Being confined to their homes during the County's Shelter in Place Order has not stopped these Milpitas Unified School District students and educator from making headlines for their efforts to support local families and community.

Rancho Milpitas Middle School eighth grader Annabelle Chao's work was published in KQED's Teens and Coronavirus: "What should we do in the midst of a crisis?"

Isabella Morrison, a junior at Milpitas High School, founded Milpitas Gives Back, a growing community volunteer group that collects and sends letters of encouragement to nurses, police officers, doctors, paramedics, and other essential workers. Morrison was featured in the Milpitas Beat article, Milpitas High School student sends letters of encouragement COVID-19 frontline workers.

MUSD teacher Maureen Chen highlighted MUSD's EducatEveryWhere flexible learning model in this Spectrum News video.

​In our April 14 edition of Campus Connections electronic newsletter, three different groups of MUSD students are highlighted for forming nonprofits to support others during this COVID-19 pandemic.

At Milpitas Unified School District, our educators share a growth mindset when it comes to our student outcomes in the classroom as well as on state standardized tests. Simply, we want to see improvement over time for each student as they work to meet and then exceed the state standard.

While MUSD students consistently outscore their county and state peers on standardized tests, this is only a one-moment-in-time assessment of our student achievement. However, our cohort data proves that as students move through our MUSD system, they are exhibiting year over year, statistically significant growth in English Language Arts and Mathematics.

Example 1: One way to examine this is to follow a cohort of students from when they begin testing in third grade and as they continue through our schools over a five-year period. Let’s take our cohort of third graders district-wide from 2015 who were then 7th graders tested in 2019.

• 64 percent met or exceeded the State Standard in Math as third graders in 2015
• 65 percent met or exceeded the State Standard in Math as fourth graders in 2016
• 59 percent met or exceeded the State Standard in Math as fifth graders in 2017
• 70 percent met or exceeded the State Standard in Math as sixth graders in 2018
• 73 percent met or exceeded the State Standard in Math as seventh graders in 2019
  • A 9 percent increase of those students who met or exceeded the State Standard in Math over a period of five years.
  • This same cohort group jumped 19 percent from 58 to 77 percent met or exceeded the State Standard in ELA over the same five-year period.
    

Example 2: In this case, looking at all MUSD students, we can track how our students have performed on state assessments over a five-year period.

• In 2019, 71.22 percent of MUSD students met or exceeded the State Standard in English Language Arts and 64.71 percent of MUSD students met or exceeded the State Standard in Mathematics. Over the last five years, MUSD students as a whole have increased their scores by 6 percent in ELA and 8 percent in Math.
  • Compared to the State, 50.87 percent of students met or exceeded the State Standard in ELA and 39.73 percent in Math.
  • Compared to Santa Clara County, 63.03 percent of students met or exceeded the State Standard in ELA and 56.56 percent in Math.

Example 3: Now, let’s look at our 11th grade students at Milpitas High School over the last five years, again in ELA and Math. Over the last five years, MHS juniors have increased 4 percent from 75 to 79 percent met or exceeded the State Standard in ELA. Over the same time, MHS juniors have increased by 11 percent from 52 to 63 percent met or exceeded the State Standard in Math. 

The Milpitas High School Theater Department, under the direction of Kaila Schwartz, has been selected to perform at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the world’s largest and most prestigious arts festival, as part of the American High School Theatre Festival (AHSTF).

Each August, Edinburgh, Scotland, becomes the most magical and exciting place on earth, as performing artists from all over the world take part in the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The whole city becomes a stage, and visitors can view performances everywhere from playgrounds to conference rooms and from city parks to churches. The Festival Fringe includes nearly 4,000 different performances of music, theatre, dance, and comedy during its three-week run. Milpitas High School’s performance will be showcased as a part of AHSTF at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Edinburgh, Scotland the summer of 2021.

Milpitas High School, recognized for its commitment to excellence in the performing arts, was selected by the AHSTF Board of Advisors, which is made up of college and regional theatre professionals, to represent our community as part of the 2021 AHSTF program. The Board reviews all completed applications and identifies the top high schools based on their most recent bodies of work, awards, community involvement, philosophies, and recommendations.

WorldStrides, the nation’s preeminent student travel organization, will secure the travel arrangements for each high school group, ensuring the highest standard of security and safety for those traveling.

Milpitas High School performing arts students, their parents, and teachers are heavily involved in fundraising activities to finance their two-week adventure to Scotland and England.

