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!

March/April 2022 Message from the Superintendent

Measure HH Facilities: A Look to the Future

When the Carlsbad community voted in 2018 to approve Measure HH, the district’s $265M facilities bond measure, we all looked forward with great anticipation to seeing the inspiring environments in the newly modernized schools where students would be learning and creating.

Now our Measure HH Phase 1 projects are largely completed, and those beautifully modernized and renovated buildings – at Magnolia, Hope, and Kelly Elementary Schools; Carlsbad High School’s Science Building; and STEAM labs at Poinsettia and Pacific Rim Elementary Schools – are serving students. As we look forward to the finalization of our Phase 1 projects, we are also looking forward to the commencement of our upcoming Phase 2 projects.

Carlsbad Unified recently welcomed Jessica Kimbrell, our new Director of Facilities Planning and Construction Management, who brings many years of experience in school construction  management.  She will provide day-to-day management and project oversight, assisting with cost containment and consistency in projects across the district. 

We are currently embarking on the final design, engineering, and permitting process for Measure HH Phase 2 projects. These will include campus-wide renovations at Valley Middle School and at Jefferson, Buena Vista, and Aviara Oaks Elementary Schools.  Phase 2 projects will also include new STEAM Labs at Aviara Oaks, Buena Vista, Calavera Hills, and Jefferson Elementary Schools, and at Aviara Oaks and Valley Middle Schools.

Buena Vista will see the replacement of old portables with new modular classrooms, a new STEAM building, a redesigned pre-school area, and new landscaping.  At Jefferson, two classrooms will be converted into a Culinary Arts Room and a STEAM Lab, and ten classrooms will be modernized.  Aviara Oaks will get remodeled Kindergarten classrooms, a STEAM Lab, a new quad to replace older portables, and other interior modifications.  Valley will undergo a campus-wide interior modernization with new STEAM collaboration rooms, a new Special Education classroom located to promote inclusion, and renovated restrooms.

All of these projects still must be submitted for review by a number of agencies.  But construction at Jefferson may begin as soon as this summer, and we estimate that the other Phase 2 projects will begin in the summer of 2023.

We acknowledge that there will be challenges as we move into Phase 2.  Post-pandemic, we are seeing rising costs on labor and materials, and we are experiencing a different bidding environment.  Still, we are confident that our professional teams of architects, contractors, construction managers, and district staff will make it happen.  We were successful in selling $28M in certificates of participation to supplement our remaining Measure HH funds, and in using existing Mello Roos dollars to help offset the impact of inflation.  Our goals for Phase 2 are to integrate stakeholder input into our plans; to maximize and prioritize the impact of limited dollars in these times of rising costs; and to ensure parity, to the extent possible, among all of our campuses.

Carlsbad Unified thanks the Carlsbad community for supporting these investments in your schools.  We are grateful to the construction teams, engineers, and architects, and we appreciate the patience and understanding of our teachers, staff, and students as they deal with the inconvenience of construction work on campus.  These projects will support the academic performance of our students and the property values in our community for many years to come.

February 2022 Message from the Superintendent

 Technology Planning for Innovation

“Does the rhino like to be scratched behind his ears?” A student asked that question during a series of lessons, presented via Zoom by the San Diego Zoo Careers in Conservancy, to Sarah Rines’ 7th grade science class at Calavera Hills Middle School. The trainer and keeper were right there with the big animals, so the students got a virtual experience with the rhinos, and could interact directly with the trainer.

In a similar way, Juli Bachman’s Biomedical Science pathway students at Sage Creek High School met with Dr. Sharon Derrick, a forensic anthropologist at Texas A&M.  And Carlsbad Village Academy students took part in the Southwest Carpenters Training Fund LIVE virtual site tour to learn about careers and apprenticeship programs. Other students participated in a Nobel Women in STEM event, with panelists from Thermo Fisher presenting career information. Students also are learning from digital virtual field trips to a farm and from virtual guest speakers including scientists, astronauts, and even software engineers presenting an hour of code.

Virtual field trips. Synchronous and asynchronous learning. Video conferencing. These are all “just in jime” technologies. In February 2020 we would never have envisioned the explosion in instructional technology that we see today. Has it been challenging? Absolutely. Necessary? No question. But, if Necessity is the Mother of Invention, few instances in our lifetimes have highlighted that notion so clearly. Some of these new technologies will enhance our students’ instructional experience for years to come. And, once again, we are fortunate that we live here in Carlsbad, a community that embraces the latest technologies and supports our students to be the best they can be. 

