Five Milpitas Unified School District scholars crowned champions at IAC academic competitions2/25/2025
Five Milpitas Unified School District students–two from Sinnott Elementary School and three from Rancho Milpitas Middle School–were crowned champions at the International Academic Competitions (IAC) Geography, History, and Science Northern California Regional Bees.
Competing against one of the largest in-person regional competition fields in IAC history, Sinnott 5th grader Tara Karadi won the Geography and Science Bees, and fellow 5th grader Adhya Dangaria took first place in the History Bee. Meanwhile, Rancho 8th grader Tejus Karadi finished first in the Geography Bee, and 8th grader Parth Baheti and 7th grader Shreya Ram each won their respective grade level Science Bees. The competition, held January 18th in Fremont, was the first of three in-person opportunities for students to qualify for the Elementary-Middle School (EMS) National Bees, scheduled for May 22-26, 2025, in Orlando, FL. Students are challenged to decode questions and master quick buzzing techniques. Tara Karadi added a third-place finish in the History Bee; Dangaria also placed second in the Science Bee; and Tejus Karadi was second in the History Bee and fourth in the Science Bee. “This competition provided students with valuable experience in academic challenges, helping them refine their ability to decode complex questions and respond quickly under pressure,” shared coach Padma Subbaraya. “Their success reflects their dedication, preparation, and academic excellence. …These results not only bring pride to their schools but also secure their spots at the upcoming Bees Nationals in Orlando, FL.” Click for Middle & Elementary School Regional Results – IAC – US Division
 Milpitas High School’s Technology Student Association (TSA) club scored two first, one second and two third-place marks in recent STEM and Leadership competitions at Mountain House High School in a field of nearly 200 students from Harker, Saratoga, Evergreen Valley, and other participating schools.
The MHS team claimed first place in video game design for the second year in a row and first place for the drone/UAV challenge, where they built a custom drone from scratch with a camera and a claw. Additionally, the club placed second in the coding test, third in digital video production, and third in video game design. The MHS team, which started in the 2023-24 school year by TSA founder and president Vasista Ramachandruni, qualified for the National TSA Conference this summer in Nashville, TN, and will represent Milpitas on a national level. Team members include Vasista, Eshan Gupta, Toshan Gupta, Shashank Chamarty, Shivcharanraju Anga, Jeremiah de Guzman, Jericho de Guzman, Rushil Wadhwani, Nihal Kadamba, Amogh Nagre, Harish Manukonda, Swayam Shukla, Oliver Ma, Spencer Tran, Ethan Hui, and Sriram Sivakumar. In a previous 70-team statewide competition, the MHS team finished third in the state for the build challenge of the Tests of Engineering Aptitude, Mathematics, and Science.  A Milpitas Unified School District mother-daughter tandem teamed up to write and illustrate a children’s book, titled ‘Jacques and Bok,’ to help young readers find ways to take care of themselves and others without the use of electronic devices.
“The characters spend a lot of time in nature and in creating things together, which I believe are wonderful ways to connect and stay healthy,” shared Sinnott Elementary School educator Adrienne Barber of her second published book. Barber has taught first and second grade at Sinnott for 25 years. Adrienne’s daughter, MUSD Middle College High School junior Rose Barber, created the illustrations for the book, which was recently published on January 20, 2025. The 16-year-old illustrator attended Sinnott, Rancho MS and Milpitas HS before enrolling at MMCHS. She was inspired by the works of Mo Willems and Charles Shulz. “I wanted to give a light and whimsical yet humorous atmosphere to the book,” explained Rose. “The purpose of the book is to promote a healthy lifestyle to students, encouraging self-care through things such as spending time in nature, exercising, and making art. It also encourages positive interpersonal relationships by showing the characters collaborating, spending time together and sharing” Jacques and Bok, now available on Amazon, follows the unlikely and comical daily adventures of a man and his bird friend. It is meant as an early reader or story to be read and shared between parent and child. Bok, the bird, lives on Adrienne’s classroom whiteboard and provides daily messages to her students, and Jacques is a combination of a few people, Rose’s father, chef Jacques Pepin and some friends of ours, Adrienne explained. A portion of book sales will go to the Jacques Pepin Foundation, a charity that provides education and training to people in need. “Rose’s illustrations have always inspired me, and she created one of the characters about a year ago. What children respond to and enjoy is always central to the creation of my books,” Adrienne said. “I’m really lucky because Rose is a very patient and talented collaborator. ….Rose did all of the illustrations, edits and formatting. I’m really inspired by her dedication.” A months-long project, the mother-daughter team spent up to 14 hours a day developing the characters and storyline, as well as matching the illustrations and photographs in the book. “Conceptually, the book took a year, but collaborating with Rose on a book is something I’ve wanted to do for as long as I can remember,” Adrienne said. “The character of Bok was originally drawn as a quick sketch I made for fun on a whiteboard in my mom's classroom for her second-grade students to see,” Rose added. “At first, I didn't expect to develop the character further, but I began to feel more attached to the funny bird, and my mom thought it would be a great character if we ever made a book.” Artwork in the book combines character drawings and photos taken in France, Italy, Ireland, the Barber home, and in Milpitas’ Ed Levin park. “It was really important to us that Milpitas be included,” Rose said. “The repetition of sentence structure and colors creates a pattern that children enjoy, and they especially like commenting on backgrounds and saying the bird’s line: “Bok!”  The Milpitas High School Library reopened this fall with extended hours, new flexible and inviting furniture, and novel opportunities for students and staff.
