Special Olympians Visit El Cajon

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The Special Olympics 2015 Summer Games took place this year in Southern California. El Cajon along with several other host cities gave the athletes a hero’s welcome. Our Governing Board President, Tamara Otero, was instrumental in making sure that East County left a memorable impression on the hearts of the athletes and their supporters. In the spirit of TED “Ideas Worth Spreading”, take a listen to Matthew Williams as he describes the importance of the Special Olympics and the significance of the athletes who compete.

Olympic Athletes Visit Cajon Valley Middle School


Friday, February 5, 2016 was an exciting day for Cajon Valley Middle School. Olympic athletes in cycling, the city of El Cajon, members of the CVUSD Board, and our superintendent, Dr. Miyashiro joined students in a motivational assembly led by two time Olympic gold medalist, Kristen Armstrong. The assembly began with an inspiring message about fitness by our very own P.E. teacher, Mr. Jimenez, in which he talked about the importance of leading a healthy and active lifestyle. The assembly concluded with a question/answer session in which Kristen Armstrong and the team of female cyclist connected with the students. Among those asked were, “Have you ever been in an accident?”, to which the response was “Yes, many times.” “You just have to get up and keep on going, no matter what.” Click here to read the full story covered by the Union Tribune.

​Sergio Navarro, Assistant Principal
Cajon Valley Middle School

CVUSD Digital Learning Day 2016

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Welcome to Digital Learning Day 2016! This is the fifth year anniversary of this amazing event and we are ready to celebrate. Digital Learning Day is an event sponsored nationally by the Alliance for Excellence in Education. It is a day that brings classrooms and educators together from all over the country to celebrate digital literacy. CVUSD has been in the forefront of this movement for several years, and we are sure this year will be no exception. This year we will continue to post district activity on our district Pre-Digital Learning Day Google Classroom.
There you can post information on what you will be doing to celebrate digital learning with your students. You can check out lessons posted last year and add to the discussion. Below is a link to this year’s promo video that highlights projects and students from all over the district who participated last year. Look for updates and a new video from Dr. Miyashiro highlighting this year’s theme, “CVUSD Creates Impact by Embracing the “Ish” In Us All” next week.

The Book: Ish by Peter H. Reynolds @PeterHReynolds
Don’t have the book? No problem! Click here for a video read of Ish
Dr. Miyashiro’s Read Aloud Ish by Peter H. Reynolds
Last Year’s – What Do You Do with an Idea?

Additional Book Option: Nara Duffie’s Monster Realm Featured speaker at TEDxKids@ElCajon

Twitter:
#cvDLD16
@cajonvalleyusd

Pump it up video: Share with your students CVUSD Digital Learning Day 2016

Google Classroom Codes:
Pre-Digital Learning Day: 1xv8b67
Share Ideas and Resources for Digital Learning Day. Connect with other classrooms to set up Google Hangouts.

Digital Learning Day: ttoi2n2
Post photos, videos and students samples of your finished activities.

Sincerely,
Mrs. Elizabeth Loether
Coordinator of Educational Technology | Cajon Valley Union School District |
(619) 588-3115 | LoetherE@CajonValley.net​ | @LizLoether

Proud letter to teacher… from a parent @ Hillsdale.

This letter of appreciation was copied to my office following Makenzie Plumb’s debut student showcase in her first year in this position @ Hillsdale Middle School. We love happy kids and beaming parents!!! Here are some photos and a brief look at the opening act… Keep up the great work Makenzie!

Mrs. Plum,

I know you will be receiving multiple emails so I will keep this brief. Thankful for the word WOW, as I’m not sure there is a better way to describe last nights opening performance! I’ve been in the entertainment industry most of my life and extremely tough when it comes to anything entertainment. I was impressed with your ability to have a such a large number of kids organized and for the most part, semi polished considering their age and experience level. Getting them to know where they are at the moment and knowing what to do next is easier said then done. The majority of your audience doesn’t realize all that goes into a large production, especially with most of the performers being first timers. It’s just about impossible and you pulled it off. The endless hours, the sacrifices made by you, your husband and all of the kids and their parents is truly remarkable. As just a parent I would like to thank you for guiding our kids to greatness. You personally have given them insight as to what it takes to be a professional for the first time in their young lives.