Our 2019 Technology Plan introduced the once-lofty goals of providing every middle and high school student and their teachers with their own chromebooks or similar devices, and moving all district technology onto a cloud-based infrastructure. When the pandemic hit in March 2020, our immediate priority was to ramp up attaining that goal, and to provide a suitable device–a current, working, compatible, and connected device–for every one of our 11,000 students and 1,000 teachers and staff members. Our Technology Team undertook a herculean effort to scale up our capabilities to meet these needs, scrambling to identify funding, and then locating, ordering, and distributing devices to students and teachers. 

Last summer our Board of Trustees adopted the 2021 Tech Plan to expand these efforts, by upgrading the network backbone and adding bandwidth to better support video conferencing, graphics, video streaming, multimedia, and multi-tasking. In addition, outdoor WiFi is being added to campuses. And the plan included upgrading our phone system onto the cloud, providing staff with the ability to make and receive calls, and to send texts, from any location.

We have been lucky that a band of exemplary “techie” teachers magnanimously harnessed and shared their expertise–their tricks of the trade–to train teachers, students, and families how to learn in a virtual or hybrid setting. Our IT team already had built the infrastructure needed for cloud-based learning, accessible anytime, anywhere. Teachers stepped up to do an outstanding job of collaborating, coaching, and learning to teach in new ways.  While many of our personnel already had used Google Classroom, Google Meet, and Aeries Gradebook in the past, they soon were embarking on brand new strategies: using Screencastify to make videos and employing interactive tools such as Flipgrid, Netop, and Nearpod to manage instruction.  Professional development, via Alludo, was intensified to maximize teacher support and training on these technologies. Further, we tapped into lots of new software, websites, and other online resources and tools, to enrich the instructional program. 

Some of the new technologies necessitated by the pandemic will continue to be utilized more  frequently and effectively. Many of our teachers continue to use these new technologies in the classroom, and not just in remote settings, in creative ways.  For instance, companies and businesses are more open to sponsoring virtual field trips and virtual guest speakers than in-person events. They are easier to schedule, less costly, and often allow students to do and see more than they had in the past. The logistics are certainly less stressful for the teachers and the businesses. Virtual technology is often the norm now, and we now have the equipment in all of our classrooms. 

Yes, these have been the most difficult of times, but Carlsbad Unified’s resourceful teachers, students, and community have joined together to face the challenges and come through it all stronger than ever.

January 2022 Message From the Superintendent

Kindness Matters Everywhere

Dr. Ben Churchill

It’s the Great Kindness Challenge Week, and Carlsbad Unified is abuzz with kind words and thoughtful acts. 

The Great Kindness Challenge, presented by Kids For Peace, was started right here in 2011 by Carlsbad parents and students, and is now observed around the world. Seventeen million students – attending 33,000 schools in 110 countries – participated last year, registering 843 million acts of kindness. It’s what the world needs now. 

Carlsbad Unified is committed to promoting social-emotional wellness and safe and healthy schools, so every CUSD school has been planning fun and meaningful activities to celebrate The Great Kindness Challenge. Spiritwear days, door decorating, kind messages, and acts of generosity are bringing compassion to the forefront on campus. 

One of the founding schools, Hope Elementary, had a rousing line-up of Kindness activities this week:

• On Sunday, the Kids For Peace students met at school to decorate the campus with Kindness banners, posters, and sidewalk chalk art. 

• On Monday, a police officer on his motorcycle led the students to the playground for the Kindness Kick-off. A “virtual assembly,” featuring a video made by the Kids For Peace students, was shown in all classrooms. At recess, students were welcomed with Kindness Stations, where they might “Entertain someone with a happy dance,” “Tell a joke to make someone laugh,” or play Freeze Dance.

• On Tuesday, there was a Wishing Well, where students could “Make a wish for a child in another country.” Or they could make a donation to Kind Coins, which is raising money to purchase laptops for students in a remote village in Peru. Tuesday’s virtual assembly included a video about those Peruvian students. (In previous years, Kind Coins built schools in Pakistan and Kenya, a health clinic in Liberia, and, over the last two years, a preschool and friendship center in Tijuana.)

• On Wednesday, students wrote a kind note to a teacher–it has been a tough time for teachers–and gave them Kindness kits. 

Hope Elementary students will make a video of this week’s Kindness activities, and will trade their video for those made by their partner schools in Shawnee, Kansas, and Pune, India.

The activities across all sixteen school sites support our district’s social and emotional learning goals, helping Carlsbad Unified to build a culture based on respect, inclusion, and kindness.

