Por Jennifer Osborn

Thank you, Helix supporters

On Dec. 2, we hosted the 7th Annual Helix Supporters’ Breakfast. More than 200 members of the Helix community attended and enjoyed breakfast, entertainment, and highlights of the school’s success.

The breakfast is an annual fundraiser to support the College 4 Me program (C4Me), which sends 150 students every year on a college tour around the state. C4Me is an integral part of Helix’s mission, which is to provide every graduate with the opportunity to attend college, if they so choose. Students are able to set foot on a college campus, talk with Helix alumni attending the school, and they can see that college is not a far-away dream, but can be their reality. We thank the community for their support of this event and program, and look forward to the eighth breakfast next December.

Fall sports achievements

Our fall sports teams enjoyed plenty of success this year. Helix is proud of its tradition in excellence in athletics, as sports provide just one more method of connecting students to school and enhancing academic success. Congratulations to the following programs:

• Football: League Champions and CIF Open Division runners up
• Water polo: League Champions and CIF Div 3 Champions
• Field Hockey: League Champions and CIF Quarterfinalists
• Tennis: Venous Ghazi – CIF Quarterfinalist

Little Theater goodbye

The Little Theater stood on the Helix campus for many years, and was the site of many productions, including some with award-winning actor Dennis Hopper in the 1950s. Because it was built so long ago, it did not meet the needs of a modern theater, and was not in compliance with many building codes. As such, it was replaced with the current state-of-the-art Performing Arts Center, and was demolished during Winter Break. Many former Highland Players visited before the demolition, reliving some of their best memories in the building and saying goodbye. The space will become part of a concourse as an entrance to campus. Goodbye, Little Theater!

CAD and Robotics visit NAVAIR

In December, 38 students from the Computer Assisted Design (CAD) class and Robotics program took a tour of NAVAIR on Coronado Island. This field trip was to provide students with the knowledge of STEAM/STEM career opportunities. Students received an overview of NAVAIR and toured the base. Students ran live simulations as if they were pilot and co-pilot and learned about the responsibilities of the engineer who keeps the simulations up-to-date. They also ran a night vision simulation. Other students saw the “CSI side” of NAVAIR, showcasing the tools/techniques used to identify where problems may have occurred after an incident/accident.

This was just a small part of the great experience offered to these students. The students and staff were excited to have the opportunity to kick off what will hopefully be on ongoing relationship between Helix and NAVAIR.

2017-18 Enrollment

Enrollment for the 2017-18 school year is rapidly approaching. Families interested in enrolling their incoming 9th grader, or new students grades 10–12, will need to attend an upcoming Intent to Enroll meeting in order to be considered for enrollment. The following are the scheduled dates and locations (all are on Wednesdays):

• 11, 6 p.m. – Helix Charter High School
• 18, 6 p.m. – Vista La Mesa Academy
• 25, 6 p.m. – Lemon Grove Academy
• 1, 6 p.m. – Parkway Middle School
• 8, 6 p.m. – La Mesa Arts Academy
• Feb 15, 6 p.m. – Mount Vernon Academy
• Feb 22, 6 p.m. – Helix Charter High School

More details regarding the enrollment can be found on the school website, helixcharter.net (click on “Entrance Boundary/Lottery Information” on the left side of the page).

If you are interested in finding out more about Helix Charter High School, please attend one of our Excellence in Education Tours, held twice monthly. The upcoming tours are Jan. 5 at 8:10 a.m. and the Jan. 19 at 5:30 p.m. Reserve your spot using our website, helixcharter.net.

Como siempre, agradecemos sus comentarios. Por favor, no dude en ponerse en contacto conmigo en josborn@helixcharter.net.

—Jennifer Osborn escribe en nombre de Helix Charter High School.