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
Scott Forstner
.
|
|
Thanksgiving for Community Engagement
|
|
Our MUSD
Community may feel disrupted by recent challenges that allow for disunity; however, through sincere engagement with one another, we will become more tightly woven in unity. Authors
Margaret Wheatley and
Peter Block speak about the power of dissent and the ability to disagree as a way of strengthening our commitment to one another. Having the space to speak about one’s experience and knowing that others are listening with the sole intent of understanding allows for respectful engagement. Engagement is about empowering through relationship in genuine and significant ways.
In the last few months I have heard from parents, staff, family/community members, and students about feelings of fear, anger, exclusion, and bullying. These experiences have been tied to instances such as a desire to have a voice in our governance, insensitive remarks between adults, lack of understanding about
autism, or outrage resulting from the
blackface incident. While it is painful to hear another’s hurt, I am thankful for the opportunity to listen. In listening inquisitively to one another, with a desire to seek action that ensures a better school community, our system grows healthier.
Community engagement and cultural sensitivity isn’t something we can teach our students without opening ourselves to an exchange about what matters, where we have been, and where we want to be with each other. In the coming days and months there will be many opportunities for us to share, listen, reflect, and learn about what matters in MUSD. Why? Because engagement is recognizing our basic need for belonging, and the value that each brings to our community. As we prepare for Thanksgiving this week, I am grateful for each of you, as I know that WE are becoming not only the best school district in the nation, but a model community in which cultural diversity is regarded as our greatest strength.
In community,
|
|
MUSD to host first of four-part Parent Champions series
|
|
Milpitas Unified School District will host the first of its four-part series, titled “Parent Champions: Empowering Parents with Children of African Ancestry,” starting on December 4 at the Milpitas High School Library.
The FREE 4-part series is designed to empower parents with children of African ancestry in Milpitas Unified School District to improve the educational experiences and outcomes for our children.
The Parent Champions Program has a mission to increase college-going and academic achievement of the students we serve by working with both parents and school personnel to increase family engagement. The program uses a working text for teaching and reference,
Be A Parent Champion: A Guide to Becoming a Partner with Your Child’s School
, and is intentionally designed as an empowerment model of reflections and action steps.
Future workshop dates: Wednesday, January 8; Wednesday, March 3; and Wednesday, May 13. Child care will be provided for children 2 and up.
|
|
Mattos Elementary School students showcase afterschool artwork for families in 2019 Art Gallery Walk
|
|
Dozens of first through third grade students at Mabel Mattos Elementary School showcased their artwork for family and friends at the November 19 Art Gallery Walk held on the McCandless Drive campus. The Mattos Art Program is sponsored by the Mattos PTA.
It was a culmination of six weeks of lessons in the afterschool art program, with students creating a portfolio of their artwork to display for visitors. This was the first of three sessions for the year and used the art medium of watercolor paint. Students were prepared to answer questions such as: What is your favorite piece of artwork?; If you could do something differently, what would it be?; and What is the title of your painting?
“Parents can walk around to each student and ask them these questions about their work,” said Mattos teacher Amberly Hsieh. “It’s a way for them to showcase their work.”
The Gallery Walk ended with a potluck celebration. The next two sessions will be Model Magic Clay and Stained Glass Glue Art.
|
|
Milpitas HS Theater's Fall play a smashing sucess
|
|
Twenty student actors, one student stage manager and a three-student stage crew make up the cast and crew for Milpitas High School Theater Department’s latest production entitled, “The Madwoman of Chaillot,” a play written by Jean Giraudoux in 1943.
With three performances Nov. 21-23, the Fall Play was a smashing success.
MHS senior Megan Hutchison starred as the title character in director Kaila J. Schwartz’s rendition of the poetic satire set during the Nazi occupation of France. However, the MHS version took place in Year 2025, and Schwartz noted the play has strong undertones of corporate greed and environmental blindness.
“It’s definitely rich with commentary,” said Schwartz. “I’m seeing a lot of growth (from our student actors). Many of the play’s messages seem to resonate with them rather strongly.”
Students have been rehearsing over the last six-to-seven weeks, since open auditions took place in early September, according to Schwartz.
“Our kids are so very committed,” said Schwartz, noting that a majority of the cast members incorporated elements of garbage in their costumes to go along with the environmental theme.
Schwartz designed the set based on an actual cafe in Paris. Brian Knitter, a social studies teacher, did the set construction.
|
|
Milpitas HS, Cal Hills students attend African American College-Readiness Summit at San Jose State University
|
|
A contingent of African Ancestry students from Milpitas High School and Calaveras High School attended a college-readiness summit at San Jose State University on November 7.
The students were accompanied by Milpitas High School Assistant Principal Cheryl Rivera, Calaveras Hills High School counselor Jonathan Payne, and MHS teacher/advisor Herman Wilson.
SJSU President Mary Papazian, the Santa Clara County Alliance of Black Educators, 100 Black Men of Silicon Valley, California Alliance of African American Educators, Silicon Valley Black Chamber of Commerce, and the Santa Clara County Office of Education hosted the annual African American College-Readiness Summit.
This Summit is an educational alliance dedicated to the growth and expansion of a college-going culture among our African American youth.
|
|
Jack Emery Brunch kicks off district-wide food drive
|
|
Student leaders at Milpitas High School hosted the 2019 Jack Emery Brunch on Nov. 5 to kick off the annual district-wide canned food drive that helps to feed about 4,000 local families throughout the year at the Milpitas Food Pantry.
“This has really made such a huge difference in our community,” said Executive Director Karen Kolander, who shared that these donations help stock the Pantry with enough canned goods to feed needy families for “almost the entire year.”
MHS Associated Student Body President Jessica Uyehara instructed staff and students representing each of the school sites on how the food drive works. A packet was handed out to help guide participants through the process. The drive runs from November 18 through December 11.
|
|
Milpitas HS debate team performs well at SCU Invitational
|
|
A
t the Santa Clara University Speech and Debate Invitational, Milpitas High School senior Devika Kumar made it to semi-finals (final 14) out of 38 entries in Varsity Dramatic Interpretation.
Sophomore Disha Yadav was 7th seed of 159 Varsity Lincoln Douglas Debaters, and advanced to Octofinals (round of 16).
Freshmen Linda Zhao and Dhruv Pathak were 15th seed in Novice Public Forum out of 112, and also advanced to Octofinals.
|
|
State Superintendent of Schools Tony Thurmond issues message regarding safe storage of firearms
|
|
To read the State Superintendent of Schools message to families, click
here.
|
|
Check out our District Calendar
|
|
Have a look at our District Calendar for information on upcoming events, meetings and more. Here's the
link.
|
|
MUSD | Phone: (408) 635-2600
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
