June 2022 Message from the Superintendent

Carlsbad Unified School District's 2021-22 Accomplishments  

It has been a banner year at Carlsbad Unified School District, and we are proud of all that our schools have achieved in the face of countless pandemic challenges. As we wrap up the 2021-22 school year it is appropriate to acknowledge some of our many accolades.   

As students in districts across the nation struggled with instructional disruptions, the California Reading Coalition recognized Carlsbad Unified as one of the top school districts in the state for Reading Instruction. We are proud to report that the Coalition’s 2021 Reading Report Card ranked Carlsbad Unified in the top 30 of all school districts in California for student reading and literacy.

 

Carlsbad Unified was also pleased to receive – after two years of navigating the instructional challenges of at-home online learning, and then hybrid schedules, and finally the return to in-person instruction on campus – the 2022 California Pivotal Practice Award from the California Department of Education.  Pacific Rim and Jefferson Elementary Schools each received this distinction as well. Other schools in our District collected further honors and awards.  Valley Middle School was named a state and national “School to Watch” by the California League of Schools and the National Forum. And Jefferson Elementary School received a 2022 California Green Ribbon School Award from the California Department of Education. 

 

Impressively, Carlsbad, California was recognized by the website Niche as #2 in the nation on the 2022 list of Cities with the Best Public Schools in America based on state test scores, graduation rates, SAT/ACT scores, teacher quality, and student and parent reviews.

Our Award-winning People

Our District is a reflection of the outstanding people who work every day, in classrooms and in support positions, to help students learn. Several special employees deserve recognition for their work in 2021-22:

We salute Amanda Tsoi, a science teacher at Valley Middle School, as our Carlsbad Unified School District Teacher of the Year; and Dan DeLeon, a campus safety assistant at Sage Creek High School, as our Classified Employee of the Year.

Also, the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce honored Rae Merritt, a third-grade teacher at Jefferson Elementary School, as its 2022 Elementary Teacher of the Year;  Edric Uy, a math teacher at Calavera Hills Middle School, as its 2022 Middle School Teacher of the Year; Kimberly Wakefield, a Spanish teacher at Carlsbad High School, as its 2022 High School Teacher of the Year; and Jesse Schuveiller, the principal at Sage Creek High School, as its 2022 Administrator of the Year.

The North Coastal Consortium for Special Education named Kathy Nichols, a program specialist, as 2022 Special Education Administrator of the Year; Lonnie Nash, a special education teacher at Sage Creek High School, as 2022 Special Education Teacher of the Year; Ashley Hartman, a fifth-grade teacher at Pacific Rim Elementary School, as 2022 General Education Teacher of the Year; and Kasey Howell, a parent at Carlsbad High School, as 2022 Supportive Parent of the Year. 

The Classroom of the Future Foundation named Nicole Moersch, K12 Pathways Coordinator, as the College and Career Pathways Educator of the Year. Madison McLean, Sage Creek High School math teacher and Girls Soccer coach, was named All CIF Coach of the Year for Girls Soccer.

The Carlsbad and Oceanside seminary students of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints honored Jake Blackburn, counselor at Carlsbad High School, and George Porter, English teacher at Sage Creek High School, with Crystal Apple Awards;  the Helpful Honda Teacher Appreciation Award by the SoCal Honda Dealers was given to Megan Holland, science teacher at Aviara Oaks Middle School; and the Be Part of the Music grants program awarded a grant to Katie Browne, band director at Aviara Oaks Middle School. 

Aaron Nelson, principal at Magnolia Elementary School, and Kimberly Fuentes, principal at Calavera Hills Elementary School, were recognized by the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce Carlsbad Chamber on their “40 Emerging Leaders Under 40” List for 2021. Honorable mentions were given to  Ashley Rossiter, principal at Hope Elementary School and Shannon Harrington. Assistant principal at Sage Creek High School.

Finally, on behalf of Carlsbad Unified, I was honored to be named Superintendent of the Year by the Association of California School Administrators for Region 18 (San Diego County and Imperial County) and a “Superintendent to Watch” by the National School Public Relations Association. 

Our Teams, Programs, and Sports Accomplishments

Our outstanding students demonstrated their achievement in the classroom and at competitions, and on the sports fields. Here are some highlights:

Pacific Rim Elementary School’s 5th Grade Math Team was recognized as the US National Champion in the World Math Day competition. Magnolia Elementary School’s broadcasting team was recognized by San Diego Gas and Electric at the 2022 IVIE Awards (Innovative Video in Education), hosted by the Media Arts Center San Diego. Carlsbad High School’s CHSTV received the top high school honor at the Student Television Network (STN) Awards for a record fifteenth year, being named the best high school broadcast program in the nation.  CHSTV was named a Pacemaker Award winner by the National Scholastic Press Association for the fourth consecutive year. Valley Middle School’s VMSTV received the top middle school honor at the Student Television Network (STN) Awards for a record twelfth year, being named the best middle school broadcast program in the nation. 

Carlsbad High School’s Speech and Debate Team won the First Place Grand Sweepstakes, the Top Speech School Award, and the Top Debate School Award at the 2022 State Qualifying Tournament. Carlsbad High School’s Drumline was named WGI Regional Champions for the first time in school history, Orchestra took 2nd Place in the Silver Division at the Disney Festival of Music, and Choir took 1st Place at the John Burroughs High School Choir Competition.

Sage Creek High School’s Multimedia Journalism Program was ranked #20 in the nation by SNO (School Newspapers Online) and was recognized as a 2022 SNO Distinguished Site Program. Sage Creek High School was also inducted into the National Honor Society for Dance Arts, which recognizes outstanding artistic merit, leadership, and academic achievement of exceptional dance students.

