Rocket Program Launching 320 Students Toward College and Career Readiness - Thursday & Friday

MEDIA ADVISORY 

Rocket Program Launching 320 Students Toward College and Career Readiness
Middle school Rocket Ambassadors guide elementary students through hands-on STEM experience as part of the College, Career, and Technical Education program

WHAT: Rocket Launch  

WHY DIFFERENT: 

For the first time, Taft Middle School is expanding its rocketry program to include elementary students in a first-of-its-kind Rocket Invitational. Over two days, 320 elementary students from six schools will build, design and launch rockets under the guidance of trained middle school Rocket Ambassadors. This year marks the first time the program has expanded to include elementary students, creating a new pathway that introduces younger learners to district STEM opportunities. This teach-and-lead model puts middle schoolers in the role of peer educators while giving elementary students a window into the hands-on learning opportunities available in their cluster. 

WHEN: Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, 9:30 a.m.-1:45 p.m.

?         Rocket building and design in cafeteria; demonstration launch on field

?         Teams of four students will construct their rockets and design custom artwork, including team logos and slogans, in the school cafeteria. The day concludes with a demonstration launch and safety training on the field.

  Friday, Feb. 6, 2026, 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

?         Rocket launches on field and awards ceremony

?         Teams will launch their rockets on the field behind the school and collect data, tracking metrics such as flight time and accuracy. The event culminates with an awards ceremony recognizing achievements in categories including highest launch, best rocket design, closest to target and best team logo.

Event program: View run of show

WHERE: Taft Middle School: 9191 Gramercy Drive, San Diego, CA 92123 (Launches will take place on the field behind the school; media must check in at the front office upon arrival.)

VISUALS:

• Students building and designing rockets in the cafeteria
• middle school Rocket Ambassadors mentoring younger students 
• rocket launches on the athletic field
• team artwork and posters; awards ceremony

BACKGROUND: Taft Middle School's rocketry program has conducted launches for four years as part of its Gateway to Technology middle school CTE class. The Rocket Invitational exemplifies San Diego Unified's commitment to college and career readiness through its CCTE program. By engaging elementary students in project-based learning while positioning middle schoolers as peer educators, the event builds essential skills including teamwork, problem-solving, data analysis and scientific inquiry. The Rocket Ambassador model develops leadership and communication skills in older students while inspiring younger students to explore STEM career pathways. This is part of San Diego Unified's College, Career, and Technical Education program. Experiences like this allow students to connect their interests to district programs that can lead to college and career opportunities after graduation.
____________________________________________________________________________

Media Contact: James Canning, 313-580-2845, jcanning@sandi.net

###

 

 

James Canning (He/Him) Executive Director Strategic Communications & Information San Diego Unified School District   Mobile: 313-580-2845 Office: 619-725-5578 Email: Jcanning@sandi.net   4100 Normal Street San Diego, CA 92103   www.sandiegounified.org

 

 

SD UNIFIED’S 301 COUNSELORS MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN LIVES OF STUDENTS, DISTRICT HONORS 4 COUNSELORS AS 2026 SCHOOL COUNSELORS OF THE YEAR

Good morning, if you are interested in conducting any interview with our director of counseling, or any of the winners of our Counselor of the Year, please let me know and we'd be happy to help arrange. Thanks, James   

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                           

DOWNLOAD VIDEO ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE COUNSELORS AS TOLD BY STUDENTS & PRINCIPALS   

 

Media Contact:
James Canning, 313-580-2845, Jcanning@sandi.net

SAN DIEGO UNIFIED'S 301 COUNSELORS MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN LIVES OF STUDENTS, DISTRICT HONORS 4 COUNSELORS AS 2026 SCHOOL COUNSELORS OF THE YEAR

District recognizes counselors' impact on student wellness, academic success, and college and career readiness

 

SAN DIEGO (February 3 , 2026) – In recognition of National School Counseling Week, San Diego Unified School District is proud to honor its 2026 School Counselors of the Year, celebrating the dedicated professionals who support students' academic success, social-emotional well-being, and future readiness across the district.

