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Principal's Message . International Baccalaureate . Writing Magnet . Calendar/Schedule . Map . Message from the Principal November/December, 2009 Dear School of International Studies Community, As the 2009 holiday season progresses, I want to begin by wishing all members of the School of International Studies community the very best. There is much to be thankful for, much to celebrate, and much to ponder at the present time. Let me begin with the latter. All interested parties are invited to attend a special Budget Town Hall Meeting led by “our” school board member, Richard Barrera, at 6:30 pm on Thursday evening, 3 December 2009, in the school library. Mr. Barrera is Vice President of the SDUSD Board of Trustees that will be forced to make some very difficult budgetary decisions in coming months. The following topics are worthy of discussion on December 3^rd: Will the Magnet School Program experience deep cuts in budget and personnel? Will bussing for Magnet students—including students at our school--be eliminated? Are any steps being taken to underwrite the cost of public transportation for our students? What will become of the Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) program? Are athletic programs, and the arts, on the chopping block? What is the vision for the six small schools at San Diego High School? Is the future of the School of International Studies and the International Baccalaureate Program secure? How can our school community help find solutions to the budget crisis facing schools? On the celebratory side, we were thrilled when, on the morning of 16 November, Jaime Enochs was honored as the recipient of a national Milken Educator Award at an all-school assembly in the gym. Ms. Enochs is one of our stellar teachers of English Language Arts, and chair of the English Department. The event received major media attention and brought much-deserved praise to Ms. Enochs, her colleagues, and the students at the School of International Studies. In the event that you missed it, the newspaper story may be found at: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2009/nov/16/sd-high-teacher-wins-milken-award/ We are thankful for the support of parents and community at our school. Fifty-five parents participated in the November meeting of our Parents Connect group, where they learned valuable insights about college admissions and financial aid programs. Parents are encouraged to attend the next meeting of this very active group, at 6:30 pm on 8 December in the library. We were most appreciative of our two Principals for the Day on Friday, 6 November. Each of these individuals represent the outstanding support our school enjoys from the business community: John Sipe, a regional vice president for Houghton Mifflin Harcourt publishing company, has contributed over $15,000 in advanced science, social studies, Spanish, and English Language Arts textbooks to our school this year; Douglas Gray, an insurance executive in downtown San Diego, is participating in the resurrection of the Community Advisory Board to lead the effort to raise money to support the rigorous educational offerings at the School of International Studies. Our students have received their first Report Cards for the year. Their grades reflect the rigorous curriculum and high expectations at this school, and of course the results of students’ efforts and the degree of parent support as well. Finally, counselor Sarah Hernandez reports that over forty students have signed up for the Saturday SAT Prep classes that she will commence in January. Sincerely, Kirk Ankeney, Principal (kankeney@sandi.net) Visit Mr. Ankeney's staff page here. Back to top