This year’s Great Kindness Challenge theme – Kindness Matters Everywhere – reminds us that, in these days of stress and anxiety, we already have the tools to support one another on campus and in the community.

As we enjoy Kindness Week, our students are learning that every act of kindness matters, and that every person can truly make a difference and have a powerful impact that extends throughout the world. 

In the words of Kids For Peace Co-founder Jill McManigal, ”My word for 2022 is Gratitude. I am grateful to all who believe in the power of kindness, and to all who give our youth the opportunity to practice respect, gratitude, and inclusiveness.”

Now, more than ever, #KindnessMatters. 

November / December Message from the Superintendent

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) and Mental Health

Superintendent’s Message

In the midst of the holiday season I want to wish you all a peaceful and joyous time with your families and friends. Enjoy your holiday celebrations -- but please remain cautious so we all can return to school in January healthy, rested, and ready for an exciting 2022.

Supporting Students in Challenging Times

I continue to be proud of Carlsbad Unified’s many successes, particularly in light of the obstacles that our resilient staff, students, and families have confronted over the last many months. 

I am especially proud of the actions that our district has taken to address social and emotional stress that students have faced as a result of the pandemic.  

Our mission is educating students; but we know that students, when grappling with undue pressures in their lives, can have trouble focusing on school and therefore might not learn as effectively.  In recent times our students have had to deal with quarantines and distance learning -- and sometimes with family issues such as a lack of childcare, lost jobs, divorce, illness, and death. Some students have been burdened with anxiety, fear, anger, and loneliness.  Even returning to school has been stressful for some students, as they adjust to making new friends, getting along in the classroom, or socializing in school activities.

One of the key measures taken in Carlsbad Unified to support our early learners was the hiring of five elementary school counselors -- a brand new position in our district.

“As students have returned to campus from distance learning they have needed additional support to readjust to in-person classroom instruction and social interactions on the playground,” said Kelly Elementary School Principal Emma Cobb. “Our new counselors have been doing a great job supporting them.”

Kirsten Wabbel, one of the new elementary school counselors, serves Kelly and Poinsettia schools. She visits each classroom once a month to teach lessons on topics such as conflict resolution, stress management, making new friends, being respectful to adults and peers, and developing organizational and study skills. 

“When I asked fourth graders what they wanted to learn from their counselor, they said ‘handling stress and making friends,’” Ms. Wabbel reported.

She also directs small groups where students have a safe place to talk about playground behaviors, maintaining friendships, or strategies to solve problems.  Also, she engages in one-on-one sessions with students needing targeted assistance with issues such as impulse control, aggression, depression, making good choices, or anxiety.

Here are some of the steps Carlsbad Unified has taken to address students’ social emotional, and mental health concerns across all grade levels:

• Hired five new counselors to help support our nine elementary schools with classroom presentations, small group discussions, and individual counseling sessions as needed, and outreach to families. 

• Contracted with Wellness Together to provide therapists at all middle schools and high schools to provide additional mental health support to students in need.

• Implemented Peer Assistance Listeners (PALs) programs at Carlsbad High School and Sage Creek High School. PALs are students who have been trained to listen and help peers with topics including study/organizational skills, stress and time management, social emotional concerns, and career exploration.

• Added three additional Health Technicians, in addition to the Health Technicians already assigned to each of our schools, to address increased physical and mental health needs that have arisen since March of 2020.

• Introduced a suicide prevention program that educates students about the relationship between suicide and depression and encourages students to seek help from trusted adults whenever they have concerns about themselves or a friend.

• Added five new bilingual community liaisons for expanded communication and outreach to families.

As we continue to navigate these unique times, we strive to provide every student an extraordinary education in an inspiring -- and safe -- environment.

October 2021 Message from the Superintendent

Carlsbad Unified’s Career Pathways Three-Year Strategic Plan

We all hope our children will succeed in following their dreams, enjoying happy family lives, and finding rewarding careers -- perhaps here in this beautiful community where they were raised.

But we know it is not a straightforward path. Although our local economy is rich with career opportunities for our young people, today’s labor market is complex and careers are specialized. Carlsbad is home to companies such as ViaSat, Thermo-Fisher, and TaylorMade, and to careers ranging from biotech and engineering to sports and leisure. Employers are looking to build a workforce possessing the education, talent, experience, and specialized training needed to fuel innovation and reap financial success. The challenge for young job seekers is to match their career interests and talents with the skills sets that the job market requires.

