SCHOOLS
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.
Faber said she does not see Enrichments365 as competing with day cares and manages schedules with after school care programs so students can attend. The cost of enrichments varies from class to class, but Enrichments365 does offer discounts for siblings attending the same class and paying with a credit card. For a full list of opportunities and more information on pricing, scheduling or to sign up a child for a session, visit enrichments365.com.
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.”
For more information, including how to receive tutoring or be a tutor, email mortega@sandi.net.
Founded 40 years ago, Chabad Hebrew Academy (CHA) welcomed 44 new students from many new families to its halls at the start of the 2019 school year. Rabbi Josef Fradkin, head of school, attributes much of this increase to their talented alumni. They serve as a testament to both the school’s rigorous academics and its focus on cultivating the next generation of leaders. Fradkin explained that the school developed what is termed “the portrait of a graduate,” which outlines the strengths of character and skills they strive to see in CHA graduates.
“It’s something that the teachers look at and engineer how our curriculum and how our character development works all the way from 6 weeks old to eighth grade. We have a specific goal that we want,” he said. “We want our children to be the leaders of the future. We want them to be knowledgeable, confident, engaged, passionate – and in order to do so we need to do certain things along the way. And, we take that responsibility very seriously.”
With more than 345 students, Fradkin said, the make-up of the school includes children from all across the county and even some students who make the daily journey from across the border in Tijuana, Mexico.
“I came to CHA because I truly believe an academically challenging and solid Jewish education is the greatest gift I can give my children to be successful in all aspects of life,” said Samantha Shalon, a new parent at CHA.
Chabad Hebrew Academy boasts an impressive, challenging academic curriculum. Students have a leg up entering high school with the ability to test out of certain courses such as integrated math. Fradkin said students leave CHA with the confidence, strength of character and work ethic to succeed wherever they go.
He said that the smaller class size at CHA is a contributing factor in this preparation specifically for the middle school students. Each student has a “dean” who provides them one on one attention throughout their time at CHA. This enables students to accelerate at their own pace, aided by CHA’s extremely devoted teaching staff, Fradkin said.
“Every single one of our teachers is a rock star. I’m lucky I have my kids going to this school as well. We have passionate, kind, innovating and caring teachers. To them, education isn’t just a job, it’s a passion, and they care about each child,” Fradkin said.
While small class sizes and private education often come with high tuition, Fradkin said, for anyone interested in sending their children to CHA, there are options.
“We have a number of programs, great donors, sponsors and scholarships to ensure every student can have that experience,” he said. “It is, of course, a sacrifice to be able to afford a private school, but we don’t make it hard. We make it much easier and will work with any parent or family.”
The biggest benefit of receiving an education based on Jewish ethics and values is being part of a community, Fradkin said.
“It’s about having this great sense of who one’s self is in this really diverse world, which can be confusing. So, we need to give our kids a sense of self and a sense of pride in who they are. Once children have that, they are able to really give and receive and be a part of a multicultural environment in which they are proud participants,” he said.
Those interested in learning more may set up an appointment to visit the campus and explore the website for more details on the school’s mission and approach to education, Fradkin said. Visit chasd.org.
Team Inspiration, which included members from Scripps Ranch High School and other area schools, finished 13th in the 22nd annual International RoboSub Competition, held July 29-Aug. 4 at Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific Transducer Evaluation Center in Point Loma. The team also captured the event’s Most Inspirationalaward and an Innovation Award from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
RoboSub is an international underwater robotics competition in which college and high school students design and build self-driving vehicles to navigate through a series of tasks. Team Inspiration was the only high school/middle school team from the San Diego region that participated in the 2019 RoboSub competition. A total of 59 teams participated, with all but four teams being from top universities around the world. The local students bested teams such as the California Institute of Technology, the Georgia Institute of Technology, UC Berkeley, UC Riverside, UC San Diego, San Diego State University and the University of Southern California.
“I assume a lot of college students weren’t very happy,” said Team Inspiration coach Alex Szeto. “They must be wondering ‘How did we lose to such a young team?’”
Robots had to perform a number of tasks of increasing complexity. This included passing through an underwater gate (with style points offered for doing spins or rolls), touching specific pictures on buoys, picking up an object in the water and dropping it in a box, and opening and closing a sliding door. All of the tasks had to be done in under 15 minutes.
“Even the best teams in the world can’t complete all the missions,” Szeto said. “When you build the robot, you have to decide what you have the best chance of completing, which ones bring the most points. So, there is a lot of strategy.”
Students do all the work from design, building and operation of the robot submarines, according to Szeto. Only 25 percent of the work can be done by a coach or mentor, and those points don’t count. Szeto, an aerospace engineer, has coached the team and hosted weekly lab sessions in his Scripps Ranch garage since his own kids got interested in robotics about nine years ago. In addition to robot building and competition activities throughout the year, Team Inspiration also attends outreach events to spread their love of robotics, and uses modern video and computer technology to teach other school-based robotics teams around the world.
