MCAS MIRAMAR SCHOOL LIAISON NEWSLETTER

CHALK TALK

Special Features Spotlight on: Kearny Cluster Schools Home School Options: Mt. Everest Academy Volunteer Opportunities in Schools

Mira Mesa High School

Mira Mesa High School Celebrates its Success! The California Department of Education (CDE) through a very stringent selection process has honored some of Californias most inspiring public schools. Based on Academic Performance Index and federal standards, Mira Mesa High School has been named a 2011 California Distinguished School and awarded for its Exemplary Career Technical Educational Program. Only seven schools in the State of California received both of these honors. Mira Mesa High School hosted a celebration of their success on Thursday 15 December. Those in attendance had the opportunity to hear inspiring words from SDUSD Superintendent Bill Kowba, Councilmember Carl De Maio, Shawn Loesher Director of CCTE and John Lee Evans Board of Education Rep at the celebration.

Home School Options

Mount Everest Academy Mt. Everest Academy is a K-12 Independent Study school that is designed to meet the unique educational needs of students who can benefit from learning in an independent setting. Mt. Everest Academy is WASC accredited and is one of San Diego County's highest ranked schools, with an API ranking of 10:10. Mt. Everest Academy enrolls students who show promise of success in a home-based education. The program requires students and their parents to make a commitment to work independently to meet state standards. (http://www.sandi.net/site/Default.aspx?PageID=24387) o o o Complete application Collect and attach required documentation. Submit application and all other required paperwork by mail, fax or in person.

MCAS Miramar School Liaison

The school liaison office helps to connect parents, schools, and the Marine Corps by providing direct assistance to parents in all matters to do with K-12 schooling: school selection, enrollment, and resource referral; educating schools and districts on important issues affecting military children K-12; and keeping the installation, wing, and unit commanders informed on all issues affecting the local educational community. Please contact our office if you would like to be added to our volunteer or newsletter distribution lists or if you have ideas/input for future parent/community workshops.

Call Mt. Everest Academy at (858) 496-8778 to ask questions, discuss school program and if desired, take a school tour.

CONTACT SCHOOL LIAISONS: CARRIE OR KRISTI @ 858.577.6633/8625

Volunteer Opportunities

Recent Event Since 6 October 2011, 121 Marines, 3 Sailors and 1 Soldier (from 18 units) have volunteered a total of 42 hours at 5 elementary schools and our Youth Center
on MCAS Miramar. Together with SMP, 35 Marines volunteered 8 hours at 1 middle school. Thank you to our Public Affairs Office for covering our recent PE Fitness Challenge! Forty Marines from MCAS Miramar led almost 1,000 6th-8th grade students from Wangenheim Middle School through their PE classes on 9 December.

Upcoming Events
*27 January PE Fitness Challenge (SMP)-Standley Middle *8 February Family Science Night: Chesterton Elementary *Ongoing: Mentorship opportunities in Elementary and Middle Schools (San Diego Unified School District and Poway Unified School District) and Children, Youth and Teen Program

*If you would like to be notified of future volunteer opportunities, please contact our office at 858.577.6633/8625*

Connect the Dots: San Diego School Choice Program

San Diego Unified School District offers a variety of enrollment choices to students and parents throughout the city. Families may choose to attend their neighborhood school or explore the variety of programs available to students who reside within district boundaries and wish to attend a school other than their neighborhood school. School Choice/Open Enrollment Act: This offers parents the opportunity to apply at any school in the district on an availability basis only. School Choice students do not receive district provided transportation. Students attending or scheduled to attend a school on the Open Enrollment Act List will have priority for schools with a higher API. Magnet Programs: Magnet Schools provide in-depth, innovative, learning opportunities for students while meeting rigorous California state curriculum standards. Some of the opportunities include Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, Creative and Performing Arts, International Baccalaureate Studies, Micro Society, Paideia, and Language Immersion. Transportation is limited and may be reduced when budgetary decisions are finished. Charter Schools: Charter Schools are authorized by the SDUSD Board of Education. However, they do not use the Enrollment Options application as they are not district run schools. Visit our Charter School Directory to get a list of the charter schools authorized by the district and contact each school directly about enrollment. Voluntary Enrollment Exchange Program (VEEP): Students may attend schools other than their resident schools. VEEP is open to all students residing within a specific boundary of a school that has an approved VEEP pattern. Transportation is offered within the VEEP patterns. Transportation is limited and may be reduced when budgetary decisions are finished. Program Improvement School Choice (PISC): The federal "No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act" provides up to two school options for students attending a Program Improvement (P.I.) school. Enrollment in these programs is available to all district students, including English Learners, Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) and Special Education students. Enrollment is limited by available space at each school. Submitting an application is required during the open enrollment options application period which is from November 1, 2011 to February 15, 2012 for School Year 2012-13. *Taken from SDUSD Enrollment Options website.*

