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February 2002 News Archive

News Archives

Thursday, February 28, 2002

March 1 is Read Across America Day

The Cat In The Hat is back. The Cat’s red and white stovepipe hat will be evidence on Friday, March 1, 2002, when schools throughout the Santa Barbara Elementary School District participate in the fifth annual National Education Association’s (NEA) Read Across America Day. On that day, the NEA is calling for every child to be reading in the company of a caring adult. The celebration honors the birthday of the late Theodor Seuss Geisel, a.k.a. Dr. Seuss, born on March 2, 1904.

Community members, government officials, media representatives, school administrators, members of the Board of Education, and others will participate in a day that focuses on literacy by reading to youth, and/or serving as the audience for young readers. Following are a few of the many day-long activities within the District:

Community members who are interested in supporting literacy are encouraged to contact their neighborhood school for more information on volunteer opportunities throughout the year.

Monday, February 25, 2002

Founder of Character Counts! Program to Visit Adams Elementary School

Michael Josephson, founder of the nationally recognized Character Counts! program, will meet with local children and parents from 5:00-6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 26, 2002, in the Adams Elementary School cafeteria (parking at the Earl Warren Showground). Adams is located at 2701 Las Positas Road, Santa Barbara, CA. Using funds provided by the Rotary Club of Santa Barbara, Adams has been piloting the Character Counts! program.

Character Counts! was developed by the Josephson Institute of Ethics and designed to imbue youth of all ages with consensus ethical values represented by the following six pillars of character:

  1. Trustworthiness: Be honest. Don’t deceive, cheat or steal. Be reliable, do what you say you’ll do. Have the courage to do the right thing. Build a good reputation. Be loyal, stand by your family, friends, and country.
  2. Respect. Treat others with respect; follow the Golden Rule. Be tolerant of differences. Use good manners, not bad language. Be considerate of the feelings of others. Don’t threaten, hit, or hurt anyone. Deal peacefully with anger, insults, and disagreements.
  3. Responsibility. Do what you are supposed to do. Persevere: keep on trying. Always do your best. Use self-control. Be self-disciplined. Think before you act, consider the consequences. Be accountable for your choices.
  4. Fairness. Play by the rules. Take turns and share. Be open-minded; listen to others. Don’t take advantage of others. Don’t blame others carelessly.
  5. Caring. Be kind. Be compassionate and show you care. Express gratitude. Forgive others. Help people in need.
  6. Citizenship. Do your share to make your school and community better. Cooperate. Stay informed; vote. Be a good neighbor. Obey laws and rules. Respect authority. Protect the environment.

Following Mr. Josephson’s visit to Adams Elementary School, he will continue on to the San Marcos High School auditorium, where he will moderate a 7:00 p.m. Pursuing Victory With Honor! public forum. The Pursuing Victory With Honor! program, developed three years ago, originated from discussions between Mr. Josephson and John Wooden, the legendary coach. It is a comprehensive program that covers nearly every aspect of coaching and athletics. The training is used in over 400 communities, and at all high schools in three states. On March 19-20, a 40-member coach/administrator team from San Marcos High School will be the first high school in the District to complete the two-day training. Coach/administrator teams from Dos Pueblos High and Santa Barbara High will participate in the training in May or June.

Friday, February 22, 2002

On Your Mark, Get Set...

With those words, the newly refurbished track at San Marcos High School will be inaugurated today at 4:00 p.m. According to Santa Barbara School District project manager David Hetyonk, "The quality of workmanship by all contractors and subcontractors was outstanding, resulting in a high quality track that will serve the District and the community for many years." The companies involved in this project were Penfield and Smith, engineering design; Granite Construction, asphalt and concrete; California Track and Engineering, installation of the synthetic surface; and Sportstriping, lane and event markings. The improvements were made possible through the use of Measure V bond funds, a general obligation bond approved by local voters in 2000.