Team Inspiration’s co-captains are twin siblings Colin and Mabel Szeto, Del Norte High School students who have both been involved with robotics for nine years. Both found the RoboSub experience to be a rewarding and memorable one.
“As we’re a rookie team in the RoboSub aspect, it’s been really impactful to see the team bond and work together in order to complete such a complex task,” Colin said.
Mabel focused on keeping the project organized and moving forward. She noted that the sub included multiple cameras as well as sensors so the robot could figure out its position and how to complete tasks.
“It’s not only more mechanically challenging, it’s very difficult to program a robot that moves underwater because it is so different from what we’ve done in the past, which are land robots,” she said.
To learn more, visit team11128.wixsite.com/main.
One of these options is Futures Academy, a tuition-based private school that teaches its students with a one-on-one approach.
“It used to be that we thought the same education fit everybody. We’ve realized that one size does not fit all, so I think it’s really important that students have other ways to get the information without having to sit in a classroom with 30 or 40 other people in a school of 2,000 where they feel lost,” campus director Carol Rupp said.
The academy is for students in grades 6-12 and there are currently 16 campuses in the state. The San Diego campus, 9915 Mira Mesa Blvd., Ste. 210, is close to Hibert Street just down the road from Scripps Ranch High School.
The school offers regular, remedial, honors and AP classes.
According to the school’s website, the method of teaching is based on research showing that “pacing instruction to each student's individual needs improves learning outcomes.”
Rupp, who previously taught at public schools, said she feels she can serve students better with this one-to-one student to teacher ratio.
“I know what it’s like to have 150, 170 kids come through your door every day and you can’t serve all of them,” she said.
For every student enrolled, the staff at Futures Academy tailors their lessons and homework based on the way the student learns best, Rupp said.
“If they (teachers) have five kids on their schedule that are all taking the same class, they’re going to be teaching five different ways” Rupp said.
This is because the students enrolled come from various backgrounds and have different needs, Rupp explained. There are regular students enrolled, but there have been student athletes, students in the entertainment industry and competitive dancers.
The school also enrolls students with anxiety, attention deficit disorder and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, for whom the standard public school setting may not work, Rupp said.
Eduardo Ceja, who has been teaching with Futures Academy for 12 years, said he likes this way of teaching because he can see the difference it makes.
“You get to see how much one-on-one can change students’ and families’ whole lives,” he said.
According to the school’s website, students can have flexibility with the school schedule. Students can attend classes Mondays through Fridays at regular school times, or can adjust their schedules to attend classes fewer days, hours or through Facetime or Google Hangouts, as needed, Rupp said. Students can also be enrolled full-time or part- time.
Students attending public school can enroll in Futures Academy for an AP course, but must have approval from their school to do so.
According to the website, full time tuition ranges from about $22,000 to $34,000 per school year. One course is $2,850. To help with tuition costs, the school offers financing options. Parents can also apply for a loan through Your Tuition Solution.
According to its website, the school is accredited through the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.
The textbooks the school uses are approved by the California Department of Education. When students graduate from Futures Academy, they do so with a high school diploma, Rupp said.
“We are teaching to the same standards that the public schools are teaching to,” Rupp said.
The San Diego campus currently has 35 students enrolled for the fall semester and can take up to about 50 students, Rupp said. Parents looking to enroll their students will first meet with Rupp to talk about their child and the school. They will then meet with Academic Lead Eduardo Ceja, who will help decide what teachers to pair with the student. The prospective student can also come in and shadow a class or a school day.
“It’s not just come in, this is your paperwork, let me gather your tuition, get your kid enrolled. There's a lot of conversation that goes on so that the parents can come in and they can see how it works,” Rupp said.
In order to ensure students enrolled can get the most support, Rupp said all of the teachers on staff are multifaceted, so they can teach more than one class.
“We all wear many hats,” said Rupp, who also teaches some classes.
Ceja said he enjoys the work atmosphere but also teaching students because, “to see the transformation of students, it feels like we’re doing something special.”
While the academics are important, the school also offers activities for students to get the most out of their educational experience, Rupp said. The school offers clubs such as art club, music club, environmental club and has a student government. The campus also hosts a prom for its students in collaboration with its San Diego County and Orange County campuses.
“We try to make sure that kids aren’t losing anything by coming here,” Rupp said.
The fall semester is officially scheduled to begin on Aug. 26, but students can be enrolled at any time as the school has rolling enrollment.
While it may not be the correct setting for all students, Rupp said she wants families to know the school is there if they need it.
“I think it’s really important that there are multiple options for students to succeed. This is not the right school for everyone, but for those that it’s right for, it’s really right,” Rupp said.
