Patriot Day is held in memory of the nearly 3,000 people who died in terrorist attacks in New York, Washington D.C. and Pennsylvania on September 11, 2001. It reflects the compassion of people who stepped forward to help those they'd never met and the generosity of millions of Americans who enriched our country with acts of service and kindness on that day. In commemoration, flags should be flown at half-staff this Thursday, September 11, 2008.

Today, September 8, presidential historian Robert Dallek will participate in a panel discussion on the 2008 presidential election from 4-5:30 p.m., at the Ballard Parent Center. Dr. Dallek will be joined by Mesa College political science professor Carl Luna and former California Teacher of the Year Stan Murphy, from San Diego High School of International Studies. The discussion will be moderated by Clairemont High history teacher Jim Fletcher. Following the discussion, teachers will receive curriculum ideas and materials for dealing with election issues at the elementary, middle and high school levels. To register, go to http://registration.sandi.net/. For information, contact Matt Hayes at mhayes@sandi.net or Tim Betteridge at tbetteridge@sandi.net or (619) 725-7335.

According to Williams Legislation, each pupil, including English learners, must have a district-adopted textbook or instructional materials, or both, to use in class and to take home. To make sure each school is sufficient and meets the requirements of the law, a school site inventory must be conducted and a Principal Certification of Textbook Sufficiency report be submitted at the Senior High , Middle  and Elementary  levels. The deadline to collect Teacher Certification of Sufficient Textbooks forms is Friday, September 19. The deadline to submit the Principal Certification of Textbook Sufficiency report is Friday, September 26. For information, contact Chris Woehler at cwoehler@sandi.net or (858) 496-8461, or Denise Hankins at dhankins@sandi.net or (858) 627-7564.

Placement and Appeal is conducting a student discipline training on Thursday, September 18, from 1-4 p.m., in the Ed Center auditorium. The training will cover suspension/expulsion procedures. Every secondary school should send at least one representative to the training. This individual will be responsible for training the staff at his/her school site. All new site administrators should also attend. Although expulsions are rare at the elementary level, elementary schools are encouraged to attend. Please bring your bright pink copy of the 2008-09 Placement and Appeal Guidelines to the training. For information, contact Laurie Lamb or Deidre Walsh at (619) 725-5660.

The Communications and Information Technology departments have a joint project that provides elementary schools with the tools and knowledge to create and manage their own websites at no cost. After attending two 3-hour training sessions, schools can develop a website without special equipment or technical expertise. Fourteen elementary schools have already completed the training and have launched new school websites. The next training will be held Wednesdays, September 17 (Part 1), and 24 (Part 2), from noon to 3 p.m., at the Fremont Training Center. To learn more, contact Geoff Smith, at gsmith2@sandi.net or (619) 725-7464.

Want to get in great shape, have fun and set a healthy example for our students? Join the Southern California Schools VEBA fitness challenge: The Great San Diego Walk About . All district employees age 18 and older can sign up for this fun, voluntary 8-week walking program. Each participant will receive a pedometer, step-tracking sheets and other items. Prizes will be awarded to those who reach their goals. Other incentives and services will also be available. Deadline to submit a participation form  is Friday, September 19. The challenge begins September 29 and ends November 23. For information, contact Ronnie Adair at radair1@sandi.net or healthcoach@VEBAonline.com.

Employees in Clerk Typist I positions who have served two consecutive school years at a school site may be eligible for reclassification to School Clerical Assistant. Reclassification is based on the requirements in the School Clerical Assistant Reclassification Request Form and District Procedure 7540, D.3 . The School Clerical Assistant Reclassification Form is available in the Quick Links section on the Human Resources web page. For information, contact Classification and Recruitment at (619) 725-8195.

• Discover Program Course Offerings
  Take advantage of the great professional development opportunities offered by the Discover Program. Registration is still open for the following September course offerings:
  • Garden Design/ Project Based-Part 1 and 2
  • Basic Life Support CPR and First Aid
  • Moodle 1
  Register early. Classes are held based on the number of registrations. To view course descriptions and to register online, go to the DISCOVER website. For information contact Esther Caluza at ecaluza@sandi.net or (858) 496-1887.
  
  
• CSET Prep Courses Scheduled
  Prep courses for the November 1 California Subject Examination for Teachers (CSET) will begin Thursday, October 2. Courses are available in Single Subject English , Single Subject Science   (General Science, Biology, Physics, Chemistry and Geoscience), Single Subject Mathematics  and Multiple Subjects . Courses are free for district employees; $60 for non-district employees. The registration  deadline is Thursday, September 25. For information, contact Lucy Del Valle at ldelvalle@sandi.net or (619) 725-7142.
  
  
• Educational Technology Fall/Winter Classes
  Registration is underway for Ed Tech Fall/Winter classes, which start Wednesday, September 17. Courses include Intro to Moodle; Moodle 1 and 2; Using Video; Google Collaborative Tools; Using Digital Images; Using Graphical Organizers; Using Online Databases and United Streaming. Courses scheduled for September through December are held from 4-6 p.m. at the IMC. Sign up online at http://registration.sandi.net. For information, contact Susan Levine at slevine@sandi.net or (858) 503-1700.