At the beginning of the year, old books which had not been checked out in over ten years were weeded and given away to community members or donated to the Friends of the Milpitas Public Library. This created space to welcome hundreds of contemporary, popular, and award-winning books and carve out new sections–including College and Career, Graphic Novels, Manga, Quick Reads, and World Languages–refreshing the collection and making it easier to navigate. To reconnect with the community, the Library has relaunched Friends of the MHS Library, Instagram, and our website. We reinstated our partnership with the Milpitas Library so all members of MUSD have public library e-accounts. We also host a monthly breakfast for staff and set-up a coffee bar for daily use. The Library has offered an array of new programs including the Tournament of Books (8 new books that the MHS community is invited to read this year to vote on their favorite), a Halloween Book Nook contest, National Novel Writing Month co-sponsored by the Arras Periodical and One Long Story student clubs, 12 Days of Book Bliss, vision boarding, and more to come–including an author visit this spring! We also host numerous club meetings and the study rooms are utilized for study groups, audio or video recording, and more. In addition to College and Career presentations and use of the Library for large-group meetings, the Library offers class visits including a library orientation scavenger hunt, a genre personality test, book talks, research, and media-making challenges sponsored by KQED–with so much more to come! Please check out the Library–which is also home to our College and Careet Center! We are now open weekdays from 7:45 AM - 4:45 PM. Become a Friend of the MHS Library. Follow us on Instagram. Reach out to the Librarian Mia Gittlen at [email protected] with any questions or ideas!  A $2 million Career Technical Education Incentive Grant, facilitated through the California Department of Education, has been an unequivocal windfall for Milpitas High School’s Extension at the MUSD Innovation Campus - the centerpiece of the district’s career pathways development initiative.
And it nearly didn’t happen. Despite short notice of and unforeseen challenges in the application process, MHS Principal and Chief Innovator of New Campus Programs Greg Wohlman, along with colleague and MHS Lead Digital Business Academy Teacher Andrea Hutchison, secured the seven-figure state funding considered a game-changer in the enhancement and expansion of MUSD’s Engineering Academy Program. “The short timeline and up against the odds motivated me more,” said Principal Wohlman, who worked in tandem with Hutchison to submit MUSD’s application by the CDE’s deadline even after a late-night computer glitch erased more than half of the information and data needed to win over the decision-makers. “The best part about getting this grant, despite all the hard work, is how much this will help to expand and improve this program, offering students industry standard hardware and software and providing them with real world experiences to prepare them for their future.” Andrea Hutchison For the current 2024-25 school year, the grant has already been utilized for everything from the purchase of hand tools, 3D print machines, vinyl printers and consumable materials to scheduling of staff training and professional development to keep up with industry partners in the ever-advancing technological landscape. All grant funds must be exhausted by January 2026. "From the award of the grant to the implementation and now to see the students working with the staff, machines, and consumables that are funded from the grant brings the process full circle,” Wohlman shared. “I am so grateful to CDE for the grant award that will not only affect our students now but generations of students that will follow." This grant, combined with a $750,000 donation to the MUSD Innovation Campus capital campaign from global technology leader KLA Foundation, and the hiring of Engineering teacher Kristin Berbawy (who brought some of her own cache of equipment for students), have made an immediate impact in developing curriculum and working on machinery that matches real-world industry standards. “Those are the three key factors to make this place go,” said Principal Wohlman of the CDE grant, KLA donation and Ms. Berbawy, who teaches Introduction to Engineering, Computer Science and CAD (Computer-Aided Design) at the MHS Extension at the MUSD Innovation Campus. Now nearly halfway through the first year of the Extension, which is a key piece to the more than $90 million, 100,000 square foot sprawling innovation campus, the team is already thinking ahead to the future - applying for the next round of the CDE’s CTE grant, continually recruiting business partners for entrepreneurships and internships, and seeking more career pathway opportunities in fields such as Advanced Manufacturing, e-Sports, and Audio/Video production. “Our vision only becomes reality when we have leaders who strive to make what’s possible possible,” said Superintendent Cheryl Jordan. “Their innovative leadership exemplifies what it means to build a world class education for all MUSD learners and team members!”
