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December 2002 News Archive

Friday, December 20, 2002

2002 Academic Performance Index (API) Growth Report

The Santa Barbara School Districts’ 2002 Academic Performance Index (API) Growth Report is now available. The API calculations are based on spring 2002 Stanford 9 and California Standards Test English-Language Arts results. According to Dr. Brian Sarvis, Director of Research and Technology, the 2001-2002 API Growth Report shows the following:

The 2001-2002 API Growth Report (refer to the API page of the California Deptment of Education’s web site) provides information for most schools in the Santa Barbara Elementary and High School Districts. Schools with APIs over 800 were judged as meeting their growth goals even though the API may have declined. The 2001 Base and 2002 Growth APIs for Adams and Monroe are calculated based on all students tested, as agreed upon with the California Department of Education last year. The 2002 Base API that will be released by the state in January for those two schools will not include mobility students.

Wednesday, December 18, 2002

U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer to Visit A-OK Afterschool Program at Adams Elementary School

At 3:15 p.m. on Thursday, December 19, 2002, United States Senator Barbara Boxer will visit the A-OK Afterschool Program at Adams Elementary School in Santa Barbara. As part of her visit, she will also present her Excellence in Education Award to the school.

The A-OK (After School Opportunities for Kids) Afterschool Program provides children with opportunities for academic growth, encouragement and development.

Senator Boxer has served in the Senate since her 1992 election. She established an Excellence in Education Award to recognize teachers, parents, businesses and organizations that are working to make positive changes in education.

Adams Elementary School is located at 2701 Las Positas Road, Santa Barbara, CA.

Monday, December 9, 2002

Two DPHS Students Participate in ADL Training in Washington DC: Harrison Nalevansky Wins ADL Competition and Heads to Japan

The Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) National Youth Leadership Mission to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. is part of ADL’s strategy of developing creative approaches to fostering understanding among diverse communities. The October 27-30, 2002 Mission comprised over 100 students representing ten major metropolitan areas: Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Los Angeles (including two representatives from Santa Barbara), Miami, New Orleans, New York, Orange County, Phoenix, and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Dos Pueblos High School (DPHS) students, Melis Tusiray and Harrison Nalevansky, were among the delegation.

The Mission consists of three-and-one-half days of intensive workshops that address the issues of bigotry and intolerance. "We learned in-depth lessons on hate (their causes, effects and ways to combat) through workshops, a visit to the Holocaust Museum and speakers including several Holocaust survivors, Putlizer-prize winning journalist Clarence Paige, ADL Director Abe Foxman, and an ambassador from Japan," explained DPHS junior Melis Tusiray.

Melis commented on the value of the training when she said, "With this knowledge, we returned to our school and are now participating in the start of a new peer training program. In this program, students will be sent to a three-day retreat to learn about these and other related issues and then come back to present these ideas to others." In fact, using one-time state Tolerance Education Grant funds and a grant award from the Orfalea Family Foundation, DPHS Assistant Principal Beverly Thompson is currently organizing multi-school participation in a peer training program that will take place on January 11-13 at Camp Whittier. Thirty 11th-grade students (ten from Dos Pueblos, Santa Barbara, and San Marcos high schools) will attend the training.

During the course of the 2002 Mission, the ADL identified ten students as Sugihara fellows. Each of their schools received a $500 grant. Those ten students were invited to submit an essay about the importance of Chiune Sugihara’s actions of rescuing 6,000 Jews from persecution during the Holocaust. From that group of ten students, three were selected to represent the ADL on a fully-funded, one-week tour of Japan, speaking to schools, government agencies, and community-based organizations. DPHS junior Harrison Nalevansky, was one of those three students selected. He will travel to Japan on January 18-25, 2003. Harrison’s winning essay.

