November 1998 News Archive
Tuesday, November 24, 1998
Santa Barbara High School’s Marching Dons Host the 1998 Tournament of Bands
On Saturday, December 12, 1998, the Santa Barbara High School Marching Dons & Pageantry present the 1998 Tournament of Bands. This annual event will be held from 11:00 a.m to 8:00 p.m. at Peabody Stadium. Santa Barbara High’s Tournament is timed to coincide with the end of marching season, when bands are at their finest. This competition showcases championship performances that have been fine tuned and polished during months of intense practice. The precision and detail of the event’s award presentations, conducted at approximately 3:00 pm and 7:00 pm, are not to be missed!
A partial list of participating marching bands and pageantry units includes San Marcos HS ("The Royals); Dos Pueblos HS ("The Dos Pueblos Marching 100"); Granada Hills HS ("The Highlanders"); Moorpark HS (" The Marching Musketeers"); Bishop Montgomery HS ("Thunder by Night Regiment"), Torrance; Redondo Union HS ("The Seahawk Band"), Redondo Beach; Buena HS ("Buena High School Marching Band & Guard"), Ventura; Arroyo Grande HS ("Eagle Varsity Band"); North HS ("The Saxon Regiment"), Torrance; East Bakersfield HS ("The Blade Band & Colorguard"); Brea Olinda HS ("Brea Olinda Marching Band & Colorguard"), Brea; Carpinteria HS ("Warrior Band & Colorguard"); Pasadena HS ("Pasadena Marching Band & Colorguard"); Nordoff HS ("Banger Marching Band & Colorguard"); La Habra HS ("Highlander Band & Danceguard"); and Dos Bosco Tech ("Don Bosco Royal Techmen Band & Pageantry").
Tickets will be available at the gate. Admission is $5.00 per person ($3.00 for seniors or students with a valid school identification card). Tri-tip sandwiches, burritos, and baked potatoes are a few of the delectables that will be sold by the Santa Barbara High School Band Boosters. Proceeds from this tourney support the 60+ members of the Santa Barbara High School Marching Band and Pageantry in the following ways: purchase and repair of band equipment, repair and cleaning of uniforms, and travel expenses. Additionally, proceeds will be applied to a fund for new uniforms. The uniforms worn by the Marching Dons, "The Pride of Santa Barbara," are over 16-years old and in need of replacement. An important goal is to secure new uniforms so that the Marching Dons can continue to proudly represent their school and their community in parades, competitions, football games, and other public appearances.
Questions about the 1998 Tournament of Bands can be directed to the Santa Barbara High School Band Room, (805) 966-9101, x252.
McKinley Students Put The "Give" In Thanksgiving
"We want to help Nicaragua and Honduras," reads the sign at the front entrance of McKinley Elementary School. The signs are part of a fund raising campaign initiated by fifth grade students Gabriela Gonzalez, Ofelia Monserrath Olmedo, and Lillian Ocampo. The three girls have been following media coverage of the property damage and loss of life caused by Hurricane Mitch in Central America. "We thought about how lucky we were that it wasn’t us, but we wanted to do something to help," said Gabriela.
The girls put their heads together and talked about possible solutions. "The newspaper said that it would take them about 50 years to rebuild so we came up with the idea to ask everyone to help by providing money, food, clothes, blankets, medicine, band-aids, and other things." With wide-eyed enthusiasm, they set about the task of making posters, announcing their fundraising campaign to all McKinley classes, conducting a "dime drive," and setting up a collection system. The fundraising drive will continue through November 25.
Teacher Phoebe Hirsch-Dubin, who lived in Central America for more than five years, is working with her contacts in Central America and HOLA, a UCSB student group, in assisting the girls with shipment and distribution of the funds and goods that are being collected. Having just begun the campaign, the girls have amassed a small, but growing, collection of food and clothes. Asked how much money has been collected since yesterday, the answer was "about $18." But, in unison, they point out that the collection canisters in the offices and classroom have yet to be counted today. The girls are confident that their cause will take hold because, according to Gabriela, given the time of year, "It’s another way of doing Thanksgiving."
McKinley School is located at 350 Loma Alta Drive, Santa Barbara.
