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There’s still time to help the students and programs at SDA!

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There's still time to help the students and programs at SDA!

A message from the president

Please take a moment to read how SDAF needs your help to fill the gap between limited public funds and the dollars needed to support educational goals…

A message from the president

Find out how you can name a seat in the new Clayton E. Liggett Theatre

TAKE YOUR SEAT! San Dieguito Performing Arts Center — $1,000 Sponsor a seat in the Clayton E. Liggett...

Find out how you can name a seat in the new Clayton E. Liggett Theatre

Speech & Debate continues to rock, of course

SDA’s winning streak for speech and debate continues.

Victorious Speech and Debate team

More photos at end of article!

In varsity speech, Aram Mahmoudzadeh won first in Impromptu and second as a Congress PO. Claire Li followed closely behind with a second in Impromptu and seventh in Congress while Lauren Nelson took eleventh in Congress. Shannon O’Donnell and Hannah Wolfe used their teamwork to achieve fourth in DUO. The competition was tough and our victories were hard won; good job Varsity Speech!

Yet there wasn’t any time to rest! The team quickly moved to conquer the CSUF Fall Fullerton Invitational. In Varsity Policy Debate; Michael Wimsatt and Elliot Horen took first place and earned a Tournament of Champions bid, while Read more »

Robotics team needs your holiday lights!

We received this request from our stellar Robotics Team Paradox 2102!

The holiday season is quickly approaching and Team Paradox is participating in the Encinitas Holiday Parade on Dec. 3rd!

We are constructing a large, robot-themed float for the parade, and we need to make it BIG and BRIGHT!

You can help by lending us your Christmas Lights!

Just plain, white lights would be awesome! Or any lights in team colors!
Battery operated would be preferable, but we can also use the plug-in kind. We’ll have a generator.

Also, if anyone would like to donate any items on the Team Paradox Holiday Wishlist, that’d be splendid!

*~ Wishlist ~ * :

Christmas Lights of any kind. Anything that lights up!

Wrapping paper in team colors (red, yellow, blue, silver)

Big red ribbons

Spraypaint (red, yellow, blue, silver)

Duct tape/Gorilla tape

Work schedule for the Holiday Parade to be added to the Calendar soon! All construction will be at the Van Valkenberg’s house.

Thanks everyone!

Suki Berry
__________
Marketing Co-President
Team Paradox 2102
sukiberry@sdarobotics.org

A message from the president

Dear San Dieguito Academy Families,

It is with great pleasure that I take on the position of president of the San Dieguito Academy Foundation (SDAF). I look forward to an exciting year during which we continue to expand the Foundation’s 14-year-tradition of enhancing SDA’s unique culture and quality programs by raising funds and promoting active parental and community involvement.

Money jar with Mustang logo

Click on the jar to help us close the gap between limited public funds and the dollars we need to support educational goals


The Foundation is a nonprofit, parent volunteer organization dedicated to funding the school’s basic educational programs and supporting the priority needs that benefit all students (as identified by SDA’s principal and staff).

It also serves as the umbrella organization over all parent groups at SDA and coordinates the volunteer and fundraising activities of its member councils: Academic, Athletic, Music, Theatre, Student Support Services and Grad Nite.

I know you share my pride in the recognition our school garnered this year. It became a California Distinguished School and is one of only four California schools to also receive an additional award for its Exemplary Career Technical Education Program. And, Newsweek Magazine ranked SDA 180 on its annual list of America’s Best High Schools. That puts us in the top 20 percent of the schools surveyed.

These outstanding achievements are due to the hard work of a dedicated team of educators, an amazing student body, and unwavering parental support.

The money we raised during the 2010-11 school year is already having a tremendous impact on our children: Thanks to the generosity of SDA families, we helped fund the completion of our new Performing Arts Center, a new Bio-Tech Lab, the Writing Lab and Math Tutoring Center, the Robotic class, the College and Career Center, scholarships for many deserving seniors, and technology training for staff.

This year, we will continue to support these programs and others, including the new Business Ownership & Management class beginning this fall.

