Each year, Carlsbad educators and schools are recognized for their adapted or adopted, entrepreneurial, innovative and scientific programs. Their creativity and dedication to students is honored at the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce’s Outstanding Educational Programs Awards Dinner at La Costa Resort and Spa on Friday, April 27. A much-anticipated event, the awards dinner draws teachers, principals, parents and business leaders together to celebrate the exceptional educational programs at local schools. “Supporting education is very important in every community, and we are so happy to be able to recognize the educators who make Carlsbad schools such quality learning environments,” said Lisa Manemann, director of special events for the chamber.
The extraordinary evening teams the chamber’s Partners in Education Foundation with Kids Are Worth A Million, which is a program of the Carlsbad Educational Foundation. “The partnership is based on a shared vision to support education,” said Diana Aaron, executive director of Kids Are Worth A Million, “The opportunity to work together for education (is great) because that will just make our entire community much stronger.”
During the event, Kids Are Worth A Million will present a check to the Carlsbad Unified School District. In 2006, the organization presented $300,000 to the district, and Aaron hopes this year’s check will surpass the prior investment made to Carlsbad education. “With all the state budget cuts that we have, its important to make sure that we’re investing in the future, and that is our children. The ways that we best can do that as a community is to donate and make sure the teachers have the tools that they need to teach our children,” Aaron said.
At last year’s event, award winners included an array of schools and featured various programs, such as the Mission Estancia Elementary School’s Pet Sponsorship Program, which was recognized as the most outstanding innovative program, and Aviara Oaks Middle School, which was awarded the Most Outstanding Adopted or Adapted Program award for their AOMS Orchestra. Each year, winners are judged by a panel of business men and women, who blindly view each program’s content, intent and achievement and rank it in accordance with each category’s nominations. Categories include Adopted or Adapted, Entrepreneurial, Innovative and Scientific programs. This year’s finalists include:
Adopted or Adapted Program
Calavera Hills Elementary School Parents as Partners-Workshops Across Curriculum Nona Loftis and Chris Durnan Calavera Hills Middle School Where Everybody Belongs Cory Cooper
Hope Elementary School Circle of Friends Gail Limjoco, Nicola Woods, Michelle Malkind and Jessica Kraus
Valley Middle School Learning Resource Center Judi Gaccetta, Marriane Kimball, Debra Douglas, Karey Jaeger, Bill Parker, Marylou Jenkinson, Paul McDonnel and Vandy Ruth
Entrepreneurial Program
Carlsbad High School Virtual Enterprise Doreen Sladavic
El Camino Creek Elementary School Project Pearly Ina Rosen
La Costa Heights Elementary School The La Costa Heights Recycling Company Arlene Skoor
Mission Estancia Elementary School Class Business Program John Cotter
Innovative Program
Aviara Oaks Elementary School Third Grade Professional Learning Community Martha Boggs, David Cann, Gina Garcia, Kathleen Gilmore, Cindy Irwin, Kelly McCabe, Sue Nicholas, Jami Rushing and Monique Russell.
Aviara Oaks Middle School Photo Journalism Cindy Standley
Calavera Hills Elementary School Healthy Choices, Healthy Children Jessica Dooley and Kim Thorne
Carlsbad High School Adult Transition Program Camille Marsh
Mission Estancia Elementary School The Learning Center, Where all Students Succeed! Debralee Loke and Jennifer McIntee
Scientific Program
Carlsbad Village Academy Tackling Alcohol Together Eric Exier and Donna Mancuso
Jefferson Elementary School Lego Robots in Action Mrs. Haeberlein and Mrs. Dagy
Kelly Elementary School Trails to Discovery: Outdoor Classroom Experience Lalana, Rogers, Rogoff, Stone and Taylor
Olivenhain Pioneer Elementary School “Lettuce Learn”-A Sixth Grade Garden Thomas Baugh, Jeanne Benowitz and Sallie Kobulnicky