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Board Highlights
from the May 14, 2019 meeting
Volunteers of the Year recognized by school sites
During the April 9 Board of Education meeting, Trustees approved Resolution 2019.28 declaring the week of April 22-26, 2019 as Public School Volunteer Week in Milpitas Unified School District.

On Tuesday, Superintendent Cheryl Jordan and Trustees honored this year's Volunteers of the Year from each of the school sites.

"I just want each of you volunteers to know that the time that you dedicate to each of the school communities that you belong to is one of those things that is intangible," Jordan said of the district's Culture of We. "When we have people such as yourselves in our schools, giving their time and taking moments to share your talents with the students and with the staff, it helps to enhance the whole culture."

She added: "Tonight is a very special night for all of us, Board and staff, because it's our opportunity to extend our appreciation to you. We know it's just a moment and you've given thousands of hours combined, but it really means a tremendous amount to us."

In order to make sure the district expressed its gratitude to as many people as possible in the audience, the remarks were then shared out in Chinese, Vietnamese, Tagalog, and Spanish.
Honorees included:

  • Burnett Elementary: Amy Dawson
  • Curtner Elementary: Sarah Yu
  • Mattos Elementary: Winnie Hung
  • Pomeroy Elementary: Dolores Graham
  • Randall Elementary: Tad Cooper
  • Rose Elementary: Denny Weisgerber
  • Sinnott Elementary: Michele Kong and Claudia Rosales
  • Spangler Elementary: Christy Wilson
  • Weller Elementary: Eladio "Eli" Mina
  • Zanker Elementary: Himanshu and Astha Singh (pictured)
  • Rancho Milpitas Middle School: Scott Duffey
  • Thomas Russell Middle School: Ferdie Centeno
  • Milpitas High School: Peggy Sumida
  • Calaveras Hills High School: Kenyatta Boyd
  • Child Development Center: Eunice Kim
  • Adult Education Corrections site: Friends of the Milpitas Library
  • Adult Education Ayer site: Milpitas Adult Ed Student Council and Volunteers
  
RECOGNITIONS
Students star in Milpitas Elementary Olympics Public Service Announcement
On Thursday, March 21, the Santa Clara County Office of Education held a day for school districts to create Public Service Announcements (PSAs) using their video studio. Reynaldo Dunbar Jr., a fifth grade student at Weller Elementary and first place winner on the 2018 Milpitas Elementary Olympics (MEO) Relay Team; Eloisa Difuntorum, a senior track student at Milpitas High School and 2018 MEO volunteer; and Robert "Ralphy" Enriquez, former MEO participant and MUSD student, and manager of Home Depot are featured in a video about the MEO, being held May 18, 2019.

Trustees and Superintendent Jordan asked each of them to come forward, in addition to Raquel Kusunoki, MEO event coordinator and Director of Elementary Education, to be recognized for their work on the PSA.

Jordan and Kusunoki then shared a bit about the upcoming event.

"The Milpitas Elementary Olympics is more than what meets the eye," Jordan said, explaining that it ties into every one of the District's Strategic Plan Goals .

Kusunoki said more than 100 high school students from Cal Hills and Milpitas High School are registered to volunteer all day in addition to 75 adults.

"I just want to say how grateful I am for all of you, just coming out to support it because this is what it's all about. This is why we're all here," Kusunoki said. "I'm eternally grateful to the admins at the school sites, the coaches, and all the staff who have been supportive."
Staff, students honored for successful Trojan Olympics event at Milpitas High School
Milpitas High School's annual Trojan Olympics was held on March 22. This popular event took coordination and volunteer efforts from a large number of different students, teachers, and staff to make this Culture of We focused event happen.

Trustees and Superintendent Jordan honored the key organizers Tuesday night. They included Joanna Butcher, Jeff Lamb, Brian McGarry, Kaila Schwartz, Letta Meyer, Anvi Brahmbhatt, Maggie Ly.

"If you have not been there, you have to go next year," Jordan said. "It's the most wonderful night that is so full of energy and crazy antics. And the greatest example of how our students care for one another because of the caring community that we create."
REPORTS
Rose Elementary staff, student share school's focus on Strategic Goals through PBIS
During the Principal Report, Rose Elementary Principal Nanci Pass discussed one of the biggest initiatives they have going on this year, which is their implementation of Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports, commonly known as PBIS. This program falls under a number of the district's Strategic Goals, including building a Culture of We and focusing services and support systems so students are making social, emotional, and academic gains.