​Contributions and donations are welcome, and more information is available from Kaila Schwartz, Milpitas High School Drama Director at (408) 635-2800 x4042 or visit their website at https://www.milpitashightheatre.com/ and social media at Facebook @MilpitasHSTheatre, or Instagram @milpitashstheatre.

I understand that there is concern about potential exposure to the novel coronavirus in our community.
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You probably saw the news about employees at a local hospital. Because these employees were in close contact with a confirmed case of the new coronavirus, the County of Santa Clara Public Health Department gave them legal and specific instructions to stay at home and monitor their symptoms. When it comes to healthcare facilities, we are being extremely cautious. The goal of these actions is to prevent any further spread of the virus and to protect the health of the community.

What is a close contact? A close contact is someone who spent time face-to-face with a confirmed case for an extended period, such as days or hours. The Public Health Department is investigating and contacting people who were close contacts because they are at greatest risk of developing a novel coronavirus infection. The Public Health Department is also following up with people who had lesser degrees of contact. 

Patients, visitors, vendors and other workers who were in waiting rooms or shared indoor spaces with a confirmed novel coronavirus case are not close contacts. Walking by the person or being briefly in the same room is not considered close contact.

It is critical that Bay Area residents take reasonable precautions but not let their fears lead to discrimination. I encourage you to stay alert and stay informed, but for now you do not need to change your daily routine or activities.

The County of Santa Clara Public Health Department continues to respond to this evolving situation and highly recommends common sense measures. We all have a part to play in limiting the spread of flu and other viruses that are circulating in our community. By doing common things – washing your hands frequently, covering your cough, cleaning surfaces, and more, you are helping to limit the spread of disease to our family, friends, co-workers, and community.

Thank you for staying informed as this situation evolves, and for helping us share accurate information.

All the best,
Sara H. Cody, MD, Health Officer and Director
County of Santa Clara Public Health Department

Dear MUSD Families and Team Members,

The health and safety of our students and staff is our utmost priority! Any student or staff member who has been to China in the last two weeks will not be allowed back at school for a two-week period, per Santa Clara County Public Health Department (SCCPHD). Those students will be placed on Independent Study to continue their learning at home during this time. Principals have communicated with the parents of those students who have traveled to China in the last 14 days, and those students are now being placed in our Independent Study Program.

We continue to follow directives from the Santa Clara County Public Health Department and provide any new developments as they become available to us.

Today, February 3, we received Updated Guidelines for Santa Clara County Schools. These are the newest guidelines:

• If your child or a staff member has been in the Hubei province or mainland China within the last 14 days, please have them stay home and call the public health department during regular business hours (408-885-3980, M-F 8-5) so that they can provide guidance to you and your family.
• If any symptoms develop within the 14 days since their last day in China, such as fever, chills, night sweats, cough or shortness of breath, please call a healthcare provider and let them know your travel history and symptoms.

Here are precautions:

• Encourage all students to staff home if they are sick
• Those who have a fever at school should go home immediately and stay there for at least 24 hours after they no longer have a fever without the use of fever reducing medicine.
• Promote hand hygiene by using soap and water, hand sanitizers and tissues
• Avoid touching your face, particularly your eyes, nose and mouth
• Encourage proper cough etiquette - cough or sneeze into a tissue, sleeve or arm. Do not use your hands.
• Perform routine surface cleaning, particularly high-touch surfaces.
• Consider not attending or hosting large gatherings.  This is where cold, flu, and other respiratory viruses are often spread.

The SCCPHD will notify us of any students who are under mandatory quarantine and give us notification when those students can return to school. We ask that parents of any students under self-quarantine provide schools with documentation. During this time, we will work with students and families to support continued learning at home.
The SCCPHD confirmed the second case of Coronavirus in Santa Clara County and issued a Feb. 3 update, To read more, click here. (For translation, please click here.)

The risk to the general public remains low, according to the SCCPHD. The SCCOE provided this message earlier today. To read more, click here.

For FAQs on the Coronavirus, please visit our Information and Updates Regarding Novel Coronavirus webpage.

The CDC and state and local public health departments are continuing to closely monitor new developments regarding the Novel Coronavirus outbreak. A woman in the Bay Area who became ill after returning from a trip to China has become the ninth person in the U.S. to test positive for the Coronavirus, bringing the national total to 11.

