d.tech Download - New Camping Trip Survey due Noon Tomorrow

2016-2017 - March 28, 2017 View this email in your browser.
Executive Director's Message · Academic World · d.tech Housekeeping ·
Student Life · Parent Community News · Events
For c alendar/reminders, follow @dtechparents at Twitter and/or Facebook
Submit Content by Thursdays at 5 pm for publication on Tuesdays.

d.lab preparations
Students preparing for an onslaught of customers for the "Found a Business" Intersession class. You can also see floor plans of tiny houses mapped out on the concrete. These houses were designed for d.tech staff as part of the 'Empathy Builder' course.

Dear d.tech families,

One of the unique aspects of being a new school is that you get to experience the school growing up with the students. As anyone who has a child knows, there are certain moments when you look at your child and notice that they’ve grown up, almost without you noticing. The first week of intersession we had one of those moments, and it was very satisfying to see how far our founding class has advanced in design lab and how far we've progressed in teaching design thinking.

We have always said that design thinking is the foundation for our problem-solving curriculum, but we expect that students will build on that foundation by developing an entrepreneurial skill set and mind set. This week, we really saw this happening both in our curriculum and in our students. The picture above illustrates the growth quite well. Our founding class has developed very strong entrepreneurial skills. Not only are they learning how to “found a business”, but other d.labs have redesigned the display in the Redwood Shores Library, developed the curriculum for juniors to teach the Design Lab 1-2 courses, and laid the groundwork for a senior year internship program.

Not only are students in the advanced design lab classes doing more authentic work, but we have also improved the way we teach students the skills needed to be successful designers. As noted above, students must design a “tiny house” for someone else as part of the Empathy Builder class. This has proven to be a great way to teach students the interviewing skills necessary to build empathy in starting their design and also when their prototypes are tested. In the prototyping class, students have built a geometric dome, a canopy, and other physical prototypes as they learn how to use the tools needed to prototype.

As we grow up, I hope that everyone who has played a role in the building of this school and believed that high school needed a redesign is very proud of what d.tech students and staff have accomplished.

Ken

Speed Read:

NEW camping survey due by noon tomorrow!
Be A Math Mentor! Complete the Math Mentors form.
Order your 2016-2017 Yearbook Form HERE
Community Meetings - Next Board meeting is April 19.

Complete Our Parent Camping Survey by Noon Tomorrow

Strike a pose! The Camping Planning Team:Intersession Crew.
Back row from left: Matthew E., Omid M., Jack L., Anthony C., John G., and Jeffrey B., Center: Christy Knott, Health & Wellness Coordinator. Bottom row from left: Melina S., Samantha R., Whitney W., Lyss G., and Anya K. Foreground: Maggie F.

The camping planning team has been hard at work for the past few months prepping for our 3rd annual trip to Casini Ranch, and the Intersession Crew has been focused on this task every afternoon. As you can imagine, taking 400 people on a camping trip is no small feat! Here’s where YOU come in…

ADULTS, please complete this NEW camping survey by NOON tomorrow - Wednesday, March 29 - so we can identify what we still need. This survey includes more details about the multiple ways your family can help us prepare for this trip - from donations (food, kitchen gear, etc.), to tents (loaned to d.tech), to helping pick up or organize the food for the trip, and much more. Thank you in advance for your generosity!

URGENT - We’re finalizing our guest list. Students have already signed up for the camping trip via surveys they’ve taken and their @d.tech advisor. We’ve heard from some students who are unable to attend. Parents of those students received an email from Christy on Monday to confirm their student’s decision to not attend. If you received - but haven’t responded to - that email, please do so by NOON tomorrow. We have to provide the final official guest list to Casini Ranch on the 29th. Students who don’t attend the camping trip are expected to attend regular school hours May 3 - 5: more details will be available as the date gets closer.

PERSONAL GEAR: Please check out the personal gear supplies list so that you start gathering it during Spring Break. If your student needs assistance, please have them talk to me, or send me an email.

GROUP NEEDS: We will start collecting “gear/food donations" and “gear on loan” on Monday, April 24. You can drop them off before and/or after school up to 4pm between Monday, April 24 - Friday, April 28.