Carlsbad Unified’s Board of Trustees has long recognized the importance of helping students to find their strengths and passions and to select rewarding career paths, while readying them for tomorrow’s workforce. And, in endeavoring to prepare our students for their dream jobs while equipping them with the skills employers need, we perceived  the need for a comprehensive plan that harnesses the resources of the school district, the community, and local business and industry. 

To that end, the District created the Career Education Strategic Planning Workgroup, consisting of Carlsbad Unified administrators and teachers, representatives from MiraCosta College, regional pathways coordinators, and the Carlsbad Educational Foundation. This Workgroup has been meeting since January to create a comprehensive plan for career education.

At last week’s Board meeting, the staff presented a draft of CUSD’s Career Pathway 3-Year Strategic Plan. This plan is an ambitious K-12 approach to prepare students for their future education, careers, and lives. It sets out goals, and the action plans and measurement tools required for meeting them, in six areas: (1) Marketing, Outreach, and Recruitment; (2) Career Pathways Development; (3) Career Education Development K-12; (4) Funding, Facilities, and Equipment; (5) High Quality, Integrated Curriculum and Instruction; and (6) Industry and Community Partnership and Student Work-Based Learning.

Our Career Pathways programs are intended to help students:

 

      ●         Identify their strengths, interests, and values

      ●         Explore a variety of career options

      ●         Connect instructional activities to areas of interest

      ●         Interact with the business and professional community, and

      ●         Prepare for education beyond high school.

In taking on these new career-related challenges, the District will benefit from the extraordinary curriculum and instruction work it already has undertaken over the past several years. For instance: 

• The attributes our Graduate Profile has identified as crucial for our graduates as they move forward in their lives are also the soft skills that will prepare our students for success in the workplace.  These include effective communicators and collaborators; critical thinkers; ethical and responsible citizens; self-directed individuals; lifelong learners; and college- and career-ready scholars.

• CUSD’s academic goals of increasing both the number of graduates meeting the requirements of the University of California and California State University systems (the A through G requirements), and the number of students enrolled in challenging academic courses (such as Honors and AP classes, community college courses, and/or career pathways programs), prepare students with the academic rigor and technical knowledge that will further their readiness for the highly-skilled jobs of the future.

• Similarly, our current Career Pathways programs -- such as Biomedical Science, Digital Photography, and Engineering Design -- offer students key components of a strong career foundation: comprehensive support services; rigorous academics; career technical education; and work-based learning. 

We are excited to build on this strong foundation to strengthen our K-12 career education curriculum, and to expand our collaborations with local business and industry. We look forward to bringing even more authentic career information and experiences into the classroom, and to sending our students out into the community to take advantage of valuable opportunities for work-based learning.  

September 2021 Message from the Superintendent

Back to School 2021

At Carlsbad Unified, the 2021-22 school year has launched successfully. Our students are back on campus full time. Sports teams and VAPA (visual and performing arts) groups are practicing and competing. And everybody is relishing their time back in the classrooms, at the lunch tables, and on the playgrounds.

Last year was a difficult and emotionally challenging time. We missed out on many things, like football games and field trips and fairs.  But I do not think we should call it a lost or a wasted year.  I hope we focus on our successes in finding new ways to meet the pandemic’s challenges --- new instructional formats, new community connections, and new technologies for communicating with students and parents.  Over the past 18 months, we showed flexibility and creative adaptation in trying new and different ways to help students learn.

At last week’s Board meeting, our Instructional Services team presented the results of our Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) for the 2020-21 school year.  This report showed how we did on the goals we had set for ourselves last year; and it helps us determine our goals for this new year. Despite the upheavals of last year, there were many outstanding accomplishments of which to be proud. 

Academic Achievement

Despite the disruptions of the last 18 months, we have ample evidence of student learning and growth in the 2020-21 school year. Important data points worth sharing include:

The percentage of our students who graduated on time in 2021 is an amazing 98%, up 4% over the last 5 years.  (In contrast, this year’s graduation rate is 85% in San Diego County and 87% in California.)

Carlsbad Unified’s college-going rate is an impressive 80%. (The national rate is 57%.)

The percentage of our 2021 graduates who completed the A-G requirements, making them eligible for the University of California and California State University systems (UC/CSU), increased by three points this year to 83% --- up an impressive 12% over 5 years. (Our 83% figure compares with 52% of graduates in San Diego County and 47% in California.)

The percentage of our high school students enrolled in at least one honors, AP, or community college course is up 18% over the last five years, to 79%.

