Urban Opera at Monroe Clark Middle School
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HIIGHLIIGHTIING THE PARTNERSHIIP OF SAN DIIEGO STATE UNIIVERSIITY, HOOVER HIIGH, MONROE CLARK MIIDDLE, ROSA PARKS ELEMENTARY, PRIICE CHARIITIIES, AND THE SAN DIIEGO EDUCATIION ASSOCIIATIION WWhhyy aarree ssttuuddeennttss ffrroomm RRoossaa PPaarrkkss EElleemmeennttaarryy aatt SSaann DDiieeggoo SSttaattee?? BBeeccaauussee iitt’’ss nneevveerr ttoooo eeaarrllyy ttoo ppllaann ffoorr ccoolllleeggee Learn about how to start on page 6 Cover: Third and fourth graders from Rosa Parks Elementary learned about going to college with some help from SDSU’s Pre-College Institute and America Reads tutors. Story on page 3 Students Make Opera - page 5 Quilt Celebration - page 12 Cinco de Mayo - page 17 INSIDE June 2008 0 6 . 1 2 . 0 8 2 c i t y h e i g h t s . s d s u . e d u level and to facilitate the From the Director’s Desk option to transfer to SDSU. To By Tim Allen, Ph.D. improve the conditions for Executive Director, SDSU City Heights Educational Collaborative grads attending City College, Connect will provide early his school year’s last issue of the were fortunate to be able to visits to the campus, prepara- TCity Heights Chronicle contains a transition Success for Life at tion for the entry/placement great deal of information on what is Rosa Parks from a K-1 pro- exams (currently over 70% of happening in our Collaborative. As we gram into a K-5 Parent enrollees need remediation), look back over the year, we see that: Academic Liaison (PAL)/SFL SDSU advisement (in addition model. For Rosa Parks, we to City College’s), and partici- ! Since the announcement of the have a comprehensive set of pation in a campus small College Avenue Compact, a health, social service, and aca- learning community. Connect guaranteed admission arrange- demic supports for parents. will increase the reach of the ment with SDSU, we are pro- ! The Collaborative also contin- Compact to encourage post- viding more focus on our cur- ued to fund fee support for secondary study for rent 9th graders who will be master’s degree work for Collaborative grads. the first class to benefit from Urban School Transformation teachers; additional key ! For this next school year, the this great opportunity. In addi- (NCUST). Dr. Joe Johnson, the resource teachers at each Collaborative will host a new tion to college-prep activities, a Executive Director, has visited school, and professional devel- website (thanks to our own key aspect of the Compact has schools and has provided feed- opment series such as math Kitty Gabriel), provide more been the curriculum and back to principals on ways to strategies at Clark and bilitera- support for arts education and instructional alignment work help our schools create the cy at Rosa Parks. for personalized education with SDSU undergrad and the conditions he has found in the ! Selecting the right leaders for models (e.g., we are supporting English and math departments highest-performing schools schools is one of the most criti- additional teachers at Clark to at Hoover. Staff from SDSU with demographics similar to cal decisions to make. Our sustain the “House” structure), worked with 9th grade teachers those of our schools. We want appointment of Dr. Chuck expand the p-16 Collaborative this year and will continue next this relationship to expand this Podhorsky as Hoover’s new Advisory to assist in decisions year adding teachers in 10th next year so that each school is principal has proven to be the regarding issues such as cur- grade with the goal of creating able to network, through visita- right decision and we look for- riculum and assessment, and a smoother transition to the tions and other communica- ward to even more great things collaboratively create a set of university and better prepara- tions, with these other high- happening at Hoover next year. K-12 articulated benchmarks tion for entry exams. performing schools. At Clark, while we lose Barbra and milestone indicators to Beginning at the end of this ! In order to support an articulat- Balser, we now have selected ensure our students are pre- year and continuing into next ed, coherent academic counsel- through a comprehensive pared for graduation. year, the Collaborative will ing program across our process the new leader, Tom extend systematic college schools, we were fortunate this Liberto, who we believe will Beyond test scores, our students awareness activities for stu- year to be able to work with be a great principal for our will need a balance of intellectual, dents to Rosa Parks as well as Dr. Trish Hatch of SDSU who middle school. social, and personal skills -- the the other schools, and it will is