Motivated by her need to support two school-aged children and better herself in the process, Chinese immigrant Liji Zeng has persevered through family tragedy to remain a student within the English as a Second Language (ESL) Program at Milpitas Adult Education (MAE).
“My goal is to learn English,” said Liji, whose husband passed away from cancer in 2022. “I need to take care of my family and I need to get a better job. If I don’t understand English, then I can’t do those things.” Each weekday, Liji drops her youngest daughter at Marshall Pomeroy Elementary School and the older sibling at Thomas Russell Middle School en route to the MUSD Innovation Campus where she is currently in Vini Jain’s ESL level 4 class. “Her journey is a testament to her hard work, dedication and unwavering perseverance in the face of numerous challenges,” said Jain, who first taught Liji in her ESL level 2 class. “Alongside her academic achievements, she is a devoted mother to her two daughters aged 14 and 8, whom she has inspired with her determination and commitment to creating a better future for their family.” Liji’s amazing educational journey recently garnered recognition as a recipient of a CalWORKS Achievement Award, which honors those who have used CalWORKS services to improve their lives and contribute to their community. “Liji is a hard working young lady, an industrious student, and a loving and dedicated mother to her two children,” said CalWORKS Site Rep Minh Nguyen, who started working with Liji in February 2023. “She often has perfect attendance in her ESL classes, follows through with her plans and stays focused on her personal and family goals. She has improved her English competency skills and has become more and more confident in handling her daily life as a woman and as a mother.” Liji immigrated from China to the United States in 2013. She began ESL level 1 and 2 courses in 2016, but stopped after having a baby. Liji returned to ESL class in 2021 at MAE, and has worked her way up to ESL level 4 with one more level remaining. During this time, she took care of her ailing parents-in-law and husband before his passing. In need of assistance, Liji registered for aid with the CalWORKS program. “Liji is a very dedicated student who comes to class everyday and works hard to improve herself, her skills, and her life,” Jain shared. “As her teacher, I see that she is doing her very best to make the most of every day for herself and her daughters.” While she runs a small clothing business, Liji is keeping her options open to different career pathways that will allow her to provide for her family. “I am so appreciative of Milpitas Adult Education. They have given me so much information, like the job fair and different colleges. I’ve gotten a lot of information that’s good for me,” Liji shared. MAE Principal Giuliana Brahim is proud to have Liji as a student in the MAE ESL program as she is an inspiration for all adult learners and second language learners in Milpitas. Brahim recalled a recent school-wide presentation where Liji addressed the community advocate and posed clear questions about issues affecting our schools and children. “Immigrant integration thrives when individuals embrace their circumstances and actively engage in civic life,” Principal Brahim said. “Her curiosity and focus were evident, and I am confident that Liji will dedicate herself to building a sustainable future for herself and her loved ones.”   Sophomore Long Nguyen hopes the skills he learns in Ms. Berbawy’s Engineering Class will set the foundation for succeeding in his desired career path. The 16-year-old enrolled in the inaugural student cohort at the Milpitas High School Extension at the MUSD Innovation Campus to accomplish just that.