Saturday, April 29, 9am-12pm is the FINAL gear drop-off opportunity: we must inventory it and confirm we have enough. This includes gear that chaperones/drivers are planning to loan. All gear must be clearly marked as "DONATION” or “ON LOAN” with your family’s name. Drop off is at the d.tech front office.

Thank you all! It’s going to be an amazing trip! Thanks also to parents Tim Bull, Elizabeth Ouren, Alex Luebke and Niño Floro for volunteering on various days during the intersession to help check in with the students, and a special thanks to my student camp managers: Jeffrey B., Lyss G., Whitney W., and Ana N. who have been helping the team continue to make forward progress, and being amazing assistants to me. Christy Knott

Just A Few of the Week's Highlights

Hands-only CPR

Oracle Fitness

Lifeguard Training

Found a Business d.Lab

Reminder: Changes to Skyline Course Offerings

Skyline will continue to offer Spanish classes on the d.tech campus in 2017-2018 on the Redwood Shores campus.

Those students currently enrolled in Chinese or ASL classes have two choices:

1. enroll in the ASL and Chinese courses offered at the community college campuses.

2. enroll in one of the Spanish classes we will offer on the d.tech campus next year. We will have both in-house Spanish classes and the Skyline classes.

We are meeting with students to review their options for world language. If students have specific questions, they should meet with Nicole Cerra during office hours: Wednesday at lunch or Thursday during lab 2, in the hangar.

College/Career Advisory Program

New Offerings Added to JIVE Summers

New summer programs and internships have been added this week, including a culinary internship with Bon Appetit & Google, the Skyline Summer Programs for rising juniors & seniors in Green Energy & Biotechnology.

Concurrent Enrollment

All students interested in taking a concurrent enrollment class at community college this summer should review the d.tech Concurrent Enrollment website for the process and approval forms (https://sites.google.com/dtechhs.org/concurrent-enrollment/home).

Please note: Students must complete approval forms and then sign up for their class directly with the community college. Only classes taken to cover a d.tech graduation requirement will be included on the student’s d.tech transcript and the student is responsible for turning in an official copy of their community college transcript at the beginning of next school year. Questions? Kathleen Odell (kodell@dtechhs.org)

50% Discount Student BART TICKETS available

Use this Order form (link not active) for students traveling to and from school, or on field trips. You pay $16 for $32 face value. Note that these are not Clipper Cards. The form must be returned to the Front Office before tickets can be distributed. Please send a check made out to Design Tech High School in multiples of $16. Fine print: You must write your child’s name and BART on the memo line. Lost or damaged tickets are never refunded or replaced by the school. Replacements are only issued by the BART office at Lake Merritt. Please contact Hanan Holloway with questions.

A Voice for Teens - Dr. Oguntala

If you haven't registered for the Dr. O, TheTeenDoc parent lecture series on campus, you still can! Each session is $20, and payment is collected at the sessions. Classes take place on the 2nd Wednesday of each month with the next one taking place on April 12th, from 6pm-8pm at d.tech. Questions - email Health and Wellness Coordinator Christy Knott, Click here to read the flyer.

Robotics Invitation - "We would love to have you there!"

Emily H. created these detailed hand-made collages for d.tech's FRC team.

B.R.E.A.D. is preparing for the Silicon Valley Regional tournament March 29 - April 1st.
Click this link to find out more. Questions? Email ykonardi19@dtechhs.org.

Still Time to Order Student Yearbook

Please download the order form HERE and return to the front desk with a check made out to Design Tech High School.

Announcing Parent Board Member Finalists

Thank you Albert Belman, Tim Bull and Maria Liu for volunteering to run for the Parent Board Member finalists. This was the first time in d.tech's short history that three candidates stepped forward to be considered, and the voting process for finalists was initiated!

Voting closed at midnight on Friday, March 24. 130 votes were received and the results are as follows: Albert Belman - 27, Tim Bull - 36, Maria Liu - 67. This confirms that the two candidates moving forward for consideration by the Board on April 19 are Tim Bull and Maria Liu. Thank you to freshman parent Albert for making a run. All candidates are welcome to try again next year.

Parent Board Member Role and Board Information

Thanks to parent Christine Boles, who requested a clarification about the Parent Board Member role and a summary of how parents interact with the Board. Here is a clarification and summary from Board President Subra Narayan, Parent Board Member Jaime Dal Porto, and Executive Director and Board Member Ken Montgomery: Board - Insights & Information 2017

Town Hall Slides

Dr. Montgomery shared behind-the-scenes student highlights of the last two weeks at last night's Town Hall meeting, including news about Melissa Mizel's extensive Fireside Chats series which brought guest speakers from the professional world to the campus, as well as our own students and faculty every afternoon last week. Please click on the link above to see the slide photos.

