Tech advances, new facilities, staffing changes to greet returning students

It’s that time of year again. The summer sun sets just a bit earlier each day, students of all ages are stocking up on school supplies and parents are finally getting a bit of relief that the kids will soon be out of the house for the day. Ready for it or not, school goes back in session Sept. 4. A few notable back-to-school developments and trends to look out for in the Mission Bay Cluster schools this year include a few revitalized and changing facilities, schools embracing the use of technology to connect students, teachers and parents, and students making strides in the classroom despite devastating budget cuts that continue to trouble the San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD). NEW DEVELOPMENT IN FACE OF BUDGET CUTS Despite a shrinking district budget, a couple of much-needed renovations are transforming local schools this year because of the passage of Proposition S, a $2.1 billion bond measure program adopted by voters in 2008. Developments include: • Improvements to the student pick-up and drop-off zone at Kate Sessions Elementary School. Work was concluded in the spring. The project included widening and aligning the existing driveway to the parking lot along Beryl Street, installing dedicated left-turn pockets to the eastbound and westbound lanes into the school driveway, and installing a new wooden fence, landscaping and exterior parking lights. “The project will improve traffic, parking and provide safer student drop-off and pick-up operations at the school,” said Mission Bay Cluster chairwoman Jennifer Tandy. • Project design is ongoing for a stadium-improvement project at Mission Bay High School. The project, expected to begin within a year, includes the replacement of the stadium bleachers, installation of a new press box, lighting, scoreboard and goal posts, construction of a new ticket booth, restrooms, concession stands and an equipment storage area, and improvements to comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA). The high school’s dirt track and grass field are also in the design phase and will get a much-needed facelift by 2014. • New this year to MBHS’s gymnasium are new scoreboards, fresh paint and spirited banners to show off the school’s success. “Over the years, the sports teams of MBHS have won so many championships and titles that they were running out of room in the gymnasium, so new banners have been installed to consolidate the wins and free up more space to display future successes,” said Tandy. • The joint-use YMCA project at Pacific Beach Middle School (PBMS) cleared its last hurdle in May and the project is expected to break ground next spring. The new YMCA facility will provide a recreational community center for YMCA staff and its activities at an existing building on the corner of Felspar and Ingraham streets. • Bayview Terrace will close this year to make way for the yearlong transition of Barnard Mandarin Chinese Academy to the Pacific Beach property. SDUSD will host trips throughout the year for Bayview Terrace students and families to visit Barnard’s campus — as well as other to Mission Bay Cluster elementary schools — to experience the programs each school has to offer. TECHNOLOGY IN THE CLASSROOM This year, area schools are utilizing the latest in technological advances to enhance the educational experience and learning environment in 21st-century classrooms. • The SDUSD continues to roll out its Prop S-funded i21 Interactive Classroom Initiative, a program that employs modern technology — like interactive whiteboards, audio-visual cabinets and netbook computers for each student — in every classroom in the district to create an engaging learning environment for all students. • Kate Sessions Elementary School is embracing the latest innovations in educational technology by offering live online references and homework help through free educational chat sessions, which are available on the school’s website. Technology also has a way of educating parents, as the school has discovered. A YouTube video has been posted on the school’s website for parents to learn more about critical drop-off zone procedures at the newly renovated pick-up and drop-off area. EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT Mission Bay Cluster schools continue to make strides in their esteemed international baccalaureate (IB) program, a curriculum that offers challenging programs to help develop intellectual, personal, emotional and social skills to prepare students for real-life challenges and growth. The IB program, coupled with high-achieving test scores, is making Mission Bay area schools a place for students around the county to either flock to, contend with or aspire to become, said cluster officials. “The international baccalaureate programs continue to be a strong force within our cluster, and with a newly formed IB Sustainability Task Force and Development Team, the IB program will strengthen in the coming years,” said Tandy. MBHS will expand its IB Middle Years program to extend to ninth- and 10th-graders this year, as well as pursue its IB career-related certificate, a qualification that specifically addresses the needs of students who wish to engage in career-related education. “PBMS boasts one of the finest IB Middle Years programs in the state, with administrators and teachers coming from all over the world to see the PBMS IB program in action,” she said. • Test scores and enrollment are also rising overall within the cluster, a trend that has continued over the past few years. “There is a growing confidence in Pacific Beach schools. It can be recognized as the ‘welcome back to school’ orientations are standing-room-only and the classrooms fill in September with PB students,” said Tandy. “With the dramatic facility improvements and continued success and growth of our educational offerings, the Mission Bay Cluster of schools will be reaching new milestones and successes in the coming years.” School offices are open and ready to enroll students. Classes start Sept. 4. For more district information, visit www.sandi.net. For more information about schools in the Mission Bay Cluster, visit mbcluster2010.blogspot.com.