Tag: students

A big thank you on World Teachers’ Day!

In the one room Mason Street School in Old Town San Diego, younger and older children sat together before the teacher and learned their letters.

Today is World Teachers’ Day!

What would the world be like without teachers? Very poor and very dull.

You probably remember some of your teachers fondly, how they inspired you to learn, grow, expand your horizons, become confident.

Today would be a great day to convey your gratitude!

To help pay for my own indebtedness, I’d like to pass along some information that teachers in San Diego might find very useful.

Write Out Loud offers a variety of inspirational programs that encourage reading and writing. Teachers can make free use of them.

Here they are:

Let Your Voice Be Heard is a poetry contest open to San Diego County students in grades K – 12. Learn about it here.

READ-IMAGINE-CREATE is a contest where Middle and High School Students will READ either the full book, or selections from CIRCE by Madeline Miller or MYTHOLOGY by Edith Hamilton.. Students will RE-IMAGINE the images, themes, or characters and then CREATE a project in a medium important to them. Learn about it here.

Poetry Out Loud is a FREE program for High School students. Students select poems from the National Poetry Foundation Anthology, and memorize, interpret, and recite their poems in a competition at the entry level. Two winners from each competition advance to the Regional Competition and one Regional winner advances to the State Competition. Learn about it here.

“Ripples from Walden Pond” is a 55-minute one-person play written by Richard Platt appropriate for Middle and High School Literature and History Students. Performances are followed by a talk-back with the actor, Steve Smith. Study Guide is provided. This program is provided without cost, through the generosity of passionate private donors. Learn about it here.

Do you know a teacher in San Diego? Let them know these great programs are available!

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I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X (formerly known as Twitter)!

Drone Soccer coming soon to San Diego!

Something super cool is coming to San Diego! Drone Soccer will soon be rolled out to some of the City of San Diego’s Recreation Centers!

What is Drone Soccer? Check out the U.S. Drone Soccer explanatory video here. Flying “soccer balls” powered by drones are maneuvered strategically, as players strive to score goals by flying their ball through an elevated hoop. (Sounds a bit of like Harry Potter’s airborne game of quidditch to me!)

Kids playing Drone Soccer in San Diego will learn all sorts of great STEM knowledge, including robotics, engineering and drone piloting–all the while having lots of fun!

Parks and Recreation had a canopy set up in front of the Municipal Gymnasium today letting people know this is in development. It’s still in the early stages, so there’s no dedicated San Diego webpage or social media page that you can follow just yet. I was told that should be finished shortly.

The hope is that next year, during the U.S. Drone Soccer 2024 National Championships at the San Diego Convention Center, some local teams will be ready to compete! How cool is this!!!

Are there any schools in San Diego that already have Drone Soccer teams? Are you a teacher? You need to check this out! Spread the word!

Meanwhile keep your antennae up. If I learn more in the days ahead, I’ll provide an update here!

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!

Training ship Golden Bear departs San Diego.

I was walking along San Diego’s Embarcadero this morning when I noticed a large, very interesting ship departing from Broadway Pier. I like to gaze at unusual ships, while trying to deduce their function. Was this a research vessel of some sort?

When I got home, I learned the TS Golden Bear is a training ship used to train cadets attending the California State University Maritime Academy. The unique school, based in Vallejo, is part of the California State University system and the only maritime academy on the United States West Coast.

TS Golden Bear is actually the third training ship bearing the same name. This particular ship actually began its life in the late 1980s in the United States Navy as USNS Maury (T-AGS-39). At the time, the USNS Maury was the fastest and largest oceanographic ship in the United States fleet. Read more about the TS Golden Bear here.

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!

San Diego kids paint Little Portugal street art!

At the corner of Shafter Street and Avenida de Portugal, in San Diego’s historic Little Portugal neighborhood, you’ll find this delightful street art. Four electrical boxes were painted last year by students attending Warren-Walker Middle School.

Colorful images on the boxes include dancers in traditional Portuguese folk costume and the Portuguese Rooster of Barcelos, symbol of Portugal.

A few steps from this street art (and visible in the next photo) is the S.E.S. Portuguese Hall of San Diego. Every year Festa do Espírito Santo is celebrated at the hall.

Just up the street one can visit the Portuguese Historical Center. I took a peek inside the small museum four years ago. See those photos and learn more here!

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!

Positive student murals at Escondido’s Washington Park.

Several murals with positive, life-affirming messages greet members of the community who recreate at Washington Park in Escondido. I noticed the murals during my recent walk in the area. I also found signs indicating that the two you see in the above photograph were created by local students.

Read the captions.

I’ve been told more murals are coming to Washington Park in the future.

During the same walk I photographed a new mural by renowned artist Mario Torero that was dedicated about a week ago on the other side of Escondido Creek. You can view those photos and read about it here.

Battle Scars, by Katie Daniels, Escondido Union High School Student College and Career Readiness Program. Painted by: Ashley, Ava, Daniel, Daisy, Jeidy, Joey, Johanna, Katie, Sofia, Vada and Zahhak.