Be a Math Mentor!

Do you enjoy math, science and/or technology? Here's your chance to mentor d.tech students and share your math knowledge.

We are starting a pilot program using parents and members of the community to work with d.tech students on Tuesday/Thursday lab days. Can you spare and hour or two regularly, or come in once a quarter to share your knowledge? We will be offering 1:1 tutoring and small group remediation as well as enrichment, engaging math pop-up events and other fun activities. There's no need for you to plan or prep, and no need to be an encyclopedic math master. We'll provide guidance and support to get you started.

If you're interested, please indicate your availability/interests on this form: Math Mentors. Our goal is to have our first kick-off design thinking session on Thursday morning, April 13th. Save the date: we'll be in touch with the details! Be part of changing math education - Sign up now!

Questions? Contact math teacher Matt Cooley or Paula Hamilton, Class of 2020 parent.

Gala Is "Moving On Up" in More Ways than One

Save the earlier date of October 14!

In keeping with the spirit of imaginative iterations and brainstorming, the d.tech fall fundraiser also has a snazzy new theme: "Moving On Up!". The Gala will be held Saturday, October 14, 2017 at CSM's Bayview Room. If you are interested in helping plan and make this night fun and successful, please email Esther Gillette at eeg416@gmail.com for more information. Warm regards, Amy Gee, Dominique Rhodes and Esther Gillette - Event Co-chairs

Your Finger on the Pulse

Student Daily Announcements
Sports Calendar
Town Hall

Community Meetings Summary

Comprehensive Whole School Calendar
Athletics: If there's an upcoming game near you, the students would love your support.
For Saturday games and more, see Sports Calendar

Continue to scroll down for the latest Public Lectures & Workshops.

Email Services may truncate this message.
Look for Facebook, Twitter, Google + icons denoting the end of this email.

March 20 - 31
Spring Intersession

March 29
Board Meeting Cancelled

March 31 - 2:30 pm
Intersession Celebration

April 3 - 7
Spring Break. No School

April 15
Junior Spring Prom

April 19, Wednesday 4:45-6:45
d.tech board meeting

April 20, Thursday,
Fire/Evacuation Drill

April 22, Saturday, 10 am - 11:30/ 12:30 - 2 pm (Staggered starts)
New Family Orientation & Course Registration.

May 3-5, Wednesday-Friday,
Annual d.tech-wide Casini Ranch camping trip (details forthcoming).

May 30 - June 9
Last Intersession

June 9 - 2:30 pm
Intersession Celebration

July 31-August 25
d.tech summer school

August 30/31 (details tbc)
Student Orientations

September 5
First Day of School

October 14 - Save the Date
Annual Gala

Local Opportunities:

These are not school-sponsored, affiliated with, or endorsed by Design Tech High School, but may be of potential interest to our parents and students.

Submit Content When submitting, please include information about cost (free or fee?), and if the availability is limited by any factors. such as numbers, school district and so on. Opportunities that are accessible to a majority of d.tech students and families are appropriate to share here.

Educational Events, Lectures, Speakers & Workshops: Details can be found at Public Speakers & Workshops. (Events not sponsored by d.tech)

FINDING YOUR NICHE: DISRUPTIVE TECHNOLOGIES, ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND YOU
Tuesday, April 18, 2017 7pm - 9pm
Lecture, followed by optional small group exercise.
Free. Hosted by the SMUHSD GATE Parents Group College Planning Series Burlingame High School Theater 1 Mangini Way, Burlingame

This group also offers a limited number of spaces for a six week Saturday morning SAT/ACT test prep for students taking the test in June. A fee applies. See website. Registration closes on April 15.)

For free test prep check Khan Academy's ACT/SAT sites.

The Common Ground Speaker Series presents distinguished speakers in education, parenting and health at venues on the San Francisco Peninsula. Parents, faculty and staff at 31 member private schools attend Common Ground events free of charge. As a guest not affiliated with a member private school, d.tech parents may attend for a $20 pp fee at the door.