Lincoln Cluster Schools Newsletter
March 2021
Hello Lincoln Cluster Families
Greetings Lincoln Cluster Community,
The Lincoln cluster leaders and teams are all about collaboration. We work relentlessly in partnership together to provide the best academic experiences for our students daily. Our alignment in the cluster helps shape a shared vision for success and academic excellence for each and everyone of our students we serve. Our principals collaborate each morning on Zoom together for a seamless pathway and cohesive approach of implementation for April 12th from K-12. Their shared leadership has been critical in the development and implementation of plans to return to on-site instruction on April 12th as they build the best experience possible for our Lincoln cluster students.
There are many examples of how this collaboration takes shapes in our cluster, and here are a few to highlight most recently. During the month of March, I had the opportunity to read to students at Horton Elementary school during Read Across America. Students from Knox Middle School also read to students in all grades at Baker Elementary School. Students at Horton Elementary participated in Music and digital video editing with Millennial Tech Middle (MTM) school’s VAPA teacher. In addition, Chollas-Mead is working in collaboration with MTM to help bring Kagan Cooperative structures to support the learning in our classrooms. During the read Across America, the MTM principal was able to read to Encanto students as well. And our three secondary schools in the Lincoln Cluster hosted a drive-thru on March 6th (Lincoln, Knox, MTM) to welcome students that are moving up to their new Lincoln secondary school in this coming fall.
Our unity is our strength, and through our collaboration and teamwork wonderful things for the students and families we serve are being achieved.
Bruce R. Bivins
Area 1 Superintendent
Lincoln High School
Lincoln High School
Lincoln Pathways
The last week of March, all of our 9th graders formed part of assemblies allowing them to elect a Pathway for the remainder of their High School career. Students were presented with the course sequences they would follow in each of the Pathways if chosen. Parents also had the opportunity to attend a presentation in order for them to make an informed decision with their Lincoln High School student.
In Medical and Emergency Services Pathway students will choose from Honors Human Body Systems or FirePro, then move onto Honors Biomedical Innovations or FirePro 3-4. In senior year, students will be able to choose from Honors Sports Medicine or Language of Medicine if going down the Medical Services route or FirePro5-6 or EMT 1-2.
In Biotech and Engineering Pathway students will start with Bio Animatronics or Computer Science Discoveries, then move onto Honors Principles of Biomedical Sciences and Introduction to Computer Science Principles or Honors Engineering. In their senior year, students will take Honors Medicine Interventions or Chemistry; Engineering and Design.
In Performance and Communication Technology Pathway students will enter tenth grade and choose from the Journalism or Theatre strands. Students will start with either Video Production or Technical Theatre then move into Broadcast Journalism and Technical Theatre 3-4. In the senior year students will finish off the course sequence with Broadcast Journalism 3-4 or Theatrical Management & Design. All Pathways will provide connections to industry partners for project based learning, workplace tours, school-wide specialty workshops, mentor programs, mock interviews and Internships. For more information about our Pathways please contact Stephanie Brown, Principal at stephanie.brown@sandi.net
Knox Middle School
Knox Middle
Knox Middle School achieve Marzano Level 2 Certification as a Marzano High Reliability School. Level 2 Certification is focused on an Instructional Framework that Develops and Maintains Effective Instruction In Every Classroom.
This incredible distinction was awarded to Knox on March 23rd.
READ ACROSS AMERICA SUCCESS!! Knox was able to partner with Baker Elementary in our annual Read Across America Day! Knox students joined Baker Elementary classrooms for this special event. Our middle school students were able to join classrooms at all grade levels at Baker to read to our feeder elementary students. We are so thankful for this partnership. Thank you to Mr. Ponsford and Ms Hesse for coordinating this event.
DRIVE-THRU SUCCESS!! Knox, MTM and Lincoln hosted and amazing drive-thru event on Saturday March 6th!! We thank you all of the parents and students that drove thru to meet us. We are so excited to have you joining us next year for middle school!!
