Monday, February 22, 2016

MEDIA ADVISORY FROM THE SAN DIEGO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT: Celebration of 20,000 Students Having Received Tutoring at Mission Bay High School

February 22, 2016

 

MEDIA ADVISORY                                                                

Contact: Lisa McDonnell

                (619) 306-3957

 

Celebration of 20,000 Students Having Received Tutoring at Mission Bay High School

 

WHAT: After-school event to award the 20,000th student who has voluntarily attended the after-school tutoring program, ACES, at Mission Bay High School. Students will travel the red carpet to enter the tutoring center/library to celebrate. 

 

WHEN:  Wednesday, Feb. 24 (rain or shine)

·         2:30 p.m. – Students enter tutoring center/library by crossing red carpet

·         2:45 p.m. – Welcome and opening remarks

·         2:55 p.m. – History of ACES program and teacher introductions

·         3:05 p.m. – Introduction of 20,000th student in ACES

·         3:10-4:00 p.m. – Celebration event with refreshments

 

WHERE: Mission Bay High School, 2475 Grand Avenue, SD (92109).

                Media parking will be available in main lot. 

      School phone:  (858) 273-1313   School website:   http://www.sandi.net/missionbay

 

VISUALS:  Students celebrating the after-school tutoring program by walking the red carpet; step and repeat available for students to pose in front of for pictures; student “paparazzi” taking pictures of students entering the celebration event; student marketing club sending live tweets of event; presentation of award to 20,000th student who voluntarily attended the after school tutoring program, ACES.

 

GUEST SPEAKERS/INTERVIEWS:  Ernest Remillard, Principal, Mission Bay High; Ron Lancia, Teacher and ACES Coordinator, Mission Bay High; Keyri Ramirez-Arias, IMIN After School Program Site Coordinator, Mission Bay High; Lisa McDonnell, IMIN After School Program Supervisor, San Diego Unified.  (Spanish as well)

 

BACKGROUND: Mission Bay High School’s tutoring program began with the goal to not only provide academic support across the curriculum, but to provide resources to develop the whole child.  ACES, the After-school Center for Excellence and Support, is a voluntary after school tutoring program that aligns its commitments to the community with the four suits from a deck of cards.  The Ace of Hearts represents a holistic approach to mentoring, providing access to an array of services to benefit social and emotional growth.  The Ace of Clubs represents a club/community effect, providing a consistent place for students to gather to further their education.  The Ace of Diamonds represents a balanced approach to support English/History, Math/Science, Foreign Language/Fine Arts, and Special Populations such as International Baccalaureate, English Learner, or Special Education students.  Finally, the Aces of Spades represents digging deeper, through access to one-on-one instruction with expert teachers.

 

ACES offers helpful reference materials, access to computers, printers, and supplies, free and healthy snacks, college tutoring from SDSU and UCSD students, specialized help for CAHSEE/PSAT/SAT prep, college application counseling, and mentorship for life, college and career.  Currently, about 100 students a day are working at ACES under the direction of a staff of teachers from all content areas  The program’s mantra is “Every student, every time” which refers to the program’s commitment to engage with every one of the 100+ students who enters ACES after school to help them continue their education every single day.

 

The ACES program at Mission Bay High School is supported by the funding from the IMIN After School Program in the San Diego Unified School District.  The MIN brand was developed by student groups who frequented after school activities.  When referencing their after school involvement, they would often times simply say, “I’m in dance” or I’m in robotics”.  The phrase “I’m in” stuck and became the district’s brand for the high school after school program.

 

The IMIN After School Program funding is made possible by the 21st Century Community Learning Center (CCLC) After School Safety and Enrichment for Teens (ASSETs) grant.  The ASSETs grant is a state-administered federally grant that provides five-years of funding to establish or expand before-and after-school programs that provide disadvantaged students (particularly students who attend schools in need of improvement) with academic enrichment opportunities and supportive services to help the students meet state and local standards in core content areas.  Each program must consist of three elements:  academic assistance, educational enrichment, and family literacy services.  The grant was awarded to start in July 2014 at sixteen high schools in SDUSD including Mission Bay High, Clairemont High, Hoover High, Kearny Engineering, Innovation & Design, Kearny Digital Media & Design, Kearny Science, Connections & Technology, Lincoln High, Madison High, Morse High, Point Loma High, San Diego High School of Business, San Diego High School of Science Technology, San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts, Serra High, and Twain High.

 

The IMIN After School Program in SDUSD is coordinated at twelve different high school campuses by two contractors.  The program at Mission Bay High School is supported by arc.  arc is an after school and experiential education provider.  They create transformational learning opportunities that empower youth to realize their full potential.  arc Co-founder, Brad Lupien, describes what they do at school sites as, "we fill in the gaps to form an arc around, over and as a bridge to their education by offering experience, opportunity, and connection where it did not exist. We build the arc that supports their growth; we help students draw their own arc that leads towards a promising future."  arc coordinates the after school programs at ten high school campuses in the district.  They also coordinate programs in Orange County, Los Angeles and Tennessee.

 

The San Diego Unified IMIN After School Program is coordinated for the district by the Office of College, Career & Technical Education.

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Linda Zintz

Communications Director

8lzintz@sandi.net

(619-725-5578 office

(619-847-6637 mobile