The year 2020 has undoubtedly left a lasting impression upon the nation's psyche in many ways, while at the same time, becoming a call to action for some. Among those making a difference are Scripps Ranch High School (SRHS) students who recently announced the creation of a Social Justice Club.

"The killing of George Floyd and the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement made me realize that, although I may not be white, I am still privileged," said club President Victoria Denosta. "My eyes opened to the covert racism plaguing my high school and my community, ultimately sparking my interest in activism."

The club's main objective is to promote social justice in order to achieve a more united community. Club members hold discussions regularly to help raise awareness to achieve this objective while spreading information about resources and opportunities within the community.

"Since we started this club, there has been an overwhelming amount of support from the Scripps Ranch community," said club Vice President Alexis Sarabia. "We were lucky enough to start this organization with the help of some of our close friends and our teacher, Heather Francisco. Teachers, students, parents and friends have all expressed their interest and willingness to help our cause."

The club has 70 members and is growing, along with hundreds of followers on Instagram: @socialjusticescrippsranch.

Denosta, a senior, is verbally committed to play softball at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and plans on majoring in political science, as well as double majoring or minoring in a STEM discipline such as environmental science and engineering.

"I needed to accomplish something meaningful in the fight against oppression," she said.

"I want to clarify that the Social Justice Club at SRHS only holds discussions and raises awareness for different opportunities to make a difference," she added.

There is a community organization called Social Justice Scripps Ranch that was created as an outlet for the members of the SRHS Social Justice Club so they can hold events like fundraisers and donation drives that are completely separate from the high school in order to comply with the guidelines of the school district and school administration. Next, the club is planning a donation drive for Father Joe's Villages in January. 

As San Diego County experiences rising case numbers of COVID-19, public schools will continue distance learning as 2020 begins. 

"We are concerned by the continued spread of the virus in San Diego County but encouraged by the work of our educators and other employees to keep students safe at this difficult time," said John Lee Evans, board president of District A for San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD).

While the SDUSD Board of Education is worried about the virus, some students have trouble with these transitions, both back in-person and over Zoom. There has been a trend of students failing classes and becoming disengaged in classes held over Zoom.

Teachers are worried about students' mental health during this time and have noticed some not adjusting well to the new system.

"I have identified some mental health issues, and I have had to refer some students to counselors," said Judy Hillegas, a psychology teacher at Scripps Ranch High School (SRHS). "I do notice more depression through 'blank faces' and minimal body language.  However, it is very challenging. Students have tech issues and don't have a camera on. Is it a tech issue or something else?"

Classes on Zoom miss the connection for both the teacher and the student. It is harder for teachers to help students when there are issues.

"I have noticed more of my students are wanting more time on Zoom than we have to offer," said Julia McKane, a special education teacher for moderate to severe students at SRHS. "My students ask if we can Zoom on the weekends and days off. It has proven difficult for me to implement the same boundaries during the pandemic, so I have created additional clubs for students to be engaged in."

McKane, like many other teachers, is trying to keep students engaged and have some sense of normalcy in an online setting.

Not only is distance learning making it easier for students to fall behind, but for students with special needs, it is making it harder to learn and stay engaged, especially with a lack of special education assistants and teachers in the district right now.

Individual education programs (IEPs) are made at the beginning of each school year and are set to be fulfilled throughout the year. With classes over Zoom, it is making this more complicated.

"IEPs are being met by collaborating with the Student Success Team (general education, related service, paraprofessionals, school psychologist, family)," McKane said. "Related service staff will join our Zoom class and do a full-group activity, and then continue to a breakout room for their separate setting. Accommodations are being met by having staff members in each class with students to guide and support."

Keeping in mind that each student has a set team, there are vacancies in some staffing positions. According to SRHS, there are two vacancies in the Special Education program teaching staff that have not been filled. With those vacancies come more challenges in keeping up with all the students.

Scripps Ranch public schools, like many all over the county, have been moved to only online learning platforms as San Diego remains in the purple tier. All schools are still learning how to make this work for their teachers and students.

