Community Newsletter - August 2019

South Bay Union School District

Community Newsletter

August 2019

Superintendent's Message

Dear South Bay Parents/Guardians and Community Members,

Welcome to the 2019-2020 school year! Thank you for your support in ensuring that your child attends school every day. An important factor in student achievement is attendance, and even a few days of absence in a school year, may impact future success. Our teachers and staff are thrilled to see your child everyday and to assist them in pursuing their goals.

It is an exciting year for South Bay! In 2020, we will be celebrating our 100 Year Anniversary as a District. Please mark your calendars for the week of April 20! There is a Planning Committee supporting events for both site and District celebrations. I am so proud to be your Superintendent as our community recognizes this important milestone for our District.

On behalf of our entire team, we are grateful to have you in South Bay and look forward to making this school year a great one. Thank you for your support and partnership in your child's education. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. I can be reached by email or by phone at (619) 628-1605.

Sincerely,

Katie McNamara

Katie McNamara, Ed.D.

Superintendent

School Highlight - Nicoloff

Leader in Me Program Launch!

During the 2018-2019 school year, the Nicoloff team reviewed school-wide behavior trends, including Tier I and Tier II referrals. After reviewing the data, the team began to explore options on how to promote leadership skills and roles as a means to encourage positive behavior.

Due to the success of the Leader in Me program at Oneonta School, the staff explored this option for Nicoloff. Conni Chavez, a representative from Leader in Me, presented an overview of the program during a staff meeting. The results were a resounding, "When can we start?" from the school team.

To build the foundational knowledge of the program, which is grounded on the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey, the entire Nicoloff team (teachers, support staff, Instructional Assistants, and Noon-time Supervisors) participated in professional learning. One of the goals was to begin the dialogue about implementation of the program in classrooms and to build a leadership culture in a visual way throughout the campus. Even more exciting, we are seeing students practicing leadership skills in classrooms and on the playground by being proactive and thinking win-win.

During Back-to-School night, students confidently led the presentations, putting their leadership habits into action by building their public speaking skills. In such a short time, students and teachers alike are embracing student leadership through the use of the 7 Habits. We are proud of our students and we are looking forward to the continued deeper implementation of the Leader in Me program where EVERY student is seen as a leader.

School Highlight - VIP Village Preschool

On July 17, South Bay celebrated the launch of construction of a the campus for VIP Village Preschool. The celebration included a brief program, a performance by the VIP Village Stomp Band, and a ceremonial groundbreaking.

Board Members Cheryl Quinones, Barbara Elliott-Sanders and Marco Amaral led a celebration that included Superintendent Katie McNamara, Preschool Director David Sheppard, elected officials, community partners, parents, students, and staff.

The current Preschool campus (located on Fern Avenue in Imperial Beach) was built in 1992. In November 2018, Measure NN was placed on the ballot to provide $18 million for construction of a new facility. The Measure passed with 68% of the voters supporting the initiative. During construction over the next year, VIP Village will be located at the Imperial Beach Charter School West campus (525 Third Street in Imperial Beach). A ribbon cutting ceremony for the new 30,160 square foot site is planned for summer 2020.

VIP Village Preschool has served over 20,000 students and families over the past 27 years. Research shows that children who attend Preschool get a better start in life and have better outcomes in education, health, social behaviors, and career choice. VIP has consistently been named High Quality by the San Diego Quality Preschool Initiative, and has received the highest possible rating of Tier 5.

Superintendent Katie McNamara is thrilled about starting construction. "We are so excited for the entire South Bay community to have a new state-of-the-art Preschool. Thank you to the voters, parents, and staff for their support of this project. We look forward to offering high quality Preschool for south county families for years to come."

School Highlight - Central and Emory Academy

Our Facilities, Construction, and Purchasing teams were busy over the summer beginning the modernization of Central and the Emory Academy.

Central has received n ew furniture, a security gate with buzzer, improved plumbing, and new windows. Upgrades to the heating/air conditioning system, Multi-Purpose Room stage/projector, and bathroom flooring are underway. Several portable buildings will be removed during Fall Break and additional work is planned for the summer.

The Emory Academy has received new furniture and planning for extensive summer work is underway.

School Highlight - Emory Academy

On August 21, the Emory Academy of Global Leadership and Empowerment's Student United Nations held their first meeting. Two representatives from each classroom approved resolutions to refine the school-wide flag salute and introduce a school greeter program. Advisors Erika Gundermann, Shelly Molina, and Holli Perkins led students through Robert's Rules of Order and discussed the role our United Nations representatives will serve as leaders in our school, community, and world. We are excited to provide this leadership opportunity and look forward to seeing the positive changes our students will make this year!

Welcome

We are excited to introduce our three new Principals! Please join us in welcoming them to South Bay!

Garrett Corduan is the new Principal of Mendoza School. Garrett is a native San Diegan and attended Serra High School, Mesa College, National University, and Azusa Pacific University. He has been in public education for 23 years and previously worked in the Rancho Santa Fe, Murrieta Valley, and Poway School Districts. Garrett has two children in college and two dogs (Sandy and Lola). When not at work, he enjoys spending time with his family, camping, and doing projects around the house. Fun Facts: Garrett's favorite book is The Speed of Trust and his favorite movie is Star Wars. His goal for Mendoza this year is to work with our outstanding teachers/staff and supportive parent community to meet the social-emotional and academic needs of our students while promoting the highest levels of achievement.