Kelly Davenport Wins Communication Contest for the Hearing Impaired
"My Commitment to the Future" was the topic and Kelly Davenport provided the winning words. In late July, Kelly participated in the Santa Barbara Evening Optimist Club’s communication contest for the deaf and hard of hearing. Her winning entry earned her the right to compete against other winners from other Optimist Clubs in the Pacific Southwest District. The Pacific Southwest District covers the geographic region that stretches from Santa Maria to Lancaster to northern Los Angeles. The district competition was held in Oxnard in early August. Prior to the district competition, all local winners were guests of the Optimists and enjoyed a two-day hotel stay, complete with youth activities that were designed to foster camaraderie among all the participants.
Each district-level participant was asked to deliver his/her "My Commitment to the Future" presentation. The presentation, approximately four minutes in length, was delivered in either speech or sign language. Kelly chose speech. The panel of judges determined the winners based on the organization of their material, delivery, presentation, personal appearance, poise, and overall effectiveness. Kelly was selected as a finalist in that competition.
Kelly Davenport, age 14, is currently a 9th grade student at San Marcos High School. Last week, Georgiann Locke, vice-president of the Santa Barbara Evening Optimist Club, presented Kelly with a plaque and flowers in celebration of her accomplishment.
Santa Barbara High’s Tandy Technology Scholars
Each year, Radioshack identifies the academic top two percent of high school students as Tandy Scholars. This year, Santa Barbara High’s top academicians in the graduating class of 1999 are as follows:
- Laura Sickafoose
- Karen Bachman
- Andrew Fisher
- Katherine Flaster
- Daniel Seward
- Ian Longstreet
- Chad Stephen
- Achal Oza
- Adam Stone
Based on their work in grades 9-11, these students were selected from their senior class of 444 students.
The Tandy Scholars receive a Certificate of Recognition.
Advanced Placement Exam Results
Last spring, approximately 635,000 students from throughout the United States took the 1998 Advanced Placement (AP) examinations. The exams are graded on a five-point scale. A score of 3 or higher indicates a mastery of subject. Only about 13 percent of the 1998 test takers received scores of 3 or above.
The Advanced Placement levels of recognition are as follows:
- AP Scholar, granted to students who receive grades of 3 or higher on three or more AP exams;
- AP Scholar with Honors, granted to students who receive grades of 3 or higher on four or more AP exams;
- AP Scholar with Distinction, granted to students who receive grades of 3 or higher on five or more AP exams;
- AP National Scholar, granted to students who receive grades of 4 or higher on eight or more AP exams.
The Advanced Placement Scholar Award winners are recognized with a certificate. Also, the achievement is listed on transcripts that are sent to colleges.
In the Santa Barbara High School District, the total number of students from the three comprehensive high schools who received 1998 Advanced Placement recognition is as follows: 43 students = AP Scholar; 21 students = Scholar with Honors; 15 students = Scholar with Distinction; and one student was recognized as AP National Scholar (see November 10, 1998 News Release, "Santa Barbara High Celebrates Their First Advanced Placement National Scholar").
Advanced Placement recognition, by school site, is listed below:
| Dos Pueblos High School |
| AP Scholar with Distinction: Matthew Brown, Cherie Kalisher, Mark McGory, Matthew Odette, Jacqueline Sherwood. AP Scholar with Honors: Dawn Chapman, Chantal Clarke, Heidi Cunningham, Jared Green, Amy Lamboley, Evan Morrison, Benjamin Rattray, David Sears, Gregory Wolf. AP Scholar: Jeremy Archuleta, Matthew Baker, Amy Braun, Anna Forgie, Roshni George, Kevin Gin, Mia Glasman, Zeynep Gunday, Joy Hansma, Anne Harter, Luke Janes, Katherine Marquart, Khe Nguyen, Clayton Otey, Nema Press, Rachel Rothfarb, Thomas Stanley, Austin Umoff. |
| San Marcos High School |
AP Scholar with Distinction: Nicholas Blackwell, Jessica Blickley, Robert DeConde, John Wiemann, Chris Zwicke. AP Scholar with Honors: Skylar Campbell, Brian Kreiner, Jordan McOwen, Tiffanie Powell, John Rinehart, Peter Schroeter, Diana Schwyzer, Saskia Tan, Kirk Zhong. AP Scholar: Benjamin Arnold, Candace Cedar, Mary Daniel, Hogan Ganschow, Jenna Holmen, Miriam Inbar, Jonathan Kolstad, Emily Kryder, Lindsay Meskimen, Catherine Ngo, Emily Rouhas, Ann VanBlaricum, Gabrielle Vandermey, William Wilkinson, Alison Williams. |