nationally known for her ! We are just completing the essential skills needed in the 21st support a comprehensive pro- work with the national stan- arrangements for SDSU-City Century. The Collaborative schools, gram for parents to learn more dards for counseling. We plan College Connect which will with generous support from Price about what they and their chil- to continue her work with all create additional pathways for Charities and SDSU, can create the dren need to know about of counselors this next school Collaborative graduates to conditions for that to happen! Please attending college. year. Similar work with our attend college. A large number take a moment to read an excerpt of a ! We have been very fortunate to librarians began and will also of our students attend commu- speech given by Hoover senior Jori be able to engage the services continue next year. nity colleges so we want to Cedillo in this issue to see how we of SDSU’s National Center for ! Thanks to Price Charities, we ensure their success at that can affect the future (see page 11). table of contents Program Profiles Hoover AOIT p. 11 Parent Pages Clark principal retiring p. 22 Rosa Parks students at SDSU p. 3 9th graders on track p. 11 Parent academic promoters p. 16 Why Johnny can't write p. 23 SDSU students teachers p. 4 Cinco de Mayo p. 17 Library links p. 24 Opera at Clark Middle p. 5 Curriculum Currents Hoover parent center p. 18 Junior Theater awards p. 6 Quilt celebration p. 12 Clark parent center p. 19 FUN ZONE p. 25 Consider college p. 8 Teachers earn degrees p. 13 A poem to my parents p. 19 Hoover college programs p. 7 Hoover VAPA p. 14 Rosa Parks Health Center p. 20 Cardinals Interact p. 8 AOIT teacher award p. 15 Dad's Club p. 20 Hoover scholarships p. 9 Poetry corner p. 15 K-16 Counseling p. 21 What's college like? P. 10 Helping stuck students p. 22 c i t y h e i g h t s . s d s u . e d u 3 0 6 . 1 2 . 0 8 prPROogramGRAM PROFIL EprS ofiles trip to the SDSU campus on July 18. Rosa Parks Students Visit SDSU The highly interactive program includes a series of five lessons with topics including What Is College? t’s never too early to start thinking Benefits of a College Education, about college, and third and fourth I College Costs, Getting Ready for graders from Rosa Parks Elementary College, and Careers and Choices. got a head start with a trip to San These sessions will be taught by our Diego State University in April. The three College Avenue Compact special trip for the classes of teach- tutors: Velma Calvario, Charles To, ers Diana Yemha and Pam Forde and Diego Jacome who have been was the idea of SDSU student tutors working with Hoover 9th graders who have been helping with reading this year. Parents will participate in and literacy at Rosa Parks this year, their own workshop on July 11 and and was arranged by SDSU’s Pre- will get a taste of what their stu- College Institute and City Heights dents will be learning. Parents will Educational Collaborative. also get information on financial While at SDSU, the elementary planning for college. students went on a tour of the cam- Fourth graders will actually “ pus, watched a slide show on the apply” for college admission and for importance of higher education, and Third and fourth graders took a class about college presented by SDSU’s financial aid before embarking on met the Associated Students Pre-College Institute. the field trip, which will include a President James Poet, the head of and all you can see from outside is a Diego, but to many students on the guided tour of the SDSU campus SDSU’s student government, who glass dome. You go inside and down field trip it seemed small compared and classes designed to grab the asked them questions to see how some stairs and that’s where all the to SDSU. interest of elementary students. T- much they already know about col- books are. I also learned that you “It was a lot bigger than Rosa Shirts, new backpacks and college lege. Their visit even made the front have to get good grades to go to col- Parks,” noted Tomma Chea, a third dictionaries will also be part of the page of the Daily Aztec, SDSU’s lege, can live in a dorm in the col- grader in Ms. Forde’s class, “and it’s I’m Going to College experience. student newspaper! lege area, and there are lots of clubs harder too. You have to be a good “We went to Aztec Center where you can join. It was a nice trip and student to get in. My favorite part there is a bowling alley, pool tables we were happy for the opportunity was Aztec Center, where you can eat and other games, and the library, to visit SDSU -- I hope to go there lunch outside while listening to a which was my favorite part,” when I go to college.” music concert.