Following remarks by Principal Paul Serka, an inaugural relay will be run on the 400-meter track. Each lap will be divided into four 100-meter sections. The first lap will be run by the next generation of runners, represented by four local elementary school students from the Santa Barbara Elementary School District, Hope School District, and Goleta Union School District. The baton will then be handed off to a series of middle/junior high school runners from the Santa Barbara High School District who will, in turn, hand off to track and/or cross country runners from San Marcos High, Dos Pueblos High, and Santa Barbara High schools. The final lap will be run by the president of the Santa Barbara Athletic Roundtable, San Marcos High School staff, and the superintendent of the Santa Barbara School Districts. The runners are listed below:

Lap 1

Lap 2

Lap 3

Lap 4

San Marcos High School is located at 4750 Hollister Avenue, Santa Barbara.

Friday, February 22, 2002

Sally Kingston Accepts Position With the Santa Barbara County Education Office

Sally Kingston, Roosevelt Elementary School’s principal for the past three years, has accepted the position of Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources at the Santa Barbara County Education Office, effective July 2002. "I am honored to have been selected for this position. This is an exciting professional growth opportunity," Principal Kingston stated. "Leaving a school is never easy. As a principal, I am grateful for the opportunity to impact the lives of many children. It has been exciting to work together with the dedicated Roosevelt staff, parents, and community members to improve student learning. I appreciate the leadership and support of the District team through my tenure as administrator with the Santa Barbara School Districts." Looking ahead, Principal Kingston added, "I am committed to maintaining a schoolwide focus on student learning during the next five months. I will do whatever it takes to make the transition process as smooth as possible for students, staff, and parents. We have worked together as a team to accomplish many exciting projects during the past three years and I am confident that our strengths will also shine through during this process."

Ms. Kingston began her administrative service in the Santa Barbara High School District in 1997, serving as an assistant principal at La Colina Junior High School. In 1998-1999, she was assigned to Franklin Primary, serving as the school’s principal before continuing on to Roosevelt the following school year. During her tenure at Roosevelt, Principal Kingston balanced the daily needs of students and staff while an entire facility was being rebuilt on the school site.

Prior to assistant principal and principal positions, Ms. Kingston had worked for more than a decade in various education-related assignments, including: Title VII support teacher (Project Crossroads), Santa Barbara County Education Office; Title VII coordinator, La Cumbre Middle School; English as a Second Language (ESL) Department chairperson, La Cumbre Middle School; principal intern, Peabody Charter School; bilingual second grade teacher, Peabody; ESL instructor, Rancho Santiago Community College in Santa Ana, CA; bilingual kindergarten and first grade teacher, Santa Ana Unified School District.

Superintendent Deborah Flores stated, "This is a very exciting career opportunity for Sally. We support her desire to take on new responsibilities at the County level. She is an exemplary leader and we appreciate the dedication and commitment that have been the hallmark of her work. We wish her the best."

Thursday, February 21, 2002

Black History Month: Tuskegee Airman to Address Dos Pueblos Students

The year was 1941. The place was Tuskegee, Alabama. In July of that year, a handful of African Americans entered the Army Air Corps Program, intent on serving their country during World War II as military fighter pilots. The initial phase of training was conducted by the Division of Aeronautics of Tuskegee Institute, the educational institution founded by Booker T. Washington in 1881 (and currently known as Tuskegee University). From 1942 until 1946, 992 black airmen were trained as pilots, operations officers, meteorologists, intelligence officers, engineering officers, flight surgeons, aircraft and engine mechanics, armament specialists, radio repairmen, parachute riggers, and administrators. Four hundred and fifty of those airmen saw service – in a segregated Air Force – in North Africa, Sicily, and Italy. By the end of World War II, 150 of the Tuskegee Airmen perished while in training or on combat missions. At 11:00 a.m., Friday, February 22, 2002, in room H-30, Col. James Kennedy (ret.), a local resident and Tuskegee Airman, will show videos and speak briefly to approximately 50 Dos Pueblos High School social studies students.

In preparation for this presentation, during 4th and 5th period today, students will view the film "Tuskegee Airmen." They will also learn about the infamous incident at the Freeman Field Base Officers’ Club, where black officers were denied entry to the Officers’ Club. According to historians, when the black officers entered the Officers’ Club, against direct orders, 103 of them were arrested, charged with insubordination, and ordered to face court martial proceedings. Ultimately, the charges were dropped against all but one officer, who was convicted. In 1995, that officer’s court martial conviction was reversed and his record cleared. According to Phil Sherman, social studies teacher at Dos Pueblos High School who organized the presentation, Col. Kennedy was one of the officers involved in that incident.

