12 Great Schools Serving Students in South San Diego and Imperial Beach
VIP Village Preschool
Bayside (K-6)
Berry (K-6)
Central (K-6)
Emory (K-6)
Mendoza (K-6)
Nicoloff (K-6)
Oneonta (K-6)
Pence (K-6)
Sunnyslope (K-6)
Imperial Beach
Charter School (K-8)
Nestor Language Academy Charter School (K-8) |
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Enrollment:
Enrollment - 7,635
Important Dates:
September 23-October 4
Fall Break
October 8
Students Return to School
October 10
Board Meeting
November 7
Board Meeting
November 11
Veteran's Day
November 22
Report Cards
November 25-29
Thanksgiving Break |
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Every Day Counts!
The South Bay Union School District recognizes the positive impact that regular school attendance has on student achievement.
When students are not in class they miss important information and instruction.
For students to have a great school experience and an increased chance of educational success, they need to be in school, and ready to learn, every day.
Regular attendance benefits the student, the class, the school and the community.
Together we must encourage good attendance! |
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Board of Trustees:
Elvia Aguilar, President
Chris Brown, Vice President
Melanie Ellsworth, Clerk
Nicholas Inzunza, Member
Barbara Elliott-Sanders, Member |
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Quote of the Month
"Affirming words from moms and dads are like light switches. Speak a word of affirmation at the right moment in a child's life and it's like lighting up a whole roomful of possibilities."
Gary Smalley |
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Superintendent's Message
Dear SBUSD Parents, Guardians and Community Members, The beginning of the school year is always an exciting time and this year is particularly special. On a personal and professional level it is extremely exciting to be the South Bay Union School District Superintendent. It is also one of the most exciting times to be in the field of education because of the implementation of the new Common Core State Standards (CCSS). California recently adopted the new standards outlining what students will be expected to know and be able to do. The same standards have been adopted in 45 states, and this type of alignment in our nation is unprecedented.
As an educator for nearly three decades, I have seen a great deal of change, yet several themes have remained consistent. The foundation we create for children to thrive academically should include a love of learning so that students want to be life-long learners. For example, teachers have universally wanted for students to be highly skilled readers in the hopes that they would love reading and enjoy reading for the rest of their lives. Another consistent theme has been the desire to create school and classroom environments that stimulate curiosity and support critical thinking. We want our children to be curious about the world around them and to consider complex problems as interesting. We hope to support students to build academic stamina and persevere when confronted with information that is perplexing. Additionally, we have always wanted to prepare students for the ever-changing world they will face when they are college and career ready.
The Common Core State Standards for language arts and mathematics are being embraced by teachers across the country. Enthusiasm for their implementation is also building because the Standards support teachers to foster a love of learning, stimulate curiosity, and delve into more complex and interesting problems. SBUSD teachers are optimistic as well and they are already aligning curriculum, instructional practices, and assessments to the new Standards. There are now fewer Standards for each grade-level, and teachers are relieved to spend more time with each standard, which allows students more opportunities to learn in a variety of ways and to gain true mastery of concepts secured in long-term memory. Fewer standards also give more breathing room for students to ask questions, be curious, and develop deeper understandings about the concepts that are presented. You may have already noticed more opportunities for students to read across genres, more reading about topics of interest (with a greater emphasis on non-fiction texts) and the opportunity to focus on deeper understanding and meaning.
Currently, our District is using state funding to train teachers, buy new materials, and purchase technology to support schools in the implementation of the CCSS. We are also aligning our local assessments and, when possible, participating in piloting new state assessments. In 2015 all students (grades 3-6) will be taking the new state assessments that replace the STAR test. It is also our goal to share information with our families and the broader community as we make this transition to integrate the Common Core into school programs and activities beyond the regular school day.
This new work is exciting and challenging and we are pleased about the opportunities for children. Please know that our staff members are always accessible and available to answer questions and that your feedback is welcome.
Sincerely,
Katie
Katie McNamara, Ed.D.
District Superintendent
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Common Core State Standards
This year all SBUSD classrooms are implementing the English Language Arts Common Core State Standards, adopted in California in August 2010. Parents and community members are invited to learn more about this work by visiting the SBUSD Website.
There are three big shifts that are happening this year that you should see in your child's classroom and hear about when your child discusses what he or she is learning in school.
- Students should be reading a balance of literary and informational texts. Therefore, your child should be able to share what he/she is learning in magazines and articles as well as books and stories.
- Reading, writing and thinking must be grounded in evidence. When our students read and write, their thinking should have clear connections to evidence from the texts they read and/or the videos they viewed.
- Students need regular practice with complex text and academic vocabulary. Our students should be reading texts at different levels all year long, strengthening their stamina and fluency as readers.
All SBUSD students will be practicing these skills throughout the year in classroom activities, as well as in the new Performance Task Assessments, which will be taken district-wide, three times a year. Report cards this year will reflect new language in the English Language Arts section that is aligned to the Common Core State Standards. Principals and teachers are available to answer questions as they come up. We are all on this exciting learning journey together! |
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Preschool News
VIP Village, VIP West and VIP at Nicoloff School have free preschool slots available for children residing in the SBUSD community!
VIP Village (1001 Fern Avenue) has income based slots available in the morning session, (9:20 AM to 12:20 PM) and the afternoon (1:00 to 4:00 PM) for three and four year old children. Transportation is available for the afternoon session.