Academic Support

During the pandemic, we also have given our students additional academic support including tutoring, added intervention sections, and more intervention teachers. Further, a robust and well-attended summer school helped hundreds of students brush up on their basic skills or to stay on track to graduate on time. Also available was the Gear Up program for incoming 6th and 9th graders and other in-person and virtual learning options. In total, we provided summer learning experiences to 631 elementary students, 538 middle school students, and 599 high school students in the summer of 2021 (or 1,768 students all together).

Social Emotional Support

Because of school closures during the pandemic, many students experienced disconnection from their peers, their teachers, their sports, and the larger community. Related to that was an increase in general stressors on students’ emotional health, as well as a higher incidence of serious mental health concerns. In response to these Social Emotional realities, Carlsbad Unified has instituted more counseling, mental health supports, and new elementary school counseling for students in need. The Harmony program at the elementary schools and student advisory periods at the middle and high schools help students to build resilience, and teach skills such as time management and how to combat bullying.

Yes, there are still a (relatively low) number of positive COVID-19 cases, and some students and staff members are quarantining at home.  But, much more broadly, we are back at school, teaching and learning, collaborating and exploring --- and integrating the knowledge we have gained from dealing successfully with these challenging times.  Carlsbad Unified is living our mission: to provide every student an extraordinary education in an inspiring environment.

August 2020 Message from the Superintendent

Welcome to the 2020-21 School Year, Carlsbad Unified! 

With the start of the new school year we are relaunching our monthly newsletter, Carlsbad Unified Connections, to share our stories and keep you informed.  We will be spotlighting our outstanding schools and updating you on important issues being considered by the Board. 

School opens on Tuesday, August 25, but, as you know, campuses will remain closed until further notice in compliance with COVID-19 public health orders.

Like in every new school year, students and staff alike are feeling the excitement, apprehension, and the promise of a fresh start. But Back To School this year is not normal; we are experiencing the uncertainties and disappointments of this pandemic year.  It has been challenging to predict what this year will look like and to plan an instructional program that meets the academic and social-emotional needs of our students.

But we are Carlsbad Unified.  So we will strive to create opportunities to inspire and motivate our students.  Remember that -- as Plato said -- necessity is the mother of invention.  Knowing that the best inventors in history were galvanized by the most challenging times, we will challenge ourselves and our students to become such  inventors and to find the good that can come out of hard times.  

The urgency of this public health crisis spurred exemplary work by our teachers and administrators in their Summer Institute collaborations, transforming our instructional program from the emergency remote learning of the Spring into innovative, structured, and rigorous Distance Learning 2.0 plans for the Fall.  

In Summer Institute Session 1, a Planning Task Force developed a flexible framework for teaching and learning in an online or hybrid environment, and reviewed and recommended the necessary instructional tools. In Session 2, an Instructional Plan Development Work Group designed creative ways to engage students in distance learning with academic rigor, daily interaction, and conceptual schedules that look much like a student’s regular school day. The Work Group built four weeks of standards-based lesson plans for each grade level and class, which will support our teachers as they begin the year. I appreciate the contributions of these dedicated professionals.

Additionally, I appreciate the partnership of the Carlsbad Educational Foundation (CEF), which will be offering fee-based childcare on many of our campuses this fall. See CEF Kids Care.

View our COVID-19 Safe Reopening website for further information about registration, meal service, instructional materials, and other topics. Our principals will also be communicating important information in the coming days. We will continue to prioritize the health and safety of our students, teachers, and staff as we follow the guidance of federal, state, and local public health officials. 

Together, we will make extraordinary things happen in these extraordinary times.

May 2020 Message from the Superintendent

Celebrating Success

Even as we continue to navigate uncharted waters, I’d like to take a moment to congratulate some exemplary Carlsbad Unified schools, programs, and people for the honors and accomplishments they have achieved this year. We are proud of all you do for the students of Carlsbad Unified.

Aviara Oaks Elementary School was named a National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education. Only 312 public schools across the country received this prestigious designation for overall academic success and progress in closing achievement gaps.

Jefferson Elementary School received the Gold Level award as a 2020 California Green Ribbon School for teaching students to become effective environmental stewards, reducing environmental damage, and improving the health and wellness of students and staff. Jefferson was the only public school in San Diego County to earn this distinction.

Carlsbad High School received the College Board’s Female Diversity Award in Computer Science for working to engage more female students in AP Computer Science Principles and AP Computer Science A. Out of 20,000 institutions that offer AP courses, only 818—just 4%— were selected for this recognition.

