ALL SCHOOLS • The annual Friends of Pacific Beach Secondary Schools (FOBSS) “Blues by the Bay” Auction will be held at the Mission Beach Woman’s Club on Sunday, May 20 at 5 p.m. Music by Big Daddy Blues. The event will feature auction items, food and live music. The financial need has never been greater and every cent goes to supporting the students of PB Middle School and Mission Bay High School. Tickets are $20 at the door. • The next Mission Bay Cluster meeting will be Wednesday, May 16, 6 p.m. at Crown Point Junior Music Academy. Elections for the 2012-13 school year will be held, along with a recap of this roller-coaster year in the MB Cluster of schools. Come join these informative meetings and see how you can add to the conversation about our local public schools. MISSION BAY HIGH • The Mission Bay Music Department’s second annual “Jazz on the Green” event will be held May 19 at Mission Bay High School. This New Orleans-inspired event will feature the school’s outstanding jazz ensembles including the Concert Jazz Band, the Jazz Ensemble and the award-winning Mission Bay Preservationists, concluding in a special appearance by the Euphoria Brass Band. This outdoor event is open to the public and will offer food from local Pacific Beach restaurants, swing dancing, activities for children and music for all ages. Families are encouraged to bring their own seating or blankets. All proceeds go to support the music program at Mission Bay. For more information, visit www.missionbaymusic.com. • Bertin Solis named Gates Millennium Scholar! Mission Bay High School senior Bertin Solis is one of only 19 high school seniors in the county to be named a Gates Millennium Scholar, an honor that guarantees the financial backing for as much schooling as he wants to pursue — up to and including a doctoral degree. Bertin’s outstanding academic performance, public service, commitment to school and community all contributed to this life-changing award.MBHS is proud to have such extraordinary young man receive this honor. PACIFIC BEACH MIDDLE SCHOOL • The PBMS Music Department will attend the Forum Festival Competition in Orange County on May 18. The last two years, the Concert Band and Advanced String Ensembles have won the gold and silver awards. The musicians hope to duplicate their success. • PBMS’ eighth-graders will be heading east to visit historic sites, see national monuments and attend a Broadway show. The students will visit Boston, New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. on this experience of a lifetime tour of the East Coast. • Clementine Pasquet, an eighth-grade international baccalaureate student, was a grand-prize winner in the San Diego Citywide Library Student Essay Contest. She was awarded a laptop and monetary prize in the San Diego Public Library Essay Contest. Her essay, “Into the Beautiful North,” compared her own life experiences to the family in the book, in which the family moves to the United States and details the struggles and difficulties of being in a new country. “Clementine was able to make connections to her own life as she and her family moved to the United States from France,” stated David Stark, Pasquet’s PB Middle IB English teacher. • 700 hand-made tostadas were served to students and faculty at PB Middle’s annual Cinco de Mayo celebration. To learn more about Mexican culture, students were introduced to Aztec and Mayan heritage dancers from the Colibri dance troupe. Students danced and cheered as they burned incense and performed native steps in indigenous clothing. Parents from the English Learners Advisory Committee organized the even,t along with Wade Plunkett, the English learner support teacher. Volunteers from a local community organization also dressed up in traditional Mexican dress and served over 650 smiling students. • Dennis Gildehaus, physical educator at Pacific Beach Middle IB, has earned the California Coaches Association Middle School Coach of the Year. “Dennis is not only recognized as one of the best physical educators in San Diego, but is recognized at the state level and even internationally,” said Dr. Martel, principal at PB Middle School. “He runs the intramurals for our district, pilots numerous electronic fitness programs and new equipment so our students are always on the cutting edge, and his physical education department just finished piloting a new guide for the international baccalaureate organization in Switzerland, as well as training three student teachers from the University of Zurich, Switzerland, and the University of Heidelberg in Germany.” PB ELEMENTARY • Pacific Beach Elementary School thanks The Soledad Club and all the local businesses and families who participated in our Spring Auction Gala. It was a huge success. The local support was amazing, and the school raised much-needed funds to help continue the great work and extraordinary opportunities for the students of PBE. • The annual Cinco de Mayo Celebration hosted by the PBE ELAC Committee was once again a tremendous success. The Aztec Dancers performed traditional dances, and our students featured Mexican Folk dances! It was a special celebration highlighting Mexican culture, through music, dancing and wonderful food! • PBE will “Celebrate Education and Art” with an open house at 5 p.m. on Thursday, May 17. All classrooms are open, teachers have unique programs to present and families can take a look at some of the great artwork the students have done this year. CROWN POINT (JMA) • The “Rhythms of Latin America” Night Silent Auction Night will be May 11 from 6 to 9:30 p.m. at St. Andrews By the Sea Episcopal Church, 1050 Thomas Ave Come socialize, dance and bid on great items to help benefit the open to the public. Buy your ticket at the door $10 for a single ticket, $15 for a couple. • On Sunday, May 13 the CPCMJ Music Club will perform at Gator By the Bay, 11 a.m. Come support the talented students of Crown Point Junior Music Academy as they perform at this exciting festival downtown. • May 22 from noon to 2 p.m., the CPCMJ will host its annual Talent Show. All grades and their family members are welcome! • The Crown Point Junior Music Academy School Open House will be on May 23 from 6 to 8 p.m. in the auditorium. Classrooms are open and artwork from every grade level will be on display in the school auditorium.