• Student Film Review Competition
  The San Diego Union-Tribune and the Asian American Journalists Association of San Diego are looking for college and high school students who love watching movies and giving their opinions about them for their annual Student Film Review Competition . The winning review will be published in The San Diego Union-Tribune. One winning student receives a $500 scholarship, a pass to the 9th Annual SD Asian Film Festival (SDAFF) and two complimentary seats at the SDAFF Gala Awards Dinner. Application deadline is this Friday, September 12. For information, contact filmreview@sdaff.org or (858) 565-1264.

The San Diego Air & Space Museum invites all local educators to a special teacher evening at the museum on Wednesday, September 24, from 4-8 p.m. The evening includes free admission to the exhibit galleries, including the world premiere traveling exhibition Star Trek the Exhibition, refreshments and special prize drawings. RSVP required by Monday, September 22. For information, visit http://www.aerospacemuseum.org/.

• It Takes a Village Conference
  Redirecting Childrens’s Behavior (RCB) of San Diego and the International Network for Children & Families are hosting a one-day conference  for parents, teachers, counselors, grandparents and anyone who interacts with children and teens. The conference will be held Saturday, September 20, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the University of San Diego. For information or to register, go to www.indigovillage.com.
  
  
• Healthy Girls, Healthy Lives Symposium
  Girls Scouts San Diego-Imperial Council is hosting a community outreach program, Raising Girls in an Online World , on Tuesday, October 7, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. For information, contact Heather Mournian at hmournian@girlscoutsssdi.org or (619) 610-0748.
  
  
• Community Walk for Suicide Prevention
  The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is sponsoring its annual Out of Darkness Walk  on Saturday, October 18, at DeAnza Cove on Mission Bay. For information or to register, visit www.outofthedarkness.org or e-mail scadirci@hotmail.com. View more Upcoming Events in the Events section on www.sandi.net.

• Superintendent’s Friday Notes
• Proposition “S” Information
• Facts for Parents – Vietnamese 
• Palomar Program Update

• September 5, 2008
  San Diego 6 at Crawford High School
  San Diego 6 Morning reporter Ruben Galvan spent the day at Crawford High School, with reports on the cheerleaders and football team, automotive technology and medical technology courses.
  
  
• San Diego Union-Tribune
  September 4, 2008
  County schools scoring better, but many still not meeting targets
  The county's public schools on the whole are getting better and continue to outpace the state average. But more than half of county schools are still not meeting the state's target for academic performance, California's latest report card shows.
  
  
• San Diego Union-Tribune
  September 4, 2008
  Changes mark start of school year | District adds programs despite cuts in budget
  SAN DIEGO – Everyone from teary-eyed kindergartners to awkward middle-schoolers to cocky seniors reported to the classroom this week, as the San Diego Unified School District kicked off a new year.

• Custom new home. 3BR/2½BA, 2-car garage. Central San Diego. Upgraded appliances, fenced, view. $349,000. Call (619) 729-1205.
• 3 BR/2 BA House in El Cajon. Pool, gazebo, waterfall and pond. Slate Deck. Brick BBQ. $349,000. Call (619) 729-1205.
• 2003 Acura MDX Touring. 7-passenger. Sagebrush Pearl. Gray leather. Dealer maintained. 95,000 mi. $13,999. Call (760) 845-4052.
• Sectional sofa w/ Chaise. Beige.8 ½’ x 11 ½’ x 5 ½’. Lightly used. 3 accent pillows. $450/OBO. Call Melissa at (619) 886-5267.

• 2 BD upstairs condo in Mira Mesa. Private patio. 2 underground parking spaces. A/C. No pets. $1465/mo. Call (858) 566-5249.
• 2 BR/ 1 BA condo in Carmel Mountain Ranch. New bath, new paint, tile and parquet flooring. Fireplace. A/C. 2 parking spots. $1500/mo. Call (858) 586-1939.
• Vacation rental at the Palm Canyon Resort and Spa. Avail. Nov. 22 - 29. Two BD, living room, kitchen. $1400. Call (619) 262-1777.
• Custom new home. 3BR/2½ BA, 2-car garage. Central San Diego. Upgraded appliances, fenced, view. $2,000/mo. Possible Lease-to-own. Call (619) 729-1205.

• Roommate to share 3BD/2BA house in Allied Gardens. Own room, share bathroom. $670 + SDGE & cable. Lots of storage + W/D. Call (858) 829-9609.

• Join the Roosevelt Middle School staff on a Thanksgiving Holiday to Bangkok, Thailand. Nov. 22-29. $1350 includes R/T air from LAX, 1st class hotel, breakfast and 1 city tour. For information, contact Sandra Boe at sboe@sandi.net. Deadline is Monday, September 15.

Classified ads are accepted from district employees only. Submit ads by e-mail to communications@sandi.net. Limit to 15 words (not including phone number). Include work location and phone number (for ID purposes only).

Do you have an announcement for Newsline? Newsline is published every Monday; the deadline to submit items is noon on the preceding Friday.  E-mail items to communications@sandi.net and mark “Newsline” in the subject line.