District Continues Strategic Planning Process and Kicks Off
Code of Conduct Review Committee

Parents, teachers, students, and staff members are continuing to meet to share ideas and feedback on the Strategic Planning process.  The next Strategic Planning meeting will be on the topic of Learning Environment: Creating Positive School Environments and will be held on Tuesday, January 19 at 7:00 p.m. at Christiana High School. This topic will continue the conversation about Christina's current school environments and ways to improve the overall school experience for students.  Ideas to be explored include graduation rates, school discipline, extracurricular activities, parent involvement, opportunities for gifted students, strategies for struggling students, college and work preparation, and ways to make school more inviting and meaningful for all students.  We hope you can join us for this discussion. A full list of Strategic Plan meetings and resources is available on the District website at the following link: www.christina.k12.de.us/StrategicPlan

On Thursday, January 7, the District held its kick-off meeting for the 2010-2011 Student Code of Conduct Review Committee.  A cross-section of parents, staff, students, and community members attended and held an informative discussion about ways to improve the current Code of Conduct and address behavior concerns district-wide.  This group will continue to meet over the next several months.  Please visit the District website for more information about the Code of Conduct Review Committee and ways you can get involved: www.christina.k12.de.us/CodeOfConduct/ReviewCommittee

Don’t have time to attend a meeting? Here are some other ways you can stay involved and share ideas:

2010-2011 School Choice Open Enrollment Ends January 13

Interested in a school other than your assigned school based on your home address?  Interested in Full-Day Kindergarten for the 2010-2011 school year?  Apply for School Choice.  The 2010-2011 School Choice open enrollment period ends on Wednesday, January 13. 

For additional information, guidelines and applications, please visit:  www.christina.k12.de.us/Choice/2010-2011

Jo Anne Deshon and Karen Fredricks Are Honored by President Obama
Two Christina Teachers Attend January 6 Ceremony at the White House

Christina Students Accepted to 2010 Delaware All-State Events

Congratulations to the twenty-seven Christina School District students who were selected to participate in the 2010 Delaware All-State musical events.  All candidates were chosen through competitive auditions.

Sponsored by the Delaware Music Educators Association, the events will be held on the following dates, times and locations:
 

All-State Senior Jazz January 23, 7:00 p.m. - Conrad High School

Christiaan Clark, Newark High School Greg McCall, Christiana High School

All-State Senior Band January 30, 6:00 p.m. - Salesianum High School

Christiaan Clark, Newark High School Tan Gretchen, Newark High School Danielle Farnum, Shue-Medill Middle School Sarah Leung, Shue-Medill Middle School Jonathan Sabatino, Newark High School

All-State Junior Chorus February 6, 4:00 & 7:00 p.m., Dickinson High School

Zoe Coffing, Shue-Medill Middle School Lindsay Cummings, Shue-Medill Middle School Liam Kriner, , Shue-Medill Middle School Ashley Marra, , Shue-Medill Middle School Gregory McCall, Christiana High School Thomas Opiyo, Jr., , Shue-Medill Middle School Jessica Palmer, Newark High School Walter Pendleton, Newark High School Dorthea Wright, , Shue-Medill Middle School

All-State Orchestra February 20, 6:00 p.m., Appoquinimink High School

Caroline Beston, Newark High School Christiaan Clark, Newark High School Victor Gomez, Newark High School Timothy Hegedus, Newark High School James Idsardi, Newark High School Enoch Lee, Newark High School Joseph Lee, Newark High School Nicholas Lehman, Newark High School Megan Rise, Newark High School Sarah Song, Newark High School Gabriella Stout, Newark High School

Special thanks to our school music directors:

Penny Carmack, Newark HS (Junior Chorus) Wendy Dobroski, Christiana HS (Junior Chorus) Jeffrey Dombchik, Christiana HS (Jazz) Rosara Macera, Newark HS (Orchestra) Barbara Swartz, Shue-Medill MS (Junior Chorus) Jonathan Witman, Newark HS (Jazz, Senior Band, Orchestra) Lloyd Walton, Shue-Medill MS (Senior Band)

Kirk Middle School AVID Students Make Dinner for
Guests of Ronald McDonald House

On December 3, thirteen AVID students from George V. Kirk Middle School and their teachers served a Holiday dinner to the families at Wilmington’s Ronald McDonald House.  The activity was coordinated by Mrs. Tyson, 7th grade AVID elective teacher.  The menu included turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, green beans, corn, rolls, salad and ice cream and cookies for dessert.  In keeping with the AVID philosophy of community service, the students purchased and prepared the meal themselves. 

The kitchen was a “happening place” with thirteen chefs washing, cutting and cooking the meal. The students then served the families and had a chance to interact with many in the group. Handmade placemats, napkins rings and centerpieces decorated each table.  After serving the dinner the AVID students and teachers were treated to a “back stage” tour of the facility. The evening generated more than a delicious meal--spirits were brightened for both the families and the students.

