Monthly Archives: March 2014

Congratulations to all Cajon Valley students and staff who participated in the St. Patrick’s Day Half-Marathon.  It was a great day for the City of El Cajon.

We would like to say a big “thank you” to all the coaches with the Extended Day Program.  The coaches are enthusiastic and are able to recruit numerous students for the program.  The coaching staff consists of the following members:  Walley Yeakle, Patrik Gunnarsson,  Rebecca Taylor, Travis Kuecken, Donald Rhodes,  Dick DeStefano, Daniel Herman, Elizabeth Smith,  Dave DeLamarter, Debbie Raddatz, Denise Irman, Stephan Davidson,  Diane Putrus, Tyler Cohn, and Madalyn Brion-Reed.  They dedicate their time and passion to the students in our intra-mural sports program.  The intra-mural sports program operates at all middle schools throughout the district.  The students may choose to participate in flag football, basketball, soccer, and track and field.  The sport program serves over 425 students on a daily basis. Students must have good behavior and grades to participate; the intra mural sports program is an effective intervention at the middle school level.  The coaches provide the students practice time on the different sports then play games with other schools both inside and outside of our district. Without their hard work and commitment we would not have the successful sports program that we have.  A special thanks to the coaches for making our students successful in the intra-mural sports program!

Chongo Bars, Baby Chicks, Constellations, Leprechauns…. Oh! And yes… Lots of great teaching and learning! Thank you Principal, Gail Boone and Governing Board President, Tamara Otero for a wonderful tour of Avocado Elementary School this Friday. What a wonderful environment for kids and grown ups too. Hope you catch lots of Leprechauns this weekend. Looking forward to seeing pictures of your baby chicks in eleven days too.

Come out and enjoy live music under the trees!  This upcoming fundraiser for EDI…helps provide field trips for our 4th and 5th graders.

Suzanne Mullins
CVUSD Governing Board Member

On Thursday, March 7, 2014 Principal Ryan Burke and his team dressed up to celebrate a very successful Feed the Pig campaign. Lexington Elementary collected over $1,220. As a reward, Mr. Burke wore his pig costume as students and teachers launched water balloons his way.  Students were thrilled to raise money so that they would have more of their favorite books in the school library.

In the classroom, Common Core Coach Julie McClintock visited students and read stories by Dr. Seuss. Students had so much fun and loved seeing Mrs. McClintock re-enact some of their most treasured stories.

Tita Cordero-Bautista
Lexington Elementary School

Come out and enjoy live music under the trees!  This upcoming fundraiser for EDI…helps provide field trips for our 4th and 5th graders.

Suzanne Mullins,

CVUSD Governing Board Member

Cindy Hackett, Sevick

Victoria Oleson, Hillsdale Middle School

Ruth Maas, Cajon Valley Middle School

JoAnn Samuels, Hillsdale Middle School

Cheryl Lambe, Johnson Elementary School

Congratulations to our five finalists for Cajon Valley Education Foundation Stars in Education – Classroom Teacher of the Year.  The Cajon Valley Education Foundation members visited these five finalists on Friday, March 7th.  Please see all of our fantastic nominees in all categories below.  We hope to see you at the event on Tuesday, March 18th at Greenfield Middle School.

Digital Supplemental Math Pilot

Cajon Valley Phase II Innovation Grant teachers are piloting three digital math programs February through June 2014, to identify supplemental curriculum for use on student devices beginning with the 2014-2015 school year. The programs under consideration are: DreamBox (K-6), TenMarks (1-8) and ST Math (K-5 and middle school intervention classes). The pilot is designed on a seven-week cycle with training in week one, five weeks to test and evaluate the program, and one week to complete the program evaluation. The seven-week cycle will repeat with each new program. Pilot teachers will use identified evaluation criteria to provide feedback on a variety of measures including alignment with the Common Core State Standards, adequate and embedded content support, student engagement, and ease use of the program and data analysis.

Performance Tasks and the Transition to Common Core

A new student assessment system, California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP), is replacing the Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Program. The CAASPP includes various types of test items including selected response, constructed response, technology-enhanced response, and performance tasks.

During the 2013-2014 school year, Cajon Valley teachers and students are completing performance tasks in English Language Arts (grades K-8) and Mathematics (grades 4-8).  The performance tasks serve to familiarize teachers and students with the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and the shifts associated with this new form of assessment. Performance tasks measure a student’s ability to integrate knowledge and skills across multiple standards using a variety of print and digital sources – a key component to college and career readiness.

To support professional development and planning for performance tasks, Cajon Valley teacher leaders and Educational Services staff teamed with Educators Cooperative to develop “performance task summaries” by content area and grade level. The summaries are designed as a backwards planning tool to assist teachers in the selection and development of lessons and activities that prepare students for the performance task. Through their participation in performance tasks this school year, teachers and students will have a better understanding of the demands of the new state assessment system.

Collaborative Teams and Educators Cooperative

As Cajon Valley transitions to a decentralized professional development model, teachers are working in collaborative teams to engage in real-time learning focused on their individual needs.  Educators Cooperative staff support and facilitate the work of site teams in the areas of Common Core State Standards, performance tasks, analysis of student work, blended learning and the use of digital tools including Google and Edmodo.  Educators Cooperative staff function as a coach and mentor reinforcing progress toward shared objectives and teaching new skills to promote continuous growth.

Kari Hull
Assistant Superintendent, Education Services

“Mr. Jerry Cesak, the “Jer” from the “Jeff and Jer Showgram” on KYXY 96.5 recently visited Blossom Valley Elementary School.  He visited Mrs. Jordan’s 3rd Grade class and shared his children’s book, My Personal Panther.  Mr. Cesak read his book as Mrs. Jordan’s students all followed along in their very own, signed copies of this wonderful book.  Mr. Cesak was very generous with his time, welcoming questions from our students about his writing process, how he got his book published and how long that process took.  Mr. Cesak even sent a “shout out” to Mrs. Jordan’s class on his morning radio “showgram” the next morning.  Blossom Valley would like to thank Mr. Cesak and the Pizzuto family for helping to make this special event possible, and for giving our students an experience they will never forget.”

Additionally, Jodi Kodesh, meteorologist from KNSD 7, will be coming to visit our fifth grade students on Monday morning. She is going to discuss the weather and her job as a meteorologist. This visitation was scheduled by Christina Shields (fifth grade science teacher). I believe that Mrs. Kodesh plans on giving Blossom Valley a shout out, on the air, Monday morning.