#TeamPUSD
Sharing the Good News and Good Work of Students and Staff
October/November 2017 Edition
Sincerely,
Christine Paik, Director of Communications

Superintendent's Message
The month of October held many celebrations and recognitions including Homecomings, Character Counts! and Red Ribbon Weeks, National Custodial Workers Day, National Principals Month, National School Lunch Week, to name a few. I just want to take this opportunity to acknowledge how many members of #TeamPUSD it takes to keep our District running and succeeding. It is so exciting to see so many of our stakeholders engaged and contributing to PUSD. I have seen this firsthand during my visits to each site and District office, as I'm greeted by staff, students, and volunteers so proud to show off their work in support of our schools.
One event where you could see #TeamPUSD so clearly at work is the PUSD College and Career Fair, in support of college and career readiness for our students. Over 130 colleges and vendors were represented, along with helpful workshops on financial aid, trades, military branches and more. I want to thank our volunteers from the Palomar Council and PUSD Foundation as well as the students and staff at the host school, Rancho Bernardo High School, for all of their hard work in planning and executing this event.


Tierra Bonita Elementary School has once again been named an Apple Distinguished School, for their successful and innovative implementation of technology to transform students’ learning. It’s exciting to see our young students growing up to be tech-savvy and future contributors in high-demand STEM industries. They even train students to serve as tech support for their fellow students! Great job to Principal Mandy Bedard and her team. Their school will serve as a model for other schools that might want to do the same.
-Marian Kim-Phelps, Ed.D.
"Excellence in Education" Video Series
PUSD Podcast Episode 3
Understanding school finances can be confusing and complicated. Why is #PowayUnified facing budget challenges? What about lottery money, property taxes, and Mello-Roos? Listen to this month's podcast with Ron Little, Associate Superintendent of Business Support Services, to learn about how our district is funded.

