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SCCSBA President's Message

By Carol Presunka (Cambrian SD)

Happy May! I hope you had a chance to celebrate Mother's Day and mothers were appreciated at least on that one day of the year! I just wish May would decide what season it should be! Once again a very active month for SCCSBA members!

First the Hoffmann Awards. What a fabulous event! Students at MetroEd did a great job on the room, photo booth and table settings. The program went off without a hitch and the 6 award recipients were all so appreciative. Congratulations to the ESUHSD for winning the Kristi Porter Award! Lindsay and Tim at SCCOE did a great job on the videos. We had 16 school districts represented at the event to celebrate our winners. Thanks to all those who attended. A big thanks to co-chairs Aine O'Donovan and Isabel Jubes-Flamerich for all their hard work in making it happen.

Our April evening meeting focused on Going Green: Environment vs Economics. Thank you to Centrica for providing us practical ideas to improve our school campuses.

Jennifer Elenes from the SCCOE Attendance Collaborative came back after our Zoom glitches to educate us on how to improve our student attendance. Her group has been working closely with a number of our school districts and I’ve seen improvements in my own district as a result.

The Legislative Action Committee has been working hard, continuing its meetings with our representatives and sending letters of support for bills being reviewed in the current session in Sacramento.  

SUCCESS, SCCSBA’s committee supporting our unhoused students, are trying to gather info on how our school districts support our unhoused students and areas of need.  

Congressman Sam Liccardo, along with Minority Whip Katherine Clark, held a press conference at Rosemary School in Campbell Union School District, highlighting the impact of federal cuts on education. There was an amazing 5th grader who spoke eloquently on the impact the EL support had for him as a first generation student.

Dr.Bettye Lusk, CSBA President, will be attending our May 21 Lunch and Learn for a listening session. I hope you all can attend to share where you would like CSBA to focus for the next year.

Last but not least, I hope district reps, officers and committee chairs will be attending our Pass the Gavel dinner on May 21st. It's a great evening to thank everyone for their hard work and recognize our incoming officers and committee chairs for next year.

May you all have a wonderful end of school year and thanks for all you do for our students!

Check out all the SCCSBA upcoming events and activities on our website: www.sccsba.org

The Supporting Unhoused students through Communication, Collaboration, Education, and Solutions for School districts (SUCCESS) committee of the Santa Clara County School Boards Association is asking for your help in completing a survey about your McKinney Vento students in your district. We know this is a growing challenge among our districts and would like your help gathering specific data around this rising challenge. 

Click to complete the survey. 

If you have any questions, please contact the SUCCESS Chair, Robert Jung, at rjung@musd.org.

More information about the SUCCESS committee can be found at https://www.sccsba.org/unhousedstudents.

May 16 SCCSBA Networking Lunch at OPA!

All trustees are welcome to our next SCCSBA networking lunch on Friday, May 16 at OPA! Restaurant in Campbell (276 East Campbell Avenue). The no-host lunch will be held from 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM. This will be our last networking lunch for the school year, and we will resume again in September. We have had a great turnout for our networking lunches and breakfasts this year, and it has been a great opportunity to chat with school board members across the county.

22nd Annual Sacramento Bus Trip for Education on May 20

Join CA State Senator Dave Cortese (District 15) on Tuesday, May 20th, 2025 for an all-day visit to our State's Capitol in Sacramento as part of his 22nd Annual Bus Trip for Education! For over two decades, he has invited Silicon Valley residents up to Sacramento to engage directly with their legislators at the State Capitol. The Bus Trip aims to inform those attending the event about the legislature’s budget and legislative process with a focus on public education bill proposals and funding priorities. What started as a small group of concerned residents has now grown to a significant gathering of educators, students, parents, and community members, all working to improve education funding and awareness, leaving a lasting impact. 

Here is the link to register: 22nd Annual Sacramento Bus Trip for Education

May 21 SCCSBA Lunch and Learn - CSBA President Bettye Lusk

Please join us for a special SCCSBA Lunch and Learn Zoom Meeting on Wednesday, May 21. Our featured guest will be CSBA President Bettye Lusk. Bettye Lusk is a school board member of the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District Board, in addition to being this year's president of the California School Boards Association. She will be here to listen and to learn from our members about what's important to your school districts. All trustees are invited to attend, and please check your email inbox for the zoom link.

41st Annual SCCSBA Hoffmann Awards Dinner Recap

The 41st Annual Hoffmann Awards Dinner, held on May 7, was a wonderful celebration of this year's outstanding Hoffmann Awards recipients. Videos showcasing each winning program, along with photos from the evening, are now available on the SCCSBA website. Congratulations to everyone involved!

Thank you to all who joined us and helped make this event so meaningful. It was a pleasure to spend the evening with so many passionate and dedicated members of our education community.

As we begin planning for next year's program, we would greatly appreciate your input on both the application process and the awards dinner. Please take a few minutes to complete the brief surveys linked below.