Harrison is working with a friend to start the STAR (Students Talking About Respect) club. He is also involved in Mock Trial, Junior Statesmen of America, National Honor Society, and he is an intern with the Santa Barbara office of the Anti-Defamation League. Harrison plans to apply to several East Coast colleges next fall, hoping to be accepted to Georgetown or George Washington University. He would like to major in international relations or ethnic studies.

Melis is active in Yearbook, Debate, Mock Trial, Junior Statesmen of America, National Honor Society, California Scholastic Federation, Peer Mediation, Positive Peers, Friday Night Live mentors and the Dos Pueblos sailing team. While Melis has not yet identified the colleges she will apply to in the fall, her goal is to spend some of her college years studying abroad. She hopes to major in international diplomacy or public relations.

Anti-Defamation League Essay on the Importance of Chiune Sugihara’s Actions

submitted by Harrison Nalevansky, Sugihara Fellow, Grade 11, Dos Pueblos High School, Goleta, California

On October 27-30, 2002 eight teens from the ADL Pacific Southwest Region joined 100 youth from across the country for the ADL National Youth Leadership Mission in Washington, DC. The students toured Washington, DC, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, met with civil rights leaders, and experienced A World of Difference Institute anti-bias training. Ten students were chosen as Sugihara Fellows and were invited to submit an essay about the importance of Chiune Sugihara’s actions of rescuing 6,000 Jews from persecution during the Holocaust. From these ten applicants, three were selected to represent the ADL on a fully-funded, one-week tour of Japan. The Sugihara Fellows will speak at schools, to government representatives and community-based organizations. Following is the essay written by Dos Pueblos High School student Harrison Nalevansky.

History has its fair share of disheartening stories, as well as its share of inspiring tales. Mankind placed the Jews in concentration camps, mankind enslaved African Americans, and it was mankind that sent Japanese-Americans to internment camps. But mankind also liberated the concentration camps, abolished slavery, and tried to rule the internment camps unconstitutional. There has been darkness and light, and although there are setbacks, progress has been, and is being made. Mankind chooses at what pace this progress occurs. If we can learn to develop the righteous virtues that we innately possess, then this world could change. Man can make this world better. All it takes is the moral courage to do so. Imagine all the people, living life in peace.

Moral courage, to me, is Emile Zola. Moral Courage is Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson; it is the Righteous Gentiles, and the Hollywood Ten. Moral courage is Sigmund Livingston, moral courage is Chiune Sugihara. Moral courage is to go against the grain because one’s convictions to their personal beliefs will not let them give in to society’s unjust rules. Moral courage is best demonstrated in a time of disaster. Moral courage can fight against injustice, start revolutions, and ultimately it can save lives. My father and his father before him have a saying for my family, which is, "Our family does not give in to public opinion." I have spent my life living by those words. From standing up for the kid who was being picked on, to protesting prejudice, to my internship with the ADL, I have adhered to my own personal values. Yet, before knowing about any particular leader who displayed moral courage, I knew my father. I believe as he does, that exercising one’s moral courage is the defining principle of one’s character. And character is the substance by which a person is defined.

It seems apparent that a hero needs nothing more than integrity and a brave soul. Yet our society seems to stress the virtues of physical strength more than the virtues of moral courage. Mark Twain once wrote, " It is curious that physical courage should be so common in the world and moral courage so rare." From Beowulf to Spiderman, there seems to be a need for a hero who can overcome his enemy’s strength with the use of willpower and intellect. That is why Chiune Sugihara’s story of selflessness and moral courage is so relevant when considering the Holocaust and the universal human condition. From peer pressure to social pressure, it seems that human nature is more comfortable taking the easy way out, fearing to rock the boat. Yet those people who take the difficult route, those select few who do not fear going against "the flow" ultimately are the ones who make an impact on history. Chiune Sugihara was one of those select few. Sugihara chose to seek human justice over serving the demands of his superiors. Although he ultimately lost his job, he saved six thousand lives. Those six thousand Jews who he is directly responsible for saving have blossomed. Every life is precious; Chiune Sugihara knew this. Because of his moral courage, the lives of the six thousand he saved have given birth to an estimated forty thousand. Chiune Sugihara is the missing hero who uses moral courage to overcome the strength of his enemies.