"It has absolutely changed my perspective," said Timothy Leonard, a Scripps Ranch High School English teacher. "I've been more or less utilizing the same fundamental aspects of teaching for 13 years now: my presence, my voice and tactile engagement. Now, however, I feel like both hands are tied behind my back."

The online learning platform has not been the easiest to adjust for everyone, including the teachers who are using it to engage their students. 

According to Zoom, daily meeting participants' usage shot up from around 10 million in December 2019 to more than 300 million people in April 2020. The use of online platforms, like Zoom, to teach, has helped this number rise. However, it has cut out the connections in-person teaching can create between other students and the teachers.

"The learning environment is a lot quieter. This is not a good thing, in my mind," said Andrea Bowers, a Scripps Ranch High School English teacher. "Before, I could tell students were thinking about what we were doing because I could hear their conversations. Now when I join a breakout room, it is awkwardly quiet when I pop in."

The online platforms create solitude for the students and make it hard to retain information and pay attention during classes.

"In many ways, it is harder to keep the students'attention on the lessons," said Casey Nakanishi, a fourth-grade teacher at Ellen Browning Scripps Elementary School. "We have lots of interruptions with rogue (and not so rogue) pets, baby siblings and life at home."

For teachers and students, it has been challenging to grow used to this setting. Some students have lost the motivation to continue with school during this time because it seems hard to imagine what will happen after this time. Students' mental health has also become a concern for teachers and schools.

"Our counseling department and school psychologist has a Zoom conference with those that are struggling," Bowers said. 

"We still have a school counselor available on an appointment basis when needed," Nakanishi added. "We have also started teaching SEL (Social Emotional Learning) lessons once a week that center around acknowledging your feelings and what you can do with them."

It has been a challenge for kids in all grade levels to adapt to the new way to continue learning, some more than others. There are many steps to take before it can be back to the way it was pre-COVID.

Several Scripps Ranch High School seniors were able to continue a school tradition this fall in spite of the COVID-19 pandemic causing their campus to be closed and off-limits.

Normally, SRHS seniors are allowed to bid on parking spaces at their school as a fundraiser at the beginning of each school year. Then they are allowed to personalize their spaces with colorful artwork. This year, the seniors were allowed to create art on parking spaces at the Scripps Miramar Ranch Library instead of their high school lot.

Many Scripps Ranch High School (SRHS) students will continue a nine-year-long tradition of aiding San Diego's homeless this holiday season. With the help of the SRHS Homeless Outreach Club, students will be donating new clothing and other necessities through a network of collection boxes this holiday season. 

Blake Scurry, who is the club's president and a SRHS student, said that they are currently donating more than 800 pairs of socks to various homeless shelters.

"We are planning to donate 100 hygiene kits and hand-written messages of hope to a San Diego homeless shelter," Scurry said. 

With the help of the club adviser Ron Tsui, the Outreach Club is a student-run volunteer organization that raises awareness about the homelessness problem in San Diego. It was started in late 2011 by former SRHS students Nicolas Stanitsas and Daniel Miller. Stanitsas started a sock drive for the homeless in the fall of 2011. He later met Miller, who shared the same vision as his. So, they tag-teamed to promote an event called "Christmas Socks for the Homeless" that year in which they collected more than 800 pairs of athletic socks – just like the current project. 

Although the COVID-19 pandemic had set back some of the Outreach Club's events, it did not prevent people from donating for the next event.

"Luckily, we have already received donations for hygiene kits from the members of our community," Scurry
said. "Scripps Ranch has always been known for its kindness and generosity."

In April 2020, the U.S. Census reported that there were nearly 4,900 people who were homeless in the City of San Diego, a drop of 4 percent from last year, according to SanDiego.gov. Many are being temporarily sheltered inside the San Diego Convention Center.
While city officials are working on a long-term plan to address homelessness, volunteer programs like the SRHS Homeless Outreach Club offer some comfort and short-term solutions. 

"Just like the founders' goal of raising awareness of homelessness, we are hoping to provide aid to those in need and give a spark of hope in their lives," Scurry said. 