As you know, the State of California continues to cut back on educational funding, thus forcing school districts to decrease the allotment for each school. As a result, educational foundations like SDAF are filling the gap between limited public funds and the dollars needed to support educational goals. In recent years, this gap has consistently expanded.

We owe it to our children to close the gap and make sure they continue to benefit from the school’s rigorous academic and extra-curricular programs.

Our financial goal for the 2011-2012 academic year is to raise $150,000 to bridge the gap between public funding and SDA’s needs. With approximately 1,500 families, an annual contribution of $100 per family will achieve this financial goal. That’s about $8 per month, per family! This contribution may be made as a one-time donation or as a pledge spread over the next 12 months.

I know that many of you will also be asked to support specific activities that your children are involved in, be they athletics, music, theater or speech and debate. I also know that each of us is rethinking how to spend our hard-earned dollars. I do hope you will allocate a portion of your charitable contributions to SDAF’s general fund through this Annual Appeal. Keep in mind that the Foundation’s efforts benefit ALL students and enable SDA to maintain its overall high standards of excellence.

Thank you in advance for your support. I look forward to meeting many of you over the coming year.

Sincerely,

Don Cardenas
President, San Dieguito Academy Foundation

P.S. Please take a moment to fill out the following forms:

 

Speech & Debate hosts San Diego Imperial Valley League Varsity Debate Tournament

The SDA Speech and Debate team hosted the San Diego Imperial Valley League Varsity Debate tournament on Sept. 16th and Sept. 17th.

Varsity Speech and Debate team

SDA's Speech and Debate Team ROCKS

Schools from all over the San Diego County competed in Public Forum Debate, Policy Debate, Lincoln Douglas Debate and Parliamentary Debate. San Dieguito Academy won second place overall in Varsity Debate and the following students placed in their events:

  • Lucas Foster and Maia Rosengarten 8th place Parli Debate
  • Derrik Marrow and Kiana Eberle 7th place Parli Debate
  • Desiree Otillio and Cameron Koob 2nd place Parli Debate
  • Michael Wimsatt and Elliot Horen 1st place Parli Debate
  • David Galloway and Jerry Jin 8th place in Policy Debate
  • Desiree Otillio and Joseph Swit placed 6th in Policy Debate
  • Michael Wimsatt and Elliot Horen placed 1st in Policy Debate

A special thanks to all the parents who contributed to the success of the tournament and the community sponsors who provided food for the tournament including;

Our next upcoming tournaments will be on Saturday, Sept. 24th at Carlsbad High School and Oct. 1st and Oct. 2nd at CSU Long Beach. We are looking for any parents that will be willing to judge.

We are also looking for community donations. Please see our website at www.sdadebate.org for more details.

Music Council fundraiser at Souplantation

Mark your calendars! The next Restaurant Night Fundraiser will take place on Thursday, December 8 from 5 to 8 PM at Souplantation. 20% of the proceeds will go directly to the Music Program. We hope you will join us.

Please print out the flyer and present it at the time of purchase; otherwise Music Council does not receive credit for your meal!

Raise Money for SDA while Shopping Online – Every Purchase You Make Raises Funds for SDA!


A family who shops online through the eScrip Online Mall will earn an average of $70 per year for San Dieguito, so if we have 100 families using the eScrip Online Mall, that could potentially mean $7,000 for our school.

  • Earn up to 16% from purchases at over 1,000 name brand merchants
  • Shop from the same websites you know and trust
  • Pay exactly the same price as you normally would while supporting your group

For more information on supporting SDA via eScrip, please see our eScrip page.

There’s still time to help the students and programs at SDA!

Donations to SDAF (the parent foundation) funds student programs in ALL departments. Click the PayPal button to make a tax-deductible donation in any
amount, to support our highest priority needs.

Or send your check to
SDAF
PO Box 235109
Encinitas, CA 92023-5109

(Wondering where the money goes? Click here for the details.)

Click here to see where the money goes!

Latest Robotics newsletter is available for download

image of Robotics newsletter

Click above image to download the newsletter


For more information regarding the Robotics newsletter, contact:

Lonnie Mae Safarik

FIRST Robotics Team Paradox 2102
Team Paradox Secretariat
(760) 594-4033