Learning Sugihara’s story is vital in inspiring hope for society. When studying the tragic massacres of the Holocaust you come across so much pain and suffering. Although comprehending the agony is essential, if a balance is not taught then negativity is bred. Holocaust survivors do not travel the globe to share their tragic stories in order to discourage people; they travel the world to speak the truth in order to inspire people to never let this happen again. The need for inspiration is why the story of Chiune Sugihara must be told. The story must survive, along with the rest of the painful stories, in order to show the impact that one person can have. Chiune Sugihara saved two thousand families. Imagine if there had been two or three or even ten Chiune Sugiharas. Although I have never faced such grave circumstances or difficult decisions, I do encounter minor situations in which I can take part. At school and in my community, I can exercise my own moral courage and make change. Like Sugihara, I can do my part for the overall effort. The first step in my effort has been to educate my club, STAR (students talking about respect), about Chiune Sugihara. Education is the way to empower others with the knowledge and strength that I have gained from Chiune Sugihara and other stories about the Holocaust.

The 2002 Youth Leadership Mission to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is like a mouth of a river; it is the source to educate the youth to feel empowered in their efforts to eliminate hatred. When you stand up for what you believe in, you often find yourself standing alone. The Youth Leadership Mission reminded me that I am not alone in my cause- I am very much united. I am united with the youth in Chicago, Detroit, New York, Orange County, Puerto Rico, New Orleans, Miami, Dallas, Phoenix, and Los Angeles. With so much disunity in homes, cities, nations and in the world as a whole, it is comforting to know there are others there who are trying to bring people together. The first night at the mission my color group got into a heated conversation about racism. I stated, to the dislike of many, there was a lack of unity between blacks, whites, Jews, Latinos, and Asians. I felt the only way to resolve this problem was to work toward a united front. Black and Latinos can’t just fight against racism. Jews cannot fight against anti-Semitism alone. We must fight for each other, because our goal is the same. I told the story of my father as a youth. My father participated in the March on Washington with Martin Luther King. My mother protested with Caesar Chavez, yet they still stand alone in the fight against anti-Semitism. I feel it is time for someone not of the Jewish faith to join in that fight.

After the group was dismissed, a kid from another delegation, an African American, came and handed me his phone number. He said, "We are in this fight together, don’t hesitate to call if you ever feel alone." I came to the mission with no phone numbers, no e-mails addresses, no one to talk to when I am struggling. I left with fifty phone numbers and fifty e-mail addresses. Fifty new people to support me when I feel I am fighting alone. Making connections is vital in the fight against hate. And the Youth Leadership mission has provided me with those connections.

In the struggle against prejudice and stereotypes, against hate and discrimination, progress has been and is being made. Through youth education and programs like the Youth Leadership Mission, this progress will continue to accelerate. I will do my part to see that this happens, as will teenagers from Chicago, Detroit, New York, Orange County, Puerto Rico, New Orleans, Miami, Dallas, Phoenix, and Los Angeles. Mankind has been responsible for unspeakable horrors, but there is always hope. Emile Zola, Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson, The Righteous Gentiles, the Hollywood Ten, Sigmund Livingston, and Chiune Sugihara have proven to the world that conscience and courage do exist. Mankind can make this world better. You may say that I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one.

Monday, December 9, 2002

Local Students Recognized as National Hispanic Scholars

Five Santa Barbara High School District seniors have been identified as Scholars in the National Hispanic Recognition Program, a College Board program. The Scholars are: Santa Barbara High School’s Alexandra Bachan and San Marcos High School’s Jessica Haro, Cecilia O’Donnell, Karen Ramirez, and Beth Presser.