Scripps Ranch High School (SRHS) seniors share their thoughts during this time of distance learning and limited activities.

Luke Durkin
Captain of the varsity football team 

“I miss playing in front of that crowd. It’s always special running out on the field and I looked forward to that every week. I’ve looked forward to my senior football season since I was in middle school and I hope there is a chance that we are able to at least have some of the season,” Durkin said. 

The SRHS varsity football team was recently able to begin practicing. 

“We are able to go to the park and we are still socially distanced, but we have been able to practice as a team,” Durkin said. 

He is optimistic about virtual learning this year.

“Online teaching isn’t the same, but we are trying to make the most out of it. I think everyone is really trying to work together and make this year the best it can be under these circumstances,” Durkin said. 

He committed to Davidson College to play Division I football and plans to study economics.

Ben Gietzen
Four-year cross countryand track runner

“The fact that we are not able to come together as a school community for football or homecoming that would normally be around this time is really hard on us. There is just such a community at the games and now we’re all just apart,” Gietzen said. 

He shared the positives and negatives he has experienced due to virtual learning. 

“I think virtual learning helps with time management. It really comes down to you as the individual to work with the extra time we are given now. However, now that the school days are shorter, it leaves less time for instructors to teach and I really miss that because it gave more of a balanced schedule,” Gietzen said. 

Savannah Frost
Four-year marching band trombone player 

“Attending the games and playing for the student section really makes you feel like you are a part of something. Everyone at the games is always super nice and it’s just fun to be in the moment and that’s something I miss,” Frost said. 

She expressed her thoughts on the online school year. 

“Having shorter school days is really nice. Being at home allows me to have more freedom and it’s helped me out in the morning because I don’t have to rush to school. However, it’s a whole different experience in person that virtual can’t capture and I miss the social aspect of that,” Frost said. 

Not only is Frost a part of the marching band at SRHS, but is in the concert band class, played in pep band, played in jazz band and played in several musicals. 

She plans to attend a college that will have a marching and concert band, and she plans to study music.

Stevie Kreger
Four-year cheerleader and softball player 

“Last year I was captain, and I was really looking forward to this year. Leading the team was super exciting last season and it was upsetting when we got our season taken away from us,” Kreger said. 

She explained her feelings about learning virtually this year.

“With distance learning there is no community with your friends or team. Now I’m getting a chance to notice the little things like walking around campus and just being in a classroom that we took for granted,” Kreger said. 

As a part of the softball team, Kreger conveyed her loss for that season as well. 

“We won CIF last year, so I was looking forward to doing that again this year. It was my last season and I was really pumped because your senior season is something you always look forward to,” Kreger said. 

Outside of SRHS, Kreger is involved with organizations at her church, has a job at Hollister and plays travel softball. 

Kreger plans to study psychology at a four-year university.

On Dec. 1, San Diego Unified School District issued a statement announcing that plans to gradually open campuses to students were postponed and that distance learning will continue longer into 2021. Here is the statement:

Dear San Diego Unified Family,
Due to ongoing health concerns related to COVID-19 and the safety of our students, staff and community, we have decided to continue with online learning for the majority of students through the first part of the new year. However, appointment-based, in-person instruction will still be available on campus for students with the greatest needs through Phase 1.

The decision to remain online longer than we had hoped will be disappointing to the many students, teachers and others who are eager to be back in the classroom. However, the current spread of the coronavirus in our community makes it unsafe to move forward with Phase 2 of our reopening at this time. We plan to reassess the public health conditions and provide an updated timetable on Jan. 13.

In the meantime, we will continue to provide updated information on our reopening plans on our website. This includes a status dashboard and a complete list of the conditions we are continuing to watch for when it will be safe again to reopen campuses.

We will also continue increasing the number of students participating in the small group instruction, with infant/toddler, early learning, middle school, and high school students to start receiving appointments on Dec. 7. Since October, some 2,000 elementary school students have participated in these appointments.

Everyone looks forward to reuniting students and teachers in classrooms in the new year as quickly and as safely as possible. San Diego Unified has already spent tens of millions of dollars on air filtration, plexiglass desk dividers, hand sanitizer, personal protective equipment and more. Schools will be ready when it is safe and responsible to fully reopen. Unfortunately, that time has not yet come.

