You’re invited to the 4th Annual "Celebrating Differences" Event for youth and adults with differing abilities. District 4-C6 Lions and Milpitas Executive Lions Club partnered with the City of Milpitas Recreation Department to sponsor the event on Saturday, March 17, 2018 from 10 am - 2 pm at the Milpitas Community Center 457 E Calaveras Blvd Milpitas CA.

Click here to download the registration form.
Click here to view the event detail on Facebook.

​PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that immediately following a public hearing on the matter, a proposed resolution(s) will be considered by the Governing Board of Milpitas Unified School District at its regular meeting on March 27, 2018, at 7:00 p.m., which if adopted by the Board will implement development fees established by the District against residential construction and reconstruction at $3.79 per square foot and against new commercial or industrial construction at $0.61 a square foot. The proposed fees are authorized by Education Code Section 17620 and Government Code Section 65995. Data pertaining to the cost of school facilities is available for inspection during regular business hours at the District’s Business Services Office, Room 205. The fee, if approved by the Governing Board, will become effective on May 26, 2018, which is 60 days after the proposed adoption of the resolution levying such fee by the Governing Board.

There was plenty of love in the air the Friday before Valentine’s Day at Spangler Elementary—and lots of basketballs, too! School families came together to raise $5,951 for the American Heart Association by participating in a schoolwide Hoops for Heart Day. The second annual event was coordinated by Katelin McClure and the Spangler Student Council in partnership with the charitable organization. 

“We exceeded our fundraising goals and are so proud to say that we are living our PeaceBuilder’s pledge by helping others in their fight against heart disease and stroke,” says Spangler Elementary Principal Catherine Waslif. 

On Friday, Feb. 2, Calaveras Hills High School guidance counselor Diana Carty and math/engineering teacher Mrs. Sridaya Komar chaperoned a group of 19 Cal Hills students to visit Ohlone College’s Newark campus. The students met instructors from the Computer Science/Emerging Technology, Biotechnology, and Multimedia programs and paid a visit to the Nursing Program’s laboratory classroom.


The month of January was also a busy one at Cal Hills. Notable events include:

• Their Community Celebration (pictured) where students and families were treated to a home-cooked style meal from the staff.
• Their successful mid-term WASC visit, with Cal Hills passing the inspection of the visiting committee.
• Formation of a Relay for Life team, in which two dozen students and staff plan to take part in a 24-hour relay next month to raise funds for cancer research and treatment.
• Their engineering program that continues to grow, with a second section this school year for students interested in learning engineering basics, using the nationally recognized “Project Lead the Way” curriculum.
• Their “Grad Lab” on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, where students can stay after school for tutoring in any subject and help with graduation requirements.
• Their basketball team taking 4th place in the South Bay Athletic League.

​by Joyce Tang
 
On Feb. 12, over 170 Russell Middle School’s Team Determination students and staff spent the day in Alum Rock Park of San Jose for their first annual “Nature-Loving, Outdoor-Learning, Community-Serving Field Trip.”
 
San Jose Park Ranger Sergeant Huy Mac spent long hours coordinating with the city of San Jose and the California Native Plants Society, Santa Clara Chapter, to provide them with enough tools and supervising staff. There were hundreds of gloves and neon-yellow vests, along with wheelbarrows, action hoes, weeding hoes, pitchforks, and rakes for the students to use. The two choices of service projects included spreading 60 cubic yard of mulch for the playground and weeding out invasive plants such as milk thistle, Silybum marianum, and poison hemlock, Conium maculatum, at the summit of Todd Quick Trail.
 
Team Determination consists of a mix of both 7th and 8th graders, among which are students who have recently arrived to the United States and students who have mild to severe disabilities. Despite our differences, every single student—regardless of ethnicity or ability—helped make the park a better place for both its natural inhabitants and its human visitors. The great outdoor truly unified us toward a common goal.
 