For my own daughter Ashley, a first timer 7th grader, you have given her a gift by being in your class. She’s an A student but really could take or leave most classes right now, thanks to you and the magic of acting she is inspired to learn all she can. Proof that when it’s right, it’s right, and you just can’t get enough. Great job… They are blessed to have you.

Sincerely,

Gary Roehl – Parent of Ashley Roehl
CW San Diego’s 6 Television

Greenfield Visits Qualcomm & Replication Schools with Maker Labs


by Lydia Woolman-Coppedge, GMS English Teacher, and a Greenfield student, Brandon Luu


by Jacob Launder, GMS Math & Computers Teacher & Tech Facilitator

On Tuesday, January 19, thirty Greenfield Middle School students and five staff members had the opportunity to visit Qualcomm’s World of Work and Thinkabit Lab. Students investigated career opportunities and interests in the World of Work and then coded and created projects with their coding in the Thinkabit Lab. Thanks to Qualcomm’s great staff for their work (and for feeding all of us!)… Students and staff left invigorated and inspired.
In the week following the visit to Qualcomm, three of the GMS staff members were able to visit schools who have replicated similar “Maker Labs” at their schools. We visited Feaster Charter in Chula Vista, Skyline Elementary in Solana Beach, and Lewis Middle School in San Diego. Thanks to the staff at these schools for welcoming us and providing great examples and ideas for Greenfield to integrate in the development of our own World of Work and Maker Lab in the coming school year.
Enjoy the two videos below that celebrate the great work inspired by Qualcomm’s World of Work and Thinkabit Lab!

Greg Calvert, Principal
Greenfield Middle School

Greetings from Greenfield Middle School

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Greetings from Greenfield Middle School,

Every 3rd Wednesday of every month, we invite the school, district, and local community to join us for a “Food Truck Evening.” While the evenings serve as modest fund-raising events, it is really much more about bringing the community and school together beyond the regular school day. After our January 20th Food Truck Evening, I received an email from a parent about one of our teachers that I am compelled to share. Please see below and enjoy.
See you at our next Food Truck Evening on February 17th, 5-7:30pm.

Greg Calvert, Principal
Greenfield Middle School

Hi Mr. Calvert,
My son is an 8th grader at GMS. He stayed late yesterday and we met up with him for the food trucks. He had been in Ms. Ah Sing’s class when we arrived so I told him to invite her to eat with us. I was pleasantly surprised that she had accepted the offer. It was so nice to sit down and have a regular conversation. Her love of teaching is infectious. I could hear the pride in her voice as she was telling us about different things she does as a teacher. It was nice that she shared stories about herself, her roots, her passion (which was TEACHING), and what prompted her to become a teacher. She is amazing and a very personable teacher. It is reassuring knowing that GMS hires teachers such as her. Every teacher and staff member that I have had contact with has been great. …
I really like all of my son’s teachers. Ms. Ah Sing is just the first one I was able to get to know on a more personal level.
Thank you again for all you (and the rest of staff at GMS) do for Greenfield Middle School and its students.

Sincerely,
[Greenfield MS Parent]

Room 306 Room Redesign Project @ Los Coches Creek


Before the Winter Recess, Ann Mason’s 7th Grade World History students engaged me in a conversation during a regular school site visit at Los Coches Creek Middle School. We discussed many issues, but the most intriguing dialogue focused around what a 21st century classroom should look like. They explained that although they liked having classroom technology, the furniture and structure of the classroom didn’t support effective technology use. Ms. Mason created a performance task to turn the dialogue into a design challenge for her students. See the performance task lesson by clicking here. We’re hearing more and more from teachers and students that more space and flexibility is needed in the classroom to accommodate collaboration and projects. On February 11th, Ms. Mason’s class will present their designs. Looking forward to seeing what they’ve come up with!

Ann Mason, David Miyashiro, and Room 306
Los Coches Creek Middle School

White House Acknowledges Cajon Valley for Computer Science

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Yukiko Chavez from Los Coches Creek and Greenfield captured CVUSD and Code to the Future on Twitter being acknowledged by the White House and President Obama for our work in K-8 Computer Science. We are so far ahead of the rest of the country thanks to our amazing teachers and school leaders! Thank you for giving our students a competitive edge in the global job market! More opportunities will continue to come for both teachers and students to continue this work! Read more about the Federal initiative here. https://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2016/01/30/computer-science-all

Learn more about the Cajon Valley partnership with Code.Org here. http://www.cajonvalley.net/Page/11944

See the White House Address Here…