Gov. Gavin Newsom warned yesterday of potential drastic new measures at the state level, and, in San Diego County, close to 1,000 new cases have been reported. Hospitalizations have tripled this month. The most difficult stages of the pandemic may yet be ahead of us, but we are confident we will get through this together by remaining vigilant.

Sincerely,
San Diego Unified

According to the United States Service Dog Registry, more than 50,000 four-legged lifesavers are hard at work in the United States. 

Quincy, a standard poodle, is one of those hard-working animals, and he has become a very popular member of the Scripps Ranch community, especially with the students at Marshall Middle School (MMS).

Quincy's human is Susan Beisel, a science teacher at MMS, and like thousands of others, she requires the help of a service dog due to a medical condition.

One of her needs was to find a sneeze-proof dog. Beisel searched for a  hypoallergenic canine that would stand steady and was also big enough to help his human get up and down, and it had to be a very smart dog to learn and perform all the necessary service functions Beisel required. 

"Part of selecting a service dog is letting the dog select you, instead of you selecting him. Many of the breeders I contacted wanted to pick a dog for me. I said, ‘No, I can't do that.' I want a dog that isn't just another pretty face, he must be smart and he must pick me too," Beisel said.

"I began working with Susan Cook, who primarily sells hunting dogs known for having a good nose, and that's very important because how the dog signals me is by scent," Beisel explained. "My body chemistry changes and that is how the dog knows to alert. I knew Quincy was the one when instead of running off with his siblings to play, he snuggled up to me and put his head on my lap."

Service dogs have a lot of rules to follow; subsequently not every pooch is cut out for the job. Poodles can be very high-spirited, but Quincy was the exception, being a very mellow and stable dog. 

"Quincy is not allowed to bark unless it's to alert me," Beisel said. "He cannot have any prey drive ... and when we're working, if a squirrel, bunny or cat is near, Quincy isn't even allowed to recognize them. He cannot be distracted because it puts me at risk."

To learn all these new behaviors, Quincy went to school at Golden State Service Dogs in Chula Vista. Beisel and her new companion trained side-by-side, attending classes once a week and weekends for two years. 

"At the end of this process I had to log 200 active training hours, so Quincy has his own Instagram account," Beisel said. "Quincy also had to pass multiple tests before he would receive his official Golden State Service Dog vest. The vest is like a diploma verifying that he has reached national accreditation. So, wherever I go Quincy is registered with the Humane Society – a large gold coin on his collar certifies that he's nationally accredited." 

To keep the vest, Quincy must do an additional 100 hours that are documented in writing and photos that are posted on his Instagram page. 

"Right now, the COVID has us doing remote teaching. But when I take Quincy to class he has a crate and he has a bed on opposite sides of my desk, and he knows that is where he must stay unless it's to signal me. If there is a problem, Quincy will signal me by barking or by striking me with his paw," Beisel said.

"I explain to the kids that when Quincy is wearing his vest, he knows he's working; but when I take it off he runs around the classroom like the village idiot. He knows it's playtime, Beisel added. "Once a month (before COVID-19) we have, ‘Touch Me Tuesday' and ‘Freedom Friday,' and allow the kids to pet and play with Quincy. They absolutely love him."

Because Beisel teaches and enjoys science, she named her canine sidekick after the popular 1970s TV show "Quincy, M.E." featuring a Los Angeles medical examiner (played by Jack Klugman) who utilizes science to help solve police investigations. 

Two Scripps Ranch teens launched an online tutoring service that helps struggling students at Marshall Middle School to excel in their math and English classes.

H2N, which stands for Homework Help Network, helps to reduce academic inequality that was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. It offers free group and one-on-one tutoring once a week with Scripps Ranch High School (SRHS) honor students, who are experienced in working with younger students.

Although many of Marshall's students have received help to attend online classes, such as getting Internet access and laptops, many are still falling behind. Some families cannot afford tutoring services, especially during the pandemic.

