If this email is clipped—or photos are not displayed—click the "View entire message" link at the bottom of the email. School LIFE is the newsletter of the Milpitas Unified School District. If you have stories for our next issue, please send them to Scott Forstner.

Together, WE must put a stop to cyber threats, bullying

Relationship. Belonging. Learning. How are these disrupted by cyber threats and bullying?

Learning is done in relationship, and is most impactful when students feel a sense of belonging. Safety and security are prerequisites for a sense of belonging. Belonging is defined as the extent to which students feel that they are valued members of their school’s community, and can be cultivated by the actions of their teachers, families, and peers. Dr. Terrell Strayhorn describes belongingness as a right, and as something that we require in order to excel in every aspect of our pathways for education and career. When our sense of belonging is disrupted or broken, it is detrimental to our ability to live as our full selves in work, school, and life. 

Cyberbullying is ugly, it harms us and limits our capability for human interaction. As adults some of us may have experienced this on our social media feeds or in email exchanges. Our wisdom provides us more tools to handle these assaults than our children have. According to the 2022 Pew Research on cyberbullying, 46% of teens ages 13-17 have experienced bullying online, which means that most of us know a young person who has suffered from bullying. 

Arlin Cunic, describes the psychology of cyberbullying and how to stop it in this 2022 article in VeryWell Mind. Cunic states, “It is our job as a community to work toward establishing systems that prevent cyberbullying from taking place at all.” YES, IT IS. A cyberbully can act anonymously, and without accountability to the person they are hurting. It is devoid of the interpersonal connection that is needed to resolve conflict. 

Our youth need to feel that they can be the beautiful persons they are without concern for ridicule. They need to know that others will regard their story with respect if not compassion. They need to see adults modeling that on campus, in their community, and at home. When we provide our students, our children, with experiences where they can be curious about another’s views and background, they develop skills for understanding and how to be in community with one another. Melonie Parker, of Google captures this in her statement about why Google invests in building belongingness, “The effects of belonging are just as powerful. When we treat each other with mutual respect and support, and work together across our differences to shape our world and our future, the possibilities of what we can do are truly limitless.” 

So how do we fortify our youth to oppose bullying and shut down cyberthreats? Through belongingness. Through building a Culture of We. 

In Community,

An educator's view on changing landscape of education

On a daily basis, I am reading articles from CSBA, EdSource, Edweek and other platforms about various aspects of education. And on occasion I come across an article I want others to enjoy.

A San Jose State Senior Lecturer, in the Department of Child and Adolescent Development and Psychology sent me an article from EdSource.

What I appreciate most about the article was that it was written by an educator. In the Milpitas Unified School District we have educators doing great work for the adults and students that are rarely ever shared or heard. As a board member, I look forward to hearing the stories behind the work because in those stories, I hear the Why, I hear the voices of students, teachers, parents, secretaries, custodians, paraeducators and everyone else who was directly and indirectly involved. When we recognize that change will always happen and we can be the creators of change or recipients? Which one are you?

Read article here

In Community,

Chris Norwood

State Board Member of Year Blog

MUSD students experience world of advanced manufacturing at Milpitas-based leaders KLA, Flex

Nearly 60 high school students suited up and ventured inside the “clean room” (a dust- and contaminant- free environment for the manufacture of electronic components) at the Milpitas-based headquarters of global technology leader KLA.

“Putting on the bunny suit was really fun. …We saw how wafers (a thin slice of semiconductor) and lasers were used,” shared Milpitas High School sophomore Naira Niyamathullah, who was one of 57 students to attend the 2023 Manufacturing Day (MFG Day) on Friday, October 13. “It was better than what I thought it was. It was really cool.”

Milpitas Unified School District high school students from Calaveras Hills, MUSD Middle College HS, and Milpitas HS participated in MFG Day, a nationwide event that is held on a Friday in October. MUSD, in partnership with the City of Milpitas, secured two local advanced manufacturing agencies, KLA and Flex (a global supply chain & manufacturing solutions provider), to host students for a day.

“I actually learned a lot. I knew Flex was a big company and based here in Milpitas, but I really didn’t know they produced this many products,” said MHS freshman Karthi Senthilkumar “They make everything from tennis shoes to iPhones. Everything is being produced here. That was surprising.”

Click to read more about Manufacturing Day

Elite 11! Eleven Milpitas HS students selected

as National Merit Scholar Semifinalists

Eleven Milpitas High School students were recently selected as Semifinalists in the National Merit Scholarship Program. They are among about 16,000 students nationwide in the 69th annual NMSP to earn the designation based on results from the Preliminary SAT exam. In February, these 11 students will be notified if they have advanced to Finalist standing, which then qualifies them for 7,140 scholarships worth nearly $28 million.