| Santa Barbara High School |
| AP National Scholar: Arvind Jammalamadaka AP Scholar with Distinction: Stephanie Chia, Christopher Gault, Arvind Jammalamadaka, Gavin McMeeking, Matthew Peterson AP Scholar with Honors: Jeremy Enos, Ryan Laponis, Tyler Welti AP Scholar: Trevor Angell, Maura DeNiro, Elizabeth Samson, Sarah Howell, Joss Jaffe, Kevin Malloy, Brianna Newton, Clare Nisbet, John Ostwald, Hilary Pyle. |
Santa Barbara High Celebrates Their First Advanced Placement National Scholar
The College Board named Santa Barbara High School graduate Arvind Jammalamadaka as a 1998 Advanced Placement National Scholar. This prestigious recognition is based on his exceptional achievement on the college-level Advanced Placement (AP) Examinations. The tests are administered to students each spring, after they have completed challenging college-level work in high school. The results are announced in the fall.
According to the College Board, about 23 percent of this country’s graduating seniors have taken one or more AP exams. The exams are graded on a five-point scale and a score of 3 or higher indicates a mastery of subject. Only about 13% of the more than 635,000 student who took the 1998 exams received scores of 3 or above, thus receiving recognition as either an AP Scholar, AP Scholar with Honors, AP Scholar with Distinction, or AP National Scholar. Within that group of 635,000 students who received Advanced Placement recognition, 1,423 students were identified as AP National Scholars. Santa Barbara High’s Arvind Jammalamadaka earned that distinction.
The Advanced Placement National Scholar Awards are granted to students who receive an average grade of at least 4 on eight or more AP Exams on full-year courses (or the equivalent). Jammalamadaka’s nine AP exams were in the following areas: U.S. history; biology; chemistry; computer science; English literature and composition; calculus AB; calculus BC; physics B; and statistics.
Arvind Jammaladaka, who graduated from Santa Barbara High in June, is currently a Regent’s Scholar at the University of California, Santa Barbara. His interest area is electrical engineering.
Santa Barbara High War Memorial Pays Tribute To Fallen Alums
On Tuesday, November 10, 1998, at 11:00 a.m., Santa Barbara High School will honor their fallen alumni with the dedication of an inscribed stone memorial. The memorial, funded by alumni and other members of the community, incorporates the names of veterans on black granite, which is mounted on a sandstone boulder. It is located near the front entrance of the gymnasium, near the flagpole.
The memorial honors 111 men, and one woman, from Santa Barbara High School who lost their lives as the result of training accidents or combat casualties during World War I (6), World War II (84), Korean War (10), Vietnam War (11), and one non-wartime death.
Walter Ehlers, who received the Medal of Honor for service in the June 1944 Battle of Normandy, will be the special guest speaker.
The guiding force behind this effort is Bill Stewart, a parent, veteran, and long-time supporter of the school. According to Stewart, the idea stemmed from the dedication of a war memorial at Las Positas Park, which took place about a year ago. That memorial has more than 450 names, and many of them were Santa Barbara High students. "I felt that Santa Barbara High alumni who gave their lives in the service of their country should be permanently honored at the school. A memorial in their honor would serve as a living history. This is part of the green and gold tradition," Stewart notes. This project quickly became a team effort and John Campilio, Christina Cavallero, Owen Ayelsworth, Maureen Masson, and Barbara Herrera provided an invaluable commitment of time and resources. Together, the group worked on this project for about a year, carefully researching school records and cross checking names. Stewart adds, "We know that there may be omissions but we hope that when the community sees this memorial they will help us identify others that should be listed."
Santa Barbara High School is located at 700 E. Anapamu, Santa Barbara, CA 93101.
GATE Testing for Students in Grades 2-5
The Santa Barbara Elementary School District will be testing referred students in grades 2-5 for gifted and talented (GATE) identification. Identified students participate in the District’s GATE program. This testing is for students who are NOT currently enrolled in the Santa Barbara Elementary School District but whose families live within the District’s attendance boundaries and will be enrolling their child in the District in the fall of 1999. (At this time, District teachers are completing referrals for students in their classrooms.)
