November 4, 2011 (Santee CA) - Teachers, parents, alumni and supporters from throughout the community are anticipated to attend the 25th Anniversary Celebration of West Hills High School.

September 13, 2011 (San Diego’s East County) -- Parents, students, staff and community members from throughout Eastern San Diego County are welcome to attend the 2nd Annual iParent event, sponsored by the Grossmont Union High School District.

The event, which will feature keynote speakers Marsha Dodson and Dr. Darlene Willis and their presentationEmpowering Parents: A Guide to Taking Control of Your Child's Educational Journey, will take place on Saturday, September 17, from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Vallhalla High School. 

Musical continues this weekend and next at Encore! Theatre in Spring Valley

by Elena Peña

September 7, 2011 (East County) – A new foundation that will strengthen fundraising for East County’s two community colleges has been established to better connect with alumni and broaden the sources of money coming in to support the schools.

September 4, 2011 (San Diego) – From classical chamber music to jazz pianos, a free concert series offered by San Diego State University’s School of Music and Dance has appeal to a wide range of music lovers. The concerts are free and open to the public, as well as to students, faculty and staff.

September 4, 2011 (El Cajon)--To mark the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. and Flight 93, Grossmont College will plant an olive tree of remembrance on the El Cajon campus.

The tree planting ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 9 at a lawn area adjacent to building #53.

 By Doug Deane

August 30, 2011 (San Diego’s East County) -- The following local, state and national education news items are excerpted from a very informative e-newsletter published by Doug Deane, chair of the Business Education Committee at the San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce. Latest education news headlines include:

• GUHSD iParent Conference September 17
• Steady improvement in standardized tests
• The state’s new education blueprint
• How to measure school success
• Thought provoking videos from TED
• Algebra I for 8^th graders: an EdSource study
• Turning the classroom upside down
• How to get a real education
• Wind walkers
• Pathways to prosperity
• A special report on multimedia in schools
• Texas students sent from classroom to courtroom
• Feds say ‘no child’ benchmarks can be left behind
• Helping others succeed is teacher’s reward

August 21, 2011 (San Diego) – Not every preschool ice skating, swimming, dance, gardening and sports as part of the curriculum. But the new RJ’s Preschool Academy at the Salvation Army Kroc Center will offer all of these activities and more.

by Elena Peña

Get ready to witness a different kind of learning experience this fall at the Encore! Theatre in Spring Valley. The Young Actors’ Theatre is set to bring to life the beloved musical animated series School House Rock come September. It’s sure to be a fun, knowledge-infused event for the whole family.

The Grossmont College Adult Reentry Program will host “Recreate Yourself,” a free orientation meeting for adults interested in returning to school to learn a new career, earn a college diploma or upgrade workplace skills for a job promotion, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 2.

July 14, 2011 – A new education bill, championed by Congressman Duncan Hunter (R-Alpine), is making its way to the floor of the House of Representatives. The bill is a part of a series of education reform bills looking to overhaul current elementary and secondary school laws.

 Proposal that could halt Alpine high school construction will also be heard by board

July 11, 2011 (El Cajon) – The Boundary Committee for the Grossmont Union High School District has adopted recommendations for shifting high school boundaries throughout the distirct.  The recommendations will be presented Thursday, to the GUHSD Boardat 6 p.m. in the East County Regional Education Center, 924 East Main Street in El Cajon.

Lines will be changing across East County. For example, on Mt. Helix many students now in the Grossmont High School district are proposed to shift to Monte Vista, a school with a far poorer academic record, to ease overcrowding at Grossmont. In Blossom Valley, proposed new lines would similarly shift some students to a poorer performing school, in Lakeside sparking protests from parents.