#TeamPUSD
Sharing the Good News and Good Work of Students and Staff
September 2017 Edition
Sincerely,
Christine Paik, Director of Communications
Message from the Superintendent
Dear PUSD,
I hope you have enjoyed the start of school as much as we have enjoyed having our students back on our campuses!
Above is a photo I took with members of the 2017-18 Superintendent's Student Advisory Committee (SSAC). SSAC is made up of a diverse group of students from all six of our high schools. We had our first meeting last week, and I was impressed by their passion, maturity, and willingness to learn. In our monthly meetings, we will explore equity and access issues, broaden their understanding of PUSD, and incorporate leadership skills so they can represent all students. I want to thank them for bringing their student voice, which is one of the many ways PUSD is committed to soliciting stakeholder input as we move our District forward.
There will be multiple opportunities throughout the school year to provide feedback and get involved with PUSD. Obviously we are thrilled when our staff, families, and community members volunteer at our school sites. But I also encourage you to attend one of our Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) community forums which will be taking place in February and March of 2018. These forums are opportunities for students, staff, families, and community members to help the District prioritize funding for programs and areas for student achievement. Our District Budget Advisory Committee has already begun meeting under the direction of Associate Superintendent of Business, Ron Little. The committee, made up of students, staff, parents, and community members, will be developing recommendations to address the imminent budget challenges facing our District. We also need your help in establishing our new election districts for our Board of Trustees. Currently, we are in the map submission phase, where anyone can submit a draft map via an online map drawing tool to be considered at the October 12th hearing. Click on this link to get started or scroll to the “News & Announcements” at the bottom of this newsletter to find out more information.
In the first couple of months of 2017-18, I have made it a goal of mine to attend the staff meetings at all of our sties, to personally welcome #TeamPUSD to a new and exciting year, share our collective vision, as well as listen to any questions or concerns. These face to face meetings are instrumental in giving #TeamPUSD a sense of confidence that the District is headed toward a positive direction, and allows me to better understand and support the differentiated needs of each school site.
Another one of my priorities is restoring financial stability to the District and growing community trust and support for PUSD. At our last board meeting, we were presented with an internal controls review report. The District requested the review to assess key financial controls in areas deemed important to protecting the District’s assets and resources. The District is already working on the report’s recommendations, to decrease fiscal and operational risks, including vacation accrual, while strengthening internal policies and procedures. Over the summer the District also received the findings of the Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team (FCMAT) review of our special education programs. In the spirit of continuous improvement and reflection, District leadership is forming a committee with stakeholders to address the findings and recommendations as we move forward together. Both reports can be found on our website, www.powayusd.com
Finally, September is “Attendance Awareness Month,” so I wanted to take this opportunity to convey the important message that every school day counts. As the school year gets into full swing, we want to make sure that our students stay on the right track all year long by coming to school each and every day. School success begins with attendance. Countless studies have shown a direct correlation between chronic absenteeism and lower student test scores in reading, English language arts, and mathematics. The U.S. Department of Education found that a child needs two days to catch up for every day missed. And your school also loses funding, an estimated $46 a day! Multiply this by 1,000 students across the District per day, and that $8.3 million could mean the difference between funding programs, hiring staff, and buying equipment for classrooms. As parents, guardians, and educators, we play a critical role in helping our children get to school on time every day. Make sure students establish good habits of routine bedtimes and know why attendance is important, schedule regular checkups to stay healthy, and avoid taking vacations while school is in session. Thank you for partnering with us in ensuring our students' success.
Your Superintendent,
Marian Kim-Phelps, Ed.D.
No one in the nation recognizes teachers the way San Diego does, with a live Academy Awards-style telecast. Thanks to the partnership between the San Diego County Office of Education and Cox Communications, the 27th annual "A Salute to Teachers," brought to you by San Diego County Credit Union, was a stunning success. 44 nominees, representing some of the best and brightest of the more than 22,000 teachers in San Diego County, were recognized in front of friends, family, colleagues, and a live audience.
Poway Unified had three teachers representing the District: Mark Lantsberger, Del Norte High School; Susan Michelena, Rancho Bernardo High School; and Keith Opstad, Westview High School. Mark was selected as one of five San Diego County Teachers of the Year. Click here to see a photo story of the event.