Parents who are interested in referring their child for testing must do so by November 20, 1998. Testing will be conducted from January 11 through mid-February. A parent referral form can be obtained from any District elementary school office November 9-20 and must be completed and returned – by November 20, 1998 – to Barbie Evans, GATE Testing Coordinator, Elementary Curriculum, District Administration Office, 720 Santa Barbara Street, 963-4338, extension 315. The District does not accept private testing.
Administrative Changes in the Santa Barbara High School District
The following administrative changes will soon take place in the Santa Barbara High School District and the Districts’ Administration Center:
Bob Ferguson, Director of Instructional Support Services and Secondary Curriculum, has accepted the position of Superintendent of the El Dorado Union High School District in Diamond Spring, CA (located near Placerville). The El Dorado Union High School District, which covers approximately 1,200-square miles, serves 6,500 students in six comprehensive and two continuation high schools. The District also operates an adult education program.
Bob Ferguson began his employment with the Santa Barbara High School District in the summer of 1985, when he was hired as the principal of San Marcos High School. Previously, he was a junior high principal in Fallbrook, CA. Ferguson served as the principal of San Marcos until the summer of 1996, when he accepted the District position of Director of Instructional Support Services and Secondary Curriculum. His duties as Director of Instructional Support Services and Secondary Curriculum include oversight of secondary curriculum, categorical programs, athletics, federal and state programs, standards, SASI/Technology, GATE, and school-to-career programs. As the Director of Instructional Support Services and Secondary Curriculum, his annual salary is $92,695. Ferguson will remain on the job until December 2, 1998. He will earn approximately $119,000 per year in his new post.
For Bob and his wife Jo Ann, saying goodbye will be difficult: "Leaving Santa Barbara was a tough decision but going to the El Dorado Union High School District made it easier. We are going to miss our friends and colleagues in Santa Barbara, but we’ll keep our home here and return as tourists as much as possible." Superintendent Michael Caston adds, "Bob Ferguson is a valued member of the Districts’ team. We know that the superintendency of the El Dorado Union School District will provide him with new professional challenges and growth opportunities. We support his decision and wish him well."
Donna Stuart, Principal of San Marcos High School, will replace Ferguson as the Director of Instructional Support Services and Secondary Curriculum. She has held the post of principal since she began work with the Santa Barbara High School District on August 1, 1996. Prior to her principalship at San Marcos High School, Stuart was a middle school principal in the San Marino Unified School District. In her new role, Stuart’s annual salary will remain at her current level of $88,685. The move will be effective Monday, November 16, 1998. Stuart and Ferguson will work together during the transition period.
The move will provide Ms. Stuart with new challenges in the area of District-level administration. According to Superintendent Caston, "During the past two years, Donna focused her tenure at San Marcos on providing high-quality academic opportunities for all students on that campus. In her new position, she will be an advocate for almost 10,000 secondary students in our High School District. The Administration team welcomes Donna and looks forward to working with her in her new post."
Paul Serka, Principal of La Cuesta Continuation High School, will serve as interim principal at San Marcos High School for the balance of the 1998-1999 school year. Serka will return to his post at La Cuesta for the 1999-2000 school year. The search for a new principal at San Marcos High School will begin in early 1999. San Marcos High School has an enrollment of 2,077 students.
Serka began work with the Santa Barbara High School District in 1972. He taught computer programming and accounting at Santa Barbara High from 1972-73; accounting and keyboarding at Dos Pueblos High from 1973-78 (and was the Business Department Chair during that time); business and economics at La Cuesta from 1978-90, and served as the head teacher who set up each of the four La Cuesta satellite sites and programs during that period; served as an assistant principal at Santa Barbara High School from 1990-93; then, in September 1993, as the principal of La Cuesta Continuation High School. La Cuesta Continuation High School currently serves 436 students. As principal of La Cuesta, Serka’s annual salary is $85,321. In his new post, his annual salary will be $92,695. Serka’s current assignment begins Monday, November 16, 1998.
Meanwhile, the interim leadership at La Cuesta Continuation High School has not yet been finalized.