Volume 8, Issue 6 | May 5, 2023 | |
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. | |
Building blocks for an Inclusive Community | |
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How do we and why must we build an inclusionary community for our children and ourselves? Consider these data points:
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| Category w/ reporting % of total completing survey: | 7th graders | 9th graders | 11th graders | | Social emotional distress | 26% | 33% | 39% | | Going to sleep at midnight or later | 16% | 36% | 54% | | Have a sense of optimism | 51% | 43% | 37% | | Feel life satisfaction | 66% | 57% | 52% | | |
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Since COVID there has been an increase in people expressing feelings of angst, stress, and depression in the US and in our own community -- these sentiments were on the rise prior to the pandemic. The same technology that adds to our ability to explore our curiosity and innovate, can deplete our sense of self when it eclipses being in community with one another.
Mayo Clinic studies indicate that the more time teens and youth spend with social media, the more likely they are to have experiences with bullying and unrealistic self-perception. When we are overly involved with our digital devices we are giving permission for our children to do the same. More importantly, we are missing out on strengthening relationships and modeling presence of mind. Our digital devices have a place in work and life productivity, and it is our responsibility to demonstrate how to place boundaries around their use. Our full attention says to another, “you matter and I value our time together,” our children need to feel and see that.
Setting boundaries provides all of us time to focus on our well-being with activities such as rest and sleep. The Sleep Foundation recommends 8-10 hours for teens, 9-12 for school age and 7+ for adults. Without sleep we are more prone to tension, depression, and disease. Sleep deprivation impacts the mental health and cognitive abilities of youth exponentially. Additionally, good sleep prolongs life as described in this Feb 2023 article from the American College of Cardiology.
We can influence the data towards greater life satisfaction and improved sense of belongingness for our youth through strong family and school partnership. Listening to our youth and asking them about the story they are telling themselves when they feel stress and asking them to instead observe what is happening so they can manage the situation successfully is one way we can do this. These and other tools described in this article on mindfulness for teens will provide them with the means to build their own capacity for self-efficacy and awareness. Mental health is not only about “me time” it is about quality of time with others and working through emotional and difficult situations alongside one another. Our village is our strength, within and beyond the classroom walls. A Culture of We is the foundation for developing an inclusive community and strengthening a sense of belonging within our MUSD family.
In recognition of May as Mental Health Awareness Month, let’s be mindful of our own well-being, create a welcoming space for others, provide support and raise awareness.
In community,
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State Board Member of Year's blog | |
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In my senior year of high school, I ran for ASB President. I don’t recall why I ran. I do recall that I was not elected. It didn’t feel good at the time.
In my sophomore and junior years in high school, I tried out for the high school basketball team. I did it because my dad liked basketball and all of my friends played. I did not make the team either year. I was asked to join the basketball team in my junior year after 3 people quit.
As a freshman in high school, I joined NJROTC. I loved it. My social group didn’t like NJROTC and they teased me every time I wore the uniform. My dad was in the military and it made him proud. He taught me how to shine shoes with a rag, spit, some water and a little bit of black shoe cream. It’s something I do to this day in remembrance of him. He left this life on July 11, 2011, seven days after his birthday. He made it around the sun 70 times.
I didn’t really date in high school - even though I tried. I was super shy, a nice guy, and some would say very book smart when I put in the effort. I was a small, skinny kid whose facial features and physical characteristics were somewhat large for my size in high school. And for that I was teased also.
I had several teachers from the district and school leaders whom I connected with; Carol Feige, Susan Bigelow, Henry Robinson, Laura Foegal, Steve Cain, Jeff Lamb, Carol Insell, Beverly James, Susan Cadd, Mr. Hammer, Jack Weinstein, Don Close, Bob Kellogg, Mr Hand, Frank Gory, Bob Denton, Jim Ferguson, Steve Cain, and Chuck Perotti. I believe they saw my potential and did all they could to support me as a learner and a person.
Mrs. Marie Longero was the MHS office administrator and my neighbor. She always gave me a pass to class when I was late to school because she knew my mom and dad were going through a divorce. She saw the optimism in my eyes diminish and always gave me a hug when she could. Her husband Big John was one of the neighborhood dads and he looked out for me too.
The weekend and night custodians were also like dads to me. They would give me snacks, let me work with them and teach me how to repair things with my hands. They open the gym to let me practice basketball by myself. They would tell me stories of their families, friends and hopes for their children. They encouraged me to never quit or give up on myself.
Send me your story. I’d love to hear it.
In community,
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When the 2022-23 school year comes to an end in June, elementary school educator and teachers’ union leader Diana Orlando’s “magical career” in education will conclude after 36 years with Milpitas Unified School District.
“It truly is a family here,” said Orlando, who started as a substitute teacher for Rose Child Development Center (CDC) in March 1987. “I have made some of my closest friends here in the District. They are now my family.”
Orlando’s educational pathway quickly went from part- to full-time when she was hired September 4, 1987 as a preschool teacher and head teacher for the what was referred to as the “latch-key programs” before being hired as a Science Specialist, splitting her work day between Sinnott and Curtner elementary schools.