Eight Sage Creek High School twelfth graders were recognized as National Merit Program Scholarship Finalists by the College Board.

Carlsbad High School, Sage Creek High School and Carlsbad Seaside Academy received national rankings by the U.S. News and World Report as Best High Schools in America.

The Student Television Network recognized Valley Middle School and Carlsbad High School’s broadcast journalism programs with its prestigious STN Award of Excellence. CHSTV won in the competitive “Daily, Live” category—its 13th win— and VMSTV won in the ‘Middle School’ category for the ninth time.

Also, for its work in providing music access and education to all students, Carlsbad Unified School District was among 20 school districts in California named Best Communities for Music Education by the NAMM Foundation, a nonprofit organization supported in part by the National Association of Music Merchants. Besides honoring our music educators, the award acknowledges the collaboration and support of parents, staff, and the community—including PTAs, PTSAs, PTOs and foundations, music boosters, and the Carlsbad Educational Foundation.

Many of our teachers and administrators also have been recognized this year for their contributions to our students’ education.

Jennifer Bannock, a Special Day Class teacher for kindergarten through 2nd grade students at Hope Elementary, was selected as the Carlsbad Unified Teacher of the Year. “Ms. Bannock is an incredibly hard working teacher with a big heart,” said Principal Ashley Rossiter. “She has a wide range of abilities in her class, and is skilled at creating activities to meet the diverse needs of her students both in and out of the classroom. Ms. Bannock never gives up until she finds a way to help her students succeed.”

Kevin Simonds, Carlsbad High School’s (CHS) Associated Student Body Accounting Technician, was named the CUSD Classified Employee of the Year. He was nominated by CHS student Sage Lesueur, who said “Mr. Simonds is a hardworking and caring employee who makes CHS a better place because of all he does for our school and our students.”

In February, two of our outstanding District Office administrators were honored by their peers by the Association of California School Administrators, Region 18 (comprising all of San Diego and Imperial Counties). Carlsbad Unified Director of Pupil Services Tim Evanson was named Administrator of the Year for Student Services, and Director of Classified Personnel Rachel Austin was selected Administrator of the Year for Personnel/Human Resources.

District Nurse Julia Hart-Lawson was chosen by the California School Nurses Organization (CSNO) for the Excellence in Nursing Award by the San Diego Imperial section. “Her dedication to student health and expertise with medically fragile students is an inspiration to her peers and colleagues throughout the state,” says CSNO State Awards Chair Sherri Vitali.

Sage Creek High School Biomed Pathway teacher Valerie Park was recognized by NBC 7 San Diego and San Diego County Office of Education as the Inspirational Teacher of the Month for February.

The sixteen members of the Student-Superintendent Advisory Council were recognized by NBC 7 San Diego and San Diego County Office of Education as the Inspirational Students of the Month for April.

Katie Browne, Director of Bands at Aviara Oaks Middle School, received the Artful Advocate Award at the Arts Empower Ovation Awards for San Diego County, Region 5, recognizing her work to strengthen arts education.

Carlsbad High School teachers Dale Hendricks and Jeffrey Spanier received the University of Chicago's Outstanding Educator Award. The university invites entering first-year students to nominate an educator who has influenced them, challenged them, or helped them along the path toward intellectual growth.

And, finally, the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce honored three of Carlsbad Unified’s stars during their CBAD Awards Week: Carla Bos, Principal and Cedric Hart, part time PE teacher, from Jefferson Elementary; and Patti Langen, science teacher at Calavera Hills Middle School.

We commend these schools, students, programs, teachers, and administrators for their outstanding accomplishments. They all represent Carlsbad Unified at its finest.

April 2020 Message from the Superintendent

I’m honored to turn over the April Superintendent Blog to Mrs. Suzy Ryan, English teacher at Valley Middle School. Mrs. Ryan was selected as the Valley Middle School Teacher of the Year for 2019-20, and was one of three finalists for the 2020 District Teacher of the Year award. A well-respected educator and team member, Mrs. Ryan is also an accomplished author. Thank you to Mrs. Ryan for sharing her thoughts below.


Stay safe out there!

Dr. Ben Churchill, Superintendent




School’s Out for Summer
By Suzy Ryan, Valley Middle School Teacher


When I was in the sixth grade and school was out for summer, students cheered Alice Cooper’s “School’s Out” lyrics and celebrated the freedom from the constraints of “pencils and books.” Similarly, after our school principal’s announcement over the loudspeaker, notifying students of our district’s abrupt closure at the end of the school day, my sixth-grade students applauded their early spring break.