Networks Clothing Drive Results in
Dozens of Items for Homeless Students

Students in the Networks Fabricworks program held a clothing drive before the holidays, encouraging family members and friends to donate items for the District’s homeless student population.  The students drafted a letter to parents and staff and made signs advertising the drive.  When the clothes were collected, the students sorted, fixed items (replaced buttons, hook and eyes, and made minor repairs), ironed, folded, and packaged everything, using the skills they have been learning in class.  The items were picked up by Lavina Smith, the District’s Homeless Coordinator.  Mrs. Smith was overwhelmed and surprised when she saw the volume of clothing collected by Networks students.  Boxes of clothing were stacked almost to the ceiling, and Mrs. Smith had to use a large van to transport the items to the District office for distribution.  Congratulations to the Networks students involved in this project for this outstanding community outreach project.

Douglass Students Graduate from
LACC All Stars Program

Students at the Douglass Alternative School have been
involved in a partnership with the Latin American Community Center (LACC) for the past two years that targets building character to prevent high-risk behaviors in youth and teens.  The All Stars program promotes the development of positive personal characteristics.  It is designed to support and
motivate young people by developing meaningful relationships with each other and institutions.  On December 17, Douglass students involved in the program participated in a graduation ceremony.  Congratulations to all the students involved for
their commitment to this outstanding program.

GHS Sophomore Named Fall 2009 Student -Athlete of the Year

Local sports radio station 1290 The Ticket (WWTX-AM) teamed up with the Huntington Learning Center in Newark to announce that Glasgow High School student Daizy Fuentes has been named the Fall 2009 Student-Athlete of the Year.  Students were nominated by athletic directors, teachers, coaches and principals.  Daizy is a sophomore at Glasgow and despite many hardships in her life, she is still an extremely motivated and driven student.  Daizy was a freshman standout on the girl's varsity basketball team last season and also participates in softball, all while keeping a GPA over 3.4.  For her efforts in the classroom, she will be awarded a full SAT/ACT Prep Course from Huntington Learning Center - Newark.

New State Assessment Contract Awarded
American Institutes for Research (AIR) will develop testing for students statewide

Beginning with the 2009-2010 school year, AIR will pilot:

• online testing in reading and mathematics for grades 3-8
• end-of-course online testing for high school students in English language arts, mathematics and science
• online testing in science and social studies in selected grades
• online benchmark testing in reading and mathematics in grades 2-10 to help teachers plan instruction according to the students' needs and show student growth towards Delaware standards

The total cost of the five year contract is $24.6 million effective until June 30, 2014.  The DDOE reserves the right to extend the contract for as many as five additional one-year extensions if it is deemed to be in the best interest of the State of Delaware.  Because the state is obliged to continue school accountability in the present school year for federal No Child Left Behind legislation, the current DSTP assessment will continue to be administered in March 2010 in grades 2-10 for reading and mathematics and in May 2010 in grades 8 and 11 for science and social studies.

Leasure Elementary 5th Grade Stock Market Team Beats
Eight High School Teams to Garner First Place

A Stock Market Game team from Leasure Elementary School recently came in 1st place in the state of Delaware!  The 5th Grade team from Mrs. Ramsey’s room came from behind in the last two days of trading to beat out a team from Brandywine Springs Elementary School by about $450!  Team members were Simeon Daily, Zaiyre Lake and Billy McBride. They
were tops in the state out of 140 elementary teams, and placed 4th out of 280 teams from elementary, middle and high school teams.  They bested middle and high school teams from
St. Mark’s, Padua, Dickenson, Dover, Pencader, Howard, Red Lion, and Wilmington Charter High Schools, as well as Kirk Middle School.  The team earned almost $13,000 on their original investment of $100,000 in a 10-week game!  The students will be honored at an awards banquet to be held on January 21st at the University of Delaware. 

The winning investments made by the students included:

Shue-Medill PTA Kicks Off Intramural Sports Program

Shue-Medill Middle School kicked off its after-school, intramural sports program on December 10 with some exciting games of flag football and basketball.  This program was made possible through a true collaboration of students, parents and staff.  Shue-Medill PTA was awarded a $1,000 PTA Healthy Lifestyles Grant in support of this effort, which made possible the purchase of much needed equipment and will assist with the cost of certificates and awards in the spring.  This after-school intramural sports program is scheduled to continue two days a week through the spring in order to give students the opportunity for ongoing physical activity in a safe and supervised environment.  Sixty-three students have been participating and we are hopeful that the program will grow to serve a diverse group of 150 students consistently.  Shue-Medill PTA is still looking for community partners to assist in the continuing cost of providing healthy after-school snacks for students in our after-school intramural activities.  If you are interested in helping with this effort, please contact the Shue-Medill PTA Programs Chair, Mindy Cox at micmec@comcast.net.