Carlsbad High School won league championships in Football, Girls Golf, Girls Cross Country, Girls Soccer, Boys Wrestling, Boys Tennis, Girls Track and Field, and Girls Beach Volleyball, and won CIF San Diego Section championships in Girls Golf, Girls Volleyball, and Boys Basketball. Carlsbad High’s Girls Golf also took 5th place at the State Championship, the Girls Track 4x400 Team took 9th Place at the State Championship, and Girls Volleyball won the Southern California Regional Championship. The Surf Team took 2nd Place at the SSS California State Championships, and the Lancer Dancers took 3rd Place in Hip Hop and 5th Place in Contemporary Dance at the UDA National Championships.

Sage Creek High School won league championships in Girls Soccer and Girls Lacrosse, and won CIF San Diego Section championships in Girls Soccer, Boys Cross Country, Girls Cross Country, and Boys Tennis. Sage Creek’s Boys Cross Country was also named an All CIF Academic Team.

Outstanding Community Support 

It is almost impossible to comprehend how much – in money, expertise and time –  parents, community members, and business partners so unselfishly contribute to the education of students here at Carlsbad Unified. As just two examples, this year the Carlsbad Unified Council of PTAs logged 34,997 volunteer hours this year for an in-kind donation of $1,244,493; and the Carlsbad Educational Foundation funded music, STEAM, and innovation projects totalling $1,195,537.

The Carlsbad Educational Foundation continued to partner with the YouSchool to offer the Carlsbad Student Leadership Council to high school students, and the City of Carlsbad continued to facilitate the Carlsbad Student Leadership Academy. The Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce continued to work with local community partners to offer the Rising Star of the Month Student Awards and Scholarships.

Additionally, the Rancho Santa Fe Garden Club awarded a Garden Grant to Calavera Hills Elementary School; the New Village Arts Theater and the City of Carlsbad’s Cultural Arts Department awarded a grant to Jefferson Elementary School to stage a production of The Wizard of Oz; and the Hearst Foundation awarded a grant to Calavera Hills Middle School for 8th grade students to attend the Beckman Center for Conservation Research at the San Diego Safari Park for modules in Conservation Science. 

And finally, through the civic-minded generosity of Carlsbad voters, Measure HH Phase 1 construction and campus-wide modernization projects continued at Hope and Kelly Elementary Schools, and were completed at Magnolia Elementary School. Phase 2 design and construction planning began at Aviara Oaks, Buena Vista, and Jefferson Elementary Schools, and at Valley Middle School.

All of these achievements and awards were earned through the hard work and professionalism of the entire team – teachers, administrators, support staff – with the support of our Board and community.  Moreover, they reflect the dedication of our motivated and engaged students, whom we all strive to provide with an extraordinary education.

May 2022 Message from the Superintendent

Partners in Education at Carlsbad Unified

Here at Carlsbad Unified, parents, businesses, and community members are critical partners in education.  They provide opportunities to interact with an array of community resources as our students explore their passions, learn about what’s available here in North County, and enrich their lives through the artists, scientists, and leaders they meet.  COVID might have limited in-person interactions, but we were able to continue to connect via virtual field trips and guest speakers.  Now our campuses are once again busy with excitement as we welcome back our invaluable partners in person.

Parent volunteers, book fairs, ice cream socials, and field trips are now back as we return to normal.  Our partners are again participating and contributing – organizing career days, family picnics, and other special activities on every campus.

For instance, on Compassion Day at Kelly Elementary School, experts and parent volunteers helped students rotate through stations where they experienced what it feels like to have a disability.  Students tried decoding messages in Braille, endured a sensory overload room, tried to function wearing blindfolds, and attempted to run on the field with yardsticks taped to their legs. Then, in a student-run center, they wrote notes about kindness to create a beautiful mosaic. 

At the Sage Creek High School PTSA’s JIVE event (Jobs, Internships, Volunteers and Education), parents and community members helped students get information about possible jobs and internships.  Local businesses such as Handel’s and Chick-Fil-A set up tables and shared information about jobs and summer internships.  

Booster club members are now making hot dogs and selling tickets to sporting events, working backstage at musical and theater performances, and raising money for competitions, travel, and sports equipment.  Tutors are giving needed help to students in danger of falling behind. 

Our Carlsbad Educational Foundation (CEF) and its partners facilitate a multitude of community-based programs for Carlsbad Unified students.  Lego Robotics; Agua Hedionda Lagoon field trips; Coastal Roots Farm visits; Junior Achievement BizTown curriculum and field trips; Nordson Corporation’s Tech Time Challenge; Science Days with volunteers from Thermo Fisher; Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation’s Environmental Stewardship initiative; the Science Olympiad supported by Viasat; and Junior Achievement’s Finance Park – these are some of the many initiatives and programs supported by CEF and its partners.

And, in the field of Career Pathways, our business, industry and community partners are providing vital support.  Overseeing these important relationships is our own Nicole Moersch, K-12 Pathway Coordinator.  She was just named the 2022 College & Career Pathways Educator of the Year by the Classroom of the Future Foundation for her commitment to innovation in education.

Our Pathways are guided by the expertise of the District Career Pathways Advisory Committee and other business partners who collaborate with career pathway teachers in aligning curriculum, software, and equipment with industry standards.  These volunteers from the business and industrial community also offer internships, feedback on student projects, mentorships, guest speakers, and other hands-on experiences for students. 

In addition, our partners at the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce offer their Rising Stars student recognition program, scholarships for high school students, and exposure to the world of work. 

We are indebted to all of these partners for their generosity of time and resources to ensure that our students have an educational experience that prepares them for a successful future. Partners – we couldn’t do it without you!