Principal

Dr. Barbara Gauthier
Principal
760-753-1121 x5001
Email

Lois Delanty
Administrative Assistant
760-753-1121 x5002
Email

"Quality teaching requires strong
professional learning communities.
Collegial interchange, not isolation,
must become the norm for teachers.
Communities of learning can no
longer be considered utopian;
they must become the building blocks
that establish a new foundation
for America's schools."

National Commission on Teaching
2003

San Dieguito Academy will begin its twelfth year this fall. As we embark on the second decade of SDA, I look forward to working with our school community as we can continue to grow with our students. Research indicates that we have a different type of learner in our schools than we did eleven years ago when SDA opened its doors. Today’s learners have different life experiences than their predecessors which necessitates the need for different classroom experiences. One fundamental difference is that students today have grown up with more sophisticated technology and it is an integral part of their daily life. They are accustomed to receiving and processing information quickly making them very capable of multi-tasking. Additionally, their learning styles are a bit different. They need to understand the relevance of their work so they can extract meaning and make practical applications of concepts. They are not satisfied with learning a series of unrelated facts but rather thrive when they are provided with a more comprehensive curriculum.

In order to meet the needs of today’s “millennium learner”, curriculum must be relevant and rigorous. Instructional techniques and the school experience must be grounded in relationships. Employers and college professors tell us that our students are ill prepared for success. They lack critical thinking and problem solving skills, the ability to communicate and work effectively in teams and a strong work ethic.

Part of what makes the SDA staff so strong is their absolute commitment to do what is in the best interest of our students. It is that commitment that prompted us to examine our practices. Last year, San Dieguito Academy began evaluating the research and working towards restructuring our instructional strategies to meet the needs of our current students. Consequently, we made some fundamental changes in our school program. They are:

The re-birth of homeroom as a valued part of our school culture. This is critical to our student’s ability to establish meaningful relationships with their peers and staff members. It provides them with opportunities to learn and practice the “soft skills” that employers say our students lack.
Integrating more problem solving and student-driven learning inside our classrooms. Students must discover the relevance of their learning and how it inter-relates between their courses. Consequently, there is increased interdepartmental collaboration at SDA as well as more articulation between Oak Crest, Digueno, SDA, Mira Costa College, and Ca. State San Marcos. We are establishing working relationships with organizations such as Scripps Hospital.
Making every instructional minute count so that each course is rigorous and worthwhile. Elective courses must support the core courses and vice versa. Students are being advised to select courses based on their interest and their post high school plans. This is the basic premise behind the career pathways we continue to develop at SDA.

We are proud of the progress we have made at SDA to build a more innovative program for our students. I am honored to work with such a caring, intelligent and progressive staff. We look forward to serving your son/daughter and our hope is that they will have a meaningful high school experience and leave prepared for their post high school plans.

Dr. Barbara Gauthier, Ed.D.
Principal