Millennial Tech Middle School
MTM
Millennial Tech Middle (MTM) School would like to highlight our new Project Resource Teacher, Dr. Veronica Garza. Dr. Garza, an MTM teacher and USD adjunct professor, has brought her expertise in Restorative Practices to MTM. With her leadership, a team of MTM students, teachers, faculty, and administration have created a restorative committee to ensure that our practices are student-centered and aimed to build a culture of respect, dignity, and understanding. As we prepare to welcome back students, our restorative committee is reviewing health and safety policies, discipline procedures, and capitalizing on the various resources we have on campus. This year, we are honored to have an additional Mental Health clinician, counselor, and a clerk with a Guidance Assistant background. As we prepare to welcome back MTM students, we are looking to create more student-centered spaces that help ease the transition from online learning to the more structured school environment. We are eager to have MTM students walk our hallways again.
Porter Elementary School
Porter Elem.
Porter's Restorative Parent 3 Part Webinar Series
Porter is a Restorative Practices school and it is our aim to ensure that we are always learning more about how we can continue to build a Safe, Collaborative, and Inclusive culture at our school. In February and March, our families and staff had the opportunity to join us for a Restorative Parent 3 Part Webinar Series that focused on how we partner with our families to collectively understand and learn how we can support all of our students in a restorative way. The learning centered around the three Rs of Respect, Relationship, and Responsibility that are at the center of Restorative Practices. We were able to hear stories from our families and staff about how they grew up and how those experiences relate to how they currently parent their own children. We also learned more about our Circle work and how this practice creates community within our classrooms and how this can be used at home. This work was supported by our Restorative Justice Practices department and put on by our Restorative Practices counselor, Amanda Cutler and Restorative Practices coordinator, Brenda Mendez. We look forward to having more of these learnings and strengthening this restorative work with our staff, families, and especially our learners.
Baker Elementary School
Baker Elem.
Nye Elementary School
Nye Elem.
Valencia Park Elementary School
Balboa Elementary School
Balboa Elem.
Chavez Elementary School
Chavez Elem.
Our very own teacher of the year 2020-2021 Ms. Cynthia Zaragoza-Roman. She is currently teaching Kindergarten Dual Language and enjoys it. She is a local, grew up only a block away from our school, and went to Balboa Elementary School. She went to San Diego State University received her bachelor’s, credentials, and her master’s. She has one beautiful daughter. She is been teaching for thirteen years and for two years with Cesar Chávez.
“She is an amazing teacher! I have and
still learning so much from her. It is also incredible to see how can she comfort a child through zoom.” Gabriela Hernandez
(Student teacher)
March is usually one of our busiest months. If you are thinking of March Madness
College basketball . YOU ARE WRONG! It is our one-of-a-kind Cesar Chavez Virtual Celebration on Wednesday, March 24, 2021, in Zoom from TK-2nd Grade at 9:00 AM Pacific Time & 3rd -5th Grade at 9:30 AM
https://sandiegounified.zoom.us/j/86510729373
Meeting ID: 865 1072 9373
We usually have our Ballet Folklorico performances and other guests’ performances. (photos were taken 2019)
One more fun thing that is happening at school is Mr. Hernandez’s famous leprechaun trap. He used to have the family project before COVID-19 but this year he just displayed his own creation.Our very own teacher of the year 2020-2021 Ms. Cynthia Zaragoza-Roman. She is currently teaching Kindergarten Dual Language and enjoys it. She is a local, grew up only a block away from our school, and went to Balboa Elementary School. She went to San Diego State University received her bachelor’s, credentials, and her master’s. She has one beautiful daughter. She is been teaching for thirteen years and for two years with Cesar Chávez.
