Dear Berryessa community, 

In the month of April, we celebrate our beautiful planet and all the wonders it holds. Earth Day is a reminder that we must cherish and protect our home for future generations.  

Whether it's planting a tree, picking up litter, or simply appreciating nature's beauty, every small action makes a big difference. By integrating these habits into our daily lives throughout the year, we can collectively have a meaningful

impact.  

At BUSD, we take pride in our staff and students’ leadership and environmental stewardship. From beautiful gardens and composting initiatives at the school site, to our collaborative efforts with the City of San Jose for Site Beautification Days, we are actively engaged in different forms of eco-consciousness. However, we also know we can still do so much more. 

We extend our gratitude and admiration to our students, staff and community leaders who model environmental responsibility. Let's continue to work together to keep our planet healthy and thriving!  

Sincerely, 

Dr. Roxane Fuentes 

Superintendent

Watch a message from Dr. Fuentes

Walking or biking is a great way to get to school! Ruskin Elementary partnered with the City of San Jose as a site for Viva Escuela, a celebration of safety and responsibility for students. This was a fun before-school event, starting at 7 am. 



The goal of this event is to encourage students and families to walk and bike to school. Walking or biking to school can have many benefits related to physical and mental health, sense of community, academic performance, and air quality. Supporting the environment is also a benefit! Consider joining the San José Climate Smart Challenge! 

There were vendors and resources from the city and engaging activities for the students. Viva Escuela is supported by SJPD and other city organizations. 

We also remind our community to be mindful of all traffic and safety guidelines to ensure our students have a safe route to school each day. 

The working garden at Piedmont is thriving! AVID classes take care of the garden during the school year, and the school will soon create a Garden Club for students.  The garden was built from the ground up about 15 years ago with AVID 7 and 8.  Lidia Segoviano, teacher at Piedmont and key to these efforts, annually partners with Master Gardeners to teach students about gardening. 

There are a variety of fruits grown in the garden, including pomegranate, Asian apple pear, blood orange, lemon, lime, apricot, figs, and grapes. They have a crop rotation of artichokes, herbs, cucumbers, Brussel sprouts, Swiss chard, tomatoes, and eggplants. Harvests include zucchini, yellow squash, cucumbers, various peppers, radish (French and daikon), beets, carrots, potatoes, blueberries, strawberries, fennel, dill, mint, and oregano. Some of the uncommon produce include kohlrabi, purple cauliflower, and jicama.  

During the pandemic, a bike cage that was overgrown with weeds was renovated and turned into a working garden. Piedmont partnered with Valley Verde, a nonprofit organization, to plant seedlings and provide organic gardening classes to assist students on their gardening journey. Along the way, the school recovered a lemon and orange tree! We appreciate our staff, volunteers, and students who care for our gardens.   

Joining efforts to support the community can be truly inspiring and provide a valuable life-experience for children, parents, and guardians. We are thrilled to share several exciting volunteer opportunities in April and May in District 4. Please share this information with others that may be interested in serving the community!

Alviso Volunteer Habitat Restoration Day 

Friday, April 19^th 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sign up here. 

Great American Litter Pick Up 

Saturday, April 20^th 9 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Alviso Park and Flickinger Park 

Litter. To sign up for Alviso Park, click here. For Flickinger Park, click here. 

INNOVATE4GOOD at Berryessa Branch Library Community Room 

Saturday, April 20^th 1 p.m. – 6 p.m. Sign up here. 

Earth Day Community Litter Pick Up 

Monday, April 22^nd 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Meet-up location: Orchard Elementary School, 921. Fox Lane, San Jose.

Lots of gratitude to the amazing professionals that shared their expertise and experiences at the Career Day events celebrated at Piedmont and Sierramont Middle Schools. Their stories were inspiring, and students asked lots of questions about their jobs and career journeys. Sports Anchor and Reporter Anthony Flores was one of the professionals invited, and even shared about Career Day on TV! We appreciate all of you who support the career dreams of our students, every day! 

On the morning of March 22, BUSD sent over twenty 8th grade students to the 7th Annual Spring African American College Readiness Student Summit at San Jose State University. 

Mr. Mosley (Principal at Piedmont MS), Ms. Jacobs (AP at Piedmont MS), Ms. Jackson (PE teacher at Morrill MS), and Ms. Russell (Paraeducator at Morrill MS) helped chaperone the event. Thank you all for your participation and enthusiasm in a meaningful and exciting day! 

We are so grateful to Cherrywood students and staff for representing us at this year’s Association of Northern California Chinese Schools competition. A total of 39 students competed from Cherrywood, and 18 of them won awards. We are proud of our Cherrywood Charger staff, students, and parents. 

Last year, we had 38 competitors and 7 winners. Our students are amazing language learners! Our immersion education program continues to thrive. This is an alternative educational model designed to provide students with fluency and literacy in two languages. In this program, all students develop literacy in Mandarin first with the gradual addition of English. Students in the Immersion Program receive the same curriculum as all students throughout the district, except that initially they are taught in Mandarin for most of the day. The Immersion Program Goals include: 

• Meet the challenges of a global society 
• Become bilingual and biliterate 
• Gain career advantages   
• Increase awareness of cultural traditions and customs ·        
• Achieve academic proficiency in English and Mandarin 

Learn more about our Immersion Program and how to enroll on our website.

• Our next Board meeting will be on April 17, 2024.

To better serve you, board meetings are now being live streamed! You can stay informed and watch these meetings from the comfort of your home. Please note that to participate in the meeting or make comments, you must attend in person. 

For more information about the BUSD Board Meetings, please click here.