November 2019 Message from the Superintendent

Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce Honors Its Rising Stars

Recently the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce held a breakfast honoring a very special group of Carlsbad’s young people who were named the Rising Stars of the Month for October. This monthly event brings the community together to recognize high school seniors who have displayed exceptional character by overcoming challenges in their lives to make a difference in their homes, schools, and communities.

The force behind this new program is the Chamber’s President and CEO, Bret Schanzenbach. “There are many students in our community who face great adversity, but they find ways to be successful and to give back by helping others. We felt that it was important to recognize these exceptional students.”

Sage Creek High School’s Samantha Low was introduced by principal Jesse Schuveiller. “Samantha exemplifies our school motto ‘Be You. Be your B.E.S.T.’ as a true leader and person of  integrity who takes the initiative to advocate for environmental issues.”  The president of SCHS’s Environmental Club, Samantha has taken the lead on local and global climate change issues, and has organized campus activities around the worldwide climate strike, all with her positive attitude. Rachel Merino-Ott, her AP Literature teacher, says, “Samantha  speaks with consideration and deliberation. She believes in the power of citizens’ voices to bring about change, whether it is advocating for a water bottle refill station on campus, or joining the protestors in Hong Kong.” Samantha plans to study Environmental Science at the University of San Diego, saying, “I want to speak out for action against the devastating effects of climate change to the best of my ability, always asking, ‘Are we there yet?’”

When Alex Gregorio Lopez arrived in Carlsbad from Guatemala three years ago he spoke no English. Raised by his grandparents, he did not see his parents for many years  But he learned to persevere and developed a strong work ethic to get good grades. Alex is now taking challenging courses at CHS and a dual enrollment class at MiraCosta College—all while working full time. On top of that, he finds time to volunteer to help homeless people. “I want to thank my grandparents and the teachers at my school for being there for me. I am going to study International Business at MiraCosta College, and then serve my country in the Marine Corps.” Alex’s ELD teacher, Phil Martinez, told of a moving presentation Alex made to his class. “Your dreams can come true, too,” he told his classmates. ”No matter how hard you have to work to reach your goals, you have to keep trying.”

Earlier, in September, the first Rising Stars breakfast honored three other outstanding students. Carlsbad High School student Ana Laura Flores was nominated by her teacher Lauri Britton, who says, “Ana Laura is an outstanding person, student, and soccer player. Although she has had some personal obstacles, she does not let this hold her back from taking challenging courses, mentoring younger students, and earning the highest grades. She is focusing on doing her best in high school, and preparing to attend Sonoma State University.”

Sage Creek High School Counselor Megan Corazza nominated Hayat Abdelwehabh for “her soft-spoken leadership, compassionate soul, and academic diligence.” She was a child who spoke no English when her family immigrated to Carlsbad from Ethiopia. She is now an academically successful student, aspiring to be the first in her family to attend college. Ms. Corazza says, “Hayat is an active member of the AVID program, helping 9th & 10th-grade students with their homework and supporting them with her positive encouragement and genuineness.”

Also nominated as Rising Stars in September were Olivia Stephens, a student at La Costa Canyon (LCC) High School. Sophia Hart from Pacific Ridge School and Aaliyah Rivas from LCC were nominated in October.

“What I love about all of these kids is that they serve as role models and mentors to other students at school,” said  Schanzenbach. “They may have gotten knocked down a notch, but they stayed on track and took the next step. And they made an impact.”

October 2019 Message from the Superintendent

Safety and Security

When parents send their children off to school in the morning, they entrust us with their most precious loved ones.  So student safety is our highest priority.

Carlsbad Unified—in partnership with Carlsbad Police Department, Carlsbad Fire Department, and Carlsbad Department of Emergency Preparedness—is always working to make sure our campuses are as safe as can be.  Here are some areas where we are accomplishing that.  

School Resource Officers:  In collaboration with the City of Carlsbad, schools in our city now have five dedicated school resource officers (SROs).  Also, we have retained a part-time district safety coordinator, Malcolm Warfield, who also works for the Carlsbad Police Department. I could not be more thankful for the leadership shown by our local law enforcement and public safety agencies.

Measure HH Improvements:  When Carlsbad voters passed Measure HH last year, they enabled us to make new investments in campus safety.  The improvements include:  

• Visitor check-in system:  a new visitor management system is helping us to regulate and keep track of visitors to our campuses when students are present.  The system has been installed in the front office of each school. As our staff becomes trained, the system will be operational at all schools by the end of December.
• Fencing:  Over the course of this year we will install improved eight-foot fencing and gates at Calavera Hills, Hope, Pacific Rim, and Poinsettia Elementary Schools; at Calavera Hills and Valley Middle Schools; and at Carlsbad High School.
• Security cameras:  Security cameras will soon be installed at every school. Elementary schools will have cameras on the school perimeters. And, in the same way our high school already are equipped, middle schools will have both perimeter and line-of-sight camera coverage, including at the entryways of high traffic buildings and bathrooms.
• Knox Boxes:  Outdoor boxes containing emergency materials at the ready for first responders—Knox Boxes—were installed on our campuses over the summer.

Mental health needs:  We maintain strong partnerships with various local agencies to provide intensive mental health supports for students in need  We continue to develop systems and programs in our schools to better meet the needs of all kids.

Vaping:  As you are aware, new information is demonstrating the danger that vaping presents to our students. We are the recipients of a new Prop. 56 grant which has made it possible for our district to collaborate with Carlsbad Police to add an additional School Resource Officer to educate students, staff, and parents about the serious health consequences of tobacco and vaping.

Finally, with so many problems in the world, I think it’s important to remember the kindness and compassion displayed in Carlsbad by our very own Kids for Peace and their annual Great Kindness Challenge. What started with just three schools—Jefferson, Hope, and Kelly Elementary—has now become a worldwide phenomenon with over 13 million students in 50 states and 115 countries!

A kinder world is a safer world. Thank you for all you do to support us in our efforts to keep our students and staff safe.