“She is an amazing teacher! I have and
still learning so much from her. It is also incredible to see how can she comfort a child through zoom.” Gabriela Hernandez
(Student teacher)
March is usually one of our busiest months. If you are thinking of March Madness
College basketball . YOU ARE WRONG! It is our one-of-a-kind Cesar Chavez Virtual Celebration on Wednesday, March 24, 2021, in Zoom from TK-2nd Grade at 9:00 AM Pacific Time & 3rd -5th Grade at 9:30 AM
https://sandiegounified.zoom.us/j/86510729373
Meeting ID: 865 1072 9373
We usually have our Ballet Folklorico performances and other guests’ performances. (photos were taken 2019)
One more fun thing that is happening at school is Mr. Hernandez’s famous leprechaun trap. He used to have the family project before COVID-19 but this year he just displayed his own creation.
Horton Elementary School
Horton Elem. -
Lincoln Cluster Newsletter- March 2021- Horton ES
Horton Hawks have been actively engaged in their learning both online and in person in our learning labs. Our fourth and fifth grade students receive weekly music enrichment class. In addition to the weekly class time, our music teachers, Mr. Alforque and Mr. Black, offer students an opportunity in the afternoons to practice their music. Many students take advantage of this opportunity to strengthen their music skills. Students participating in our learning labs engage in different enrichment activities, such as arts and crafts. The images above show students’ use of watercolors to paint a landscape and the birdfeeders they made out of pinecones, bird feed and sun butter.
In March, Horton also celebrated Read Across America week, the nation’s largest celebration of reading, with special guests who visited our virtual classrooms to read aloud to Horton’s students. Invited guests included Board Trustee Dr. Whitehurst-Payne, Interim Superintendent Dr. Lamont Jackson, Area 1 Superintendent Mr. Bruce Bivins, and other community and school district members. Read Across America focuses on motivating children to read through events, partnerships, and reading resources that are about everyone, for everyone. Horton students read books that students can see themselves reflected in, as well as books that allow readers to see a world or a character that might be different than them. Our Read Across America celebration helped motivate our students to read and celebrate the diversity in our community and of our country. Check out some of the book selections students read during this week!
Last Stop on Market Street/ La Última Parada en la Calle Market
Sulwe (English) / Sulwe (Spanish)
Be Kind
Eyes that Kiss in the Corners
The Proudest Blue
Marisol McDonald Doesn’t Match / Marisol McDonald No Combina
Los Horton Hawks ha partcipan en su aprendizaje tanto en línea como en persona en nuestros “learning labs”. Nuestros estudiantes de cuarto y quinto grado reciben una clase de enriquecimiento de musica semanal. Además del tiempo de la clase semanal, nuestros maestros de música, el Sr. Alforque y el Sr. Black, ofrecen a los estudiantes la oportunidad de practicar su música por las tardes. Muchos estudiantes aprovechan de esta oportunidad para reforzar sus habilidades musicales. Los estudiantes que participan en nuestros “learning labs” participan en diferentes actividades de enriquecimiento, como artes y manualidades. Las imágenes arriba muestran el uso de las acuarelas para pintar un paisaje y los comederos para pájaros que hicieron con piñas, semillas para pájaros y mantequilla.
En marzo, Horton celebró la semana de Read Across America, la celebración de lectura más grande del país, con invitados especiales que visitaron nuestras aulas virtuales para leer en voz alta a los estudiantes de Horton. Los invitados incluyeron la vicepresidente de la Mesa Directiva de Educación, la Dra. Whitehurst-Payne, el superintendente interino Dr. Lamont Jackson, el superintendente del Área 1, Sr. Bruce Bivins, y otros miembros de la comunidad y del distrito escolar. Read Across America se enfoca en motivar a los niños a leer a través de eventos, asociaciones y recursos de lectura que son para todos.
