Undefeated this season, the Scripps Ranch High School football team’s on-field success is on display for everyone to see. Less obvious, but also a source of team pride, is the team’s academic success. A recent grade check showed the team’s average GPA to be 3.71.

The high marks are the result of hard work by the student athletes and the prioritization of academic success by head football coach Marlon Gardinera.

“A high school coach doesn’t just coach football,” Gardinera said. “As a matter of fact, I think it’s about 25 percent of my job.”

Now in his third year as head coach, Gardinera played baseball at Oklahoma State and football at Mission Bay High School. He’s the father of two sons in local schools, one being Falcons running back Nicholas Gardinera. With experience as both a student athlete and a father, Gardinera said he created a “school first” policy because success in sports can be fleeting.

“Football is fun, sports are fun, but they’re temporary,” Gardinera said. “Very few people get to do them for the rest of their life, and even then, the rest of your life as a professional (football player) is, on average, five years.”

He brought that same idea to the Falcons football team.

“The goal when I got here was that I want to prepare these boys for life,” Gardinera said. “The idea was using the lessons football teaches to make sure these kids were successful on and off the field for the next step in their life, whether that’s a trade school, college or the military.

Of course, winning on the field was also important.

“I wanted to bring the academic excellence we’ve grown to love at Scripps Ranch to the football field. But the football players couldn’t suffer academically as a result of that,” he said.

Putting his ideas and ideals into motion, Gardinera started by raising the bar on the required GPA to be on the Falcons team to 3.0, higher than the CIF minimum of 2.5.

“We don’t need average,” he said. “If you have a C, any C, you don’t need to practice football; you need to practice school. And we’re serious about that.”

The other parts of the approach include mandatory study hall time, weekly grade checks by the coach and, when needed, improvement plans.

“If a kid has a C, we don’t throw them off the football team. We put together a plan immediately to get that C up,” he said. “That typically includes study hall and peer tutoring. I and other coaches will also ask, ‘Have you met with your teacher? How often?’”

Additionally, teachers pitch in to help students develop planning and notetaking skills. Sometimes students help each other, as in the case of older students who have already taken the classes and therefore know what needs to be done.

“We throw everything at it to get the kids grades up, to improve study habits and get them right,” Gardinera said.

Some players still struggle.

“When I realize or can Identify that effort is a part of it, I remove them from football,” the coach said. “Some kids are allowed to practice, but they can’t play. Some, because they’re not using their time wisely and haven’t made school a priority, they don’t need football. They need school. That’s why we’re there.”

Gardinera also meets with counselors and teachers to discusses student progress, and he’s always on the lookout for any behavioral issues that may arise.

“We tell the kids early on: if you wear our gear, if you wear that jersey on Friday, you represent us all,” he said. “Every decision you make, your choices, your behavior, it reflects on all of us, and we won’t tolerate anything but your best.”

In academic efforts, the comradery of teammates has also provided strong motivation.

“It’s the brotherhood,” the coach said. “They are their brother’s keeper and they don’t want to let each other down. They don’t want to miss out.”

Gardinera believes the work ethic instilled by high academic requirements has definitely shown on the football field, where the team has come back from a 2-8 and 6-4 records the previous year to this season’s 9-0 record.

“If you can convince a kid that school comes first, that details matter, that hard work matters, that time spent matters; if you can convince them of that, the hope, the goal, the purpose is that they transfer that work experience to everything,” he said. “As I think everybody can see right now, they’re translating doing everything right to the football field. Hard work is hard work, whether it’s football or studying for a big exam.”

The team’s success on the gridiron and in the classroom earned Gardinera Chargers Coach of the Week honors recently, which included $1,000 for the Falcons football program.

“If you’re on the right track and the culture is going in the right direction, you’re going to get better, Gardinera said. “It really just culminated all at the same time.”

Literally marching to the beat of their own drummers, members of the Scripps Ranch High School (SRHS) marching band are hoping to come out on top as they kick off their season of competition.

The Falcons marching band season will begin at the end of October. With a group of 121 students including the color guard this year, the SRHS marching band will be performing music and a routine with the theme “The Tortured Mind.” Russell Shedd, music director at SRHS, said the theme, with music composed by Rob Stein, was introduced to the students during their pre-season band camp.

“We think the concept ‘The Tortured Mind’ is relevant to today’s modern teenager, so there is a lot to draw on as far as creativity and inspiration,” Shedd explained.

