http://www.hilltoplancers.org/ Hilltop High School - RSS - main http://www.hilltoplancers.org/viewstory.php?id=2365 The 49th edition of the Idyll, yearbook has taken First Place and Best of Class at the San Diego County Fair this year. We scored 970/1000 points overall, with a perfect 400/400 in structure and design. There was a new category in the scoring this year that was "writing and editing". We scored 285/300. We also scored 285/300 in appearance and presentation.

We also took 15 First Place awards in "Layout and Design", 12 Second Place, and 9 Third Place. We had 36 entries in all.

Very much to be proud of this year.

Pamela Gutierrez
Yearbook Advisor http://www.hilltoplancers.org/viewstory.php?id=2364 Click Above http://www.hilltoplancers.org/viewstory.php?id=2355 Click Above http://www.hilltoplancers.org/viewstory.php?id=2346 At the end of the year banquet, the coaches handed out the annual awards in each category. Congratulations to the following award winners:
Female MVP - Myranda Hess
Male MVP - Lance Watkins & Isaac Rodriguez-Wagner
Female Iron Woman - Elizabeth Cabral
Male Iron Man - Alejo Cabral
Most Inspriational Female - Elizabeth Cabral
Most Inpirational Male - Chris Jaggers
Rookie of the Year Female - Eira Perez De La Torre
Rookie of the Year Male - Alexander Kennedy

Junior Varsity
Female MVP - Ava Lennon
Male MVP - Gabriel Sundstrom
Female Most Improved - Luz Miramontes
Male Most Improved - Daniel Cruz

Congratulations to all.
http://www.hilltoplancers.org/viewstory.php?id=2341 From the San Diego Union-Tribune - Click Above for original story.


May 29, 2008

Justin Trinidad is the reigning homecoming king at Hilltop High School in Chula Vista. In the week before his prom on Saturday, the 18-year-old senior has been talking to his fellow students about the dangers of drinking and driving, and he participated in a mock accident on campus this week to illustrate the dangers of driving under the influence.

QUESTION: Tell us about the events at Hilltop High School.


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ANSWER: Tuesday the 27th (we had) a mock car crash scene where they get a car from the auto wrecking place, a beat-up one, and have it brought in and set on the ground. Then (they had students) dressed up in makeup, blood and everything and (placed) us in it.

Why the grisly presentation?

It's like a wake-up call. It's like this is what's happening. Fear, putting the fear in the kids to show them why you shouldn't do it and that's what happens when you do mix alcohol and driving.

How big a problem is drunken driving among South Bay teenagers?

I'd say it is a problem because I know people who drink and party. I'm against drinking and partying. Why do you need to drink to have a good time? Just have fun doing other stuff. It's so dangerous, you're going to destroy your life. I'd say it is a problem because there have been accidents the last couple of years.

What's your plan to stay safe on prom night?

We (Justin and nine friends) are going to have a limo, so it's not going to be all of us driving individually. It cuts down on the risk of traffic. I know people are going to be drinking prom night. We're not putting ourselves at risk. We're not going to drink on prom night. We're just going to go, dance, have fun. Why drink? Just not be out all night. That's when all the drunks are going to be out.

Is the presentation more effective than hearing it from teachers?

Oh, yeah. When you actually see something like that, it actually does affect the kids. When they hear the teachers, five, six hours a day, a lot of it goes in one ear and out the other. When they start lecturing on that, (students) are just going to ignore it. So when they actually see something, it's more interesting and it gets the point across.

How do you convince a high schooler of the danger?

You let them know what the dangers are. You're going to crash; you're going to endanger everybody. You always want to bring up what they're going to lose. The real stuff that they like. The surf trip, stuff like that. You try and let them know what's at risk.

– Chris Moran http://www.hilltoplancers.org/viewstory.php?id=2334 Click Above http://www.hilltoplancers.org/viewstory.php?id=2333 Click Above http://www.hilltoplancers.org/viewstory.php?id=2327 Click Above http://www.hilltoplancers.org/viewstory.php?id=2325 click above http://www.hilltoplancers.org/viewstory.php?id=2323
Congratulations to the Hilltop Varsity Softball team for winning the South Bay league with a record of 12-0!

First Team All-League Picks:

Fiana Finau Fr
Nikki Furuya Fr
Natlia Rosales Fr
Jordan Rhudy So

Second Team All-League Picks:

Gaby Zayas Sr
Monica Armas Fr
Mary Sheridan Fr

South Bay League Pitcher Of The Year: Jordan Rhudy
http://www.hilltoplancers.org/viewstory.php?id=2319 May 13, 2008

Dear Parent or Guardian,

In this year of severe state budget cuts, I made a commitment to keep employees and parents informed about our budget process. Over the last six months, the Sweetwater District has held a series of budget committee meetings and workshops with the Board of Trustees. Each time, members of the community, parents, students and employees provided suggestions for budget reductions.

Last month, a list of potential budget reductions was shared with the community budget advisory committee, the teachers union, the district’s classified unions, district management association and Superintendent’s cabinet. Each group was asked to prioritize programs to be reduced. This ranked list was voted on by the Board of Trustees on Monday, May 5. For a complete list of budget reductions, please visit the district’s website: www.suhsd.k12.ca.us

If the state budget cuts hold, one of the most difficult decisions we may have to make is suspending the $1.3 million contract with our local police agencies for School Resource Officers to work directly with each of our campuses. None of these police officers is assigned full-time to a specific campus. Each officer is assigned to a number of schools, ranging from two to five.