Susy Chavez is the new Principal of Pence School. Susy was born in Los Angeles and attended San Diego State University. Her entire 16-year career in public education has been in South Bay. She is the mother to four dogs (Pucci, Moe, Chunk and Cookie), a tortoise (Max), and three fish (Prince, Pennywise, and Bubba). She enjoys traveling on her time off. She was a member of Ballet Folklorico from middle school to college. Fun Facts: Susy's favorite food is Indian and Mexican, her favorite books are Burro Genius and She's Come Undone, and her favorite movie is Life is Beautiful. Her goal for Pence this year is to continue building relationships with staff, students and the community.

Estela Corrales is the Interim Principal of Sunnyslope School. Estela was born in Coronado and attended school at Imperial Beach Elementary, Mar Vista Middle, Mar Vista High, San Diego State University, and Point Loma Nazarene College. She has worked in South Bay since starting her educational career 29 years ago. She has two children (22 and 24) and although she has had pets in the past, does not share her home with any animals at present. When not on campus, she enjoys yoga, walking, reading, attending concerts, and spending time with family and friends. Fun Facts: Her favorite food is Italian (especially pasta, salad and bread and she is learning to make Thai food), her favorite book is Dare to Lead, and her favorite movie is Mama Mia. Her goal for her school this year is to establish positive and productive relationships with students, staff and parents to better understand the norms and traditions of the Sunnyslope community and to work collaboratively with all stakeholders to identify areas of strength and opportunities for growth to create the best educational experience for our students.

Get to Know our Teachers

Joe Stancer is a Special Education teacher at Berry. He was born in Oxnard and has Bachelor and Master's Degrees in History from San Francisco State and Point Loma Nazarene Universities. Joe has a daughter, Madison (pictured). When he is not teaching, he enjoys Fantasy Football and watching sports. His favorite food is fish tacos, his favorite book is Baseball's Great Experiment: Jackie Robinson and his legacy, and his favorite movie is Good Will Hunting. Joe is in his fifth year of teaching and he hopes to continue to serve as a mentor to those students without a male role model in their life.

Anna Becker teaches middle school at Imperial Beach Charter. She is a native San Diegan and has been teaching for over 17 years. She attended San Diego State University, Central Michigan University, and National University where she received her Bachelor's in Civil Engineering, Masters in Public Administration, and teaching certification. Prior to her teaching career, Anna served as an officer in the Engineering Branch of the United States Army. She chose teaching to encourage students (especially girls) to pursue STEM careers. She has one child (aged 27) and an orange cat named Torch. She enjoys reading, pilates, and participating in community service. Anna's favorites include lumpia and pancit, The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck, and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.

Nutrition

Wake Up With School Breakfast!

You've probably heard before that breakfast is the most important meal of the day; and it is true, especially when it comes to students. When you sleep, you are fasting, so your blood sugar starts to drop. When students skip breakfast, their blood sugar keeps getting lower - this can leave them feeling slow and sluggish and make it more difficult to get through the day, or at least their morning classes.

On the other hand, eating a healthy breakfast before class, raises blood sugar to a healthy level and it is linked to improved concentration, better test scores, increased energy, higher intake of vitamins and minerals, and even a healthier body weight. Eating breakfast can help students meet their daily nutrient needs, and it is especially important for young children because their brains need a lot of energy to develop.

All South Bay schools offer a healthy, nutritious and delicious breakfast to students every day, free of charge. Bagels with cream cheese, granola bars, sweet potato muffins, and cereal are some of the whole-grain items on our breakfast menu. On our salad bars, we offer at least three different fruits daily for them to enjoy. Fat-free white milk, fat-free chocolate milk and 100% fruit juices are also available. We hope you encourage your children to join us for breakfast! It is our pleasure to serve them!

Thank You

On July 20, the Kiwanis Club of Imperial Beach/South Bay hosted Stuff the Bus at the Walmart on Saturn Blvd. Shoppers donated erasers, pencils, notebooks, rulers, lined paper, glue sticks, and much more! These supplies were distributed to sites for students and to be used as attendance incentives. Thank you to the Kiwanis Club for facilitating this annual event and to the entire community for their generosity!

On August 13, staff from North Island Credit Union visited VIP Village (at their temporary location on Third Street) for a surprise delivery of school supplies! Thank you to NICU for providing construction paper, paint, crayons, glue, scissors, markers, and clay for our youngest learners. You are amazing community partners!

Computers and Internet for South Bay Families

South Bay families may qualify for discounted computers and/or Internet services.

See the flyer for details. Distribution will be on Wednesday, September 4 from 2:30-4:00 PM at the Education Center (601 Elm Avenue in Imperial Beach).

Internet Safety

As part of Federal law, school districts are mandated to provide curriculum around digital citizenship and appropriate online behavior. For the last few years, South Bay has used CyberSmarts to support this initiative during the last week of August.

Digital citizenship is not just a one-time activity. We need to remind students of expectations and procedures throughout the year. The International Society for Technology in Education Standards for Students (Standard 2) and Educators (Standard 3) outline the importance of being a Citizen all the time.

At home, you can set time and content limits on technology use. Be Internet Awesome has some great family resources you can use to talk about being safe on the Internet. Common Sense Media also has informative resources for parents, kids, and teachers. Our library staff will be using Thrively to support digital citizenship and research skills throughout the year.