BUSD Community Connections
June 2022 Newsletter
Our monthly newsletter is a great way to learn about the latest news at Berryessa Union School District. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for daily updates and visit our website for calendar and meeting information.
Message from the Superintendent
Dear Berryessa Community,

We have had an amazing school year, filled with so many examples of our shared commitment to helping our students succeed. It is an exciting time to celebrate our students’ achievements and the bright futures that await them. 

I want to thank our students and parents for your dedication and collaboration. We are so fortunate to have such a strong community that cares deeply about education. You are true partners in our efforts to create a pathway for the future! Allow me to also express how grateful the Board of Trustees and I are for our dedicated support staff, teachers, and administrators who provide our students with the motivation and resources to reach their academic goals. 

Please join me in congratulating our graduating 8th graders and their families for this wonderful achievement. We are so proud of you and wish you continued success in high school and beyond!

On behalf of the Berryessa Union School District Board of Trustees, please have a wonderful and safe summer and we look forward to seeing our returning students and staff in the fall. 

With BUSD Pride,

Dr. Roxane Fuentes
Superintendent
Watch a special message from Dr. Fuentes: 
Honoring our Employees of the Year 
Every year, it gives us great joy and satisfaction to recognize our BUSD Employees of the Year. We thank these outstanding individuals for their over-the-top contributions to the Berryessa community during challenging times. Your resourcefulness, creativity and positive energy have made all the difference in supporting our students, families, and your colleagues. You have made our school days brighter for so many! 
Certificated Employee of the Year: Diana Dao-Martinez - Piedmont Middle School 6th & 7th Grade Science Teacher.

Mrs. Dao-Martinez shows a vast amount of compassion and empathy. She ensures a safe learning environment, serves as the leader for her science department, and is incredibly involved with the community. She consistently sends home positive notecards to parents highlighting positive things their children do in class.
Classified Employee of the Year: Melani Montez - Administrative Secretary Ruskin Elementary School.

Mrs. Montez’s important contributions are many, but include improving student achievement in the area of technology: She often visits classrooms to assist teachers and students. She ensures a safe learning environment by strictly enforcing visitor rules. Her positive and fun presence improves the mental health and wellness of Ruskin students and staff.
Administrative Employee of the Year: Christopher Mosley - Principal of Piedmont Middle School.

Mr. Mosley gives 100% to everything he does every day. From his interaction with students and parents, to helping in the office, or taking on extra staff roles (i.e. substitute teacher, media tech), we can always count on him to lead and provide guidance. He takes the time to really get to know our students. Mr. Mosley is a model of caring and teamwork.
The Berryessa Art Festival: Joy and Unity
Thank you to everyone who came out to support the 45th Berryessa Art Festival, after a 2-year break due to the pandemic! Penitencia Creek Park was a joyful sight with talented performers, wonderful music and activities for the whole family. All the proceeds from the event will directly support student programs and classroom activities in the coming school year.

We deeply thank the Berryessa Business Association and Bay Area Community Development Services for bringing back this important event that supports our BUSD community. It is a treasured tradition that truly showcases the generosity of our neighbors and the vast talent in our community! We extend our gratitude to all those who attended and volunteered.
Olympians Inspire BUSD Students
through Table Tennis
Nurturing a love for sports is so important! We are very excited to have a partnership with Table Tennis of America located in Fremont. Through a partnership with our Trustee Kansen Chu, the owner of Hailong Shen (Table Tennis of America) donated seven ping pong tables for our middle schools and Toyon Elementary.

We had the opportunity to watch two ping pong Olympians, Zheng Pu and Angela Guan, showcase their skills at a special event at Sierramont Middle School. It was a treat to have Angela Guan participate as she is a former BUSD student! Our deepest thanks to our generous donors and supporters who made this possible!
We hope you enjoy this video with highlights of the table tennis event at Sierramont Middle School:
Northwood Elementary Students Win Recognitions at the Tech Challenge!
We are so proud! Three teams at Northwood Elementary won prizes at the Tech Challenge, a prestigious, annual Silicon Valley engineering competition. Participants presented amazing, creative designs that caught the attention of the judges.

Thank you to Teacher Mahalakshmi Sundaram and many involved parents for their support and guidance! This year’s challenge was “Kinetic Commotion” which asked students to create a device that transfers stored energy to make sound! The three awards recognized different aspects of each team’s creations.

Outstanding Overall 
Team #192 The Sound Maker 
Sivanuja Sivalogeswaran 
Adithya Arul Murugan

Outstanding Device Performance, presented by Seagate 
Team #291 TECHNOVATORS 
Panash Chandwani
Tapas Upamanyu
Tejas Upamanyu

Judges Choice: Greg Brown Visionary Thinker 
Team #172 KPM
Meera Satheesh Kumar
Padma Haasini Vijaya Vigneshwara Moorthi 
Kevin Simiyon Antoni Milton
 
Congratulations, Northwood! Keep the inventions coming, stay curious, creative and determined!

Watch a video of this year’s Tech Challenge:
Help Us Spread the Word about Enrollment TK-8
Colloquium: Supporting Teacher
Professional Development
At BUSD, we are committed to the ongoing professional development of our team members. We are pleased to provide insight into one of our key programs, BUSD Colloquium and Sites Shares, which provides an opportunity for teachers to publicly share growth in connection to their goals. This is a powerful form of professional development helping teachers to:

● Develop and expand their leadership capacity by strengthening connections and learnings with their colleagues
● Deepen their learnings so that they are more likely to replicate their successes in the future
● Build community by celebrating their successes and have thought partnership around possible next steps
● Strengthen site and district initiatives and goals

Congratulations to the nine teachers who cleared their credentials this year through their participation in this program! The remaining six teachers will clear their credentials next year. A special thank you to our instructional coaches who planned the event and support our teachers day in and day out!
A Safe Summer with COVID-19 Precautions
We all want to enjoy a healthy summer. While we have made progress fighting COVID-19, it’s important to stay alert and take precautions to protect our well-being.

Getting vaccinated against COVID and receiving available booster shots are key strategies for protecting ourselves and our families. Even if a person contracts COVID, if they are vaccinated and boosted, the risks of having severe health effects are lower.

We also continue to encourage testing. Here are some resources and information from Santa Clara County Public Health:
For Translation Assistance
For translation assistance, please call one of our District hotlines below:

Chinese, 408-­923-­1901
Spanish, ­408-­923­-1902
Vietnamese, ­408-­923-­1903

請利用校區熱線電話
408-­923-­1901
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Berryessa Union School District
(408) 923-1800