South Bay Union School District
Community Newsletter
January 2020
Superintendent's Message

Dear South Bay Parents/Guardians and Community Members,

As we begin the second half of the 2019-2020 school year, we are tightening our focus on attendance.   As a district, we are looking beyond average daily attendance and truancy numbers to identify and address the challenges that keep students from getting to school every day.

Problems with absenteeism start early. Research indicates that Preschool students  who miss 10% or more of the school year - in excused or unexcused absences - arrive at Kindergarten with lower levels of school readiness. If young children, especially, are chronically absent for more than one year, they are less likely to read proficiently by the end of third grade, and more likely to be retained in elementary school. They are also more likely to be chronically absent in later years, since they never developed good attendance habits.
 
The Student Support and Accountability Department has resources and personnel available to support families with attendance challenges, including a full-time Educational Social Worker and The Reach Out to Families Resource Center located at 1237 Elder Avenue in Imperial Beach. In addition, South Bay has partnerships with agencies throughout the South County community to provide families with resources beyond their neighborhood school.  

Families play a critical role in getting children to school. We know our parents/guardians want the best for their children, 
including success in school. But many simply don't understand how missing just two days a month can put a child academically at risk, starting in the early grades. 
 
Think about what you can do within your own family and your own neighborhood to help get more kids to school. I'm leading the charge to stamp out chronic absence in our District. Please join us in our effort to make every day count!

Sincerely,


Katie McNamara
Katie McNamara, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Board News

On Thursday, December 19, 2019, the Board held their annual Organizational Meeting.  The Trustees elected new Officers, set their meeting schedule, and completed other housekeeping items.
 
2020 Board Officers
President - Cheryl Quinones
Vice President - Mary Doyle
Clerk - Louis Barrios
 
The Schedule of Meetings for 2020 may be accessed here.

News from Sunnyslope

The South Bay Union School District is excited to announce enrollment opportunities for students in Sunnyslope's Dual Language Program. The school is in its fifth year of offering a 50:50 two-way immersion language program to students in grades Kindergarten-6. Over 200 students are participating in the program this year, and the school is looking to expand this number as student enrollment grows.
 
Dual Language programming provides students with the opportunity to learn grade level subjects in both English and Spanish by using curriculum aligned with Common Core State Standards that is highly rigorous and differentiated for students' individual needs. The dual language immersion program at Sunnyslope School provides both native Spanish and English speaking children the opportunity to develop their listening, speaking, reading and writing skills in both languages. Dual language education affirms the value of proficiency and literacy in Spanish, which is currently the third most widely-spoken language worldwide and the official language of 22 countries. Benefits of this program include improved academic achievement, enhanced communication skills, expanded multicultural views, and development of cooperative problem solving skills. Participants in the Sunnyslope Dual Language Program are eligible for the Biliteracy Pathway Award upon completing the program. Students that continue in a dual language program through high school are eligible for the State Seal of Biliteracy, an award designated for students who have attained proficiency in English and at least one additional language.
 
For the 2020-2021 school year, Sunnyslope's 50:50 two-way immersion program is currently looking to enroll new students, particularly those entering Kindergarten and first grade. Principal Estela Corrales is proud of the program, "Sunnyslope is offering students a unique opportunity to attain high academic achievement in two languages and I am thrilled to welcome more students and families into this high quality, in-demand program." Principal Corrales hopes to reach out to as many families as possible in order to make them aware of the options available for their students.

Dr. McNamara is excited to expand the program, "Bilingualism provides a competitive edge for students for scholarships, college acceptance, and future job prospects. We are thrilled to offer this program to our community and hope that families take advantage of this amazing opportunity."
 
Informational meetings will be held January through March 2020. For further information, please visit the Sunnyslope Website.
South Bay Spotlight

Click here to see the January edition of the South Bay Spotlight, which features the Emory Academy of Global Leadership and Empowerment.  
South Bay 100 Year Anniversary

In April, South Bay will be celebrating our 100 Year Anniversary!  School events are planned for the week of April 20, culminating in a District-wide celebration on April 25.  Please check our website for news, special announcements, and event schedules. 
School Spotlight - Bayside STEAM Academy

On January 12, 2020, Adrian Gomez, Nathan Williams, Tessa Hernandez, Geordon Perey, and Lexi Thomas, grade six students from Bayside, under the direction of their innovation teacher, Amanda Pelloth, participated in the Future City Regional Competition at the Milken Community School in Los Angeles.  
 
Future City is a project-based engineering program where students imagine, research, design, and build cities of the future. Students involved in the Future City Competition spend countless hours creating their cities that could exist at least 100 years in the future. Each city must also incorporate a solution to an engineering design challenge. This year's challenge, Clean Water: Tap into Tomorrow, asked students to choose a threat to their city's water supply and design a resilient system to maintain a reliable supply of drinking water.  At the competition students are required to present their five deliverables including a project plan, virtual city and virtual city presentation, city essay, city model and city presentation, to multiple engineers from different engineering fields.  
 