The College Board, founded in 1900, is a nonprofit membership association of schools, colleges, and other educational institutions. The College Board’s mission is to prepare, inspire, and connect students to college and opportunity, with a commitment to excellence and equity.

Established in 1983, the National Hispanic Recognition Program (NHRP) selects Hispanic high school seniors based on their exceptional academic achievement and identifies them for admission consideration by post-secondary institutions. The selection process is based on student Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) scores and the student’s identification as Hispanic. That test is taken during a student’s junior year of high school. Last year, more than 200,000 Hispanic students nationwide took the test and approximately 4,500 of the highest scoring students were initially identified as semifinalists. From that group of 4,500 students, a select group of 3,800 students were recognized as a Scholar or Honorable Mention Finalist. From that group of 3,800, a total of 3,400 students were identified as a Scholar in the recognition program.

The following students’ names are listed in an NHRP publication that has been released to colleges and universities, encouraging those institutions to consider these high achieving Hispanic Scholars or Honorable Mention Finalists as potential candidates for admission.

Santa Barbara High School

Alexandra Bachan is a graduate of Montecito Union Elementary School, Santa Barbara Junior High School and, in June, she will complete her studies at Santa Barbara High School. She hopes to attend either Stanford, UC Berkeley, or UC Los Angeles as a political science major.

Alexandra’s school involvement includes section editor of the The Forge, the school newspaper (grades 9-11; Mock Trial (grades 10-12); girls varsity basketball (grades 9-12); choir (grade 12); and the Women’s Ensemble Choir (grade 12). To fulfill her community service responsibilities, she has worked at I Madonnari as well as the snack shack at Santa Barbara High. She is of Cuban heritage and is fluent in Spanish.

San Marcos High School

Jessica Haro has been on the staff of the King’s Page, the school newspaper, since her freshman year and she has served as a co-editor of the award-winning newspaper since the fall of 2001. She was the co-president of MECHA during her junior year and is currently active as MECHA’s president. For the third year in a row, Jessica has been the captain of the school’s penny drive. She has been active in the San Marcos High School Leadership Class.

Jessica’s community service work has been done in conjunction with the Native Daughters of the Golden West, Parlour 304. She has helped the Native Daughter’s with Fiesta activities and served as an announcer for the Fiesta Children’s Parade.

Next fall, Jessica hopes to enter either Stanford, UCLA, or UC Berkeley as a communications major.

Cecilia O’Donnell is a member of Junior Statesmen of America and the French Club. She was in track and field in the freshman and junior years.

Cecilia has accumulated over 130 hours of community service, volunteering a significant amount of time to the French and Italian departments at UC Santa Barbara.

Cecilia hopes to attend Claremont-McKenna College or Pomona College in the fall, majoring in political science or international relations.

Karen Ramirez has balanced her challenging academic schedule with a busy work schedule. She has fulfilled her community service requirement with counselor-in-training service at Nature Camp plus volunteer work at the San Marcos High library and Friday Night Live.

Karen hopes to enter Stanford, UC Santa Barbara, or UC Berkeley. She has not yet identified a major, but is leaning toward English.

Beth Presser, a fluent Spanish speaker, has completed more than 400 hours of community service. She has been a junior volunteer at Cottage Hospital; a counselor-in-training at ArtVenture Camp at the Ridley Tree; and, as part of her commitment to Ticktockers, she has volunteered many hours to the Unity Shoppe. Beth is active in diversity training, particularly Camp Unity and Camp Brotherhood-Sisterhood.

Beth was the production manager for the school’s spring musicals (My Fair Lady in grade 10 and Anything Goes, in grade 11). She has been an active participant in two choirs: Enchante and the Concert Choir. For several years, Beth has also been part of the Leadership Class and Friday Night Live.

Hoping to attend either Stanford, UC Los Angeles, or UC Berkeley, Beth has not yet declared a major. However, she is considering economics.