Continuing Education Spring 2010 Catalog
Now Available!

The Spring 2010 Christina School District Continuing Education (CE) catalog is now available!  CE offers many programs for adults and children.  Classes include Dance, Music and Recreation; Exercise and Fitness; Computer Classes; Area Day Trips and more...

Click here to view or print the Spring 2010 Catalog. 

Christiana High Fall Blood Drive a Success

Christiana High School (CHS) students and staff rolled up their sleeves on Wednesday, December 9 to donate the holiday gift of life to the Blood Bank of Delaware.  The half-day drive "bagged" 40 pints of blood to be used to treat or save up to 120 needy patients.  The Honor Society and Ms. Cooney have been running the drives since 1995.  Congratulations to all involved at CHS.

Attention all 10th and 11th graders! 
Practice SAT Exams Available for $10!

Revolution Prep is offering a practice SAT exam at Newark High School on Saturday, February 6 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. for just $10!  Students will receive an online score report with detailed performance analysis, including written feedback on the essay.  For questions, more information or to sign up for the Mock SAT, please click here, call 1-877-REV-PREP or go online
to www.revolutionprep.com and click "SAT", then "Mock Exams", enter your zip code (19711) and then click "Enroll" next to the Newark High School, February 6 option.  Any high school student attending CHS, GHS or NHS is welcome to participate in this program.

For additional information or questions regarding this program, please contact:
     •  Mindy Cox, NHS Parent Contact
     •  Linda Raffaele, NHS Guidance Counselor and NHS Staff Contact.

McVey Elementary Family Fitness Night ~ January 11

Mark your calendars and plan to attend the McVey Elementary School PTA Family Fitness Night on Monday, January 11 from 7:00-8:30 p.m. in the school gymnasium.  The event will consist of various fitness stations including martial arts, calisthenics as well as information from the YMCA and The Little Gym.   

Downes Elementary School to Host "What in the World?"
Career Awareness Program

Downes Elementary School will host the Business, Industry, Education (BIE) Alliance’s “What
in the World?” career awareness program for their 5th grade students on Friday, January 15.  “What in the World?” is an interactive program designed to introduce students in grades 3 through 12 to a wide variety of careers in the math, science and technology fields.

For more than a decade, “What in the World?” program volunteers from the local business community have gone into area schools, bringing with them job-related “mystery objects” designed to spark the students’ curiosity and inspire them to learn more about the skills and education necessary for success in these jobs.  Participation in “What in the World?” broadens students’ horizons by exposing them to unfamiliar occupations and motivates them to explore career options in a whole new way.

Representatives from the following business partners are among those who will be sharing their time and expertise with the students at  Downes Elementary School:

• Christina School District

• Blood Bank of Delmarva

• Delaware State Police

• University of Delaware Solar Hydrogen IGERT Project

To learn more, please visit www.bie.k12.de.us.

Stubbs Elementary School
Students Hold Clothing Bazaar - On December 14, students at Stubbs Elementary School held a used clothing bazaar in the school gym.  Parents were able to purchase adult and children’s clothing by volunteering.

Kirk Middle School
6th Grade Chorus Performs at Food Lion Grand Opening - On Wednesday, December 9,
35 members of the Kirk Middle School 6th Grade Chorus performed a variety of concert repertoire and winter carols for the grand opening of the new Food Lion supermarket on
Route 40.  Under the direction of Mrs. Barbara Swartz, the students sang Candlelight Song,
A La Media Noche, and Yonder Come Day (with soloist Kyle McDowell) from their holiday concert set, as well as familiar carols celebrating the season.   The carols included Jingle Bells, Frosty the Snowman, and Silent Night (with soloist Cearra Taylor) among others.  A large crowd gathered at the front end of the beautiful new store to both listen and sing along. 
A wonderful time was had by students and shoppers alike. 

Downes Elementary School
4th Grade Students Donate to the Sunday Breakfast Mission - Downes Elementary students and staff from room 212 collected donations for the Sunday Breakfast Mission (SBM) in December.  Student raised $96 for the SMB which fed 50 people at their site.  Thanks to the efforts of these fourth graders and their teachers, Mr. Lukaszewicz, Mr. Peterson, and paraprofessional Mrs. Sawchuk, for giving back to their community and making a difference in the lives of others.  Way to go room 212!

Students Cash Out for Good Behavior - If it's Thursday, it must be PBS (Positive Behavior Support) cash out day at Downes!  Here are some students with parent volunteer, Mrs. Coburn, in the PBS room with their goodies.  Students earn tickets for good behavior, which can then be 'spent' in the PBS room.

Calendar Reminders...