MCAS MIRAMAR SCHOOL LIAISON NEWSLETTER

Special Features
CHALK TALK • Connect the dots: San Diego School
Choice Program
• The Goody Bag: Resources You Can
Use
• Volunteer Opportunities in Schools

Connect the Dots: San Diego School Choice Program

San Diego Unified School District offers a variety of enrollment choices to students and parents throughout the city. Families may
choose to attend their neighborhood school or explore the variety of programs available to students who reside within district
boundaries and wish to attend a school other than their neighborhood school.
• School Choice/Open Enrollment Act: This offers parents the opportunity to apply at any school in the district on an
availability basis only. School Choice students do not receive district provided transportation. Students attending or
scheduled to attend a school on the Open Enrollment Act List will have priority for schools with a higher API.
• Magnet Programs: Magnet Schools provide in-depth, innovative, learning opportunities for students while meeting rigorous
California state curriculum standards. Some of the opportunities include Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, Creative
and Performing Arts, International Baccalaureate Studies, Micro Society, Paideia, and Language Immersion. Transportation is
limited and may be reduced when budgetary decisions are finished.
• Charter Schools: Charter Schools are authorized by the SDUSD Board of Education. However, they do not use the Enrollment
Options application as they are not district run schools. Visit our Charter School Directory to get a list of the charter schools
authorized by the district and contact each school directly about enrollment.
• Voluntary Enrollment Exchange Program (VEEP): Students may attend schools other than their resident schools. VEEP is
open to all students residing within a specific boundary of a school that has an approved VEEP pattern. Transportation is
offered within the VEEP patterns. Transportation is limited and may be reduced when budgetary decisions are finished.
• Program Improvement School Choice (PISC): The federal "No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act" provides up to two school
options for students attending a Program Improvement (P.I.) school.

Enrollment in these programs is available to all district students, including English Learners, Gifted and Talented Education (GATE)
and Special Education students. Enrollment is limited by available space at each school. Submitting an application is required during
the open enrollment options application period which is from November 1, 2010 to February 15, 2011 for School Year 2011-12. *Taken
from SDUSD Enrollment Options website.*
Upcoming Events
January
MCAS Miramar 6 San Diego Ed Options Workshop Chesterton Community Center 6-8pm
8 Parent’s Night Out, Youth Center 4:30-11:30pm
School Liaison 12 San Diego Ed Options Workshop Miramar Library 9:30-11:00am
Child Youth and Teen Center Special Event: Trevor Romain “With You All the
The school liaison office helps to connect Way” USO tour 3:30-4:30pm
parents, schools, and the Marine Corps by 17 Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday (SDUSD & Poway)
22 Enrollment Options/Magnet School Fair; Palisades Recital Hall, Balboa Park 10-3
providing direct assistance to parents in all
Parent’s Night Out, Youth Center 4:30-11:30pm
matters to do with K-12 schooling: school
February
selection, enrollment, and resource referral;
3 San Diego Ed Options Workshop Miramar/Milcon Community Center 5-7pm
educating schools and districts on important 9 San Diego Ed Options Workshop Miramar Bldg 2525 12-1:30pm
issues affecting military children K-12; and 11 Lincoln Holiday (SDUSD)
keeping the installation, wing, and unit 14 Lincoln Holiday (Poway)
commanders informed on all issues affecting 15-17 District Recess (Poway)
the local educational community. 21 Washington Holiday (SDUSD)
March
Please contact our office if you would like to 3 School Systems 101 Workshop; Santo Community Center 5:30-6:30pm
be added to our volunteer or newsletter 9 School Systems 101 Workshop; Miramar Bldg 2525 12-1:30pm
distribution lists or if you have ideas/input 21 School Systems 101 Workshop; Villages of Serra Mesa 9:30-11am
for future parent/community workshops.
*Miramar RDS-Youth: Deployment Support Groups for Children Every Mon, Tues, &
Wed 1515-1600 (Pre-School) 1615-1700 (School-aged) @ Youth Center Bldg 2700*
CONTACT SCHOOL LIAISONS: KELLI OR KRISTI @ 858.577.6633/8625
 Volunteer Opportunities
Recent Event
On Friday December 10, students at Wangenheim Middle School participated in Marine and Navy- led fitness challenges in P.E. classes
throughout the day. While several elementary schools have participated in similar challenges, Friday’s visit marked the first time servicemen and
woman have led such a challenge on a middle school campus in the San Diego Unified School District. Between push-ups and sit-ups, the group of
25 Marines and sailors sat down with the middle school students for lunch in the school cafeteria. Wangenheim’s close proximity to the base
means the school has a high population of students from military families. Over the past two years, the school has nurtured those students by
developing the partnership with Miramar, making school a little easier for students whose parents may be deployed. The event is “a natural
partnership” between the school and Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, according to Vice Principal Carmi Strom. *Article published December
8, 2010: Union Tribune: www.signonsandiego.com.