This year's honorees were selected from a distinguished group of 21 nominees representing elementary, middle, and high schools throughout San Diego Unified:

Elementary School Counselor of the Year
                Nick Zambrano, Ericson Elementary

Middle School Counselor of the Year
                Paulette Blankenbeckle, Marshall Middle School

High School Counselor of the Year
                Anna Vasquez, Crawford High School

San Diego Unified employs 301 school counselors serving students in transitional kindergarten through 12th grade. Every school site has access to a counselor, with staffing allocated based on student enrollment to ensure supports are responsive to each school community's needs.

"School counselors are essential to achieving our Student Achievement Goals, particularly our commitment to student wellness," said Superintendent Fabi Bagula, Ph.D., San Diego Unified School District. "They are trusted adults who ensure students feel supported, connected, and prepared—not just academically, but emotionally and socially. Their work helps students thrive in school and graduate with real options for the future."

School counselors provide comprehensive, preventive, and developmental supports focused on academic achievement, social-emotional well-being, and college and career readiness. At the elementary level, counselors support foundational social-emotional skills and early career awareness. Middle school counselors help students navigate key transitions and decision-making, while high school counselors guide students toward graduation, A–G completion, and postsecondary pathways, while also supporting mental health needs.

"School counseling is essential to advancing our Student Achievement Goal of increasing college and career readiness and ensuring every student graduates with options," said Mariana Gomez, Ph.D., Director of Counseling & Student Support Services. "Through intentional course planning, A–G and CTE guidance, credit monitoring, and targeted supports, counselors help students move from 'not prepared' to 'prepared,' creating pathways to college, career, and future success."

San Diego Unified has recognized National School Counseling Week for more than 25 years, underscoring the district's longstanding commitment to student wellness and success. As students continue to navigate academic and personal challenges, counselors remain a critical part of the district's efforts to ensure every student feels safe, supported, and equipped to succeed.

###

 

 

James Canning (He/Him) Executive Director Strategic Communications & Information San Diego Unified School District   Mobile: 313-580-2845 Office: 619-725-5578 Email: Jcanning@sandi.net   4100 Normal Street San Diego, CA 92103   www.sandiegounified.org

 

 

Public School Superintendents Call for "Sustainable Funding" for California’s Public Schools

San Diego Unified Superintendent Fabi Bagula, Ph.D. joined the leaders of six other urban school district, and signed an open letter issued today (2/2/26) calling for "Sustainable Funding" for California's Public Schools.

 

Attached is the letter if you would like to use it for your reporting. 

 

Thank you, James

 

 

James Canning (He/Him) Executive Director Strategic Communications & Information San Diego Unified School District   Mobile: 313-580-2845 Office: 619-725-5578 Email: Jcanning@sandi.net   4100 Normal Street San Diego, CA 92103   www.sandiegounified.org

 

 

NEWS RELEASE: District Leaders Join Pacific Beach Elementary Students and Community to Celebrate Completion of New TK and Kinder Building, Campuswide Improvements

Event Broll can be found here.

Event photos can be found here.

Drone video and ground and drone photos can be found here.                                                                                                                 

 

News Release 

 

District Leaders Join Pacific Beach Elementary Students and Community to Celebrate Completion of New TK and Kinder Building, Campuswide Improvements 

 

Monday, February 2, 2026 

 

SAN DIEGO -  New and upgraded facilities at Pacific Beach Elementary School are now open and ready for use. 

 

On Monday, Pacific Beach Elementary School students joined leaders from the San Diego Unified School District, parents, and community members to celebrate the completion of their Whole Site Modernization project, which brought them a new Transitional Kindergarten (TK) & Kindergarten building, an expanded grass joint-use playfield, a secure main campus entryway, renovated classrooms, and shade shelters.

 

“These new upgrades and the TK and Kinder facility reflect thoughtful planning and design that support effective teaching and learning,” said San Diego Unified Superintendent Dr. Fabi Bagula. “They also reflect our district’s commitment to our youngest learners, giving them the gift of time to build a strong foundation for future school success.” 