Visit futures.edu/campus/san-diego.
(StatePoint) As misinformation continues to spread about vaccines, medical experts are reminding parents and the general public that vaccinations save lives.
“Overwhelming scientific evidence shows that vaccines are among the most effective, safest interventions to prevent illness and protect public health,” said Dr. Patrice A. Harris, president of the American Medical Association (AMA).
The AMA offers these answers to commonly asked questions:
1. Are vaccines safe? Yes, vaccines prevent individual illness and protect the health of the public. The U.S. has the safest vaccine supply in its history, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The most common side effects are typically very mild, such as pain or swelling at the injection site.
2. Is it true that if everyone else is vaccinated, my family doesn’t need to be? No. Vaccines not only protect the child or adult who receive them, but also the health of their communities. Some people cannot be vaccinated – including very young children, cancer patients and those who are immunosuppressed. As evident from recent measles outbreaks in several states, when individuals aren’t immunized as a matter of personal preference or misinformation, they put themselves and others at risk of disease.
3. What vaccinations do my children need? Children should be vaccinated according to the recommended schedule of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which is designed to protect young children before they’re likely to be exposed to serious diseases. For the recommended childhood vaccination schedule, visit cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules.
4. What’s the earliest age children can be vaccinated? Children can receive their first flu vaccine starting at 6 months old. The recommended age for the first dose of measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is 12 to 15 months of age. If you live in a community experiencing an outbreak, or if you travel internationally, your baby may be vaccinated as early as 6 months of age. Talk to your pediatrician.
5. I’m an adult – do I need to get vaccinated? Yes, adults need vaccines too. Sometimes immunity from childhood vaccines can wear off over time. Talk with your doctor and visit www2a.cdc.gov/nip/adultimmsched for an online assessment tool.
6. Hasn’t the U.S. eradicated the major diseases that require vaccines? One of the country’s greatest public health success stories is the decrease in infectious diseases as the result of vaccines. That success has led some parents to stop vaccinating their children against diseases like measles, meningitis, polio and diphtheria. However, these diseases still exist. If people stop getting vaccinated, these diseases could reemerge.
More information can be found at cdc.gov/vaccines.
Scripps Ranch High School: sandiegounified.org/schools/scrippsranch, (858) 935-6969
Open House: The fall open house will be held Sept. 12.
Football: The student section “The Cage” will have themed “Friday Night Lights” nights for the 2019 football season. The theme for Aug. 23 is “Country Club” and the theme for Sept. 6 is “USA.” The football team is also running a fundraiser to support team costs and expenses including uniforms, travel costs and equipment. To help support the SRHS football team, visit the WeFund4U page: bit.ly/2KSAGcW
Field hockey: SRHS alumna Megan Connors was chosen to be on the U-19 National Field Hockey Team.
Marshall Middle School: marshallmiddle.org, (858) 549-5400
Student Orientation: Orientation for new Marshall Middle School students will be held Aug. 23 during two different times based on last name. It will be held for students with last names beginning with A through L from 8 to 9:30 a.m.; and M through Z from 10 to 11:30 a.m. in the multi-purpose room.
Back to School Night: Back to School Night will be held Sept. 4 and 5 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Parents with sixth grade students will attend on Sept. 4; and those with students in seventh and eighth grade will attend on Sept. 5.
Dingeman Elementary School: dingeman.net/Home, (858) 549-4437
Dingeman Elementary School was deeply saddened to hear about the passing of their school’s namesake, Col. Bob Dingeman (a.k.a. Mr. Scripps Ranch) in May. Dingeman frequented the school to meet with staff, students and families. A tribute to Dingeman can be found at sandiegounified.org/schools/dingeman.
Ellen Browning Scripps Elementary School: sandiegounified.org/schools/eb-scripps, (858) 693-8593
Back to School Nights: TK/Kindergarten Back to School Night (parents only) will be held Thursday, Aug. 22 at 5:30 p.m.
New Student Orientation: Orientation for TK/Kindergarten and new students is scheduled for Friday, Aug. 23 at 10:30 a.m.
Family Movie Night: A Family Movie night will be held on Friday, Aug. 23 at 5 p.m. All students and their families welcome. Concessions available.
Early dismissal for TK/K: Their will be early dismissal for students in TK/K only at 12:30 p.m. on Aug. 26-30.
Innovations Academy: innovationsacademy.org, (858) 271-1414
Open House: An open house for Innovations Academy will be held Aug. 22 at 5 p.m.
Move details: Innovations Academy will be moving away from Scripps Ranch. The school will be moving to its new location in Kearny Mesa at an undetermined date after December 2019. In order to ease the transition for local parents, the school will have a bus route from the Scripps Ranch campus to the new campus in Kearny Mesa.
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