It has been a busy start to 2023 for students and staff at Helix Charter High School.
Among some of the highlights:
CIF Student of the Year
Congrats to Ella Giordano (pictured above), CIFSDS Student-Athlete of the Year for the Grossmont Conference. Ella is a talented, top-tier volleyball player who led our team this season. On the court, she is a force at the net with a powerful kill and strong block. Off the court, she is a leader to her teammates and to her classmates through her hard work and dedication to the classroom. Ella’s future is bright.
Sports Medicine Grant
Kathryn Welch and the Sports Medicine / Patient Care Pathway received a $14K grant from the Girard Foundation to assist students in obtaining Medical Assistant certifications for pathway completers. Students will complete the Medical Assistant Course at Helix and sit for the Nationally recognized Medical Assistant Exam. If they pass, they will be certified Medical Assistants and can immediately start working in doctors offices, hospitals, home health and several other medical care facilities. This is a great career or introduction into further medical careers.
Helix Instrumental Music Association
The Helix Instrumental Music Association is hosting its 29th Annual Spring Gala on Thursday, March 9 at the Thursday Club in Point Loma. Enjoy an evening of dinner, drinks, live music, and live and silent auctions in support of instrumental music at Helix Charter High School. Tickets are now on sale here or through our website – helixinstrumental.org/. If you are able to donate an auction item, contact [email protected].
Blood Drive
Helix is hosting a blood drive in partnership with the San Diego Blood Bank on Tuesday, Feb. 21 from 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. All blood types are greatly needed. With less than a one-day supply of most types, donate if you can. Click here to register for an appointment. Students, families and community members are welcome to donate. Parking is available at 4200 Lowell St. and the Blood Mobiles will be parked by our gym.
Student Equity Advisory Team
We have created a Student Equity Advisory council, where a variety of students participate in two half-day learning summits covering the following topics: Student Connectedness, Student Voice, Identity, Implicit Bias and Microaggressions.Students also meet as a team throughout the year to provide feedback to Helix Leadership on school practices, policies and procedures that impact their experiences at Helix.
Educational equity at HCHS is achieved when every student in our system has the access, opportunities, and support they need to reach their full personal and academic potential, and students are able to thrive in an inclusive school with safe, engaging classrooms. The purpose of the Student Equity Advisory Team is to elevate the voices of students as partners in their own education and to inform our practices at Helix.
Biology Student Internships with Boz Institute
Biology teacher Melanie Harrington has been helping students obtain Internships at the Boz Institute as Project Managers and researchers for the Metagenomics Program. Students who received internships for the Spring are Cherish Carter, Stellamaris Scott, Mia Feldman, Maggie Funk, Malak Hasaballa, Dylan McNabb-Faumuina, Jake Mortier, Chloe Moultrie, Viola Ross (Vi) and Julian Saquic Vasquez. 
About Boz Institute:
Boz Life Science Research and Teaching Institute in Mission Bay offers unique research opportunities in neurobiology, epigenetics, metagenomics, marine biology, environmental and data science to high school and college students. The institute, established in 2019 in partnership with UCSD Extended studies, has served over 600 local, US, and international students who participated in diverse research immersion programs/courses and presented their work during science meetings and symposia. Besides the life science research, Boz is soon to launch a student-managed international metagenomic database and offer a comprehensive data science (biostatistics and bioinformatics) certificate program. For details, visit www.bozintitute.org.
Digital Artwork
GUHSD is having their 2nd Annual Foothill Art Association Show. Schools from the district including Helix are displaying their work throughout the month of January. On Monday, Jan. 23rd from 5:30 – 7 p.m., there will be a reception for the students and public at Porter Hall Art Gallery, located at 4910 Memorial Drive, La Mesa. Its hours are Tues – Sat 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Stop by to support and vote for our wonderful artists.
– Lauren Knuth is the community relations & engagement coordinator at Helix Charter High School.