From the start, that dreary Friday the 13th, which became our last day of school before quarantine, emerged surreal as torrential rains drenched my Southern California students, who are never prepared for a deluge. They flung themselves into puddles of mud and stomped through rivers of rainwater on their way to class, arriving in their seats as if they’d just been swimming. To make matters worse, the internet happened to be down district-wide the entire day.

Educators have become more dependent on technology, so across campus teachers scurried to switch from laptop lesson plans to trusty, but archaic paper and pencil ones; ironically, foreshadowing the coming patience required for teachers to teach in their new homebound virtual classrooms.

With the remaining hours before our extended break took effect, I trudged the students to the library, but with no internet, the librarian was relegated to the old fashioned, yellowed and ink stamped library cards for book check out. At the end of the school day, as the bell buzzed for dismissal, cheers crackled throughout Valley Middle School’s campus.

Weeks later, those shouts of merriment turned to murmurs of melancholy as some students shared their fear and discouragement from being housebound. As Groundhog Day repeated over and over, students woke up wishing for a pre-coronavirus normal.

Now that our original anticipated date to return to school has passed, teachers are scrambling for savvy virtual teaching methods and students are sighing at being cooped up at home. The privilege of attending school has begun to awaken in students. Earlier in the fall, our curriculum included Salva Dut, a Lost Boy of Sudan who fled his South Sudan school at gunpoint. It also featured Malala Yousafzai, a young girl who was shot on a Palestinian school bus simply for going to school. At the time, my students never contemplated being denied their right to attend school. After all, this is America. But in this new normal, students throughout the Land of Liberty are learning to live without their right to physically be taught in the classroom due to the Coronavirus. Sadly, this virus is quickly becoming their generation’s Great Depression as they live history in the making.

The coronavirus has changed everything. When I connect with my confined students on Google Meet, we work not only on assignments but also search for blessings in this dark unknown. Students seem to be finding an appreciation for school as their depth of compassion has been stretched, molded, and transformed by sheltering in place. This understanding is making them more grateful and has given them an awareness beyond their sixth-grade maturity. Adversity does that: what once was an entitlement, students now know is a privilege.

Just yesterday on Google Meet, students shared the first thing they look forward to when their isolation is over. Answers ranged from hanging out with friends, playing sports, and eating at a fast-food restaurant. Surprisingly, some of the kids even answered-- returning to school. They never realized how much they would miss it. Alice Cooper got it wrong. When school is a gift, “pencils and books,” or in today’s vernacular, Google Classroom and Chromebooks are not something to dread but to look forward to instead. Students will get through this, and they will tell their children and grandchildren how they overcame the unknown and became more appreciative and thankful human beings. As a teacher of sixth graders, my good fortune from teaching at home during COVID-19 is being able to see the virus through the eyes of my eleven-year-old students. It keeps me grounded in reality. That is my blessing.

March 2020 Message from the Superintendent

In Carlsbad Unified, Every Student Matters

Is each Carlsbad Unified student getting what he or she needs to learn? Are our classrooms welcoming spaces? Does our staff have the skills and support it needs to meet each student “where they are?”

These are the important questions we are grappling with in CUSD because we believe that every student matters, every student has something to contribute, and every student is worth knowing. We therefore are committed to equity, inclusion, and diversity on our campuses.

Although we are proud that Carlsbad Unified schools graduate academically accomplished students who move successfully into college and careers, we are sensitive to the reality that some students confront special obstacles to sharing in this success. For instance, English learners, low income students, those with special needs and students confronting racial, gender, or cultural issues may struggle socially or academically at school.

It is important, of course, that schools treat all students equally in such areas as the materials available to them and the standards to which they are held. But achieving true equity at school means recognizing that each individual student has specific needs arising from different circumstances and then responding with the support that each individual needs for his or her success.

Each of our schools promotes equity in a variety of different ways. Here are a few highlights from one of our schools, Sage Creek High School (SCHS).

At SCHS, an Equity and Diversity team of administrators and teachers works on new approaches to best serve every student. A group recently participated in The Equity Symposium, and shared what they learned with staff. Adults are trying to get out of their offices to be accessible to students on campus, and to meet them where they are.

Last year the administrative team held a “Shadow a Student Day,” so teachers and administrators could learn first-hand about their students’ day, their lives at home, and the challenges they face. This year, in recognition of Black History Month, the SCHS Black Students’ Union opened a staff meeting with a thoughtful presentation celebrating black history month.The Equity and Diversity team is also surveying staff to determine what kinds of training and professional development would be most beneficial.