Students prepare for each season by attending a two-week-long band camp prior to school starting. Elaine Rosen, president of SRHS Music Boosters, said the boosters hire specialized coaches to work with the students to assist Shedd. These two weeks are spent learning the music and preparing for the endurance needed to perform in competitions. Students then practice three times a week to prepare thereafter as school begins.

“In addition to learning the music, they have to learn the positioning as well. As you might imagine, it takes multiple weeks to learn where you need to go and where you need to stand. They have to be able to find their certain spots on the field at certain times in the music,” Rosen said. “Just like any other sport, they also need to spend time conditioning as well.”

The competitions are executed by the California State Band Championships (CSBC) and bands are expected to adhere to strict rules such as timing their entrance and exit of their performance. The CSBC allows bands of all sizes to compete and then judges the performances against schools of similar size. 

Shedd stated that he is hoping for a high-ranking performance, as the band has placed in the top nine out of 80 groups in past years. He also explained that all students are welcome to take up marching band regardless of previous experience. 

“The program at Scripps is extremely inclusive. Anyone who has musical interest should join. It fits into every schedule imaginable. It helps students become lifelong learners and passionate supporters of the arts,” Shedd said. 

The marching band’s first competition is the Valhalla Field Tournament scheduled for Oct. 26 at Valhalla High School in El Cajon.

Some seniors at Scripps Ranch High School were busy painting and coloring their new parking spaces for the 2019-20 school year in one of the school’s parking lots. These students won bids for their parking spaces during an annual auction that raises funds for the school.

Seniors could purchase their own personal parking space and personalize it with their artwork for the school year.

Kindness Week spread kindheartedness through the halls of Jerabek Elementary School in October.

The week consists of classroom activities and school events centered on the message of being kind. Laura Stephens, founder of Kindness Week, said all the events are meant to be student centered. 

“At Jerabek, the students know we are a team focused on creating a culture of kindness. They are the leaders. All activities are meant to be led by the students – between the students,” Stephens said. 

Activities include students giving each other “Caught Being Kind” cards, kindness themed readings by students and classroom activities from homework to art projects, all focused on kindness. 

Stephens said this year’s first of three designated Kindness weeks every school year was notable because of the school’s new affiliation with the national No Place for Hate initiative founded by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). According to the local ADL website, No Place for Hate schools “are able to incorporate ADL’s anti-bias and anti-bullying resources with their existing programming to form one powerful message that all students have a place to belong.”

Stephens said all schools at the elementary, middle and high school levels in Scripps Ranch have committed to becoming No Place for Hate schools. 

“The combination of all the schools working together to get like activities going during the same week really expanded our reach to students and families,” Stephens said. 

At Jerabek Elementary, the week’s capstone was a celebration rally which included speaker David Charbonnet, CEO of VIP NeuroRehabilitation Center in San Diego. Charbonnet, who served as a U.S. Navy SEAL for a year and a half, was injured in a parachuting accident outside of San Diego. His injuries left him paralyzed from the waist down.

Charbonnet spoke to the students about the importance of combating adversity, staying positive and helping others. Stephens said it was a highlight for the students. 

The next Kindness Week will be held at the end of January 2020. Stephens said the school is working on an exciting event that is community focused for that week. Until then, as a No Place for Hate school, the students and teachers are finding ways to be kind every day of the year. 

Two local elementary schools are bringing fall festivities to Scripps Ranch. Both Ellen Browning Scripps and Dingeman Elementary schools are hosting fall themed events for the local community to support their schools. 

EBS Fall Family Festival
The Ellen Browning Scripps (EBS) Fall Family Festival will be held on Oct. 25 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the school. Danyelle Comer, EBS ABF president, said this year’s events will include a cupcake walk, games of chance, a pumpkin carving contest and a variety of local food vendors. Comer said families can further support the school by participating in the Silent Auction. She also explained that the event will boast new events this year including game booths sponsored by each grade level, in addition to a new game that is likely to be a hit with the kids. 

“To add to the fun, our carnival chairs built a life-sized Candy Land, which will be run in partnership with the American Heart Association who is providing prizes for the game. And to promote heart health, we’ve added ‘healthful’ tips for the kids throughout the game,” Comer said. 

Attending the festival is free for all families. Twenty-five game and bake sale tickets can be purchased for $20, a raffle ticket for $5, or 10 game boards for $10 at the festival.

