past years, our LCAP forums were primarily held in person, but that limited the feedback we received to those who were physically able to come to these on-site meetings. Instead, this year we hope to increase participating by using a simple, convenient online platform that can be accessed from any smartphone or computer.

Thoughtexchange is essentially a virtual conversation, where you can share your thoughts, see the thoughts of others in your school community, and prioritize the thoughts most important to you. Look for an email next week to walk you through the participation process. For the answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Thoughtexchange, go here for FAQs.

If you would still like to participate in person, we will be hosting four meetings District wide:

English:

• Tuesday, February 5th at 6pm (Twin Peaks Middle School Library)
• Wednesday, February 6th at 6pm (District Office Community Room)
• Thursday, February 7th at 6pm (Oak Valley Midd School Multi-Purpose Room)

Spanish:

• Thursday, February 7th at 6pm (Valley Elementary School Library)

RSVP for the In-Person meetings here.

Whether you participate online or in person, we will be asking everyone to answer the following question: “What are the most important things to focus on as we continue our work to support all students?” To help inform your answers, please take the time to review our current LCAP goals and the actions supporting them for the 2018-19 school year.

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Did you know? The amount of nicotine in one JUUL cartridge equals the amount of nicotine in a pack of cigarettes. Rancho Bernardo High School hosted an informational night titled, "What I Wish My Parents Knew about Vaping and eCigarettes." If you weren't able to attend, but would like to learn more about the topics covered, listen to the podcast below with Principal David LeMaster. He discusses the peer pressure students face, the importance of parent partnership with schools, and why Juul-ing is more addictive than students realize.

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Meadowbrook Middle School English Learners have met the Poway Unified School District reclassification criteria. They have shown proficiency in their classes, on SBAC testing and the ELPAC Test (English Language Proficiency Assessments for California). A big THANK YOU to the Meadowbrook Education Foundation for sponsoring the event.

(from Terry Monhan, San Diego Union Tribune)

For the first time on the big stage in a fairly new sport of Aesthetic Group Gymnastics, Team Grace turned in its best performance of the season at the right time.

At the Pan Am Championships against teams from 13 countries, Nov. 23-24 in Santos, Brazil, Team Grace, made up of nine gymnasts, most of them from San Diego, captured the gold medal. The roster includes Helen Xu, a junior at Del Norte High, and Angela Ma from Westview High. Alternates who did not compete in Brazil include Fernanda Fabian of Poway High.

Congratulations to the over two dozen Abraxas High School seniors who graduated this December.

Abraxas High School received a generous donation from the Rotary for teachers in both the Diploma and Transition Programs to purchase classroom wish list items to enhance student learning and experiences

Congratulations to Pomerado Elementary School on being awarded $10,000 from the OtterCares Foundation to be used for the schools Launch lab!

Congrats also go out to teacher Laura Snow as the recipient of a $500 Teacher Grant awarded by North Island Credit Union. Her project, Support for Blended Learning, was chosen from among hundreds of submissions. She received the grant award in front of hundreds of cheering students.

Ms. Hanson's class at Mesa Verde Middle School won the school's annual Constitutional Challenge! They were awarded certificates by Congressman Peters' office.

8th grade students from Black mountain Middle School participated in the “We the People Competition” held at Grossmont College. The BMMS Raiders took first place! Congratulations!! Way to represent #TeamPUSD

Del Norte and Westview High School DECA students won multiple awards at the SoCal DECA Career Development Conference.

Congratulations, Westview NJROTC at a recent Field Meet. The team took 2nd overall; 1st in Unit Personal inspection; 1st in Physical Training; and 3rd in Academics.

Congratulations to Del Norte High School’s cyber security team – “CyberAegis Chobani,” Oak Valley Middle School’s cyber security team – “CyberAegis Chaos,” and D39C's team - "CyberAegis Kronos," (below) as the nation’s top ranked high school and middle school teams, in the CyberPatriot Competition. We wish them luck on their march to the nationals!

Congratulations to Rancho Bernardo Wrestling for bringing home the 1st Place Team Trophy at the Hotville Rotary Invitational 2019. GO BRONCOS!

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On January 19 and 20, choir students from all five PUSD high schools gathered together at the Poway Center for the Performing Arts to perform works by Ola Gjeilo.

Kindergartners at Chaparral Elementary share their accomplishments with their smart pads with the transitional kinders.

Representatives from all six PUSD high school meet monthly with the Superintendent's Cabinet to learn more about PUSD and how they can represent student voice in District decisions. Thank you for your commitment!

Westview High School's dance troupe performing All Wrapped Up.

Lockheed Martin hosted dozens of young female engineers from Meadowbrook Middle School during their annual Women In Engineering Day.

The “Golden Leaders” student athletes at Westview High School and the Best Buddies Club held their annual Unity Basketball Game. Student athletes, together with students with special needs, met on the court and played some serious basketball in front of hundreds of supportive students and staff cheering them on! This school-wide sporting event is one of the most popular events on campus. Way to represent #TeamPUSD.

So proud of our Rancho Bernardo High School Boys Basketball and Del Norte High School for putting on the annual Best Buddies basketball event. We have amazing students!

Del Norte High School AP Euro students re-enacted the French Revolution!

Poway High School's advanced and AP Photography to do cross-curricular work with AP Environmental Science students to create graphics regarding different endangered species.

Stone Ranch Elementary School’s Student Council hosted a Toy Drive for Rady Children's Hospital and dropped their donations off in time for the holidays. Way to represent #TeamPUSD

Rolling Hills Elementary students danced the conga during recess, with their custodian Char leading the way!

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Register Here for the Next Free Heart Screening

WHEN: Sunday, February 10

WHERE: Westview High School • 13500 Camino Del Sur • San Diego, 92129

WHO:

• Screenings are for youth ages 12 to 25 only

• Open to the public—you do not need to be a student at the host school

• Parents of youth under 18 need not attend if youth brings a signed/completed Screening Packet

Eric Paredes was a healthy Steele Canyon High School sophomore athlete who died suddenly and unexpectedly from Sudden Cardiac Arrest/Death (SCA/D) in 2009. His parents, Hector and Rhina Paredes, established EP Save A Life Foundation to honor him through their commitment to screen other teens to prevent this tragedy from happening to other families.

The California Department of Education released statewide results of the 2018 California School Dashboard. The Dashboard shows how well students within a district or school are performing on a variety of indicators, including test scores, graduation rates, suspension rates, chronic absenteeism, and college/career readiness. This accountability system provides a wealth of information to assist parents, educators, and the general public in evaluating schools and districts. To view the California School Dashboard click here.

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