“I understand that people are concerned, but based on what we know today, the risk to general public remains low," said Dr. Sara Cody, Health Officer, Santa Clara County Public Health Department (SCCPHD). “With our large population and the amount of travel to China for both personal and business reasons, we will likely see more cases, including close contacts to our cases."

Dr. Cody emphasized that there is no evidence that the virus is spreading anywhere in the county, Bay Area or Northern California. The confirmed cases are being monitored closely coupled with confidentiality as required with any medical condition. Dr. Cody also stated that there was no risk of infection for the general public from the Santa Clara County cases.
Federal Guidelines are summarized by Dr. Sara Cody below and state the following:

1. Any staff or student who has been in the Hubei province within the last 14 days should not attend school. They should be at home, in a separate room, with separate bath, until 14 days after last exposure to Hubei. They should monitor for symptoms and report any symptoms to Public Health. They should not seek medical care without calling ahead first and letting care providers know of their exposure history.
2. Any staff or student who has been in China, in a province other than Hubei province, within the last 14 days should also not attend school. This would be voluntary quarantine, with symptom watch.

 
D​r. Cody reiterated the importance of common-sense precautions to prevent the spread of all infectious diseases:

1. If you're sick, stay home.
2. Wash your hands and don't touch your eyes, nose, and mouth.
3. Recommends to get your Flu shot.

Below are revised health guidelines for schools in response to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' national public health emergency declaration issued Friday, January 31, 2020.

Updated Federal Guidelines
As part of the emergency declaration, which went into effect today (Sunday, February 2) at 11 a.m. PST., Americans returning to the United States, who have been in China's Hubei province within 14 days, will face a mandatory quarantine and be monitored by public health officials. Americans returning to the United States from other parts of China will face enhanced screening and a self-quarantine of up to 14 days to ensure they do not pose a health risk. 

Updated Guidelines for Santa Clara County Schools
In response to the new federal guidelines, schools will exclude students who are under mandatory quarantine from school for 14 days from their last exposure and will communicate with Santa Clara County school districts, colleges and universities to ensure high-risk students remain out of school for the identified period.  Students who are under voluntary self-quarantine will be excused from school during this period. 
It should be noted that the risk to the public remains low.

Guidelines for Students Under Mandatory and Self-Quarantine 
Please know that Santa Clara County is committed to maintaining the privacy of our students.  Our schools will work with students and families under mandatory or self-quarantine with sensitivity and confidentiality. 

Mandatory Quarantine 

• Santa Clara County Public Health Department (SCCPHD) will notify districts of any students under mandatory quarantine, who have been excluded from attending school due to recent travel from China's Hubei province within 14 days.
• Once SCCPHD has received notification these individuals are cleared to return to campus, schools will communicate with affected families to make arrangements.
• Schools will work with students to support continued learning at home.
• Related absences will be excused.

Self-Quarantine

• Students who have recently returned from other parts of China are asked to self-quarantine and provide schools with documentation.
• Schools will work with students to support continued learning at home.
• Related absences will be excused.

Missing school, for any reason, can cause concern and stress for our families and students.  We will work collaboratively with families throughout this process.  However, to maintain a healthy and safe environment for all students and families, these guidelines have been put into place. 

In addition, we ask parents, caregivers or others, who may be under mandatory or self-quarantine to remain off campus as well. 

Masks
At this time, public health officials say there is no need to wear facemasks in the United States. However, as a precaution, students should be allowed to wear face masks on school campuses. Please note, students who are sick must follow health guidelines and should not be sent to school sick, even if they wear a mask. 

Additional Information and Resources
For the most up to date information about the Coronavirus, visit:  http://bit.ly/2OnX4x3
The SCCOE in partnership with the SCC Public Health Department will continue to closely monitor this situation, which is evolving as countries and expert health agencies learn more about the Coronavirus.  As we have updates, information and resources from SCCPHD or other agencies, they will be provided to our communities.

• Related absences will be excused.

Self-Quarantine

• Students who have recently returned from other parts of China are asked to self-quarantine and provide schools with documentation.
• Schools will work with students to support continued learning at home.
• Related absences will be excused.

Missing school, for any reason, can cause concern and stress for our families and students.  We will work collaboratively with families throughout this process.  However, to maintain a healthy and safe environment for all students and families, these guidelines have been put into place. 

In addition, we ask parents, caregivers or others, who may be under mandatory or self-quarantine to remain off campus as well. 
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​​​In addition, we ask parents, caregivers or others, who may be under mandatory or self-quarantine to remain off campus as well.