Joining Pass for the report was Assistant Principal Lori Nuno; L ucille Lai, a teacher and parent; and student Quinn Lai-Sommese, who each spoke about different ways in which PBIS has made an impact. Pass said Rose started PBIS last year with staff and the community. There was a PBIS committee working with the school community and they came up with Rose Tigers R.O.A.R., which stands for being Respectful, Open Minded, Ambitious, and Responsible. Those are the four tenants and expectations at the school now and, as such, it is on all of the spirit wear and posters throughout the campus.

Lai talked about how the school is rewarding students for making the right choices through a monthly "Top Tigers" awards program, where teachers choose several "Top Tigers" from their class to be recognized at an assembly. Lai-Sommese distributed "Tiger Tickets" for Board Members to look at, and explained students earn them by doing something that falls under one of the R.O.A.R. characteristics. They can later exchange them for prizes in the "Roar Mart." Nuno spoke about how, as part of PBIS and for the first time, the school is piloting the data system SWIS Suite, which allows the school to track all of the disciplines that are happening on campus and look at trends across teachers, students, and more. The information is then disseminated to the PBIS team so they can target where to focus their attention.

"I really jumped at the chance to be a part of this because I really believe that data drives change," Nuno said.
ACTION ITEMS
HMC Group presents plans for Randall Elementary School modernization project
Randall Elementary School opened in 1965, and as our flagship school for dual immersion, it is in need of renovation to keep up with its innovation. For example, the front office should be large enough to welcome parents and students in to meet with Randall team members. There are no kitchen facilities, only a small warming area with a food service line located in a hallway. The multi-use room is too small for school events and assemblies. Additionally, Randall is located at the intersection of Edsel and Park Victoria, and the drop-off/pick-up location was not designed for the volume of parents who drive their children to school.  

As more of our parents throughout Milpitas choose this dual immersion learning experience for our children, the school capacity will need to increase. The opportunity to expand the dual immersion program to eighth grade will require forethought in planning now so that if future funds are available, and the Board approves that direction, it can be expanded to become a TK-eighth grade program. These plans are directly aligned with the Strategic Plan Goal: Identify creative , student-focused strategies to accommodate enrollment growth and ensure healthy living environments.

Clients from HMC Group, part of the District's current architectural pool in addition to doing Randall's master planning in 2015, shared a presentation about their plans before the Board approved the organization's agreement for the modernization. The presentation was previously shared with the Randall community.

Of the areas for improvement, the clients said there would be a new bus/parent drop off area, new parking, new multi-purpose room with a "robust stage" and kitchen, new transitional kindergarten/kindergarten classrooms. The multi-purpose room would also be closer to the community, closer to the street, and have utilities in place if, in the future, the district expands the school through eighth grade.
Board approves Bond Implementation Consultant Contract
On November 6, 2018, Milpitas voters passed the Measure AA bond of $284 million, which created a need for the district to secure a bond implementation team. At the Board Meeting on February 12 , Trustees approved Staff’s recommendation for a Bond Implementation Team consisting of up to three consultants paid a flat annual service fee to manage the district's bond projects. In this way the team is tied directly to the bond and is not a part of district staffing, with no funds expended for pensions. Staff determined this is the most effective model in meeting the interests of the District and our community. When the bond work is completed, the contracting team will be disbanded.

At the meeting Tuesday, the Board approved the consultant agreement with TBK Construction Management, Travis Kirk. He was selected as the recommended consultant to fulfill the bond implementation contract work through a solicitation process including three interviews and reference checks. He can fulfill district needs for bond work such as construction planning, compliance with the Division of the State Architect, facilitation of the Citizens' Bond Oversight Committee (CBOC), and communication with stakeholders.
Adopted resolutions honor classified employees, teachers, and National Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
Milpitas Unified School District prides itself on recognizing our diverse district in addition to the efforts of each of our employees on a daily basis. As part of this Culture of We, the Board adopted three resolutions at its meeting Tuesday evening. The adopted resolutions are as follows:

  • Resolution 2019.41 declaring the week of May 19-25 as Classified School Employee Week: Every year in the state of California, a week is set aside to honor classified employees for the work that they do to serve their educational communities. The proposed resolution commends classified employees of the district for their invaluable contributions.

  • Resolution 2019.43 recognizing May as National Asian Pacific American Heritage Month: In 1992, the official designation of May as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month was signed into law. May was chosen to commemorate the immigration of the first Japanese to the United States on May 7,1843, and to mark the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869. The majority of the workers who laid the tracks were Chinese immigrants.

  • Resolution 2019.46 recognizing teachers for their invaluable contribution to learners: Teachers deserve to be recognized every day for being the backbone of our educational system. And in the month of May, there are a couple of annual recognitions that celebrate these efforts. The second weekend in May is designated as "Day of the Teacher," which was May 7 this year. National Teacher Appreciation Week is celebrated during the first full week of May each year, which was May 6-10.