SCHS’s principal, Jesse Schuveiller, says, “This is ongoing work. It is our responsibility to create a home court advantage here for all. We want all students to feel welcomed, safe, connected, and valued, and our school to be as inclusive as possible. Our motto is Be Your Best for Every Bobcat Everyday.” Assistant Principal Chris Robertson added, “It is important that every student feels connected to an adult on campus.”

Across our 15 campuses, you can see many examples of the ways in which we are promoting equity. We look forward to continuing to find ways to meet the needs of every student in every one of our classrooms from preschool through high school graduation.

February 2020 Message from the Superintendent

Thank You, Coastal Community Foundation

Sage Creek High School Biomedical Science teacher Valerie Park’s class has new equipment to measure blood pressure. “High blood pressure can be dangerous or even fatal,” Ms. Park explains. “In my class, students work with a partner to measure blood pressure and explore factors that might affect this value. In the past, students with skinny arms could not participate in this activity because we did not have the pediatric sized sphygmomanometers. Thanks to the Coastal Community Foundation grant, we were able to purchase 11 pediatric sphygmomanometers as well as 10 automatic blood pressure monitors.”

Ms. Park is one of eighteen Sage Creek (SCHS) and Carlsbad High School (CHS) teachers who are receiving much appreciated support from Coastal Community Foundation’s EdVentures Fund. This generous grant program reaches directly into the classroom to supplement STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) programs with hands-on, interactive, educational projects that stimulate learning and enhance the curriculum.

“We are pleased to support the work of Carlsbad Unified’s teachers,” said Laura Fleming, Program Officer at Coastal Community Foundation. “EdVentures provides enhancements to Career Technical Education and Visual and Performing Arts Pathways projects to spark students’ curiosity, encourage creativity, and, perhaps, lead to future careers.”

At CHS, EdVentures grants will help provide new musical arrangements for Music teacher Jessie Bullock’s choir and Peter Manzi’s Band Drumline. Juliana Quinones, SCHS Music teacher, will be able to purchase ukeleles and guitars. Jessica Allen, CHS Orchestra teacher, can bring in professional string players to help students with tone development. And CHS Dance teacher Jackie Solomon’s grant will help fund Dance Extreme, showcasing all genres of dance, including hip hop, jazz, contemporary, tap, and Latin.

Also with grants from the EdVentures Fund, Art teachers Megan Herrick (SCHS) and Kelly Foulk (CHS) will pay for student mural projects on campus, and SCHS 3D Design teacher Cathryn Burroughs’s students will create a Community Totem. SCHS Art teacher Sierra Aguilar’s students are using art to send a message of change by showing how plastic waste impacts our ocean ecosystems. CHS Art teacher Elizabeth Vincelette’s students are using clay and paint to bring a uniquely designed character to life. Krista King’s CHS Photo students are hand painting their own photography backdrops. CHS Ceramics teacher Lisa Smith will fund the Empty Bowls Project, in which art students will make ceramic bowls, fill them with soup, sell them, and contribute funds raised to fight hunger.

Jillian Porter Eshelman, SCHS theatre teacher, is able to invite accomplished guest artists--such as Elan McMahon, a professional musical director for the Old Globe--to share their talents at a Drama Artist Workshop. CHS Theater teacher Matthew Fauls-Rivas’s Lancer Players will be producing Amelie: The Musical in the spring, with a student orchestra, crew, actors, stage managers, and a student assistant director. “The grant will help fund music books, the music director, and tools to build the set,” said Mr. Fauls-Rivas. “Students learn many important skills like collaboration, pitch matching, harmonizing, and acting.”

CHSTV Broadcast teacher Doug Green will be running a Saturday workshop for 5th grade aspiring journalists, taking them through the entire process of producing a live newscast, which then will be live-streamed.

CHS teacher Susie Becker’s Fashion students will use CCF grant funds for material to sew Carlsbags that they will donate to the Assistance League resale shop. And CHS Business teacher Carol King’s Virtual Enterprise students will have a new Trade Fair Booth.

EdVentures Fund projects may provide real world applications or needed classroom materials. In total, Coastal Community Foundation awarded a grant of $20,179.29 to Carlsbad Educational Foundation (CEF) from its EdVentures program. CEF receives the funding and disburse the grant awards to the recipients. The grant range per teacher is $500-$1,500.

Coastal Community Foundation manages over 80 different funds, encouraging and facilitating philanthropy by connecting donors with community needs.