Poway Days Parade
#TeamPUSD took to social media to share their experiences at the event, using the hashtags #PUSDGoogleRoadShow and #PUSDInnovate. Click here to see a sampling of posts and more photos from the event.
PUSD Podcast Episode 2
Supporting technology and innovation in education is an essential part of our new Superintendent's vision for #PowayUnified. But what does that mean for the classroom? Listen to this month's podcast with Jennifer Burks, Associate Superintendent of Technology & Innovation, to learn about her work for PUSD, her love of animals, and why you won't see her surfing anytime soon!
Student, School, and Staff Achievements
National Honor Ensembles
Bridgette Padilla
Administrative Assistant, Sunset Hills Elementary School
PUSD Classified Employee of the Year: Bridgette is Sunset Hills’ biggest fan and cheerleader. She encourages everyone to adopt the No Excuses philosophy and truly believes in Universal Achievement for all students. From maintaining the school website and calendar to troubleshooting all over campus, Bridgette does it all with passion and a smile on her face.Linda Farmer
PUSD Classified Employee of the Year: When the PeopleSoft software was implemented, Linda was at the forefront, conducting training throughout the entire District. Principals and co-workers are impressed with Linda’s outstanding customer service and knowledge regarding Attendance, Instructional Minutes, Budget and PeopleSoft.
Mark Lantsberger
PUSD & County Teacher of the Year: Mark developed his computer science curriculum from scratch, giving students a deeper understanding of both “C” and “JAVA” programming languages. His computer science club students developed an app that was recognized by Apple, and he also advises a new club “Girls in Computing,” to encourage more young women to pursue computer science.
Keith Opstad
PUSD Teacher of the Year: Keith has been teaching for 22 years in PUSD. He is a strong advocate for the visual arts both in the District and San Diego County. Keith can transform students who have never even held a paintbrush, into creative, passionate artists. His students consistently produce artwork of the highest caliber, winning top awards and scholarships.
Susan Michelena
PUSD Teacher of the Year: Susan has been teaching for 25 years in PUSD. From Advanced Placement U.S. History to Online Civics classes, Susan says one of her greatest accomplishments is teaching the values of American democracy and the principles of the Constitution that shape future public servants and leaders.
Cathy Rongey
Volunteer, Westview High School
PUSD Volunteer of the Year: Cathy and her husband Scott have given thousands of hours of service to the students of PUSD. They have volunteered with Westview High’s Robotics program for many years, attending every weekend meeting and many weekdays during build season.Jenny Burnett
PUSD Volunteer of the Year: Jenny is a member of the PTA and School Site Council member, a classroom volunteer, and the yearbook coordinator at Pomerado. She is the driving force behind the annual ReWear sale and works with the school’s Spanish-speaking families.
Rachel Allums
Volunteer, Twin Peaks Middle School
PUSD Volunteer of the Year: Rachel has served two terms as PTSA President, Parliamentarian, and Treasurer over the last five years at Twin Peaks Middle School. She started a back-to-school parent education event, hosted Principal chats and helped create “School Year’s Eve,” a tour and orientation to ease the transition for new and incoming students.Daniel Zhang
Everyday Heroes
Hurricane Relief Efforts
Monterey Ridge
Del Norte
Bernardo Heights
Morning Creek
Twin Peaks
Design39 Campus
Valley
https://www.facebook.com/kayla.dickens/posts/10214137976188056?pnref=story"
Del Sur
Fun Photo Gallery
Adobe Bluffs
Park Village
Highland Ranch
Meadow brook
The force is strong at Meadowbrook. Tweet from @mbms_mustang: "Star Wars came to Meadowbrook yesterday to celebrate the upcoming Star Wars movie."
Midland
Garden Road
Career Pathways Summit
Tweet from @michaelgizzo: "The amazing Noelle Betz representing CTE Pathways and Work Based Learning with SD County Supt Dr Gothold. #careerPS17 #CTEinCA @rbhsbroncos @PowayUnified"
Westwood
Tweet from @XPlorationModel: "Kids at Westwood love learning about new PE games on X-Ploration day!! @PowayUnified @XPlorationModel @WestwoodPUSD"
Bernardo Heights
From Stacy Pierce: "A special ribbon cutting to officially open the new running track. The track was made possible from the donations of BHMS families and the support of the BHMS Foundation."
