Fundraiser Sprints Toward Financial Goal 

Village Elementary Students Run for Success at Annual Jog-a-Thon

Jog-a-Thon 2015 at Village Elementary School was another smashing success for the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) and the students.  The annual PTO event was led by a new team of Village parents, Michelle Van Lare and Michelle Delanty, who did a fantastic job taking over the helm.  With music blasting to keep everyone motivated, kids ran laps and parents used spray bottles to keep them cool to avoid heat exhaustion. 

Loads of helpful parents logged every lap on their special cards to track the student progress.  Teachers commented that it was great to see so many parents joining in and logging in miles with them.  Many members of the faculty and staff joined in; even Principal DeSantis ran a few laps!  Thanks go out to Village Elementary PTO and the staff for making it all possible.

NAVAIR Volunteers Help Bring "STEM" to Life at Silver Strand

 Silver Strand was fortunate to enter into a partnership wIth NAVAIR North Island this past summer that has helped bring STEM to life for its students.  NAVAIR wrote a successful grant application that provided funding to resurrect the school's popular Robotics team, which had been a site budget cut last spring.  Volunteer aerospace engineers from NAVAIR, along with teacher, Laurel Wheeler, then "coached" the team throughout the fall and during the FIRST LEGO League competition at High Tech High in November.  

Their volunteers have also presented at the site's annual "What I Want to Be When I Grow Up Day" and during "Young Female Scientists Club".  Most recently, they developed a Science Lab activity, along with teacher, Laura Bradford, in which they led upper grade students in constructing and launching their own "rockets".  The NAVAIR "Point of Contact" is a former Silver Strand student, who is now an aerospace engineer herself.  Silver Strand's students, staff, and families are very grateful for the inspired assistance of this great group of volunteers!

You've Been Warned...

 Midsummer Fever May Cause You to Shake Your Groove Thing

Brace yourselves for this CoSA boogie-fest, a family-friendly version of the 2013 original production from Ion Theatre which, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune, celebrated the 70's decade "in all of its exuberance, excess and gloriously bad taste."

Starting January 30, a pulsing disco beat and white leisure suits will transport Coronado audiences back to the 1970's at "A Midsummer Night's Fever." Together with students from Coronado High School and Pathways Charter School, Coronado School of the Arts (CoSA) presents this Shakespeare-inspired disco cabaret show at the Coronado Performing Arts Center, 650 D Avenue, 92118.

Director Kimberly Strassburger says "Interactive theatre is all the rage on the East Coast and it's time for San Diego to dip into the fast-moving fun of this art form." To channel the vibe of the legendary New York dance club Studio 54, audience members are invited to wear plaid and polyester dance duds and to enter the theatre from a Sixth Avenue entrance. "Make it past the bouncer and you'll be seated at club tables around a dance floor and waited on by cast members who are ready to help you 'do the hustle,'" says Strassburger. Prizes will be awarded for the best costumes and dance moves.

Boogie over to www.cosasandiego.com for tickets, or to the box office 30 minutes before show time. Shows are 8:00 p.m. on Friday January 20 and February 6, and 6:30 and 9:00 on January 31 and February 7. 

A Tribute to Nick Castellanos on the Rock

 Nicolas Allan Castellanos, who passed away suddenly last week, graduated in 2014 from Coronado High School and just completed his first semester at California State University Chico. 

 All who knew him will miss his infectious smile, his sense of humor, his kindness and his zest for life.  Islander hearts are with the Castellanos family at this very sad time.