If this email is clipped—or photos are not displayed—click the "View entire message" link at the bottom of the email. Campus Connections is the newsletter of the Milpitas Unified School District. If you have stories for our next issue, please send them to
Doug Hughes.
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Video Updates on Dual-Language Immersion Program and Mabel Mattos Elementary
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February is a short month, and, appropriately, we have a short issue of
Campus Connections,
with a special treat:
three brief videos on topics of interest to our community.
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The first two videos give us a progress report on the new
Mabel Mattos Elementary School
, which was made possible by the June 2012 passage of Bond Measure E. In the video (which is half in Spanish, half in English) MUSD Superintendent Cheryl Jordan and ACSA President Norma Rodriguez celebrate the realization of this long-awaited dream. The school is being built on a 6.6-acre site on McCandless Drive, in three phases.
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The first phase, which is on track to open this August, will include the undergrounding of utilities for all future phases, an administration building, and a two-story building featuring eight classrooms with enough capacity to serve 238 students. When the school opens, it will initially focus on the lower grades.
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The Dual-Language Immersion Program at Randall Elementary is growing!
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In our third video, Principal Carlos Salcido explains how Randall Elementary’s growing Dual-Language Immersion Program works.
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“We have a two-way bilingual or dual-language immersion program,” he says. “It is a 90/10 model, so 90% of the day in kindergarten is spent in Spanish, which is our target language, and 10% of the day in English. In first grade, it goes up to 80/20, and then every year the English gets increased by 10% until fifth grade, where the program is 50% Spanish, 50% English.”
Randall Elementary teachers Adelina Vargas and Leslie Singh elaborate on the program in the same language they use to teach it. We also hear the reactions of parents whose children—even in the youngest grades—are thriving as they quickly acclimate to this proven full-immersion approach to bilingual skill development.
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It should be noted that space is limited for this program, with admission on a first-come basis, and is open to all Milpitas residents entering TK, K, or 1st grade.
For more information, please contact Robert Randall Elementary, 1300 Edsel Drive, Milpitas, CA 95035; 408-635-2662.
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MUSD Board of Trustees and SJECCD Board of Directors applaud progress and celebrate partnership
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The dual-language program at Randall and the dual-enrollment program between MUSD and San Jose City College were among the topics celebrated at the recent joint board meeting that took place at the San Jose Community College Extension (SJCCD) on Tuesday, Jan. 23. Thanks to our partnership with San Jose City College, we now boast one-stop educational facilities on Escuela Parkway. The proximity of our conveniently co-located, “TK-to-college campuses” is thought to be unique in the nation, with Pomeroy Elementary, Russell Middle School, Milpitas High School, and The San Jose Community College Extension all right next to one another. Milpitas High School students can attend courses at SJCCE for college credit before they ever graduate from high school, as can Cal Hills students who are just a two-mile bus ride down the road.
At the joint board meeting, members and trustees watched a video presentation touting the advantages offered by the burgeoning SJECCE facilities, which currently serve 1,000 college students a week as well as 600 high school students per day. In addition to classes, the facility offers disability services, counseling, career advising, academic planning, and tutoring—plus numerous special events like “Map Your Future” boot camps, a summer job fair, and a host of community organizations who make use of the space.
Michael Castro, SJCC Enrollment Services Coordinator, cited statistics demonstrating how much the facility has grown since its “soft opening” one year ago. It has become a gathering spot for student activities, he said. As proof of this, he recognized a group of student artists who unveiled a 4x8 foot mural they designed and painted themselves, representing the connection between elementary, junior high, senior high, and college-level knowledge seekers in pursuit of a well-rounded education that includes art, music, and sports.
Jorge Escobar, SJCC VP of Administrative Services, closed the presentation as he spoke about the vision behind the Milpitas Extension and thanked both Boards, staffs, and community members who
helped bring that vision to fruition.
Thank you, Milpitas, for supporting our kids; WE grow together!
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MetroED Celebrates Career and Technical Education Month
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Students and faculty at Metropolitan Education District (MetroED) will join others across the nation during the month of February to celebrate national Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month®. This year’s tagline is “Celebrate Today, Own Tomorrow,” and our own Silicon Valley Career Technical Education (SVCTE) is participating!
Read the full story on the MetroED website
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