Poway Unified School District
PUSDPodcast Ep.3 - Ron Little by Poway Unified School District
Student, School, and Staff Achievements
National School Ambassador
Design39Campus kindergarten teacher, Megan Power, is one of six educators to be named to the Department of Education’s 2017 School Ambassador Fellowship. "The Fellowship program is designed to improve education for all students by involving practitioners in the development and implementation of national education policy," said U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. Read more about Megan's work in this article here.
California Teacher of the Year Finalist
National Merit Semi-finalists63 Poway Unified School District seniors have been selected as semifinalists in the 63rd annual National Merit Scholarship Program. About 1.6 million juniors in more than 22,000 high schools entered the 2018 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2016 PSAT, which served as an initial screen of program entrants. See the complete list of names in this article. | All-Southern Honor Choirs 14 PUSD students have been selected for the Southern California Vocal Association's All-Southern Honor Choirs. Women's Honor Choir: Lauren Springett, Jadyn Ponder, Collette Cribbins, Laine Carter, Cassandra Lidstad, Jessica Trost; Men's Honor Choir: John Lettang, Luke Sommer, Evan Bartholomeusz, Alexander Pruetting, Aaron Hayne; Mixed Honor Choir: Nandini Rajgopal, Nidhi Deshiikan, Esheta Garb. | Apple SchoolTierra Bonita Elementary School has been recognized as an Apple Distinguished School for 2017-2019 for its successful and innovative implementation of Apple technology to transform students’ learning. Apple Distinguished Schools are centers of innovation, leadership, and educational excellence. They use Apple products to inspire creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking, with documented results of academic accomplishment. Watch this video to see how Tierra Bonita is leveraging iPads for learning and teaching. |
National Merit Semi-finalists
63 Poway Unified School District seniors have been selected as semifinalists in the 63rd annual National Merit Scholarship Program. About 1.6 million juniors in more than 22,000 high schools entered the 2018 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2016 PSAT, which served as an initial screen of program entrants. See the complete list of names in this article.
All-Southern Honor Choirs
Apple School
Tierra Bonita Elementary School has been recognized as an Apple Distinguished School for 2017-2019 for its successful and innovative implementation of Apple technology to transform students’ learning. Apple Distinguished Schools are centers of innovation, leadership, and educational excellence. They use Apple products to inspire creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking, with documented results of academic accomplishment. Watch this video to see how Tierra Bonita is leveraging iPads for learning and teaching.
First Lego League Poway High School's Robotics Team Spyder 1622 hosted the FIRST Lego League Poway High Qualifying Tournament, with 15 local teams competing. The following PUSD teams are advancing to the Championship at Legoland December 2-3! -Championship winner: 5680 Falconers -Championship winner: 422 R.O.B.O.T. -Project winner: 31330 Technological Terrors -Robot Design winner: 20726 Robo Stars -Core Value winner: 2606 Mechanical Munsters -Robot Performance Award: 20726 Robo Stars | CyberAegis Teams Congratulations to the CyberAegis teams from Del Norte High School, Oak Valley Middle School, and Design39Campus! They competed in the "Cyber Day L.A." cyber security competition, entering the most advanced categories against some of the top competitors in the country. PUSD students won 1st place in the Nationals division, 1st and 2nd in the High Schools advanced division, and swept 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in the Middle Schools advanced division. | NBC7 Teacher of the Month Creekside Elementary 2nd Grade Teacher Diana Thomas was selected as NBC7/San Diego County Office of Education's Inspirational Teacher of the Month. She received a surprise visit on November 15th. She was chosen for her passion for teaching, inspiring students to love reading, and providing extraordinary communication with parents and encouraging parent involvement. Her episode will air in December. |
First Lego League
-Championship winner: 5680 Falconers
-Championship winner: 422 R.O.B.O.T.
-Project winner: 31330 Technological Terrors
-Robot Design winner: 20726 Robo Stars
-Core Value winner: 2606 Mechanical Munsters
-Robot Performance Award: 20726 Robo Stars
CyberAegis Teams
NBC7 Teacher of the Month
CIF Southern Regional Girls Volleyball Champs Tweet from @DavidLLemaster: "Your Division 4 Southern Regional State Champions! Congratulations ladies." | Band Champions Tweet from @Principal_Magno: "It is a 3-peat for MC Band and Colorguard! Another championship performance in Band Championship at Arcadia! Great work Sundevils! @MtCarmelRedSea @PowayUnified @SCSBOA" | CIF Section Girls Golf Champs Tweet from @calistalouise54: "Your 2017 CIF Champs!! So proud of this team! Regionals here we come! #backtoback #gobroncos – at Admiral Baker Golf Course" |
CIF Southern Regional Girls Volleyball Champs
Band Champions
CIF Section Girls Golf Champs
EVERYDAY HEROES AWARDS
Michele Cass Administrative Assistant II, Alternative Programs | Aaron Davis Lead Custodian, Midland Elementary School | Beth Engstrom School Administrative Assistant-Elementary, Painted Rock Elementary School |
Cheri Gracey Extended Student Services Supervisor, Sunset Hills Elementary | Myra Prather Extended Student Services Supervisor, Stone Ranch Elementary | Angela Keirn Office Specialist, Preschool Department |
TEAM PUSD AWARDS
Transpor-tation Department Phillip Medved, Vehicle Maintenance Supervisor; Kristopher Contino, Assistant Mechanic. | PSEA Partners Program Kimberly Carroll, High School Registrar, Westview High School; Teresa Small, Attendance Accounting Assistant III, Ranch Bernardo High School; Nancy Schiffer, School Administrative Assistant - High School, Poway; Nancy Brundrett, Instructional Assistant II Special Education Highland Ranch Elementary School; Bonnie Loparo, Instructional Assistant II Special Education, Westwood Elementary School; Robby Boyd, Health Services Technician, Stone Ranch Elementary School; Heather Barnard, Health Services Technician, Del Sur Elementary School; Monique Cordeau, School Administrative Assistant - Middle School, Black Mountain Middle School; Shelley Fleming, Library Media Technician, Park Village Elementary School; Janet Crews, Department Operations Technician, Maintenance and Operations; Cris Rollins, School Administrative Assistant - Elementary, Valley Elementary School | Teachers On Special Assignment Hilary Cuevas-Balanon, TOSA, Learning Support Services; Stephanie Martin, TOSA, Learning Support Services; Kristin Thomas, TOSA, Learning Support Services; Vickie Carroll, TOSA, Learning Support Services |
Transpor-tation Department
PSEA Partners Program


More Homecoming Fun
Homecoming Dances Instagram post from @mcsundevils: "It's a full dance floor at tonight's Marvelous Homecoming. #whereyouatmc" | Speed Painting Tweet from @KeithOpstad: "Westview High School pep rally Speed Painting. 45 minutes, 4 teams, 2304 square inches of canvas and 2,550 students." | Rotary Cup Post from Rancho Bernardo football: "Looking forward to a great game tomorrow in the 26th Rotary Cup, which happens to be our Homecoming game! Should be a fun night!" |
Homecoming Dances
Speed Painting
#PowayLove