 

One of 50 completed TK and Kinder facilities at schools across the San Diego Unified School District, the new TK and Kinder facility at PBES includes modern, state-of-the-art classrooms and collaborative workspaces that lead out to a new play structure with a shade shelter. 

 

Campuswide, all existing classrooms, the student services facility, the multi-purpose room, and the school kitchen were renovated, and all restrooms were upgraded.  A second shade shelter was also installed in the general play area. To make room for these new facilities, all portable classrooms were removed.

 

“Our students love these new and upgraded facilities, and we love to see them love them,” said Karon Schnitzer, Pacific Beach Elementary School Principal. “Our teachers can also do more with the spaces, so it’s a win-win.” 

 

“It’s been amazing to see our school go under construction since I’ve been here,” said 5th-Grade Student Suzy Liielnora. “I know future students will have great experiences with these new facilities.” 

 

Located along Tourmaline Street, Pacific Beach Elementary School has served the community for 96 years. 

 

First opened in 1930, Pacific Beach Elementary began with just one campus building, then added an additional building in 1938. As the population grew, so did the campus. Five additional buildings were added from 1940 to 1957. 

 

In 1976, the 1930 buildings were replaced by a single building, and five buildings were constructed for the former Los Altos Child Development Center. At that time, three portable classrooms were added due to the increased student population. In 2004, a 1.8-acre joint-use field along Turquoise Street was created for student and public use. Over the years, the community asked for more green space at the Tourmaline Street campus. 

In Fall 2023, construction began on this project. 

“As someone who grew up in La Jolla, it is encouraging to see neighborhood schools benefit from meaningful, long-term investments,” said Cody Patterson, San Diego Unified Board of Education Trustee. “Thanks to community-approved bond funding, these projects reflect what is possible when residents come together to support strong public schools.”

 

The project also includes a joint-use expansion, which will open to the public in late spring 2026. The joint-use area added to the existing joint-use facility includes a walking and running track, a new basketball court, new trees, a drinking fountain, secure perimeter fencing, and a public access gate. As part of the Play All Day partnership with the City of San Diego, the joint-use field will be accessible to the community as a local park after school hours and during school breaks.

 

A Transitional Kindergarten through fifth-grade campus, Pacific Beach Elementary offers robust arts and science programs; music, theater, and dance opportunities; and hands-on scientific experiences through a partnership with San Diego Youth Science. 

 

MEDIA CONTACT: 

Jamie Ries, Information Services Specialist, San Diego Unified, (619) 855-9283, jries@sandi.net.

 

###

 

 

 

mailman.sandi.net mailing list memberships reminder

This is a reminder, sent out once a month, about your
mailman.sandi.net mailing list memberships. It includes your
subscription info and how to use it to change it or unsubscribe from a
list.

You can visit the URLs to change your membership status or
configuration, including unsubscribing, setting digest-style delivery
or disabling delivery altogether (e.g., for a vacation), and so on.

In addition to the URL interfaces, you can also use email to make such
changes. For more info, send a message to the '-request' address of
the list (for example, mailman-request@mailman.sandi.net) containing
just the word 'help' in the message body, and an email message will be
sent to you with instructions.

If you have questions, problems, comments, etc, send them to
mailman-owner@mailman.sandi.net. Thanks!

Passwords for communications50.mailman@blogger.com:

List Password // URL
---- --------
media@mailman.sandi.net cZ7pHjZy
http://mailman.sandi.net/mailman/options/media/communications50.mailman%40blogger.com

mailman.sandi.net mailing list memberships reminder

This is a reminder, sent out once a month, about your
mailman.sandi.net mailing list memberships. It includes your
subscription info and how to use it to change it or unsubscribe from a
list.

You can visit the URLs to change your membership status or
configuration, including unsubscribing, setting digest-style delivery
or disabling delivery altogether (e.g., for a vacation), and so on.

In addition to the URL interfaces, you can also use email to make such
changes. For more info, send a message to the '-request' address of
the list (for example, mailman-request@mailman.sandi.net) containing
just the word 'help' in the message body, and an email message will be
sent to you with instructions.

