School Board Approves Security Gates for Santa Cruz High!  

The Santa Cruz City Schools Board just voted unanimously to approve five new gates intended to keep intruders off campus at night and on weekends. The PTA asked for gates in September, and even offered to pay for them. But our District came through with more than we expected, not only paying for the gates but bringing in security patrols, new lights, brush clearing and other safety measures. THANK YOU to our Board for their quick and caring response! 

New Safety Protocol

In an ongoing effort to keep Santa Cruz High safe, starting Monday 3/3/14 SCHS will start to implement a new safety protocol that will include locking the new gates around the high school.  Students and staff will only be able to get to and from the lower campus through the bridge.  Access to the lower campus via Taylor and Weeks will be closed off during school hours.  The gates at the bottom of campus on Myrtle and Taylor streets will be closed during school hours as well.

Congratulations to SCHS Varsity Boys' Basketball!

Congratulations to the Varsity Boys' Basketball team for receiving the 2014 Winter Season Scholastic Championship Team Awards. These awards recognize the top five Varsity teams,  from each Central Coast Section sport, with the highest collective grade-point-average of all teams competing in that sport during that season of competition. 

Our team's GPA was 3.56!! 

 Isabelle Beckman will compete as one of 10 finalists in the South Bay Teen Idol Finals!  Come cheer her on:

       Saturday March 22, 2014, 7:00 -10:00 pm

       Addison-Penzak JCC
       14855 Oka Road, Los Gatos

Way to go, Isabelle! 

Santa Cruz High Mock Trial Team Wins First Place in County!

Congratulations to the Santa Cruz High Mock Trial team who competed in the county semi-finals and finals and brought home First Place! They will be representing us at State Mock Trial Competition in March. 

SAT/Subject Tests

The regular deadline for the May 3 SAT/Subject Tests is April 4th. The regular deadline for the June 7 SAT/Subject Tests is May 9. For more information about other test dates, registration and deadlines visit

www.collegeboard.com and for questions about SATs and Subject Tests please contact the SCHS guidance office at 429-3960 x 300.

ACT Tests

The regular deadline for the April 12 ACT is March 7. The regular deadline for the June 14 ACT is May 9. For more information about other test dates, registration and deadlines, visit http://www.actstudent.org.

Cabrillo College Running Start

Seniors planning to attend Cabrillo College next year should register to take the Cabrillo Assessment Tests on Thursday, March 20th at 2 p.m. at Cabrillo College.

To register for the assessment tests and pick up an information packet, including a link to the online Intent to Participate in Running Start Form, come the Santa Cruz High Counseling Office.

This is the second of two assessment times that will be reserved specifically for SCHS students. Certain scores on specific previous assessments (such as the Early Assessment Program, EAP) can exempt students from the Cabrillo Assessment tests.  Please see the Cabrillo College Assessment Center website for more information. 

Once the intent form is complete, Cabrillo will send students their Cabrillo ID number via the email they provided.

Please note!

• Students need to read each page before completing the Intent Form. 
• Provide Cabrillo wth an email address as ALL communication is done via email
• Complete the Intent Form two weeks prior to assessment
• Apply for financial Aid by March 2nd at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/ 
• Apply for Fall 2014 admission beginning April 1
• Intent Form, Orientation, Assessment, and Applicaton MUST all be completed by April 18 or you will not receive priority registration.  May 14th is Running Start -- (Priority Registration for your classes).
• When you visit Cabrillo, park on Soquel Drive (it is free), or remember to pay for parking in the lots.  Read parking signs carefully!  

For further information and to apply to Cabrillo please visit Cabrillo College's Running Start Information page at:  http://www.cabrillo.edu/services/outreach/runningstat.html

Prospective Cabrillo students are encouraged to consider joining a learning community or the Honor Transfer Program.

It is recommended that students make an appointment with a Cabrillo College counselor for assistance in selecting classes and completing an educational plan. Students may also see the Santa Cruz High counselors for some assistance in this process. 