Character Counts! and Red Ribbon Weeks

Painted Rock
Deer CanyonTweet from @MisterDelaCruz: "Kicking off #RedRibbonWeek @ DeerCanyonElem! 4th grade students discovering their strengths!@PUSDinnovate @PowayUnified @thrively" | Midland | PomeradoTweet from @PomeradoPUSD: "Wildcats showing off their rainbow of Good Character! Red Ribbon Week Rocks! #CharacterCounts |
Deer Canyon
Tweet from @MisterDelaCruz: "Kicking off #RedRibbonWeek @ DeerCanyonElem! 4th grade students discovering their strengths!@PUSDinnovate @PowayUnified @thrively"
Midland
Pomerado
Tweet from @PomeradoPUSD: "Wildcats showing off their rainbow of Good Character! Red Ribbon Week Rocks! #CharacterCounts
Canyon View Tweet from @JeHalsey: "Our amazing CVES moms painting our Character Counts Poles! So thankful for our parent community! #CVESRocks" | Highland Ranch Tweet from @KatieMorganEDU: "@rbhsbroncos ambassadors visited #HRES to kick off #RedRibbonWeek2017 ! They loved Billy the Bronco!" | Turtleback Pajama Day for Turtleback Elementary at Friday Flag to cap off a week of dress-up days to show school spirit and character. |
Canyon View
Highland Ranch
Fun Photo Gallery
Abraxas Tweet from @PowayUnified: "Thank you Rancho Bernardo @Rotary Club for fruit tree donations to @AbraxasHigh organic garden, which has so far donated 2,500 pounds of produce to needy families." You can read more about it in the article here. | Park Village Tweet from @IAmDarshPatel: "Successful disaster drill at @PowayUnified Park Village ES. #teampusd" | Oak Valley Tweet from @PowayCTE: "@OVMS_Falcons in Ms. Garver's Gateway to Technology classes got to tour the Qualcomm Institute (CalIT2), and see how STEM professionals are working with University researchers to integrate science, culture and technology to improve the world! @PowayUnified #CTEinCA" |
Abraxas
Park Village
Oak Valley
Twin Peaks Tweet from @TwinPeaksRams: "Ms. Rubacky’s students hear from WWII veteran TL Shelton about his service. He made them promise to get all the education they can get. And, yes, that is a PurpleHeart!" | San Diego County Tweet from @SanDiegoCOE : "Beautiful morning at @SanDiegoCounty Board of Supervisors to celebrate 2018 Teachers of the Year! Thanks @dianne_jacob @KristinDGaspar@RonRobertsSD @SupervisorCox for giving #teachers their day! #SDTOYs @PowayUnified" | Mt. Carmel Tweet from @Principal_Magno: "MC’s annual Veterans Day Flag raising. Thank you to our local VFW Post, our veterans, NJROTC, the choir, staff and all of our guests! #sundevilway @VFWHQ @MtCarmelRedSea @PowayUnified" |
Twin Peaks
San Diego County
Mt. Carmel
Design39C TK-8 students planned a rummage sale which included costumes, sports equipment, books, toys, lemonade and baked goods, a slime-making station, succulent garden, and hand-made masks. On October 6th from 2-5pm the campus hosted the #RebuildPortA Fundraiser to benefit Port Aransas hurricane victims. | Unity Days For two days, guest speaker Keith Hawkins led Unity Days at Westview High School. Members of the sophomore class spent the time having real conversations and learning about respect and doing what is right. | Sunset Hills Tweet from Anne Smith @AnneMFS: "5th grade students adding conductive material to their @makeymakey mazes. Next step writing a program in @scratch @sunsethillsneu @PowayUnified" |
Design39C
Unity Days
Sunset Hills
Garden RoadTweet from @GardenRoadES: "Celebrating love of reading and learningAll You Can Read Diner #GardenRoadEagles" | WestwoodTweet from @Dinhgineers: "Student Council announced we've collected 641 pairs of socks for #SOCKTOBER so far @WestwoodPUSD @PowayUnified" | Bernardo Heights
Tweet from @BobcatsBHMS: "Great night of music with Mr. Holmes and the BHMS bands! @BHMSASBnews @PowayUnified" |
Garden Road
Tweet from @GardenRoadES: "Celebrating love of reading and learningAll You Can Read Diner #GardenRoadEagles"
Westwood
Tweet from @Dinhgineers: "Student Council announced we've collected 641 pairs of socks for #SOCKTOBER so far @WestwoodPUSD @PowayUnified"
Bernardo Heights
Tweet from @BobcatsBHMS: "Great night of music with Mr. Holmes and the BHMS bands! @BHMSASBnews @PowayUnified"