"Many parents also work from home and don't have enough time to help them with their homework," said Anjali Koganti, 17, who is a co-founder of H2N and graduated from SRHS in spring 2020. "We fill in the gap to help these students and families."

Koganti got the idea from TutorFly, which is another online tutoring service, but H2N is designed to work only with students at Marshall. She knew she could not do this alone. Koganti asked her friend Sumana Srinivas, who is a senior at SRHS and had taken a computer coding course last summer, for help with starting H2N. Both share the roles of creating and managing the website with Srinivas handling most of the student sign-ups.

With the help of Marshall's vice-principals Kaitlin Moffatt and Stephen Olds, Koganti and Srinivas set up H2N as a connection between the students at Marshall and SRHS.

"Vice-principals Moffatt and Olds helped us to get the resources together for H2N," Koganti said. "They help us out with logistics and improvements for the website based on their knowledge of the students and parents."

The vice-principals also help spread the word about H2N to the Marshall students' families, and they meet with Koganti and Srinivas once or twice a week to see how the program is doing.

Marshall's students choose a topic, reserve a time with a group or private session with a tutor and submit a specific question about their homework once a week. Meanwhile, SRHS students who would like to be a tutor can sign up on the website.

"Right now, we have about 20 Marshall Middle School students signed up for H2N, and we are hoping more will sign up," Koganti said.

For now, Marshall is the only middle school in San Diego County that is using this tutoring model, which functions more like a high school club than a business. Koganti and Srinivas hope that other schools would adopt something similar to help struggling students and families.

"We see ourselves reaching out to other middle and high schools in Southern California to incorporate a H2N club," Srinivas said. "We want this organization to help not just the Scripps Ranch community, but other surrounding communities as well."  

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Scripps Ranch High School (SRHS) students have not been able to experience the regular in-person school year. These seniors now have an opportunity to share their thoughts.

Annalee Luke
Vice president of Associated Student Body (ASB) 

“I think the main thing that I’m missing is getting to experience and plan all the senior events such as senior homecoming and football game themes. We have such a build up to senior year, it’s the last hurrah and it’s potentially our last time to be amongst all the students in our class, and we’re all missing out on that,” Luke said. 

Luke and ASB have been trying to keep up the morale of students. 

“This year, even though we won’t be able to have the regular Friday night lights games, every Friday we will be turning on the stadium lights for 20 minutes and 21 seconds in honor of the class of 2021. We are also still planning on having homecoming kings and queens,” Luke said.  

Not only is Luke involved in ASB, but she is also the vice president of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the Butterfly Effect Club on campus. After graduation, Luke hopes to attend Baylor University or California Polytechnic State University where she plans to study business. 

Riley Merrigan
Captain of the varsity football team

“What I miss the most is battling with my brothers. I miss running out onto the field and having the
whole crowd behind me and a whole sideline behind me. I miss playing football,” Merrigan said.

Not only does he miss the Friday night lights, but he shares his struggles in school due to virtual learning.

“There really is no substitute to in-person learning. I feel like there is no accountability or motivation. There is no structure and I know the teachers are trying their hardest, but it’s just been very hard to keep up with everything,” Merrigan said.

If given the chance to go back to campus, Merrigan hopes to build some last memories with his team. 

“I’m looking forward to having a full weight room with my team, and just sitting in the classroom with all my peers,” he said.

Merrigan hopes to continue his career in football in college while studying something related to business. 

“Currently, the University of Washington Saint Louis and Carnegie Mellon are the two top schools recruiting me to play Division III football,” Merrigan said.  

Izzy Hall
ASB treasurer and varsity lacrosse player 

“I really miss the overall atmosphere of Friday night lights. I think that we, as seniors, are missing out on a lot of key moments like Homecoming and those games. I’m hoping that we can at least get some memories in as a class,” Hall said. 

She explained her feelings on the changes made due to virtual learning. 

“I think the way they cut down the amount of classes we have to take this year is nice. It helps
us adjust to this different way of learning,” Hall said. 

She was excited to play her last season of lacrosse if able to go back to in-person learning. 