Chaparral
Sunset Hills
Kiwanis Club
Westview
Deer Canyon
Pomerado
Oak Valley
Tweet from @OVMS_Falcons: "Former Dateline correspondent John Larson sharing experiences with 8th Graders. #oakvalleyshouse #TeamPUSD"
Tierra Bonita
Thinkabit Lab
Abraxas
FFA
Black Mountain
Mt. Carmel
Poway
Rancho Bernardo
Willow Grove
Shoal Creek
Peer Ambassador Cards
Los Pen
Painted Rock
Valley
Tweet from @SraMolina: "Kids just want to have fun! ...while learning that is:) #teampusd @ValleyElemPUSD @PowayUnified @Adaginah @TeacherMom888 @carowvillel"
The students made paper-mache volcanos to create a "ring of fire," you can send the end results here.
Twin Peaks
Monterey Ridge
Turtleback
On that page, you will find the answers to frequently asked questions about the process of establishing election districts, the demographers presentation to the Board, as well as a link to the online mapping tool itself. The online mapping tool can be challenging to figure out, so be sure to take some time to go over the quick start guide or watch the training videos before getting started. By law, maps to be considered by the Board at public hearings must be posted online and available at the District one week before the hearing. So maps to be considered at the October 12th hearing must be posted online by October 5th. To meet that deadline, we ask that maps be submitted by October 4th.
Here is the remaining timeline for this process:
• October 4 Deadline for initial public map submissions
• October 5 Draft maps (including public submissions) published
• October 12 Public Hearing regarding content of draft maps and proposed sequence of elections
• November 9 Public Hearing and Board action to adopt map and resolution
• TBD County Committee on School District Organization hearing and vote
• November 2018 First three trustee areas hold elections
• November 2020 Remaining two trustee areas hold elections
All meetings will be held at the District Office Community Room located at 15250 Avenue of Science, San Diego, CA 92128
Why are we undergoing a change in elections? PUSD is changing the process by which voters select our elected officials. Currently, more than 60 other cities and 150 school districts across the state are being impacted and must implement these changes by the next election cycle. Beginning in 2018, elections for PUSD school board members will be by-district, instead of the current at-large (also known as district wide) elections in which all voters have the opportunity to make a decision on each seat. This means that all voters will now vote for the one board member representing the district where the voter lives once every four years. You can read more background on this change by clicking on this link here: http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/pomerado-news/news/schools/sd-cm-pow-pusd-preparing-district-elections-20170817-story.html
POWAY UNIFIED IN THE NEWS
- Del Norte's Mark Lantsberger is County Teacher of the Year
- County Teachers of the Year honored for exceptional education
- PUSD holding first by-district election meeting Thursday
- PUSD holding second election districts public hearing
- Countywide test scores remain flat but above state average
- Student filmmaker is gaining experience, winning awards
- Westview student finds common ground with scientists across the pond
- Three PUSD student musicians in National Honor Ensembles
- Peachjar teaches high school students to code in summer internship program
- Dancing with the Teachers returns to RB High
- Rancho Bernardo High School students learn about Spain through exchange program
- Meadowbrook students explore science through Tech Trek
- Twin Peaks 7th Grader donates blankets for premature babies
- Valley Elementary Ring of Fire
- Prep football: Poway, Rancho Bernardo face Friday night challenges
- Injury once again sidelines promising Bronco
- Girls X-Country: Broncos, Nighthawks should be strong
- Lauren Leland a field hockey force for Titans
- Poway, RB begin defending field hockey titles
- Painted Rock Elementary Parents organize a Parent Patrol to help keep their kids safe
- RBHS Head Athletic Trainer Robbie Bowers on the importance of licensed athletic trainers
- Boys X-Country: Poway rebuilding team
- Dead trees at Poway High to be removed
- “What I Wish My Parents Knew” first community-based conversation held at Mt. Carmel High
- Firefighting students withstand the heat in Fire Science class at MCHS
- Walmart surprises friends as Everyday Heroes
- Morning Creek Elementary donations for hurricane relief
- Westwood Elementary welcomes its youngest students
Poway Unified School District
Email: cpaik@powayusd.com
Website: www.powayusd.com
Location: 15250 Avenue of Science, San Diego, CA, United States
Phone: (858) 521-2700
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PowayUSD
Twitter: @PowayUSD