• Survey on the Hoffmann Awards Application Process
• Survey on the Hoffmann Awards Dinner

We are also beginning to build next year’s team of application readers. If you might be interested in serving as a reader and being a part of the team that scores the applications, please complete the interest form below. This is not a commitment - just a way to let us know you'd like to learn more. We will follow up in the Fall to confirm interest. Serving as a reader is a great way to gain insight into the exceptional programs across our county. No experience is necessary.

• Reader Interest Form

This event would not have been possible without the help and support of a lot of people. In particular, we would like to thank:

• Aine O'Donovan (CUHSD) and Isabel Jubes-Flamerich (SSD), co-chairs of the 2025 Hoffmann Awards program, for leading the application process and the event planning.
• Bonnie Mace, SCCSBA Exec Director; Carol Presunka, SCCSBA President; and Shali Sirkay, SCCSBA Vice-President, for all their ongoing support and guidance.
• All of the trustees and educators who reviewed applications and conducted site visits.
• The MetroEd staff for their gracious support of the Hoffmann Awards Dinner, and the talented students in the Culinary Arts and Fashion Design programs for planning and preparing the meal and creating the beautiful décor. 
• James Kim and the MetroEd students for capturing amazing photos throughout the evening. 
• Our generous sponsors - Finney Architects, Clifford Moss, Orenda, Team CivX, and the Santa Clara County Office of Education - for their invaluable support.
• A special thank you to the SCCOE production team for creating the beautiful videos that showcased each winning program.  

Thank you all for being a part of this special celebration. We look forward to another inspiring 

year ahead!

Milpitas Unified School District

MUSD team launches A+ website to build AAPI awareness

In honor of Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Awareness month this May, the A+ (APIDA) Community (est. 2024-2025) is proud to launch our website (https://sites.google.com/musd.org/aplus/home) designed to celebrate and empower the diverse identities, cultures, and histories of Asian, Pacific Islander, and Desi Americans through education, advocacy, and community-building.

MUSD team members are developing programs that will amplify voices and promote understanding while fostering personal, academic, and professional growth. For aspiring Asian American educators interested in an admin or manager role, our year-long A+ Mentorship Program will pair emerging leaders with experienced principals and administrators, providing guidance, professional development, and networking to support advancement into educational leadership roles.

Additionally, high school students passionate about teaching can join our A+ Education Mentorship Program, which will offer mentorship, potential scholarships, hands-on learning, and networking opportunities to explore careers in education. Coming soon, our Resources section, focusing on education and advocacy, will feature blogs and articles on cultural awareness, social justice, and community news, along with webinars, workshops, and anti-racism resources designed to promote inclusivity and empower our community.

In the coming year, we will also actively seek partnerships with local APIDA businesses, restaurants, and organizations to strengthen community ties and create collaborative opportunities that uplift and support our vibrant A+ (APIDA) community right here in Milpitas!

Cambrian School District

CAMBRIAN'S FAMMATRE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL HOLDS MULTICULTURAL FESTIVAL

Fammatre Elementary School’s Multicultural Festival, held in March, was a vibrant celebration of diverse cultures within the community. Students and their families enjoyed traditional music, dance performances and interactive cultural exhibits. Attendees sampled international cuisine, participated in arts and crafts, and learned about customs from around the world. Students loved mask painting, Holi powder splashing and used a passport to visit each country’s table.

“The festival fostered inclusivity, creating a fun and educational experience for all,” said Fammatre Principal Samantha Haley. 

Students enjoyed showcasing their heritage and the festival highlighted the beauty of cultural diversity and strengthened the school's close-knit community.

MetroED

Celebrating SVCTE Student Success: Competitions, Careers, and College Scholarships

Silicon Valley Career Technical Education (SVCTE) center students continue to excel, earning top honors at state competitions and committing to careers in skilled trades. Check out some of their latest achievements below.

●       SVCTE Shines at SkillsUSA State Competition: The 2025 SkillsUSA California State Leadership and Skills Conference was held April 10 to 13 in Ontario, California, the largest SkillsUSA event in the state dedicated to showcasing career and technical education excellence with more than 6,500 students participating in 120 skilled trades and leadership contests. This year’s results are a true reflection of our students’ determination, skill, and commitment to excellence: a total of 16 medals—two gold, 10 silver, and four bronze. Read more here.

●       Student Takes Home Gold at HOSA State Conference: The 2025 Cal-HOSA State Leadership Conference (SLC) in Sacramento this past March brought together over 4,000 future health professionals from across California to experience HOSA at its best. Michaela VanDyke from San Jose Job Corps took gold in the Dental Science category, and will move on to HOSA's International Leadership Conference in June.

●       SVCTE Students Commit to Careers in Skilled Trades at SkillsUSA National Signing Day Event: Students from SVCTE were celebrated on May 6 during the 2025 SkillsUSA National Signing Day, a nationwide celebration showcasing our next generation of professionals in the skilled pathways that are essential to America’s future. Lowe’s hosted the SVCTE celebration. For more photos from the event, click here. Read more here. 

STAY CONNECTED

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