9-28-18 Sec 1 pg 1-9_Edition 9/26/18 4:00 PM Page 9

highlandnews.net n Highland Community News OPINION Friday, Sept. 28, 2018 9

All Americans, even athletes, should stand up and salute our flag
Do you have strong opinions some- fought so that we, the people, as Presi-
times? I do. dent Lincoln so eloquently said, might
It gets my dander up when a few ath- live in the freedoms we still enjoy
letes want to draw attention today.
to themselves with ridiculous “Oh! thus be it ever when
behavior disrespecting our Freeman shall stand between
country and our flag. their loved homes and the war’s
When I was a child in ele- desolation; blessed with vic’try
mentary school, we learned and peace, may the heaven res-
several verses of the poem cued land praise the power that
by Francis Scott Key, later hath made and preserved us a
set to music by Samuel nation.”
Arnold, we know as “The The fourth verse still re-
Star-Spangled Banner.” ElmaMae bounds in my head, my memo-
It’s not an easy song to play Henderson ry. “Then conquer we MUST,
or sing, and the challenge is a when our cause it is just, and
bit of a good thing, too. (My opinion.) this be our motto, in God is our trust!”
The words tell a marvelous story of In GOD we trust was a part of the
the kind of courageous, brave men who foundation of our unique, beautiful coun-
try and thankfully for the majority of
our people it’s still as true today as then.
“And the Star-Spangled Banner in tri-
umph shall wave o’er the land of the
free, and the home of the brave.”
How can any strong, caring person
NOT be stirred and to stand in respect
for our values as a free people? Are they
products of misguided, misguiding ide-
ologies that want to destroy or take over
our land? When they attacked, they tried
on 9/11, it didn’t happen because as a
people we rallied loyally and the
strength of our convictions was demon-
strated as our brave men and women
fought the foes on their own turf.
“War is hell!” my mother used to say,
and I’m sure our armed forces would
agree, wherever it is raging and they’re
serving today.
Oh! say can you see how blessed we
are, and our beloved U.S.A. is, even to-
day? How can any school, any teacher,
be so misguided as to NOT want to have
our children learn and recite the Pledge
of Allegiance? And, hopefully, learn the
several verses of our national anthem,
too.
Those we admire, such as our heroic
service men and women, and like our
strong, talented athletes, need to be ex-
amples of upright, respectful leaders.
It’s a strength to be patriotic!
“Oh! Thus be it ever.”
ElmaMae Henderson is a longtime
contributor to the Highland Community
News.

Making learning matter can

spell success in San Bernardino
Here’s a pointed question
posed by generations of stu-
dents: Why do I need to know
this?
Young people are usually
told to imagine a distant future
where coursework could mat-
ter to their job.
That question is disappear-
ing in San Bernardino City
Unified School District.
Thanks to an innovative ap-
proach that connects employ-
ers and educators, students
don’t have to wait for “some-
day” to apply academics to
real-world work, or guess how
time in class might lead to a
fulfilling career.
The approach, called Linked
Learning, makes school rele-
vant to youth and area employ-
ers.
Students select from 34
pathways connected to local in-
dustry, choosing fields such as
logistics, transportation, ad-
vanced manufacturing, agri-
cultural technology and medi-
cine.
Each pathway integrates
strong academics, based on ad-
mission for California’s public
universities, with technical ed-
ucation matched to its industry
Michael Dale
J. Gallo Marsden
selves.
They get inspired to find
their place in our 21st-century
economy, gain knowledge and
skills to make it happen and
grow confidence to succeed in
high school, college and career.
Consider Charlie Calderon,
who fell in love with fixing
cars at 13 and pursued that
passion in the diesel mechan-
ics pathway, a collaboration in-
volving Pacific High School
and San Bernardino Valley Col-
lege.
This pathway feeds our
thriving transportation sector
and many students have a job
offer in hand before gradua-
tion.
In high school, Charlie com-
pleted most courses needed for
a diesel truck technology cer-
tificate; with that certificate he
can earn $67,500 after just two
years on the job.
no, including special needs stu-
dents, should be fully prepared
to succeed in sectors that drive
growth.
Their voices and vision are
behind the progress in our
schools, where the graduation
rate has climbed from 67 to 89
percent. San Bernardino City
Unified School District, the
10th largest in California, serv-
ing a high percentage of stu-
dents from low-income house-
holds, now outpaces county,
state, and national averages
for graduation.
The results will only get bet-
ter as Linked Learning ex-
pands.
Research shows that this ap-
proach increases graduation
rates and credits earned in
high school, and is especially
effective for young people en-
tering ninth grade with low
prior academic achievement.
The district is now infusing
elements of Linked Learning in
middle and elementary
schools, introducing students
to career opportunities and
putting classroom learning into
action through labs sponsored
by local partners.
Today, 6,809 of our students

theme.
Learning is brought to life as
students spend time in actual
workplaces with companies
ranging from Amazon and Gar-
ner Holt Productions to Pep-
pertree Distributors and Pre-
mier Medical Transportation
— and even within the school
district’s operational depart-
Moreover, he stands ready to
pursue other postsecondary
goals, including a college de-
gree, while he advances his ca-
reer.
Charlie is part of the story of
educational, economic, and
community renewal in San
Bernardino. This transforma-
tion was sparked when people
Special Promotion
are in Linked Learning, about
53 percent of our high school
population. We are calling for
more employers to offer in-
ternships or other job-based Complete Funeral Services
experiences. Including a FREE 20 Gauge Silver
Together, we can bring Metal Casket with White Interior.
Linked Learning to scale — ig- (Chapel Service Only)
niting career passions and cre- * $3255.00 *
ating a next-generation work- Expiration Date 12-31-18.
Sales tax not included,

Here at McKay’s we understand that the Holiday Season is fast

ments. from all neighborhoods and force with the skills and desire some restrictions may apply.

approaching and during this time, we are twice as sensitive to

The County of San Bernardi-
no’s Generation Go! also pro-
vides work-based learning for
high school students, starting
with a pilot project at Arrow-
head Regional Medical
Center.
Through internships and
projects supervised by area
employers, young people see
professional possibilities they
could not picture by them-
sectors came together in 2012
to talk about our future.
They confronted the skills
gap that results in unemploy-
ment or low-wage job place-
ments, and recognized that our
economy depends on more stu-
dents earning postsecondary
degrees and industry-recog-
nized certifications.
They declared that every
young person in San Bernardi-
to carry our economy forward.
families and their need in losing a loved one. We want to be
Will you join us to make
accommodating by lowering our already reasonable prices to
help families get through the season.
learning matter for all young
people in San Bernardino?
Dale Marsden, Ed.D., is su- MCKAY’S FAMILY
perintendent of the San MORTUARY CHAPEL
OF THE PALMS
Bernardino City Unified School
District. Michael J. Gallo is a 16918 Baseline Ave., Fontana, CA 92336
school board member and co- (909) 822-9595 • www.mckaysmortuaries.com
FD# 1831
founder and president of Kelly Se Habla Español
Space & Technology.