In addition to the sense of unity, another unique experience this field trip offered was how students were allowed to design their own itinerary for the day by deciding when and in which activities to take part. For example, some students decided to rake and mulch the playground in the morning before heading out to the creek for the afternoon, while others were determined to hike three miles round trip to see Eagle Rock before pulling weeds on the trail. There were also many unplanned surprises: the chance to pet a gopher snake brought out by the Youth Science Institute was a hit, and a few students actually got the opportunity to restore the natural habitat by spreading California native poppy seeds (Eschscholzia californica) over the hilltop. Turkey vultures soaring at eye level, deer chilling under an enormous oak tree, minnows swimming in the creek, ladybugs squirming around for a better resting spot, and a bobcat devouring a squirrel were only some examples of how impactful outdoor learning can be to students.
 
Most of these students have never volunteered in a park. Their community service opportunities are limited to helping teachers on campus. Many students have never used a hoe, balanced a full wheelbarrow, pulled weeds or talked to a park ranger, even though in the classrooms we teach them the science of invasive species and host career day.  While these skills may not be prized as academically rigorous, the sense of satisfaction and accomplishment was evident on the students’ faces as the day drew to a close.
 
Digital literacy is often earmarked as the most important 21st century skill worthy of funding. But in this era of growing climate change, we must also teach environmental literacy and encourage community stewardship. That’s what we’re doing at Russell. As we partner with local businesses in Silicon Valley that provide high-tech career paths to our students, we acknowledge our duty to protect and preserve the ecosystems, not only for ourselves but also for future generations.

SACRAMENTO— State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson and the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) announced that applications for the California Dream Act are down significantly and urged all eligible students to apply for the program, which allows undocumented students to receive state financial aid for college.
​
More information on the California Dream Act, including Frequently Asked Questions for
High School Counselors, is available on the CSAC California Dream Act Web page at
http://ww.csac.ca.gov/dream_act.asp.

The California Dream Act Application is available on the CSAC California Dream Act
Web page at http://www.caldreamact.org. Applications are due March 2, 2018.

Please see the joint letter from the California Department of Education and the California Student Aid Commission below regarding the California Dream Act Application.

Dear MUSD Family and Community,
 
The tragic shooting at Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida touches all of us. Although words can never bring back the many lives that were tragically cut short, they do have the ability to bring us together for our children and one another.
 
As difficult as it may be to explain the tragedy to your child, rest assured that we too will provide all of our students the space and support necessary to discuss this tragedy if they feel they need to do so. To support you at home in talking with your children should they have questions about what they may see in the media, I encourage you to visit our MUSD Family and Community webpage where you will find resource links on helping children to talk about violence in the news.  If you feel you need support, feel free to contact your principal.
 
As your superintendent, I want you to know that we are doing everything in our power to create a safe environment for our students and staff. Our collaboration with the Milpitas Police Department greatly enhances our ability to provide safe learning environments.  In fact, Milpitas Police Chief Armando Corpuz and I spoke this morning about how we can deepen that collaboration.
 
The lives of our students and staff are precious, and I thank you for being our partners in ensuring we are doing everything possible to keep them safe. Together, we will continue supporting our students through these difficult moments, so that they have the confidence and optimism to achieve their dreams.
 
 
Sincerely,
 
Cheryl Jordan
Superintendent 

SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. – The County of Santa Clara Vector Control District is scheduled to begin its annual program to prevent the spread of mosquitoes, specifically the winter salt marsh mosquito(Aedes squamiger), with the application of naturally occurring microbes and a mosquito-specific hormone on Wednesday, February 14. This treatment methodology has been safely and effectively used by the County annually since 1992.

See the following Media Advisory for more information.

Please join us for a Celebration of Learning with the Milpitas Community on Saturday, January 27th, 2018 at Curtner Elementary. Everyone is welcome! See the flyer below for more information.

Click here to view the program.

View flyer in Spanish | Vietnamese

We're excited for you to join us at our 2018 Parent University on Thursday, January 25th at Randall Elementary! In order to prepare and create the best Parent University experience for you and our presenters, please check out our workshop offerings and let us know what you're interested in attending. This will help our presenters bring enough materials for all attendees. We look forward to seeing you there!!