Rolling HillsIn honor of Veteran's Day, Rolling Hills Elementary had a special celebration for the military members in our community. There were songs, poems, and readings, and students brought their military guests to the front and introduced them to the crowd. | CTAETweet from @PowayUnified: "Great job to @PowayCTE and Adult Ed, collecting professional clothing for @DressCodeCA for women going from military to civilian workforce!" | Valley Tweet from @ValleyElemPUSD: "Valley Tigers enjoying the Boogie Bash." |
Rolling Hills
In honor of Veteran's Day, Rolling Hills Elementary had a special celebration for the military members in our community. There were songs, poems, and readings, and students brought their military guests to the front and introduced them to the crowd.
CTAE
Tweet from @PowayUnified: "Great job to @PowayCTE and Adult Ed, collecting professional clothing for @DressCodeCA for women going from military to civilian workforce!"
Mesa Verde Tweet from @PicTrumpet: "Mesa Verde kids as part of the Sousa foundation honor band. #PowayUnified" | Meadow brook Tweet from @MBMS_Mustangs: "Our Mustang Leaders are working hard at building teamwork." | Monterey Ridge Tweet from @XplorationModel: "@mattsterling01 @PowayUnified @scratch First graders at Monterey Ridge learning to code on X-Ploration Day!!!" |
Mesa Verde
Meadow brook
Monterey Ridge
First graders at Monterey Ridge learning to code on X-Ploration Day!!!"
Rancho Bernardo Tweet from @PhotoNess: "Photo 3/4 and AP environmental science collaborating at the Safari Park this week! Stay tuned for the final results! #iteachphoto @rbhsbroncos @PowayCTE @PowayUnified" | Del Sur Tweet from @VanNormanJosh: "Grateful for amazing students & staff @DelSurExplorers ! @SharelleVenable class celebrating Thanksgiving :) @PowayUnified" | Poway High Tweet from @AggieMary03: "Students in Poway High’s Floral Design classes got to take their finals home for the holidays today! @PowayCTE @PowayHighTitans @PowayUnified" |
Rancho Bernardo
Del Sur
Poway High
Del Norte Tweet from @DNHSNighthawks: "Nighthawks at Petco Park sign their National Letters of Intent today. #soaring #NighthawkStrong" | Black Mountain Tweet from @Thankabit_Lab: "Amazing class from @PowayUnified left us some tear-jerking reflections. #ThingsThatMakeYouGoAwww" | Chaparral Tweet from @BuhrCHES: "Our little preschool Hawks at the jog-a-thon. #CHESHawks @PowayUnified" |
Del Norte
Black Mountain
Chaparral
Morning Creek Thank you @MissionFed and @1057MAXFM for “Maxing our” Nicol Marshall’s classroom at Morning Creek Elementary! #PowayUnified #TeamPUSD | Adobe Bluffs Tweet from @ABESAztecs: "FLEP Foreign Language For Elementary Parents in Mandarin taking place #ABES #PowayUnified" | No Place for Hate Tweet from @MKimPhelps: "It takes empathy, courage, learning, trust, respect, and listening to create campuses where there’s #noplaceforhateSD #PowayUnified" |
Morning Creek
Adobe Bluffs
No Place for Hate
Stone Ranch Facebook post from @StoneRanchFoundation: "Future business leaders are at their Biz Town interviews today. Thanks to all of our volunteers that help make this 5th grade experience a success. We can’t wait to see where the world takes these kids!!!" | Willow Grove Facebook post from @WillowGroveElementary: "Willow Grove’s 1st Family Fun Day is today from 3-6 PM! Come join the fun!!!" | Los Pen Tweet from @XplorationModel: "Los Penasquitos Elementary kids work together to make predictions at Xploration!! @XPlorationModel @PowayUnified" |
Stone Ranch
Willow Grove
Los Pen

Click here to see Halloween photos from around PUSD, including the parades at Adobe Bluffs, Sundance, and D39C! Students and staff had a lot of fun dressing up in spooky, silly, or clever costumes.

News Minute
- News Minute 11-16-17
- News Minute 11-9-17
- News Minute 11-2-17
- News Minute 10-26-17
- News Minute 10-18-17


Election District Map
Next, Map 131 will go to the County Committee on School District Organization for a TBD hearing and vote. For more information you can go here.
Important Dates:
- Board Meeting: Thursday, December 14, 2017 at 6pm
- Winter Break: December 25, 2017 to January 5, 2018
- Non-Student day: Monday, January 15, 2018 (Martin Luther King, Jr.)
- Board Meeting: Thursday, January 18, 2018 at 6pm
- Non-Student day: Friday, February 2, 2018 (Professional Growth)
- District Recess: February 19, 2018 to February 23, 2018