“Not exactly CAD (Computer-aided Design) specifically but the engineering aspect is what led me here, so I can start creating my own things,” said Long Nguyen, who was learning a web-based software design program. “Also, for my future, I wanted to really improve the world in some way and change the world in some way with the abilities that I would learn here, especially here because it is all about innovation.” His classmate, Bryan Nguyen, has a similar focus of engineering and the first-year innovation extension campus illuminates that desire in all who work and learn there. “I think most kids in here are trying to get into the engineering field so I think CAD and learning it right now is very important so you get used to it and more familiar with the programs we’ll use in college and maybe in your career,” Bryan Nguyen added. The Introduction to Engineering Class is one of three that Ms. Berbawy teaches along with Computer Science and a semester-long CAD course. “My goal with this class is to get the kids excited about engineering, understanding that it’s not scary, it’s not inaccessible,” she said. On this particular day, students are learning how to use OnShape, a product development platform that brings together all the tools needed to develop a product from conception to production. “Now we’re working on how to use CAD to do 3D printing and general design,” said Bryan, who has some familiarity with basic CAD but is getting his first taste of this more advanced program. “I love this class. It’s amazing.” “We are doing a lot of math, a lot of physics, a lot of science but it is all applied and it’s project based so it makes it way more accessible and understandable for the kids,” Ms. Berbawy said. “It’s fun to see them excited about their own ability and freedom to create things.” Throughout the school year, students will use this software program to design their own creations and produce them on a plethora of 3D printing machines in the spacious classroom. “She’s amazing. She supports us in any way we ask. If we need help with math homework, she can help us. English homework, she can help us. But especially with CAD she knows how to fix problems and let us solve it by ourselves,” Long Nguyen shared. “I feel like I’ve learned way more already this year than I ever did all of last year.” The introductory class is the first of three engineering courses that the students will advance through while enrolled in the MHS Extension at the MUSD Innovation Campus. “My goal is that the kids can explore their interests and by the time they are seniors they can make anything,” Ms. Berbawy said. “The possibilities are endless.”  Thomas Russell and Rancho Milpitas middle schools, as well as nine Milpitas Unified School District elementary schools, are ranked among the best in the state, according to the U.S. News & World Report 2025 Best Elementary Schools and Best Middle Schools rankings.
TRMS and Rancho both ranked in the top 40% among 7,166 California Middle Schools. Our MUSD elementary schools also ranking in the top 40% out of 8,778 elementary schools in CA are:
For each state, schools were assessed on their percentages of students who were proficient or above proficient in their mathematics and reading/language arts state assessments. Half of the formula assessed the scores themselves and the other half incorporated the test results in the context of socioeconomic demographics. For MUSD top three ranked schools:
Click links to review the full list of U.S. News & World Report 2025 Best Elementary Schools and Best Middle Schools rankings.  By Atharv Vyas
MHS ASB President As we approach the holiday season, our community once again comes together for the Jack Emery Food Drive—a tradition that has spanned decades. But who was Jack Emery? Born into poverty in Nebraska, Jack knew firsthand the struggles of going without. After moving to the San Jose area, he dedicated his life to helping those in need, starting with small acts of kindness that grew into something much bigger. He reached out to the local Lions Club, and together, they began providing food for families during the holidays. Even after Jack’s passing in 1952, the Lion’s Club kept his mission alive. Eventually, the food drive expanded so much that local schools were brought on board to help, marking the beginning of what we now know as the Jack Emery Drive. This year, we're excited to continue Jack’s legacy with a few changes to make giving even easier. Donations can now be made online through our new digital platform, as well as donating using cash and checking in the boxes provided in each teachers room. Although schools will not be collecting cans, if you wish to donate them you can drop them off at the Milpitas Food Pantry. Whether you choose to donate $1 or $100, every contribution helps bring hope to families in need. Join us in honoring Jack Emery’s spirit of generosity by making this year’s food drive the most impactful one yet. Let's all get together as the strong Milpitas community that we are. As the strong Milpitas community we are, together, we can make a difference. Let’s keep Jack’s legacy of compassion alive! Rancho student leader Amari Sims brings food-allergy initiative Teal Pumpkin Project to MUSD schools11/15/2024
Rancho Milpitas Middle School’s Associated Student Body President Amari Sims went on a quest this Halloween to deliver teal-colored pumpkin baskets filled with non-food treats to students with food allergies at our Milpitas Unified School District schools.
For his Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) Teal Pumpkin Project, Sims purchased the plastic baskets as well as a plethora of cool kid-friendly gifts such as stickers, temporary tattoos, yoyos, necklaces, and friendship bracelets. “I hope that the non-food treats help students with food allergies feel included during the Halloween celebrations and that they consider offering a teal pumpkin at their home and spread the word,” shared Amari in his mission statement. FARE promotes the simple act of offering non-food treats, like glow sticks or small toys, to help create a more inclusive Halloween that all kids can enjoy as there are one in 13 children in the U.S. with food allergies. “Thank you to all of the school staff for supporting me in this project and their words of encouragement and support,” Amari said. “I met so many kind staff when I visited the schools.” For his next endeavor, Amari is planning to organize a citywide walk event to increase awareness about food allergies and general early childhood nutrition while raising much needed funds for these causes. |
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING:
The governing board of Milpitas Unified School District will hold a Public Hearing on Tuesday, June 28, 2022. Media ResourcesArchives
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