Mira Mesa 4th of July Celebration 2010

Can you believe it… another year has past and it is time to celebrate another 4th of July in Mira Mesa? As always, it is going to be another fun-filled day and evening with things getting started at 7am, so make sure to get some sleep Saturday night.

Here is the basic lineup for the day’s events:

• 7:00am – 11:00 am: Pancake Breakfast at Epicentre (Definitely worth getting up early for)
• 11:00am – (All Day): “Fun Day at the Park” runs all day long at the Mira Mesa Community Park and it is definitely the best place to celebrate Independence Day in Mira Mesa. There are rides for the kids, lots of food vendors, and tons of space to hangout and BBQ with friends and family. Just make sure to get there really early to grab a prime spot.
• 1:00pm: The 4th of July Parade. The Parade runs down Mira Mesa Blvd. from Greenford Dr. all the way down to Camino Ruiz where it turns right for one block and then another right on New Salem ending just past the Fire Station. Onlookers line the streets all the way down the Parade route, so grab your beach chair and stake out a good spot early.
• 9:00pm: FIREWORKS!!! Mira Mesa has a great fireworks display each year and it is well worth hanging out until 9:00 and watching. The fireworks are synchronized to the music of local radio station KYXY (96.5 FM), so make sure to bring your radio and some extra batteries.

One thing I would like to mention is that the Mira Mesa 4th of July festivities is put together completely by local volunteers and requires planning and fund-raising efforts throughout the year. Around $40,000 had to be raised this year to put on the event (including funding the fireworks) and at least that much will be required (if not more) to have it again next year. So, if you like to donate a little cash (even 5 to 10 dollars would help), it would be greatly appreciated. Just click on the “Donate to Fireworks Fund” button below and you will be taken to a Paypal link where you can make your donation.

Hickman’s PEP Junior Kindergarten Gives “The Gift of Time”

Hickman Elementary offers a “Junior Kindergarten” program called “PEP” for Primary Extended Program. This class is for the youngest Kindergarten-age eligible children (turning 5 between June 1 and December 2) who may benefit from an additional year before entering a regular full-day Kindergarten the following year.

A San Diego Unified School District approved pilot program, PEP began in 2006 and provides an alternative and voluntary choice for parents. Recent news reports have shown that today’s Kindergarten includes previously 1st Grade expectations while at the same time California has amongst the youngest populations of Kindergarten students (most states have cut-off birthdates of September 1st and some at June 1st to turn 5 years old). Many California districts have created similar classes to PEP to support these young children.

Research-based and modeled after Poway Unified School District’s program, PEP allows for the time needed for developmental maturation socially, emotionally, physically and cognitively to succeed with greater readiness for today’s very high academic standards in Kindergarten and 1st Grade.

Hickman parents and teachers are seeing the value of developmental readiness and maturity as overall school scores have risen, data shows great success of former PEP students, and parents are 100% supportive and appreciative of the program. PEP is not a remedial class, but a developmental Kindergarten that is California Standards-based. Primarily for students who enter Kindergarten still 4 years old, PEP provides for a strong foundation for early and long-term school success. Children participate in all regular school activities and events 8:00 – 11:30 a.m. daily. The second year the students begin a regular, full day Kindergarten with greater readiness skills.

Hickman Elementary is currently accepting PEP applications and CHOICE applications. The school is located in Mira Mesa at 10850 Montongo Street, San Diego, CA 92129 and the school number is (858) 271-5210.

Hickman’s office will reopen August 26th but during the summer break the Principal may be contacted by district e-mail (jwroblewski@sandi.net) for PEP enrollment information.