Out of 30 grade 6-8 teams, the Bayside team won two of the nine special awards: Best City Essay and Most Futuristic City for their deep sea metropolis!  Congratulations!  

(Students who are not pictured, but helped with the project at school include: Evan Case, Andy Urrea, Kenneth Poquiz, Xavier Quezadas, and Lauretta Meister)

 

School Spotlight - Berry

On Saturday, December 8, 45 members of the Berry community participated in the Girls on the Run Club 5K Challenge.  The 5K Run included school teams throughout San Diego County and was the culminating event to the fall Girls on the Run program.  This was the first Girls on the Run program in South Bay, and included 18 girls and 7 staff members who served as coaches  throughout the season.  The Girls on the Run program is designed to inspire healthy, confidence, and joy.  We are so grateful for the commitment of the coaches, participation of families, and the amazingness of our participating students.  We are already looking forward to our next Girls on the Run program!

 

Nutrition News

Let's Talk About Vegetables!

Vegetables are an important part of healthy eating and provide a source of many essential nutrients, including potassium, fiber, and vitamins A, E and C. Dietary fiber from vegetables helps reduce blood cholesterol levels and may lower risk of heart disease. We all know how important vegetables are, but for some picky eaters, vegetables are probably not the most popular item at the dinner table.
 
So what is the best way to increase a child's intake of nutrient-rich vegetables?
 
Make it a habit! Model eating vegetables yourself! Your child learns from watching others. Serve vegetables in different ways: raw, cooked, with a dip, or topped with light cheese. Baby carrots or sliced peppers with low-fat ranch as an afternoon snack are always a great idea. Add sliced vegetables to a stir-fry or as a pizza topping. Add broccoli to baked potatoes for a complete dish. Add vegetables to entrées such as burritos and soups whenever possible. And remember to offer your child new vegetables every now and then - kids' taste buds adapt to new flavors and their preferences might change over time.
 
Make it fun! Include vegetables of different colors in your meal planning and encourage your kids to "eat the rainbow" every week. They can draw a rainbow and get stars for each color they eat. Try giving foods fun names or shapes - they might feel tempted to try a "Brave Broccoli."

Did you know? At our schools, we offer a full salad bar with a colorful selection of nutritious and delicious vegetables every day. Students can help themselves to fresh spinach, tomatoes, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, jicama, cucumber, and corn to name a few. Remind your children (and yourself J) of the importance of eating vegetables every day!
Get to Know our Teachers

Susan Fox is a teacher of fifth and sixth grade students at Berry.  She was born in Michigan and attended college at San Diego State University.  She has a Bachelor's Degree in Liberal Studies and a Master's Degree in Educational Technology.  She has been teaching for over 30 years and is from a long line of educators.  The importance of education was instilled in her as a small child and she became a teacher to guide and mold future generations.  Susan has two children (26 and 29) and a rescued Cocker Spaniel, Tucker.  Her favorite food is any type of seafood.  Her favorite book is the Bible and her favorite movie is Second Hand Lions.  When she is not on campus, she can be found in the outdoors, often hiking Mission Trails or walking on the beach.  She also knits hats, which she donates to the homeless.  Susan's generosity is not limited to hats, in 2018 she was a living donor of a kidney to a woman she didn't know.  Donations save lives!

Amy Parton was born in Hamilton, Ohio and teaches first grade at the Bayside STEAM Academy.  She attended Southwestern College, Point Loma Nazarene University, and San Diego State University, where she earned degrees in Early Childhood Education and Education for the Regular Education Teacher with an emphasis on Children with Special Needs.  Her favorite part of teaching is watching students grow in their understanding.  Amy has four daughters, a grandson, and four "grand pets."  Her favorites include grilled vegetables, Hunt for Red October (book), and Fiddler on the Roof (movie).  Her hobbies include scrapbooking, sewing, crafting, hiking, and dancing.  In high school, Amy trained in ballet with Melissa Hayden, a Prima Ballerina from New York.

Sonia Hernandez  is in her eleventh year of teaching and is currently a Special Education teacher at Oneonta.  She was born in Los Angeles and attended college at CSU San Marcos and National University.  She has degrees in Liberal Studies and Special Education.  She chose teaching to serve as a voice for children.  Sonia has two children (23 and 16 - both of whom were educated in South Bay schools) and a dog, Satchel.  Her favorites:  Anything with avocado, book is Wonder, and movie is Forrest Gump.  When she isn't in the classroom, she enjoys reading and running.

Important Dates

February 13 - Board Meeting
February 14 - Lincoln's Day Holiday
February 17 - Washington's Day Holiday
March 12 - Board Meeting
March 23-April 3 - Spring Break
April 16 - Board Meeting
May 7 - Board Meeting
May 21 - Board Meeting (Distinguished Scholars)
May 25 - Memorial Day Holiday
May 29 - District Champions
June 2 - Last Day of School
June 4 - Board Meeting
July 20 - First Day of School
July 23 - Board Meeting

Contact:
Amy Cooper
acooper@sbusd.org