The EBS Fall Festival proceeds will go to support programs such as Everyone’s A Reader, Fine Artists, grade-appropriate Science Nights, International Night and Character Education. Everyone is encouraged to come in costumes appropriate for elementary aged children. For more information on the Fall Festival, visit ebs-afp.com/fallfamilyfestival.  

Dingeman Elementary Boo Bash
The Dingeman Elementary School Boo Bash will be held on Oct. 25 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the school. The event will boast music, games, trick or treating and food.

Everyone is encouraged to come in costume. Attendees are asked to avoid costumes with gory decorations or costumes with weapons.

Scripps Ranch High School students enjoyed activities before and during the traditional Homecoming football game against Crawford High School on Oct. 11. Pregame events at the school Quad included pizza, music and games. Some made signs for the game at a special booth.

The Scripps Ranch High marching band performed on the field before the game, at halftime and after the game. Members of the school choir also performed at halftime.

Earlier, the students from different classes built small floats for a float competition and the floats were paraded during halftime to raucous cheers from the audience. The floats, which included one colorful depiction of Spiderman, were a bit comical.

Halftime also included the presentation of the Homecoming Court, and the presentation of this year’s king and queen.

Once the game ended and after the crowd and players stood for their school anthem, the fans in The Cage student section sang along loudly to “Sweet Caroline.”

Homecoming week concluded the next night with the Homecoming Dance at the school on Oct. 12.  

A spooktacular event is around the corner at Miramar Ranch Elementary School. 

The 46th annual Halloween Carnival will be hosted at the school on Saturday, Oct. 19 from 11 a.m. to 4p.m. This year’s carnival, open with free admission to the public, will boast carnival games, a bake sale, food trucks, laser tag and dodge ball arenas, a pumpkin patch and a used book sale. 

Leanne Steichen, chair of the Halloween Carnival, said the carnival will host a new competition this year in addition to the costume contest.

“This year, we are having a chili cook off. We are accepting 10 entries, and carnival attendees can pay one ticket for a Dixie cup of chili,” Steichen said. 

Returning this year is the popular haunted house with the option for children to go through a scary or non-scary version. For the younger crowd or easily frightened, attendees can walk through with the lights on. The fifth grade class works with their parents to design and construct the haunted house, and the proceeds will go toward the fifth grade class graduation ceremony. 

Steichen explained that the Halloween Carnival is one of the biggest fundraisers at Miramar Ranch Elementary School. 

“Our fundraisers support various activities as well as family fun. Some of the enrichments it supports are our art core program, super science program and assemblies. A large portion of the funds are also given to the principal to use at her discretion,” Steichen said. 

In addition to the ticket sales, the Halloween Carnival also raises funds through business sponsorships. Local businesses are able to sponsor a booth for $300 that includes a canopy, table and game as well as the opportunity to reach hundreds of members of the community. Steichen said businesses can also sponsor an activity or give monetary donations to be included in the sponsor banner as well as receive a shout-out on the school’s Facebook page. 

Sponsors can also donate items to the Halloween Carnival raffle. Thus far, the carnival raffle has confirmed two family four-packs of tickets to Disneyland, Padres baseball tickets, Hornblower cruise tickets and children’s museum tickets. Tickets for the raffle can be purchased by the public on the day of the carnival. 

Steichen said she would love to have the Scripps Ranch community at the Carnival.

“Come and bring your kids, dress them up and have fun while supporting our school at the same time,” she said.

Scripps Ranch High School resumed traditional activities as the school year got underway. Cheerleaders, the marching band and students are helping inspire the varsity football team as the school’s 2019 Homecoming game approaches on Oct. 11 at 6:30 p.m. vs. Crawford High. The Homecoming Dance will round out the week of festivities on Oct. 12 at the SRHS Quad. 

Parents of students attending Thurgood Marshall Middle School received an email on Monday, Oct. 14, stating that longtime principal Michelle Irwin will be leaving the school for another position. Irwin’s last day at Marshall Middle School will be Oct. 25, according to the email.

The email states that Irwin accepted the position of principal on special assignment at the Logan Memorial Educational Complex. She will be “responsible for assisting with the development of a prenatal to career/college educational program in the Logan Heights community,” according to the statement bearing Irwin’s name.  

The email further states that “Patricia Crowder, a retired veteran secondary principal in the San Diego Unified School District, will be the MMS interim principal until a replacement is selected.”

Jerabek Elementary School celebrated National Custodial Workers Day on Oct. 2 with a presentation of two golf carts for school custodians.