Wings of Life, by C. Garcia and Maria Medero, Escondido Union High School Students.

A third beautiful mural. A painted hand reaches for splashes of color.

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!

Mariachi Victoria de San Diego wows crowd!

Today I enjoyed a performance of the Fern Street Circus at Teralta Park in City Heights. Before the circus acts began, however, the gathered crowd was wowed by the young musicians of Mariachi Victoria de San Diego!

The young students on stage were poised and amazing, their music blending perfectly with that of the adults. One young man with a microphone was a true showman with a great future in entertainment ahead!

The audience sat enraptured throughout, and offered great applause when the concert concluded!

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!

Famous fashion inspires San Diego students!

Fashion designer Arnold Scaasi created elegant gowns for many First Ladies and famous movie stars.

What happens when four Scasssi dresses inspire San Diego Mesa College fashion students?

You end up with four unique new creations, now on display at the San Diego History Center!

Visitors to the San Diego History Center in Balboa Park are encouraged to examine contrasted garments during the museum’s just-opened Fashion Redux 2023 exhibition.

Dresses by Arnold Scaasi in the museum’s collection represent the Glam 1980s. The four fashion students got a good look at them and, recalling that decade of printed blouses and big hair, were inspired to produce clothing that is similar, but new! Bold color and padded shoulders, anyone?

The Mesa College students whose artistry is on display are Ramses Alfaro Mendoza, Leo Cotton, Eddie Villarreal and Robbie Matawaran.

Here are the Scassi dresses…

And here are the inspired new creations…

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!

Youth exhibition at San Diego Museum of Art.

Young Art 2023: Comfort and Calm is a free youth exhibition now on view at the San Diego Museum of Art until May 15, 2023.

I’m always amazed by the local talent that appears every two years at the museum’s longest running art program–almost a century now! Students from regional schools around San Diego and Tijuana have selected work displayed in SDMA’s Galleries 14 and 15.

This year the theme is Comfort and Calm. In an age of COVID-19, barbaric war, political hatred, talk of the world’s end, and addictive, omnipresent social media that provides a deluge of shallowness, nastiness, confusion and absurdity, I can definitely understand why young people would seek comfort and calm, and how artistic expression can provide that refuge.

The artworks you’ll see are not only very well done but inspiring. Thank goodness, the human spirit is resilient.

You can freely access Galleries 14 and 15 from a corner of the May S. Marcy Sculpture Court and its Panama 66 restaurant. Look for the following sign and head through the nearby doors that lead to museum restrooms.

Enjoy a few examples of this great youth art…

Sunset, Thrace Hollmann. Torrey Pines Elementary School, Grade 4.

Along the Border, Katelyn Wang. The Bishop’s School, Grade 12.

Spring Rain, Joana Jiang. Francis Parker School, Grade 11.

Look Around, Carley Chen. The Bishop’s School, Grade 10.

Sunset Fields, Ivory Rose Foley. Gillispie School, Grade 4.

My Nature, Olivia Dooda. Johnson Elementary, Grade 2.

Hilltop Home, Hadley Lischke. Gillispie School, Grade 1.

Warmth, Ava O’Connor. Westview High School, Grade 12.

Sleepy, Gabriella Hernandez. Chula Vista High and School for the Creative and Performing Arts, Grade 12.

Have you noticed electrical boxes around downtown San Diego that appear like special works of art? Many of these boxes were painted in 2021 for the San Diego Museum of Art’s previous Youth Art exhibition.

You can find those photographs by clicking here and scrolling down.

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!

National City students create community murals!

Students in San Diego’s South Bay, participating in the Community ARTS program of A Reason To Survive, continue to beautify National City neighborhoods. I stumbled upon an example of this during my latest National City walk!

Colorful wildlife murals decorate a fence that encloses a San Diego Gas and Electric natural gas riser facility at the corner of Palm Avenue and 4th Street.

The stylish artwork is bold and really good. The young hands that painted the panels are not only learning about art, but are assuming roles of leadership as they work to create positive change in the community.

The project is a collaboration between SDG&E and A Reason to Survive (ARTS). I found one article concerning the partnership here.

Enjoy my photos…

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!

Great deals, free smiles for SDSU students!

I met the nicest guy today!

As I walked down El Cajon Boulevard east of College Avenue, I noticed a thrift store had an open door. I walked through, hoping to find some cool DVD’s.

What I found was the awesome Aztec Thrift Store, or ATS, operated by someone who has the biggest smile. That someone is Erick West.

I learned the primary goal of Erick is to make life for San Diego State University students much more affordable. And to provide a safe, friendly, welcoming place for anyone who might step through the door.

Erick is all about community. He has family connections with SDSU and understands the necessity to stretch a dollar. If you’re a student in need of clothing, or other useful goods, the Aztec Thrift Store has unbelievable deals.

I was most impressed by Erick’s positive vision and his ambition to create greater good. His smile grew larger the more we talked.

And there were shelves full of DVD’s!

Aztec Thrift Store is at 6216 El Cajon Boulevard. They accept donations. Here’s their Facebook page with more info.

Go check it out!

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!