Los estudiantes de Horton leen libros en los que los estudiantes pueden verse reflejados, así como libros que permiten a los lectores ver un mundo o un personaje que podría ser diferente a ellos. Nuestra celebración de Read Across America ayudó a motivar a nuestros estudiantes a leer y celebrar laWebster Elementary School
Webster Elementary
Even while online, Webster teachers have kept the expectations and academic rigor as high as we can. We have been challenging not just the teachers but the students too. All Webster students have been taught and asked to complete one full writing assignment for each month, January, February and March. Each one with a different focus. Narrative, informational and now opinion. We know that teaching writing is one of the hardest disciplines to teach and over zoom only makes it harder. The good news is most of our students are doing the hard work. Some have already completed all three. You may be wondering why is Webster focusing on writing. My Instructional Study Team (ILT) and I looked at our data around writing and we saw a need to improve. We also believe that we can improve our overall reading data by focusing on writing. All 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders will be required to take the California CAASPP exam this May to measure how well we are doing in English Language Arts (ELA) and Math. We want our students to show all they know and shine.
As we move into April, we know all schools will be opening up at some level. We appreciate all our families that have ensured their child/children zoomed every day, submitted work through SeaSaw and Google Classroom, but this will not stop because we are opening. Webster will continue to deliver instruction over Zoom and the other learning platforms for the rest of the year. We/I thank you for all you have done to keep your children engaged in the learning process. On behalf of the Webster team of educators, we wish you a safe and fun Spring Break.
Encanto Elementary School
Encanto Elementary
Encanto would like to highlight two of our unsung heroes: Ms. Monica Martin, counselor, and Mr. Isaac Santillan, guidance assistant. Ms. Martin and Mr. Santillan Counselors are leaders and advocates in education by implementing essential programs, focusing on academic development and personal/social development. This past year they have gone above and beyond in establishing and maintaining partnerships between our school, families and community organizations that promote and support student achievement. This team of superheroes have been integral to the any and all successes students and staff have celebrated this past year!
Since campuses closed last March the counseling team at Encanto:
- Provided intervention services for students experiencing academic and personal/social barriers to learning through home visits, referrals to trauma therapy and mental health support, providing site based small group counseling and reaching out to all families in need.
- Provided guidance and information to students and families to ensure success in student attendance, behavior, and graduation, and prevention of drug use and violence by reaching out families in need on a daily basis, holding weekly Wellness Wednesday events to promote student and family physical, mental and emotional wellbeing, conducting weekly home visits and phone calls.
- Provided resources to staff to ensure that each school counseling center is a family-friendly environment by attending staff meetings, staff professional learning, consulting with staff and providing resources and supports.
- Ensured that students have access to a safe school climate necessary for academic and social/emotional growth through whole class lessons, one on one student check-ins, and teacher collaboration every week.
- Provided community resources to procure food, food cards, housing, essential items, parent workshops, and a holiday Toy Drive by partnering with outside agencies such as:
- Home Start
- Diamond Educational Excellence Partnership
- SAY San Diego
- San Diego State University
- UCSD Center for Community Health
- New Vision Church
- Jewish Family Service of San Diego
Chollas-Mead Elementary School
Chollas-Mead Elem.
Congratulations to our very own Tom Courtney, 5th grade teacher. Mr. Courtney was selected as SDUSD teacher of the year. Staff, students and parents gathered on Friday for a surprise announcement. We are so proud of the work that Mr. Courtney does each day. He is dedicated to giving all the students at Chollas Mead a gold star experience.
Mr. Courtney and his students are currently participating in the Fulbright Global scholars learning along side students in, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Liverpool, England, Madrid and Barcelona, Spain, Tei Pai, Taiwan, Warsaw, Poland, New York and Florida.
Thank you to Mr. Courtney and all his fellow educators for the hard work and dedication they have shown over the past year. Chollas Mead sure is a great place to be.
Johnson Elementary School
Johnson Elem.
We are so excited to be inviting more students back to campus on April 12th! We have been and are continuing to prepare for the safe return for Johnson students and staff! We hope that everyone has a restful Spring Break and come into the month of April 2021 refreshed and ready to go!
Lincoln Community Council Meeting Info.
Lincoln Cluster Community Council Meeting
Thursday, Mar 18, 2021, 05:00 PM
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