Focus on TUSD - Summer 2008

Getting the Ball Rolling
Sabino's athletic camps attract students
Volleyball, basketball and baseball summer camps get the ball rolling at Sabino, the only TUSD school offering athletic camps. Students pick up a half credit letter grade for their work. Although summer school football camp had been offered for the last two years, this year, Jay Campos, the football coach, conducted a separate camp.

Players enjoy the sessions, but beyond that, the camps fill an important role because that tuition helps finance the rest of Sabino's summer school. Baseball camp costs $100 for one session and $180 for two sessions. Volleyball and basketball camps cost $75 each.

In this first year of baseball camp, players are expected to play on city leagues in the evening. Baseball coach Rod Allen uses classroom instruction and computer time as well as field work to fill out the curriculum.

"Sports camps are a wonderful recruiting tool for Sabino," said Alex Sierra, Sabino's summer school director. "Students considering high schools may choose Sabino after attending our sports camps."

Students already at Sabino, such as John Lohmeier, a senior who is on the student council, also likes the camp. He took the camp to get to know the new boys varsity basketball coach, Jim Patten. "I'm working on fundamentals and learning a new offensive strategy," he said. "It's worth it to get up early to come to camp." Sessions run from 9 a.m. to noon.

John Kramkowski, who is the varsity girls volleyball coach, conducts the volleyball camp.

Away from the gym and athletic fields, students in the classroom picked up a half credit per session in health, math and a special session called Jumpstart for incoming freshmen. Jumpstart teacher LaVerne Lawwill, said she makes summer school as much fun as possible. "They get up at 5:30 a.m. and it's their summer," she explained. She calls her students "Saber Kittens," a step toward becoming Sabercats, the Sabino mascot.

To introduce the campus to them, she directed them on a scavenger hunt using clues to find locations, such as the nurse's office, where they pick up a Band-Aid.

That's fine with Cynthia Hernandez, who said she took Jumpstart so "I wouldn't get lost as much." It was hard getting up early for the 7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. classes, she said, adding that she was getting used to the schedule. She already knows the Magee Middle School students who will come to Sabino with her.

Classmate Sam Mendoza admitted it was his mom's idea for him to go to summer school, but he didn't mind it. "The class is fairly easy," he said, adding that he liked getting the half credit.

Lawwill focuses on language arts and organizational skills and also teaches math and writing in Jumpstart. She's an Exceptional Education teacher during the school year and took on summer school because she misses the classroom.

Students pay $100 per half credit, which equals one semester or $180 for two semesters to earn one credit. The first semester ran May 27 to June 11; second semester was June 12-27.

Sierra works hard to offer summer school classes because Sabino gets no special funds such as federal Title I money, which is given to schools with low-income families. "We're not a rich school," Sierra said. "We get only the formula allocations from the state legislature and the tax credits. "I squeeze my budget as much as I can."

-- By Sharon Dunham
Communications & Media Relations

Photos in the summer issue by Jes Ruvalcaba of Communications & Media Relations, unless otherwise noted.

The deadline to submit material for the September Focus is Friday, August 15. The Focus will be published Monday, August 25. Email submissions to Chyrl Hill Lander or Sharon Dunham in the Communications & Media Relations Department or use the online Tip Sheet.