October 2016 Message from the Superintendent

Safe Schools, Healthy Students

Dr. Benjamin Churchill, Superintendent Carlsbad Unified School District

October is Student Safety Month at Carlsbad Unified.  The safety of our students is always our highest priority, and this is the time to renew our commitment to school safety and the health and well-being of our students.

Red Ribbon Week will be observed October 24-28, with Carlsbad Unified’s theme “Students Make Healthy Choices.”  Every school will highlight positive programs that teach students to be safe, healthy, and drug-free.  Over the course of the week, schools will collaborate with parents and community partners for an educational and fun lineup of activities, such as door decorating, twins day, spirit day, and even the arrival of a DEA helicopter, all revolving around the Red Ribbon Week theme.

Carlsbad High School’s Lancer Leaders and Sage Creek’s Champion Bobcats, successful students and athletes who serve as role models for younger students, will visit all elementary schools during Red Ribbon Week to talk to students about making good choices.

On October 25 the City of Carlsbad will present a proclamation to each school to support Red Ribbon Week activities.

Also on tap for October, cyber educator Jon Moffat will present “Tech Tips for Online Safety” for parents.  This program will be broadcast on CHSTV, and can be accessed by parents and the community on the district website.

“Coffee and Chrome,” a training to assist parents as they guide their children in making good online decisions, will be held at our middle schools on October 25, 26, and 28. Check your school for dates and times.

Throughout the year, CUSD’s Parent University will offer ongoing support for parents on topics such as cyber education and student safety on the road.

On October 20 we will participate in the Great California ShakeOut, practicing what to do if an earthquake strikes.  Besides “Drop, Cover, Hold on” drills, we will also conduct lock-down and evacuation drills.

Also on October 20, our school administrators will be working with the city of Carlsbad’s Emergency Preparedness Coordinator to participate in a wildfire table-top exercise, preparing our administrators to respond in case of fire.  Our schools benefit from our strong relationships with Carlsbad’s law enforcement, fire department, and first responders when potentially dangerous situations arise.

Check out the CUSD website, as well as your school’s website, for additional resources on school safety.

September 2016 Message from the Superintendent

Dr. Ben Churchill

Carlsbad Unified School District

Welcome students, parents, teachers, support staff, and CUSD community to the 2016-2017 school year!

My first Carlsbad Unified Back-to-School Day was exciting and inspiring. I got to experience the Big Day as a parent, sending my own CUSD students off to their new school for the first time. And, as an educator, there is nothing quite like the arrival of students on the first day. More than 11,000 Carlsbad Unified students streamed through the welcoming school gates with their backpacks and their new shoes, looking for their friends, ready for a new school year with an enthusiastic smile and a clean slate.

And it’s going to be a great year. On the Wednesday before the first week of school, 350 CUSD teachers started the year with an optional professional development day which challenged them to “Innovate - Ignite - Inspire.” The following day all of our teachers were back in action, learning about the newly adopted Math series, Go Math; participating in technology training; and collaborating to examine student data and align their instructional programs.

CUSD is an awesome school district because of its people and its traditions. Teachers come to Carlsbad to stay here. They dedicate their careers to this district. Many of our teachers and parents went to school here in Carlsbad and are lifelong members of the Carlsbad community.

This year CUSD is honored to welcome 50 brand new teachers to the family.

Last year was a year of successes and accomplishments. Our own Doug Green was named California Teacher of the Year, and Deputy Superintendent Suzanne O’Connell was named ACSA’s San Diego County CBO of the Year. Bobby Allen was selected as our CUSD Teacher of the Year, and Kathleen Russell was named CUSD Classified Employee of the Year. Hope, Pacific Rim, and Aviara Oaks Elementary Schools were honored by the California Department of Education as Gold Ribbon Schools, and Hope Elementary was also honored with the Exemplary Arts in Education Award. We are proud to say that CUSD’s state assessment (SBAC) scores showed growth at every grade level, and exceed countywide and statewide averages. Looking at last year’s 29 Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) indicators: we hit 25 of our goals, from increasing the number of students taking AP, Honors, and Community College classes, to improving CUSD’s English learning students’ scores. I congratulate our administrators, teachers, support staff and students on their achievements.

As we begin the 2016-17 school year we will challenge ourselves to continually improve, with added focus in the following areas:

~ We will embrace the shift to digital resources for learning and teaching. All sixth graders are being issued a chromebook as part of our 1:1 (one device to one student) initiative. We will get as many resources as we can into our staff members’ hands so they have what they need to do their challenging jobs.

~ We will work on telling CUSD’s amazing stories beyond the district and the local community, using as many media channels as possible. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter (@CarlsbadUnified and @SuptChurchill) and look for more information in the months ahead.

~ We will continue to work towards our Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) goals. The CUSD Governance Team has clearly developed where we are going: our mission, vision, and core values will remain the same, and provide continuity as we move forward.

~ We will undertake a new Recycling/Sustainability initiative. We will begin single streaming of all recyclable materials into one bin, and will continue to find new ways to bring economies of scale to reduce our environmental impact.

~ We will enter into new partnerships with colleges and universities, local businesses, and technology providers; we will integrate project-based learning and other student-centered methodologies into our classrooms; and we will create real world experiences with multiple pathways to success for all students.

Welcome to the new year! Let’s work together to make this the best one yet.