We are looking at taking $1 million of the funding we use for School Resource Officers and creating 24 new Campus Assistant positions across the district. These district employees will be responsible for the safety of students and staff of each individual campus. They will not be shared among campuses, as is currently the case with School Resources Officers.

What builds strong and safe campuses are the relationships that are built among adults and students. We believe having dedicated campus assistants helps strengthen those relationships. We will still be able to depend upon police to respond to the most serious safety issues on campus. In fact, one of our partner agencies has pledged to continue providing services regardless of the final state funding.

This is an action we do not take lightly. We have sought to preserve all district jobs. I am proud to say that we are the only district in San Diego County that did not issue a single layoff notice.

Nothing is more important to me than the education and safety of our children. We will continue to keep our schools safe for students and staff.

Sincerely yours,
Jesus M. Gandara, Ed.D.
Superintendent http://www.hilltoplancers.org/viewstory.php?id=2314 {[107]}The California Department of Education and the Los Angeles County Office of Education awarded the counseling department with the "First Year Award" for our SPARC (Support Personnel Accountability Report Card).

The Support Personnel Accountability Report Card (SPARC) is a continuous improvement tool that gives a school site an opportunity to demonstrate effective communication and a commitment to getting results. Modeled after the School Accountability Report Card (SARC), the SPARC has been developed by an advisory group of Los Angeles County counselors, counselor supervisors, counselor educators, and California Department of Education consultants.

Hilltop High SPARC


{[108]}Special thanks go out to the people that made this possible, our Student Support Personnel Team: principal, assistant principals, school counselors, school psychologist, school nurse, librarian, peer education advisor, resource advisor, librarian technician, attendance technician, registrar, secretaries, campus assistants, bilingual tester, resource officers, and computer technician. Recognition also goes to Hilltop High School's Webmaster, Rick Lakin. http://www.hilltoplancers.org/viewstory.php?id=2312 For the first time in at least a decade, our Lancer Boy's and Girl's Swim & Dive teams have won the combined team championship at the Metro Conference Finals. Our teams have won either the Boys or Girls team championships over the last few years, but to win the combined team championship is something we have been training for, for sometime now. Lead by Seniors Lance Watkins, Isaac Rodriguez Wagner, Anthony Andriopulos, Juniors Sean Ellerbrock, Justin Jimenez, and Sophmores Roman Gonzalez and Alex Kennedyin on the boy's swim side. On the girls swim side the Lancers were led by seniors Myranda Hess, Lisa Barker, Melissa Kitchen, Sierra Adkins and Angelique Disney, with underclassmeen Melissa Ramon, Eira Perez De La Torre, Diana Carrion, Jordan Figg, Nicole Elias and Anna Ayala. Our boys and girls dive teams dominated the team competitions led by South Bay League Diver of the Year Leo Diaz De Leon, Joseph Pemberton and Ashley Jasmund. Congratulations to this year's swim & dive teams for their combined team championship.
http://www.hilltoplancers.org/viewstory.php?id=2310 Congratulations to our Lancer Boy's Swim and Dive teams for successfully defending their 2007 League Banners. Both teams finished the 2008 season undefeated with a 10-0 record. http://www.hilltoplancers.org/viewstory.php?id=2303 Click Above http://www.hilltoplancers.org/viewstory.php?id=2299 Click Above http://www.hilltoplancers.org/viewstory.php?id=2293 The Hilltop Boys Tennis Team is 2008 South Bay League Champion with a League Record of 12 and 0. Sean Ellerbrock is one of the teams' standouts in singles with a 21 and 3 league record. In doubles, Tyler Chu and David Hernandez lead the South Bay League with a record of 30 and 0, and Christian Enriquez and Caleb Lange added a 24 and 0 league record as well. http://www.hilltoplancers.org/viewstory.php?id=2294 Academic standout travels to Sacramento for Academic Recognition


Genesis Vergara, a 17-year-old student in her senior year at Hilltop High School was honored in Sacramento this week at the Governor’s first annual Academic Recognition Dinner hosted by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and California First Lady Maria Shriver on March 11.

Ms.Vergara, who is taking 5 advanced placement courses and participates in yearbook, has a college weighted grade point average of 4.61. She has fulfilled a strong commitment to humanitarian causes by logging almost 200 hours of community service as a volunteer at a local hospital and working with the homeless. For the past four years, she has helped raise money for charity as a member of the Interact Club.

“Ms. Vergara exemplifies the best aspirations of Sweetwater students,” said Board President Pearl Quińones. “She has shown herself to be a positive force in the community and her achievements—an excellent GPA, SAT score and volunteer work—showcase how much our students are able to accomplish.”

The Academic Recognition Awards honored 177 top academic students from across California. Students were selected based on having a 4.14 college GPA or higher, SAT and PSAT scores as well as their resume.

“Genesis is brilliant, personable, energetic and humble. She will be a success in whatever field she chooses. This is one student I will seriously miss when she graduates,” said her high school counselor Debbie Gerlack who accompanied the student and her mother to recognition dinner in the state capitol.
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