“MUSD has always been a cutting-edge District and always puts students first,” Orlando said. “We give out staff freedoms some Districts would never allow. We have been a collaborative District whether that be between teachers, between admin and teachers or between the association with the District.”
Board President Chris Norwood recalls first meeting Orlando while on the 2014 campaign trail at Peet’s Coffee in Milpitas. “Her passion and care for MUSD teachers, staff, students and families was evident throughout the conversation,” he recalled. “She wears her heart on her sleeve and is unapologetic about it. Fast forward nine years and numerous conversations later - her approach, care and passion are still very much the same. … She is always the champion for educators, friends and family.”
Click to read more about Diana Orlando
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More than 115 transitional kindergarten through sixth grade students spent their Spring Break at Randall Elementary World Languages School for the second annual April Acceleration Academy.
“April Academy provides an extended learning opportunity for our students to build vocabulary, math and science skills through project based learning,” said Executive Director Priti Johari, who commended the April Academy team for creating a wonderful experience for our students.
Using a Project Based Learning model, students were given the opportunity to engage in a learning that was deep and long-lasting by developing their class projects throughout the week. PBL blends content mastery, meaningful work, and personal connection to create powerful learning experiences.
“Ultimately, our goal with the April Academy was for our students to create a powerful learning experience by helping them gain competence in critical thinking, problem solving, and collaboration,” said director Raul Patino, who polled families at the end of the week and received a 97.4 percent approval rate.
Click to read more about April Academy
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Milpitas HS sibling stars participate in DECA national competition
Milpitas HS siblings Natalie (senior) and Ashton Chen (sophomore) competed at DECA's International Career and Development Conference along with the top 5 student competitors in each state for a variety of events.
Natalie Chen won second place in the national competition among more than 400 of the best competitors from every state in her event, Restaurant Food and Services Management, where participants were challenged to perform marketing and management functions and tasks in a full-service restaurant or a food-service business.
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MHS student leader Nia Gupte raises funds to donate books to elementary schools
Milpitas HS student leader Nia Gupte used a $250 grant from WE Schools to purchase a book for our MUSD elementary schools. "This Class Can Save the Planet," by Stacy Torino is a picture book that talks about the small but impactful ways students can protect the environment from their own classrooms.
"I hope that with this book, students were able to acknowledge and celebrate Earth Day in their classrooms," said Nia, who founded Climatter.
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Chris Norwood, President of the Governing Board of Milpitas Unified School District and 2020 California School Boards Association (CSBA) State Board Member of the Year, recently became the first MUSD appointment to the CSBA Delegate Assembly in the school district's 67-year history.
Each year, elected Santa Clara County School District governing board members vote for several of their peers to represent the county’s collective voice within the CSBA Delegate Assembly, which is “a vital link in the association’s governance structure,” as stated on the CSBA website. Delegates work with local districts, county offices, the Board of Directors and Executive Committee to “ensure the association reflects the interests of school districts and county offices of education throughout the state.”
This year, Norwood was selected to join the Santa Clara County team of representatives. Several former MUSD governing board colleagues recommended to Norwood that the MUSD Board commit time to learning about the power of advocacy and the legislative policy work behind public education.
“The Santa Clara County School Boards Association congratulates Mr. Norwood and all the delegates elected to champion Silicon Valley school district voices, families and students,” said SCCSBA President Bridget Watson. “This year we had a competitive field of highly qualified candidates. We appreciate the delegates’ dedication, expertise and service to our community.”
Click to learn more about CSBA Delegate Assembly
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Milpitas Police Chief Jared Hernandez, along with Officer Shuyo Chang, caught the attention of students at the March 31 career fair at Calaveras Hills High School.
Chief Hernandez, a Milpitas High School alumnus who rose in the MPD ranks, detailed the qualifications needed to become a police officer as well as the variety of job opportunities available within the department for both sworn and unsworn personnel.
The two police officers were two of about 20 individuals representing an array of organizations, businesses, military branches, governing bodies and more to host students from Calaveras Hills HS, Milpitas Middle College HS, and Milpitas Adult Education.
“The goal of the career fair was to expose students to different career choices and have them hear about what the journey was to get into that career,” explained Calaveras Hills HS counselor Jonathan Payne, who organized the event in collaboration with MUSD Middle College High School and Milpitas Adult Education. “The presenters talked about not just what they are doing now but how they got there.”
Click to read more about Career Fair
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Students at Sinnott Elementary celebrate cultures, educate families at Multicultural Fair
At the March 21 Sinnott Elementary School Multicultural Fair, dozens of our MUSD families created incredible cultural displays, including food, instruments, visual boards, and more.
At several booths, students could participate in arts and crafts, games, and even receive beautiful Henna designs on their hands.
#Sinnott families shared information and answered questions, while students took leadership roles in sharing about the culture that they represented. Some of the countries represented were: India, China, Philippines, Bangladesh, Japan, Korea, Italy, Peru, Nepal, and Vietnam.