SCHS Swim Team Swim-a-Thon

You might be getting a call from your favorite swimmer asking for support for the upcoming team swim-a-thon at 3:30 pm on March 7th. Please consider a donation to the swim team's annual fundraiser. You can provide a flat donation or sweeten the deal by paying for each lap they swim. For more information contact: Coach Greg Shaner at g.shaner.85@gmail.com 

Cardinal Club

Cardinal wear can be purchased by contacting Suzette Gilmore at callysuzy@yahoo.com.  You can view the items for sale by visiting the Cardinal Club section of the SCHS website.

The Cardinal Club meets every 3rd Wednesday of the month in the library at 6:30 pm and everyone is welcome!  If you have any questions, please contact the Cardinal Club at schscardinalclub@gmail.com - we would love to hear from you! 

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Host an International Student This Summer!

• Students from Germany, Denmark and France: July 10th to July 29th (3 weeks)
• Students from China, Italy, Austria and Russia: July 30th/31st to August 18th/19th or 26th (3 or 4 weeks)

WHY BECOME A HOST FAMILY?
* It is a short term commitment: You can choose to host for one or two session(s) and pick which one works best for your family.
* The students are busy Monday - Friday from 8:30AM to 5:30PM: they attend English classes at a local Santa Cruz school and participate in fun activities. They will spend time with your family in the evenings and a few weekends.
* We provide transportation to and from the Santa Cruz school from conveniently located bus stops: you can choose which bus stop is most convenient for you.
* You will earn a $100 stipend per student per week of 7 nights hosted. Each family may host up to four students per session.
* Your children may earn community service hours for hosting a student in their home.
* If a member of your family has traveled with EF Tours within the last year or plans to travel with us in the coming year, you will receive a $250 discount towards that tour.
* Our students come fully insured and with their own spending money.
* You will help make these teenagers' dreams come true!

Please contact Pati Murray at pati.murray@ef.com, (831)706-7613.  For more information about Education First, visit www.ef.com/host/santacruz

District Requests Input for Next Superintendent of Schools

 To the Greater Santa Cruz City Schools Community,

With the impending retirement of Superintendent Gary Bloom, the Board of Trustees invites you to provide your input in the recruitment process regarding the strengths and qualities you would welcome in the next Superintendent of Santa Cruz City Schools. Working with the executive search firm Leadership Associates, your input will help the Board develop recruitment criteria to inform our hiring decision. Listed below are opportunities for your ideas to be heard:

On-line Survey: Complete the on line survey as provided by Leadership Associates by following the link https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/P8H7VZZ (English) or

https://es.surveymonkey.com/s/LZMLMCF (Spanish). Hard copies of the survey in both English & Spanish are available through March 3rd at all SCCS school sites and the District Office.

Open Public Forum: Tuesday, March 4th, 2014, 6:30 to 8:00 pm at Harbor High School, 300 La Fonda Drive, Santa Cruz, CA. Meet the advisors from Leadership Associates, Larry Aceves and Sally Frazier, who will be helping the Board with the search and recruitment process. Spanish translation will be provided.

Individual Meetings with the Consultants: 1:00 to 4:30 pm, Tuesday, March 4th, and 8:30am to 4:30pm, Wednesday, March 5th, 2014 at the SCCS District Office, 405 Old San Jose Road Soquel CA. You or a small group can schedule a 20 minute appointment to meet with the consultants. Please contact Nancy Lentz at 429-3410, x 220 to schedule an appointment and request a translator if needed.

E-mail the Consultants: If you are unable to attend any of the listed meetings or are unable to access the survey online or via hard copy, you may share your thoughts by emailing the consultants at: Larry Aceves laceves@comcast.net  & Sally Frazier azier@leadershipassociates.org . Your input on the survey, in private appointments, and via email is anonymous.

As we seek to choose a Superintendent well-matched to the needs and values of our district, we appreciate your taking the time to participate in the process. To learn more about Santa Cruz City Schools including our Mission Statement and Core Values, I welcome you to please review our website at www.sccs.santacruz.k12.ca.us 

Patty Threet