If you have questions, problems, comments, etc, send them to
mailman-owner@mailman.sandi.net. Thanks!

Passwords for communications50.mailman@blogger.com:

List Password // URL
---- --------
media@mailman.sandi.net cZ7pHjZy
http://mailman.sandi.net/mailman/options/media/communications50.mailman%40blogger.com

MEDIA ADVISORY: District Leaders to Join Pacific Beach Elementary Students, Community to Celebrate Completion of New Transitional Kindergarten & Kinder Building, Campus Upgrades

 

MEDIA ADVISORY

 

District Leaders to Join Pacific Beach Elementary Students, Community to Celebrate Completion of New Transitional Kindergarten & Kinder Building, Campus Upgrades

 

Friday, January 30, 2026 

 

WHAT:           

District leaders will join Pacific Beach Elementary (PBES) and Mission Bay High (MBHS) students to celebrate the ribbon-cutting for the 96-year-old school’s new TK and Kinder building and campuswide upgrades. 

 

WHEN:           

Monday, February 2, 2026 

8 - 8:45 a.m. 

 

WHERE:        

Pacific Beach Elementary School 

1234 Tourmaline St.,*  

San Diego, CA 92109

 

*See map below for event location and media staging area. 

 

VISUALS:      8:00 - 8:10 a.m. - PBES & MBHS Student Performances 

                       8:10 - 8:18 a.m. - Remarks by Speakers 

                       8:18 - 8:25 a.m. - Ribbon-cutting, Photo Opps. 

                       8:25 - 8:45 a.m. - Media 1-1s, Classroom & Campus Tour

 

Drone video and ground and drone photos can be found here. 

 

SPEAKERS:    

Dr. Fabi Bagula, Superintendent, San Diego Unified School District           

Cody Petterson, Board of Education Trustee, San Diego Unified School District 

Karon Schnitzer, Principal, Pacific Beach Elementary School 

Students, Pacific Beach Elementary School

 

BACKGROUND: 

Located along Tourmaline Street, Pacific Beach Elementary School has served the community for 96 years.

First opened in 1930, Pacific Beach Elementary began with just one campus building and added another in 1938. As the population grew, so did the campus. Five additional buildings were added from 1940 to 1957. In 1976, the 1930 buildings were replaced by a single building, and five buildings were constructed for the former Los Altos Child Development Center. At that time, three portable classrooms were added due to the increased student population. In 2004, a 1.8-acre joint-use field along Turquoise Street was created for student and public use. 

In Fall 2023, construction began on a Whole Site Modernization and Joint-Use Field expansion project to bring students a new Transitional Kindergarten and Kindergarten building, a grass playfield, a secure main campus entryway, renovated classrooms, and shade shelters. 

Funded by local bond measures, the kindergarten facility includes modern, state-of-the-art classrooms and collaborative workspaces that lead out to a new play structure with a shade shelter. A second shade shelter was installed in the general play area. All existing classrooms, the student services facility, and the multi-purpose room were renovated, and all restrooms and the school kitchen were upgraded. To make room for these new facilities, the three portable classrooms that were built in 1976 were removed.

A Transitional Kindergarten through fifth-grade campus, Pacific Beach Elementary offers robust arts and science programs; music, theater, and dance opportunities; and hands-on scientific experiences through a partnership with San Diego Youth Science. 

The expansion of the joint-use field will include a walking and running track, a renovated basketball court, new trees, a drinking fountain, secure perimeter fencing, and a public access gate. As part of the Play All Day partnership with the City of San Diego, the joint-use field will be accessible to the community as a local park after school hours and during school breaks. A separate dedication for the field will be held once it opens to the public later this spring/early summer.

PARKING MAP: 

Media can park at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints parking lot, located at 5151 Fanuel St, San Diego, CA 92109. See the map with the location of the parking lot, event location, and the entry gate. 

 

MEDIA CONTACT: 

Jamie Ries, Information Services Specialist, San Diego Unified, (619) 855-9283, jries@sandi.net.