"The fair was enjoyed by many of our families, and everyone was all smiles," said Sinnott teacher Adrienne Barber. "It was a huge success."
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MUSD hosts first Jr. Botball Challenge | |
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More than 700 enthusiastic 2nd-6th grade students converged on Randall Elementary World Languages School last week to participate in a Jr. Botball Challenge sponsored by NASA.
MUSD elementary school-aged students engaged in a team-oriented STEM robotics competition. They fine-tuned their engineering design process skills and learned and/or built on their computational thinking skills as they designed, constructed, and wrote codes to control their robots. Each team then tested their robots in a variety of challenges.
To prepare for hosting the inaugural event, educators from Rose Elementary, Randall Elementary, Sinnott Elementary, Mattos Elementary and Spangler Elementary, as well as MUSD district staff, participated in an all-day, hands-on training in Botball to help facilitate the challenge on April 4.
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Spangler Elementary School students raise funds in American Heart Association Kid's Heart Challenge
School students participated in the American Heart Association Kid's Heart Challenge last week. Spangler Spartans had the opportunity to participate in online activities to learn more about how to maintain a healthy heart and learn about CPR.
Part of the challenge also includes participating in activities that promote heart health such as jump roping, dancing, and other cardio based exercises. All Spangler Spartans rotated through four stations: jump roping, a balancing obstacle course, hula hooping, and shooting hoops with a basketball. Students fundraised $2,753.82 for the American Heart Association.
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When the Milpitas Unified School District / San Jose City College Dual Enrollment Program was still in its infancy, educators from both institutions sought out input from existing programs to find out what made them successful.
“The top takeaway was that we are not involved to serve the interests of our district, but instead to serve the interests of the other district,” said director Michael Mooney. “If the two organizations come together with that in mind, they can do magic for the students, and that’s what we did here.”
The MUSD/SJCC Dual Enrollment Program was recently selected as one of only five recipients of the Glenn Hoffmann Exemplary Program Awards, given by the Santa Clara County School Boards Association (SCCSBA).
“On behalf of SCCSBA, once again, congratulations on an outstanding program that exemplifies putting students first and excellence in education,” wrote Hoffmann Exemplary Awards Committee Chair Isabel Jubes- Flamerich in the award notification letter. The Hoffman Awards Dinner is on Wednesday, May 10, from 6-9 pm at the Metropolitan Education District.
Click to read more about the Hoffman Award
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BLACH Construction held a Construction Technology & Engineering workshop at the MUSD Innovation Campus with 13 of our secondary students from MHS, CHHS, TRMS and Rancho Milpitas in attendance for the latest in our MUSD-BLACH student learning opportunities series.
This session included:
- Conversations with industry professionals in Construction, Technology & Engineering;
- Discussions on different types of technologies that are commonly used in the construction industry and how they impact the construction process;
- An overview of career paths in Construction Technology & Engineering and what it is like to be a structural engineer, MEP (mechanical, electrical, and plumbing) manager, and a virtual design manager.
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MHS students excel at state chess championships
MHS sophomore Devesh Mamidi and freshman Om Suthar both finished in the Top 5 of the 2022-23 CalChess K-12 States Championship tournament Mamidi placed 4th and Suthar finished 5th in the JV section of the state level competition, combining to secure enough points for a second-place overall finish for the MHS team.
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Randall Elementary students organize Cleanup Day
Randall World Languages School third grader Naia Ancheta organized a Campus Cleaning Day on Saturday, March 18, along with schoolmates Leslie Garnica, Olivia Baterna, and Laila Gutierrez.
As part of the project, they surveyed students and collected signatures from different grades to see if they wanted to come on Saturday to clean up our school; created posters to advertise el Club de Limpieza (Cleaning Club); invited parents and asked for donations such as water bottles and cleaning supplies; distributed permission slips; and then registered students and passed out supplies as they arrived to the event. In total, 16 students and 4 parents participated at the event.
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MHS Winter Guard finishes third in state championships
The Milpitas High School Winter Guard had a successful season, finishing in third place in the Scholastic National AA division at the California Color Guard Circuit Championships.
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Mariachi group teaches Randall students about instruments
Randall World Languages School hosted Mariachi Los Gavilanes de Monaco Middle School from Las Vegas, Nevada. Students learned about the different instruments, the parts of each instrument, how to play them, and got a preview performance from this group of middle school students who also performed with Randall's own Folklorico group later in the week at the Mexican Heritage Center.
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The Milpitas STEAM Showcase is a districtwide event designed to share students' work with the community. This event celebrates evidence of learning and highlights innovative projects and programs in Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, & Math. All students who completed the STEAM project process worked on their activities, documented procedures and results, and then created and submitted final presentation materials. | |
Latest community activities from our District Calendar | | |
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Have a look at our District Calendar for information on more upcoming events, meetings and more. Here's the link.
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MUSD | Phone: (408) 635-2600 | | | | |
