From kindergarten through high school, preparing Carlsbad Unified students for success in their further education, career and life is our reason for being. We teach the basics plus the life skills needed. We start young and we continue reinforcing and building upon learning. We offer options and opportunities for children to expand their knowledge and their horizons.
Here are a few of the many enterprising programs taking place at our schools. If you'd like to visit a classroom in 2011-12, please let me know. Prepare yourself to be amazed!
Jefferson Second-Graders Display Business Acumen
Last spring, Jefferson second-graders held a pint-sized Business Expo highlighting the partnerships they'd nurtured over a six-week period. The program enabled students to experience their roles as both consumers and producers of goods and services.
These astute kids worked closely with Carlsbad Chamber members to learn about local businesses. They utilized technology- based mapping skills and developed an understanding of their surroundings.
The children, who presented their displays to parents and the public, said they gained a great deal from the program. Keely Hannian reports, "I learned that it takes a lot of knowledge and skill to run a business." Kaitlyn McKibben says, "I learned that Linda's Yogurt sells ice cream, yogurt, smoothies and smiles!"
CVA Students Connect with Their Heritage
What better way to motivate students to pursue a bright future than to open their eyes to a rich past! That's exactly what occurred when Carlsbad Village Academy students enjoyed an exclusive tour of the fascinating Carlsbad Barrio Museum.
Museum co-founder Ofie Escobedo led students through the treasure trove of displays, photos and letters. She inspired them with anecdotes and answered their thoughtful questions.
The event enabled students of Hispanic heritage to connect with some of the earliest Carlsbad residents, many of whose ancestors continue to live in the Barrio area and keep the culture alive. Some students noted their familial relationship to these longtime Carlsbad families.
Student Services Specialist Rosemary Eshelman believes, "Connecting to their culture and understanding their place in Carlsbad history helps keep our youth focused on continuing their education and contributing to the community their predecessors helped create."
CHS Academies Help Students Become Career-Ready
These Carlsbad High academies deserve awards! Our Film Academy provides an academically challenging two-year opportunity to selected students, who frequently advance to rewarding careers in related fields. The Internship Academy helps juniors practice job-getting skills in simulated settings in preparation for interviewing for "real" internship programs in their field of choice.
Being interviewed by a potential employer can be stressful even for adults who have been through the process many times. The interview can seem especially daunting to teenagers, most of whom have not yet entered the workforce.
Dressed for success and armed with a resume and cover letter, each prospective intern recently participated in a structured ten-minute interview with a volunteer professional. Interviewer Jolie Lucas said, "I was quite pleased with the students' presentations and conversations. I was so impressed with one young woman that I told her I could envision working with her."
If the bright-eyed students were nervous, most didn't show it. "I work well with people," one young man told his interviewer. "I don't have work experience, but I do have an eagerness to learn," said another, articulating every employer's dream.
In her post-interview wrap-up, Remy Smith confided, "I've never had a 'real job' other than babysitting, but I now feel prepared to succeed in my internship interview. This process has helped me a lot." That's just what our Academy Coordinators like to hear!
Here are a few of the many enterprising programs taking place at our schools. If you'd like to visit a classroom in 2011-12, please let me know. Prepare yourself to be amazed!
Jefferson Second-Graders Display Business Acumen
Last spring, Jefferson second-graders held a pint-sized Business Expo highlighting the partnerships they'd nurtured over a six-week period. The program enabled students to experience their roles as both consumers and producers of goods and services.
These astute kids worked closely with Carlsbad Chamber members to learn about local businesses. They utilized technology- based mapping skills and developed an understanding of their surroundings.
The children, who presented their displays to parents and the public, said they gained a great deal from the program. Keely Hannian reports, "I learned that it takes a lot of knowledge and skill to run a business." Kaitlyn McKibben says, "I learned that Linda's Yogurt sells ice cream, yogurt, smoothies and smiles!"
CVA Students Connect with Their Heritage
What better way to motivate students to pursue a bright future than to open their eyes to a rich past! That's exactly what occurred when Carlsbad Village Academy students enjoyed an exclusive tour of the fascinating Carlsbad Barrio Museum.
Museum co-founder Ofie Escobedo led students through the treasure trove of displays, photos and letters. She inspired them with anecdotes and answered their thoughtful questions.
The event enabled students of Hispanic heritage to connect with some of the earliest Carlsbad residents, many of whose ancestors continue to live in the Barrio area and keep the culture alive. Some students noted their familial relationship to these longtime Carlsbad families.
Student Services Specialist Rosemary Eshelman believes, "Connecting to their culture and understanding their place in Carlsbad history helps keep our youth focused on continuing their education and contributing to the community their predecessors helped create."
CHS Academies Help Students Become Career-Ready
These Carlsbad High academies deserve awards! Our Film Academy provides an academically challenging two-year opportunity to selected students, who frequently advance to rewarding careers in related fields. The Internship Academy helps juniors practice job-getting skills in simulated settings in preparation for interviewing for "real" internship programs in their field of choice.
Being interviewed by a potential employer can be stressful even for adults who have been through the process many times. The interview can seem especially daunting to teenagers, most of whom have not yet entered the workforce.
Dressed for success and armed with a resume and cover letter, each prospective intern recently participated in a structured ten-minute interview with a volunteer professional. Interviewer Jolie Lucas said, "I was quite pleased with the students' presentations and conversations. I was so impressed with one young woman that I told her I could envision working with her."
If the bright-eyed students were nervous, most didn't show it. "I work well with people," one young man told his interviewer. "I don't have work experience, but I do have an eagerness to learn," said another, articulating every employer's dream.
In her post-interview wrap-up, Remy Smith confided, "I've never had a 'real job' other than babysitting, but I now feel prepared to succeed in my internship interview. This process has helped me a lot." That's just what our Academy Coordinators like to hear!