“Our season last spring was cut early due to COVID-19, and I’m just hoping that we can come back this year and win CIF,” Hall said. 

She committed to Dickinson College to play Division III lacrosse and plans to study political science. 

Connor Colletto
4-year varsity soccer player

“I miss the Friday night lights the most. I miss being part of the student section and cheering on our team,” Colletto said. “In about a month, we would be trying out for soccer at school and it’s just sad knowing we won’t be able to do that.”

Colletto conveys his thoughts on the new adjustments made this year. 

“This year has been better than last spring because I think it is a lot more manageable. However, it’s rough in the sense that I miss being able to see my classmates. It’s been so long since I have been able to see anyone in person and I just miss the experience of actually going to class,” he said. 

Outside of SRHS, Colletto volunteers for the organization Build a Miracle and plays for San Diego Surf Soccer Club. 

Colletto hasn’t decided if he will play soccer in college, but plans to attend the University of Washington or Clemson University to study business. 

For 30 years, teacher Joe Marsella has helped shaped the lives of countless special needs students during his tenure at Dingeman Elementary School's Early Childhood Special Education preschool.

His dedication to the students, their families and the community has earned him superstar status in the eyes of everyone he has helped. Marsella received the San Diego Unified School District's "Above & Beyond" award for his contributions to the community. 

"His two-year program was life-changing. Mr. Joe opened my autistic daughter's world to learning," parent Emily Forgeron said. "He tapped into everything she loved to build a trust with her, and this was an autistic child who was deeply afraid of unfamiliar men and would hide or cower around them. In Mr. Joe's classroom, Eva (Forgeron's daughter) had access to learn from peer models. She blossomed." 

Marsella, known as Mr. Joe, explained his role. 

"My class is especially there for children with special needs," he said. "But I also take children from the neighborhood as peer models, language models and social models. Right now, we have about half and half. In our morning session we have four children with special needs and four children without."

Forgeron described an example involving her other daughter.

"Eva's younger sister, Lily, is 4 and she is now a peer model in Mr. Joe's class," she said. "So, I have experienced both sides of how this program is beneficial for both a child with an IEP (Individualized Education Program) and one without."

"When it comes to how the kids interact with each other, most of the time they don't even notice that a few of their classmates have special needs. But there are times when some students are moving faster than those with special needs, and it's our job to help them to understand that some kids require extra help. Our job is to explain things and to keep the special needs students included in the group. This is especially true when it come to kids with autism," Marsella said. "A child with autism may not want to play with others, and that will confuse the non-special needs classmate. An autistic child can have an especially difficult time socializing with others. Our goal is to help students understand and to deal with certain situations like that. I think it's a positive learning experience for the students without special needs."

Part of Marsella's "magic" is his unique ability to connect with students. In Eva's case he recognized her affection for Sofia the First, an animated character in a Disney series. 

"First I had to watch the show to find out who Sofia the First was," Marsella said. "Then I purchased a few items with Sofia's picture to make Eva feel more comfortable. I'd never met anyone as apprehensive about coming into school as Eva, and getting those things for her just seemed like the right thing to do."

Forgeron was able to witness the progress.

"Mr. Joe made sure he had plenty of Sofia toys, trinkets, books, plush toys and a special Sofia necklace to acclimate Eva to his classroom setting when school started. But over time, she no longer needed the necklace to go to school," she said. "For his students' birthdays, he honors their day with a special party in the classroom. For Eva's celebration, he went all out with Sofia the First decorations, a cupcake for her to make a wish and presents. She sat at the head of the table and was glowing with happiness when her classmates sang to her. At past birthday parties, she would run away, overwhelmed when family and friends sang for her. Seeing how she responded to the celebration and Mr. Joe's attention almost brought me to tears."

Ellen Browning Scripps Elementary School plans to hold a Drive-Thru Fall Festival at the school’s faculty parking lot Friday, Oct. 30.

The event will feature a pumpkin carving contest, a car decorating contest and carnival games. All games and contest will be played through car windows. Attendees must stay in their vehicle at the event.

Face coverings and social distancing are required during the event.