Mission Bay Cluster
– Do you have friends or family living outside of the Mission Bay Cluster that would like to attend one of Pacific Beach’s exceptional schools during the 2018-2019 school year? With four elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school, the Mission Bay Cluster offers a variety of concentrations and curricula. Barnard Asian Pacific Language Academy is a Mandarin Chinese immersion program giving students from kindergarten through fifth grade instruction in core academics in both English and Mandarin Chinese. Crown Point Junior Music Academy focuses on strong academics through music education, while Kate Sessions Elementary is an International Baccalaureate World School with an inquiry-based approach to teaching and learning. Pacific Beach Elementary is located in north Pacific Beach and offers differentiated instruction for all learners, including GATE and GATE/Seminar. Pacific Beach Middle and Mission Bay High schools are both International Baccalaureate World Schools offering a wide variety of courses, academic rigor, and athletic opportunities. 
– The San Diego Unified School Choice Program provides students with the opportunity to attend PB schools even if they aren’t their neighborhood school. Enrollment through the School Choice Program closes Nov. 13. Apply online at sandiegounified.org. 
– The next Mission Bay Cluster meeting will take place 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 2, in the Pacific Beach Elementary library.
– At the Oct. 24 San Diego Unified School District Board of Education meeting (above photo), PBMS eighth-grader Katerina Sidell spoke about BlueSTEM, a new pathway at PBMS to add to their International Baccalaureate, music, and Mandarin immersion programs. Working with the Maritime Alliance, students are connected to BlueTech education, career, and service opportunities.  
MBHS seniors spoke about their ongoing projects under the guidance of teachers Steve Walters and Tony Corbin. Jordan Grayson described their Virtual Reality Ocean Experience project where students developed VR experiences centered around environmental conservation. One project, in partnership with Cabrillo National Monument, involved filming with 360-degree cameras the hike to the tide pools to make the park accessible to everyone. Ciara Gray spoke about the ongoing partnerships with NOAA/Southwest Fisheries and California Fish and Wildlife raising baby red abalone in the classroom and with Hubbs/Sea World raising and tagging white sea bass in the classroom and releasing them into Mission Bay. She explained one of their goals is to bring students of all ages together as with their partnership with Climate Science Alliance sending MBHS students acting as Climate Ambassadors for a Clean Ocean to Pacific Beach elementary schools to “teach about the earth, their impact on it, and communication in science.”
Arielle Hancko spoke about their three-year project of reducing plastic pollution on campus and in the local community and of their annual participation in the Ocean Plastic Pollution Summit at Monterey Bay Aquarium, where “like-minded youth get together to discuss the ways to reduce their ecological footprint in their own communities.” Mission Bay High
– Have you heard about the excellent academic and sports programs at MBHS? Hear all about it at the next campus tour at 8 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 9. Pacific Beach Middle – School tours are in full swing. Invite your neighbors and friends to the monthly tour so that families can learn about the school’s programs. The next one is from 8 to 10 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 2. Barnard Elementary – Barnard Mandarin Magnet Elementary School’s annual Literacy Night, held on Oct. 20, was a scary success. A crowd of nearly 200 students, siblings, parents, and volunteers attended this award-winning, annual event, which aimed to show children how reading and writing can be fun. Just in time for Halloween, this year’s theme, “Night of the Ghost Writers,” brought out each student’s best writing in creative and spooky ways. There was something for everyone, from kindergarten through fifth grade. 
“There is no reason that students shouldn’t enjoy reading, writing, and literacy,” Barnard parent and event-coordinator Amy Cheng said. “These kids had such a great time at this party that they didn’t realize they were learning the entire time.” Last year, the San Diego PTA Council honored Barnard’s Literacy Night with the Ruth Johnson Award, which recognizes innovative programs. 
– Girl Scouts Junior Troop 4288 at Barnard is collecting recycling to help fund their year-end bridging trip. They are collecting plastic bottles with CRV and aluminum cans. 
– Girl Scout Junior Troop 4288 at Barnard set up The Little Free Library. The philosophy behind the library is that everyone should have access to books all the time. The policy is take a book and enjoy. The librarians are the Junior Troop 4288. They repair the books and stamp them. The girls also make sure they have a variety of books for all ages of students.  PB Elementary – Nov. 3 is Rollerskating Family Fun Night at Skateworld, at 6907 Linda Vista Road. Tickets are $10 per person, including skate rentals. A portion of the proceeds from the night benefit the school. 
– The community is invited to watch PBE students perform in Missoula Children’s Theatre production of “Beauty Lou and the Country Beast.” Shows are in the PBE auditorium on Saturday, Nov. 18 at 2:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.  CPJMA – Are you thinking of enrolling your student at Crown Point Junior Music Academy, but live outside of Pacific Beach? The SDUSD Choice deadline is Nov. 13. Come tour the school Tuesday, Nov. 7, from 1:15 to 1:45 p.m. Learn about the free Suzuki violin program, free after-school music clubs, teachers and beautiful campus.
– Join CPJMA families for a Dine Out at Corvette Diner on Nov. 6 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. The flyer will be available on the Friends of CPJMA website and FB page.
– CPJMA wants to thank everyone who was a part of the annual Trunk or Treat! Thank you to Newbreak for partnering with us to make it a big success and to the volunteers, community supporters, and attendees who enjoyed the festivities. Kate Sessions – Sessions congratulates October’s “ISee IB” winners: Charly-Beller Ramirez for being cooperative, Joel Levin for being respectful, Juan Diego Melendez for being cooperative, Lucia Fowler for helpfulness, Rileigh Heering for caring, and Rebecca Villalba for being a thinker. These are a few of the attributes that make up the International Baccalaureate learner profile, implying a commitment to help all members of the school community learn to respect themselves, others and the world around them.