Our MHS semifinalists are: Isaac Jones, Christine Wang, Andrew Ton, Natasha Tiwari, Edward Cui, Keryssa Li, Roman Silivra, Savan Bollu, Brandon Chiang, Angie Wang and Kevin Ting.

Click to read about our National Merit Scholars

Pomeroy Elementary School's Laurie Fiatal

honored as a 2023 County Teacher of the Year

Pomeroy Elementary School teacher Laurie Fiatal was one of 30 Santa Clara County Teachers of the Year who were selected by their school districts for their exceptional dedication to students, skills in the classroom, and commitment to lifelong learning.

“I think that every student deserves the opportunity to get an education and to achieve as much as they are capable of,” shared Fiatal. “My students have severe autism and significant cognitive disabilities, and most people only see what is on the outside and make judgements based on what they see.”

The 11th year Special Day Class educator, who has enjoyed her entire education career with MUSD, teaches first through third graders. She holds a Clear Moderate-Severe Education Specialist Credential, a Certificate in Autism Spectrum Disorders, and a Masters of Arts in Education (concentration in Special Education) from San Jose State University.

Click to read more about Laurie Fiatal

MHS Code4Good Club supports students

with coding, web design, AI and much more

Milpitas Unified School District (MUSD) was recently awarded a $1.5 million grant from Assemblymember Alex Lee’s District 24 Office to support local workforce development through the construction of the MUSD Innovation Campus.

“I’m excited to secure $1.5 million in the 2023-2024 state budget for MUSD’s Innovation Campus,” said Assemblymember Lee. “The funding will help MUSD build new learning experiences for high schoolers and adult learners, enriching its workforce development pathways. Doing so will help the school district prepare learners of all backgrounds to enter the dynamic workforce.”

A first-of-its-kind high school through adult, early childhood education research and workforce development center–located on the site of the former Samuel Ayer High School–the MUSD Innovation Campus will be a hub for future-ready learners of all ages to connect with local businesses and partners within classrooms and labs tailored to provide a real-world education.

Click to read more about MHS Code4Good

MUSD Innovation Campus opens in grand fashion

Milpitas Unified School District (MUSD) recently celebrated the opening of the first of three phases of its Innovation Campus – an unparalleled high school, adult education, early childhood education research and workforce development center.

Located on the site of the MUSD District Office, Adult Education and Calaveras Hills High

School (Cal Hills), the Innovation Campus replaces the former Samuel Ayer High School. When complete, it is intended to become a hub for learners of all ages to connect with local businesses and partner organizations in classrooms and labs tailored to provide a real-world education.

The opening event was attended by District staff and Board of Education, the

Milpitas mayor and city council members, Ayer High alumni, community members and the

project team, including builder Blach Construction (Blach) designer Quattrocchi Kwok Architects (QKA) and construction bond manager TBK. Also in attendance was Alex Lee, 24th District Assemblymember, who presented MUSD with a check for $1.5 million that he secured for future phases of this project from the California State Budget, as well as representatives from the offices of Congressman Ro Khanna, Senator Aisha Wahab and Supervisor Otto Lee.

Click to read more about MUSD Innovation Campus

Milpitas Adult Education hosts 3rd annual Job Fair

Twenty-five employers participated in the 3rd annual Milpitas Adult Education Job Fair on Wednesday, October 18 at the MUSD Innovation Campus. The fair was opened to the community.

Companies, which set up booths, included In n Out Burger, Cal Regional, Ranch 99, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Trader Joe's, Nova Works, Balance Staffing, U.S. Marines Corps, Sourcewise, Santa Clara County Trades Orientation Program, Child Care Careers, MUSD, Farmers Insurance and more.

Volunteer sought for Community Board Advisory Council

MUSD’s Board of Education is seeking one individual to volunteer their time as a community representative to the Community Board Advisory Council for a term running through June 30, 2025. Candidates must be residents within the boundaries of the Milpitas Unified School District.

The purpose of the Council is to improve communication with the community and the District by gathering and disseminating information; to act as a sounding board for the Board of Education and the community; and to review District issues, proposals, and budgetary reports, by responding to and/or initiating recommendations.



Click to read more about CBAC

Pomeroy Elementary's Hispanic Heritage Month

In a special tribute to National Hispanic Heritage Month 2023, Pomeroy Elementary School students and staff were invited to share what makes them proud of their Hispanic heritage during Pomeroy Panthers' morning announcements.