The golf carts were donated by the Cushman Foundation. The Cushmans are a Scripps Ranch family. Two of Stephen Cushman’s grandchildren attended Jerabek Elementary, and he has two future Jerabekians (great-grandchildren).

Joaquin Sanchez, lead custodian, accepted the gift. Principal Watkins, Jerabek students, the Jerabek FFO, and representatives from CSEA (the labor union that represents San Diego Unified School District custodians), were in attendance.

The student-run Scripps Ranch High School Peer Tutor Club gives young scholars valuable experience while helping others get over rough patches and raise their grades.

Formed in 2008, the Scripps Ranch High School Peer Tutor Club is designed to help students who need help with schoolwork and bringing up their grades in general. The club meets and offers free tutoring at the Scripps Ranch High School Library after school every Monday through Thursday from 2:15 to 3:15 p.m.

Club Publicity Chairman Melina Dimitropoulou said the peer perspective of the club’s tutors offers a special resource for Scripps Ranch High students. 

“Usually, the people who tutor the kids have also taken the classes the kids are taking, and it’s completely free,” Dimitropoulou said.

Club Vice President Josh Hwang agreed that the peer aspect gives these tutors special insight.

“We’ve been through the classes so, I guess, for an outside tutor, they wouldn’t know the teacher as well so they wouldn’t have that firsthand knowledge of how to deal with the class and maneuver through the class,” Hwang said. “We have that experience and it helps (students) be able to tackle certain problems or figure out how to plan their time.”

Hwang said there is a core group of regularly active tutors, with a total of around 30 available so the club has reinforcements to call on when needed. He said the first six weeks of the semester can be quiet in terms of tutoring, but picks up as the term goes on. 

“Once people start getting their grades or their parents are seeing the progress reports coming in, we start getting more,” he said. “I think the most is right before finals, during the week of finals and the week before finals.” 

One memorable busy period saw a club member bravely facing a tutoring crush. 

“Maybe two years ago, one of the physics tutors was tutoring five people at once,” Hwang said. “Usually, we do one on one. I think it was the day before a huge physics final. Lots and lots of people were coming in.”

Walk-in tutoring is available, but Hwang said those needing help with specific topics or challenges should first contact club faculty advisor and English teacher Marilyn Ortega.

“If they want any special type of tutoring, like if they need a certain subject that might be a little more obscure or not as popular, they would have to contact Miss Ortega first and then she would probably let one of the tutors know,” Hwang said. 

In addition to the students seeking help, club tutors also gain from the experience, according to Dimitropoulou. This involves earning volunteer hours that many students seek. 

“It’s really nice to make new friends; this is how I met Josh,” she said. “So, you get to meet people and get to put it on your college application.” 

With half days, spring break, parent teacher conferences and other holidays, many parents find themselves stuck between a rock and a hard place for childcare.

Enrichments365 helps fill this need while providing exciting opportunities for students. Gail Faber, founder and manager of Enrichments365, started the programming as her own son wanted to play sports and she didn’t have the time to take him to different lessons every day of the week. 

“I only had the weekends to take him to these classes and he wanted to learn how to play sports. Part of my inspiration was to build after school enrichments and give him something to do with his classmates as well as be able to benefit the parents and the school at the same time,” Faber said. 

After finding success at her son’s school, Ellen Browning Scripps, Faber expanded Enrichments365 to Miramar Ranch Elementary School and Thurgood Marshall Middle School. Twenty-five percent of the proceeds are given directly back to each school.

Enrichments365 has more than 20 classes for students to attend both before and after school and on days that school is not in session. Enrichments include art, Bollywood dance, chess, computer classes, drama, guitar and yoga, to name a few. 

“Our programming is offered in eight-, nine- and 10-week sessions. So, for a child to be able to try out an activity that they might not always try, then it really is a great opportunity for them. And, parents don’t have to break the bank. But, if their child doesn’t want to keep doing it, they can change to something else in the next session,” Faber said.  

In its first session this school year, more than 400 students have already signed up for Enrichments365. Faber attributes this success to both the need for enrichments and her talented instructors who come from local businesses and Faber’s personal networking.

Hope Chu, a local parent, said her experience with the enrichments program has been wonderful.

“My first and third graders have been able to round out their education and growth with classes not offered during the traditional school day. They come home with new interests and knowledge about areas like multimedia, YouTube, photography, guitar, ukulele, robotics, 3D printing and coding,” Chu said in a testimony. 

A unique aspect of Enrichments365 is the opportunity to send children to camps during the week of parent teacher conferences when the schools have half-days every day.