MCAS MIRAMAR SCHOOL LIAISON PROGRAM www.miramar.usmc.mil/slo/schoolliaison.asp

Spotlight on: Kearny Cluster Schools

Words from Jonathan Ton, Principal at Montgomery Middle School. We have gone from an API score of 639 within the last 5 years to an API score of 745 points and met and exceeded the targets for all subgroups this number was our internal target for 2011. During the 2008-2009 school year, we also met our AYP targets in all categories 21 out of 21 (including subgroups, % of students taking the CST, etc) using Safe Harbor. We have continuously doubled our EL CST scores for every year. Our 7th Grade CST Writing test showed that from 2009 2011, our school has gone from the low 50 percentile to the mid-80 percentile for proficiency in writing. We have clear, consistent instructional foci across the content areas to support students critical thinking as well as the implementation of technology into the curriculum to support the 21st century learner. Our average class sizes are much less than the District average 6th Grade 20:1; 7th Grade 21:1 and 8th Grade is 18:1. We also have a model of Safe Passage Program supported by the San Diego Citys Gang Commissioners Office where multi-agency law enforcement groups and community partners come to our site monthly to discuss site and neighborhood needs and come up with a plan for deployment of services to assure our students safety to and from school. In fact, a couple of years ago, we had a group of Dutch mayors from the Netherlands visit our school to hear about this program. Bells current Safe Passage is modeled after the one we have begun four years ago and still maintaining. These are some facts of what Montgomery Middle School has done to impact our student learning and achievement. Together with community partnership, focused an strategic instruction and opportunities for wrap-around services to meet our students and families needs, we definitely have continued to make positive gains in the CST scores.

Carson Elementary School 800 780 760 740 720 700 680 660 640 620 786 761 736 704 688 20062007 20072008 20082009
870 860 850 840

Chesterton Elementary School Academic Performance Indicator 862 851 844

API

830 820 810 800 790 780 2008 Year 2009 2010

808

20092010
Academic Performance Index 20102011

Linda Vista Elementary School

San Diego Unified School District Academic Performance Index - API

745 686 698

767

773

2006-07

2007-08

2008-09

2009-10

2010-11

Children, Youth & Teen Center

Little Warriors Youth Baseball Skills Clinic WHAT: "Little Warriors Youth Baseball Skills Clinic" hosted by the San Diego Padres Baseball Operations department. A fun, interactive skills clinic for kids ages 5 - 12 focusing on teamwork, agility, catching and throwing. This is appropriate for boys and girls of all skill levels! WHEN: Monday, January 16 1:30 p.m. - Registration/Check-In 2:00 p.m. - Clinic Begins 4:00 p.m. - Clinic Concludes WHO: Approx. 60 kids, ages 5-12 from the military community. WHERE: Petco Park - on the field! 100 Park Blvd San Diego, CA 92101 NOTES: Parents are welcome to attend the clinic and be seated in the seating bowl. Cameras are welcome. They ask that kids wear comfortable play clothes, sneakers (no cleats) and bring a glove if they have one. If interested, please contact Sarah at sfarnsworth@padres.com

MCAS MIRAMAR SCHOOL LIAISON PROGRAM www.miramar.usmc.mil/slo/schoolliaison.asp

Campus Tour Dates: Monday, January 9

Wednesday, February 8

Time: 9:35 10:20 AM You will tour the campus led by our own ASB students, and attend a question/answer session with the principal, a counselor, and the registrar. Refreshments will be served. Please contact Tamra Winchell to reserve your space. Phone: 858-586-7001, ext. 2219 Email: twinchell@sandi.net Se habla espaol Maria Yap 858-586-7001, ext. 2216 Office Hours: 6:30 a.m. 3:00 p.m.

You are also welcome to attend our Parent Articulation Night Tuesday, January 24, 2012, 6:00-7:00 p.m. in the Auditorium Meet teachers, counselors, and administrators while learning about classes, the articulation process, and how to make a smooth transition to middle school. Local Feeder Elementary Schools Hickman (2/16), Mason (2/6), and Sandburg (2/21) 5th grade students will tour the school, visit a few classrooms, and enjoy at band performance. Time: 8:30-10:30 AM If you wish to join one of these tours, please contact Tamra Winchell to reserve your space.
Challenger Middle School is a traditional high-performing public school with an API score of 878. The school is located in the community of Mira Mesa - north of the Marine Corps Air Station at Miramar in San Diego, California. For Students Residing Outside Challengers Neighborhood Boundaries
Students from all over San Diego attend Challenger utilizing the Enrollment Options programs. For more details, please visit the districts website at www.sandi.net. Application due date is February 15, 2012. Open Enrollment (aka Choice) Students may attend a school other than their neighborhood school. Students who live outside the district may use this program as well. Transportation is not provided. However, many parents have worked out carpools with friends and families so their student can attend our high performing school.

We Prepare Students for Their Future!

Explore Challengers Website

Driving Directions - Parent Involvement Opportunities Student Planner and Policies - School Performance Data Photo Gallery - English Learner Program GATE Cluster & Seminar - Special Education Class Trips 7th Grade Catalina Island Trip, 8th Grade East Coast Trip Clubs (Cardio, Diversity, Interactions 4 Peace, After-School Sports, MESA, Science,
Music, Recycle, Rubiks Cube) Discovery Wheel, ASB, Yearbook, Computer Technology)

- Electives (Spanish, French, Filipino, Family Consumer Studies, Band, Orchestra,

School Hours 7:15AM 1:55 PM Students may arrive at school as early as 6:45 AM. PrimeTime Free after-school care with snacks, tutoring, and other activities up until 6 PM. Applications are available in the spring.

www.challengerms.org

10810 Parkdale Ave San Diego, CA 92126 858-586-7001