Dos Pueblos High School is located at 7266 Alameda Avenue, Goleta, CA 93117.

Monday, February 11, 2002

Change of Location for February 13, 2002 Board of Education Meeting

The location of the Wednesday, February 13, 2002, meeting of the Board of Education has been changed. The Board will not convene in the Board Room of the Administration Office, Santa Barbara School Districts, 720 Santa Barbara Street. Rather, the meeting will take place in the Santa Barbara Junior High School auditorium. Santa Barbara Junior High School is located at 721 E. Cota Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93103.

The meeting will begin at 7:00 p.m., as previously scheduled.

Monday, February 11, 2002

Director of Secondary Curriculum Position Reopened

On January 29, 2002, Santa Barbara High School Principal John L. "J.R." Richards was identified as Superintendent Deborah Flores’ first choice to serve as the District’s Director of Secondary Curriculum. While Mr. Richards agreed to accept this role, Dr. Flores has concluded that it would be in the best interests of Santa Barbara High School for him to continue as principal. Although Mr. Richards is no longer a candidate for this position, Dr. Flores indicated that the District will move forward in filling the post. She stated, ""We are committed to closing the gap between various subgroups of students in all measures of student achievement. A Director of Secondary Curriculum will help us increase our instructional efforts at the middle, junior, and senior high school levels. The person who fills the position will play an important role in making sure that 100% of our students pass the California High School Exit Exam and improve student performance on the California Standards Test, among other measures."

Monday, February 11, 2002

Pursuing Victory With Honor: A Public Discussion About High School Athletics

Michael Josephson, founder of the Character Counts! program, will moderate a public forum on high school athletics. The meeting will take place on Tuesday, February 26, 2002, beginning at 7:00 p.m. in the San Marcos High School Auditorium. San Marcos High is located at 4750 Hollister Avenue.

A panel of local high school principals, coaches, and athletic directors will participate in the forum. The dialogue will focus on questions such as:

Tuesday, February 5, 2002

Moe Claydon Named NASSP’s California Assistant Principal of the Year

San Marcos High School Assistant Principal Morey "Moe" Claydon has been selected by the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) as one of 52 assistant principals from across the United States to be honored at the 2002 NASSP convention. The convention will take place on March 1-4, 2002, in Atlanta, Georgia, He is being recognized as the 2002 McDonalds/NASSP California Assistant Principal of the Year. The honorees represent 50 states, Washington D.C., and the Department of Defense Education Activity. As the California winner, Mr. Claydon will receive a $1,000 award and a plaque from the McDonalds Corporation, the event’s sponsor.

According to Kathy Abney, principal of La Cuesta Continuation High School and president of the Santa Barbara Chapter of the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA), "Successful school leadership is nearly impossible without the help of powerful co-administrators. Moe Claydon is one such leader who has used his skills to help the students of San Marcos High School." In recent months, Mr. Claydon was identified as a Co-Administrator of the Year at the local, regional, and state levels of ACSA for his ability to involve the community in the life of the school, awareness of current and emerging issues, and success in improving the school’s learning environment. Principal Paul Serka noted, "Moe Claydon is the cornerstone of the school’s commitment to excellence, the spirit that motivates students and staff, and the person working in the shadow of the principal who always sees that things get done correctly, within budget and in the set time frame. He is an outstanding professional educator."

Mr. Claydon has been an educator since 1969. He joined the San Marcos team, as a classroom teacher, in 1970. He taught history, economics, physical education, and health. Then, in 1987, he became an assistant principal. Mr. Claydon has been an active member of WASC Accreditation visiting teams. As an assistant principal he is in charge of facilities, student activities, senior week activities, grade 12 discipline and attendance, all field trips, student identification system, all school awards assemblies, senior cap and gown booklet, and fund raising/magazine sales. He also supervises the Royal Return student registration in August, graduation organization, year-end athletic reports, master calendar, civic center requests, campus visits and tours, and general assemblies. He is also responsible for the schoolwide key system, technology, business office, school bulletin, teacher evaluations, hazardous materials, athletics, and Individual Education Plans.