Upcoming events

o Ongoing: Mentorship opportunities in Elementary and Middle Schools.

o P.E Fitness Challenge days: If interested please contact School Liaison office.
o Tentative beautification project at Hage elementary, January 22.

*If you would like to be notified of future volunteer opportunities, please contact our office at 858.577.6633/8625*

The Goody Bag:

Resources You Can Really Use
Educational/School-based Resources
• FREE SAT/ACT Test Prep for Military Families: www.eknowledge.com/military (a $200 value!).
• FREE books provided by “The Bookman”: 619.521.9830 info@thebookman.org.
• Tutor.com provides free access to a tutor for all grade levels and many subjects. To create an account, contact your school
liaison or base librarian.
• SOAR is a free online program for all military families that provides access to standards-based assessments, tutorials, and
lessons to improve math and reading skills (and FREE test prep too!).
• San Diego Unified School District Military Family Website: Features information and resources tailored to the needs of
military students K-12: www.sandi.net/parents/military
• Military Family Life Consultants (MFLC) are currently placed in four of our schools: Mason, Walker, Chesterton, and
Angier Elementary. These counselors are placed to meet the needs of military children and their families. For more
information, please visit :
www.militaryhomefront.dod.mil/portal/page/mhf/MHF/MHF_DETAIL_1?section_id=20.80.500.124.0.0.0.0.0&content_id=2
44553.
• Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society Education Programs (including scholarships and loans):
http://www.nmcrs.org/education.html.
• Need information on VA benefits and scholarships for college-bound students? Visit the Education Center on Miramar for
information and resources: http://www.mccsmiramar.com/education_center.html or call 858.577.1801.

General Military Support Resources

• YMCA Provides support for Military Families: Military Outreach Initiative and Membership: www.ymca.net/about-us/
• DSTRESS Win Your Personal Battles 1.877.476.7734 www.DstressLine.com
• USO Enhancing the quality of life of U.S. Armed Forces Personnel www.usosandiego.org

MCAS MIRAMAR SCHOOL LIAISON PROGRAM

www.miramar.usmc.mil/slo/schoolliaison.asp
 MCAS MIRAMAR
SCHOOL LIAISON PROGRAM
presents...

San Diego Ed
Options Series

COME LEARN ABOUT THE WEALTH OF EDUCATIONAL

OPTIONS AVAILABLE IN SAN DIEGO FOR MILITARY K-12
STUDENTS, INCLUDING...
• Magnet Schools· Charter Schools· Private
Schools· Homeschooling
• Inter/Intra-district Transfer Program (School
Choice)
• Special Education Resources
THURSDAY EVENING: *PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED 24 HOURS
JAN 6 CHESTERTON 1800-2000 PRIOR TO WORKSHOP.
FEB 3 MIRAMAR/MILCON 1700-1900
*FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO REGISTER,
WEDNESDAY: PLEASE CONTACT:
JAN 12 MIRAMAR LIBRARY 0930-1100 858.577.6633/ 8625
FEB 9 MIRAMAR 2525 1200-130 KELLI.MILLER@USMC.MIL
KRISTI.TERRY@USMC.MIL