VIP at Nicoloff School (1777 Howard Avenue) has income based slots available for the afternoon session (12:10 to 3:10 PM). Unfortunately there are no morning slots available at the Nicoloff location and all Head Start classes are full.
There are also non-income based openings for 4 year old children at VIP West on the Imperial Beach Charter School West campus (525 Third Street). The sessions are from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM and 12:40 PM to 3:40 PM.
Parents may register their child for all programs at VIP Village from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday. Please call (619-628-8690) or visit the VIP Website for registration documents.
On behalf of the preschool teachers and our youngest learners, we appreciate your support!
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SBUSD Year of Learning
 The mission of the SBUSD Year of Learning is to share stories and celebrate the community of learners we have throughout South Bay. Our goal is to nurture and encourage people who love to learn, connect learners across disciplines and settings, and deepen the conversation about education in SBUSD. We want to empower parents, students, educators and other members of our community to share stories about what they are learning. Every day we will post a new story that highlights something special about learning. We encourage you to connect with our community of learners by subscribing to our email list, following us on Twitter, or by writing for the project!
There are thousands of voices with thousands of stories throughout the South Bay community; we invite you to share yours through the SBUSD Year of Learning Project. Please click the "Writing for the Project" tab to take this journey with us.
This year, we are excited to introduce the "It's Monday, What Are You Reading?" segment to the Year of Learning. This is an ongoing opportunity to share some of the fabulous books you are reading with your children, we are sharing in our classrooms, and the inspirational books that are helping us grow, reflect and learn. If you have a book you would like to share with the community, please send the title, author and whatever you would like to share about the book to yearoflearning@sbusd.org. |
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Construction Update
It has been a busy summer for our facilities and construction team! During the break, construction took place at Nicoloff, Pence and Sunnyslope and the final phase of work was completed at Nestor Language Academy. The work is part of the Proposition X/Y modernization. Construction began as soon as students were off campus on June 7, and continued 6 days a week, 12 hours per day through June and July. Major renovations have been made to classrooms and core facilities.
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Work at Nicoloff |
Classroom upgrades included new desks, cabinetry, and sinks, learning wall storage units, cubby storage units, bookcase units, tackable wall boards, doors and hardware for security, door frames, white boards, multi-track surface wire mold raceway, paint, floor finishes, and upgrades to comply with the Americans with Disability Act (ADA).
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Construction at Pence |
Core facility work included electrical infrastructure upgrades, fully modernized kitchen completely updated with all new equipment, library upgrades, improvements to the administration offices, audio visual and information technology upgrades to multi-purpose rooms, new digital marquees (as specified in the bond language), entry enhancements, and ADA upgrades.
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Sunnyslope modernization |
All essential work was completed when staff returned from break. Construction is scheduled to continue at Nicoloff, Pence and Sunnyslope with a targeted completion date of Thanksgiving.
The District also completed the final phase of modernization at Nestor Language Academy.
Thank you to everyone that assisted in these projects! |
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Transportation
Transportation is excited to have had such a great start to school this year! Here are some helpful reminders to keep things rolling along:
This year the VIP Preschool has issued blue cards for student pick-up from the buses. We want to remind those picking up Preschool students to have the blue card and a photo ID every day. The blue card can include only one student name and one adult name. There are currently two buses serving the SBUSD area for Preschool: the Yellow Bolts and the Blue Moons. The drivers are well trained, caring and love working with the little ones.
Sometimes our department must change buses and drivers to get everyone to school and home. We want parents to know that sometimes the bus number and driver will change. At the designated time, approach the bus in the loading zone or bus stop even if it is a different number or driver. It is a help to our staff to have students wait at the bus stop rather than in a vehicle. When waiting at a bus stop, it is important that children arrive five minutes early and practice good behavior. Student responsibility includes waiting in a single line and respecting others and their property.
Lost and found items can be located at the Transportation Office. Normally, bus drivers will keep lost articles in the bus for one week. If no one claims the item, the bus driver will take them to the Transportation Office. If you are missing something, give us a call (619-628-3586) and we will look in the lost and found bin for you.
We are looking forward to a great year and serving the needs of the South Bay community! |
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Child Nutrition
 Did you know that school breakfast plays a significant role in your child's learning? Numerous studies have found that eating breakfast at school is linked to improvements in math, reading and vocabulary; improved standardized test scores; increased alertness and concentration; improved behavior and decreases in student absenteeism and tardiness.
Did you know that every SBUSD school serves breakfast free of charge to all students every day before school starts? It's true!!
Most breakfast programs start at 7:15 AM and end five minutes before school starts. Give your student a head start each day by setting your alarm clock ahead by 30 minutes and join us for breakfast. For more information on the breakfast program and the Child Nutrition department, please visit our Website. |
| Military News
Thank you to everyone that participated in Military Parent Resource Night on August 6! We had great partners to celebrate and inform our military families! We are grateful for the participation of our School Liaison Officer Kelly Frisch, the Exceptional Family Member Program, SBUSD Extended Learning, the Fleet and Family Support Center, Child and Youth Programs, Courage to Call, the Reachout to Families Resource Center, FOCUS, Boy Scout Troop 866 and the District's Community Volunteer Coordinators. A big thank you to the military parents who attended. Thank you for your support!
South Bay Union School District hosts Military Family Meetings throughout the year to address the unique concerns and needs of our military families. We hope you can join us! The 2013-2014 meeting schedule is as follows:
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