Shaping the future of our Global Community

Global. We are globally interconnected.  Over the last two years we have learned and experienced more about the lives of people who live beyond Milpitas than ever before. We have shared in their joys, sorrows, injustices, and triumphs. We have come to know others through our stories, concerns, and invitations for action in service together.  

Community. We are intertwined through generations and across cultures. On April 8th, our MUSD Kiwanis 18th Annual Crab Feed was held -- smaller than in the past, but with greater enthusiasm as it was in person!  With joy we chatted with people we hadn’t seen outside of a zoom box in over a year. This was service and action in unity to support our students in need of school clothes and scholarships. 

One poignant experience a family shared with me was their high school students’ ability to be more of who they are when they returned in person to MHS this year. They formed new friendships that they may not have had if not for the expansive changes that impacted learning and living.  Flexibility and adaptability, that is what these students demonstrated.  

Communication and an ability to understand different perspectives and biases are skills our learners experienced as they participated in our global community. In the very near future of 2030, our students need to build skills in these Cognitive and Interpersonal examples, as well as areas of Self-leadership and Digital competency.  Self-leadership skills include motivation and wellness needed for working effectively while remote.  Digital ethics and adept use of software are skills found within Digital competency.  This latest McKinsey Report on Skills for the Future illustrates the imperative that we continue to respond and plan so that our students are prepared to develop, create, and shape the future of work.  Be a part of our MUSD Innovation Campus planning by participating in this MUSD Thought Exchange about pathways to career for our learners. 

Shaping the future of our Global Community together,

#StrongerTogetherAsSchoolBoardTrustees

On Thursday March 17, 2022, the Santa Clara County School Board Association Legislative Action Special Education Subcommittee; MUSD Superintendent Cheryl Jordan; South East Special Education Local Plan Area Director Shelly Ota; SCCOE Government Relations Amanda Dickey, Esq; Senator Dave Cortese; CSBA Legislative Analyst Ericka Hoffman; and CSBA Chief Legal Counsel Bob Tuerck hosted an Inclusive Conversation about Special Education for Santa Clara County School Board members and other community leaders.

A video recording of the special session is available for viewing here.

Over the years, "Special Services" in public education for students with different learning requirements has become known as "Special Education," and is commonly viewed as a separate education system. There are many reasons for this perception, some of which were discussed briefly during our conversation, which is why the move toward inclusion will provide a dynamic and responsive system for all learners. 

Here is a link to presentation: Inclusive Special Education Conversation

Here are the videos:

• Inclusion and Education: Voices from Around the World
• Shelly Moore: Transforming Inclusive Education

MUSD Superintendent Jordan and I provided each panelist the opportunity to share valuable insights for each of us to consider and learn more about including Significant Disproportionality; LEA Billing Option Program, SB 692, AB 2034, and other legislation identified by the speakers. Attendees gained context on how key legal cases impact our district funding and the direction of future services Emma C., et al v. Thurmond, et. al. (1996); Morgan Hill Concerned Parents Association, et. al. v. California Department of Education, et. al. (2011); and E.E., et. al., v. State of California, et. al. (2021).  

As the SCCSBA LAC Special Education Committee Chair, I encourage board members to stay connected to the Special Education conversation with the Santa Clara County School Board Association Legislative Action Committee, please register here.

In community,



Chris Norwood

Pomeroy Elementary School students excited

about reading with March Book Madness

First graders in Mrs. Terri Lawrence and Ms. Lynn Tran’s classes are bubbling over with excitement as they learn the next book selection for the March Book Madness Tournament.

This day’s choice, “Bravo Anjali!,” written by Sheetal Sheth, follows a talented young female musician who encounters jealousy among her peers. Her journey sends an important message about making way for one another’s light to brighten the world for all.

“I like books and I like to read,” said 7-year-old Troy Maxwell. “That’s why I like March Book Madness.”

“Bravo Anjali!” has already won over classmate Shivya Nayak: “It’s so full of feelings,” she said.

The next day, students will hear the story, “The Three Little Tamales,” written by Erik Kimmel, and then the entire first grade votes on which book advances to the next round of the March Book Madness bracket.

The winning book will be read again and match-up against another winning selection, just like the NCAA College Basketball March Madness Tournament, until there is one first-grade book champion.

“I’m a North Carolina Tar Heels fan,” said Mrs. Lawrence, who came across the idea of replacing basketball teams with children’s books on social media and introduced it to her first-grade colleagues. “We started by reading two books on the same day. Now we read one book because the students are making deeper connections, not just surface ones.”

Click to read more about March Book Madness

Women's History Month Profile: MUSD's Nicole Steward

Name: Nicole Steward

Title: School-Linked Services Coordinator/Social Worker

Years with MUSD: 6

Educational Background: BA in Communications from University of Toledo (Ohio) and MSW in Child Welfare/Administration from the University of Connecticut (UCONN) School of Social Work. I also hold certifications in international restorative justice practices, trauma-informed yoga, and trauma-sensitive sound healing.

Why did you decide to become a School-Linked Services Coordinator/Social Worker? What inspired you to take on this career path? I was a CASA and a foster parent for 5 teens in Santa Clara County between 2008-2018 and I've seen how challenging school can be when a student is experiencing trauma, homelessness, or moving often due to placement changes. I've had to advocate for my kids in IEPs and with discipline matters and noticed that schools have a lot of power to make things easier for students if they have a caring adult who understands their needs, but often the needs of foster youth or those experiencing homelessness are left to fall through the cracks. When I had the opportunity to become a social worker in schools and advocate on a broader level for ALL students, I jumped at the chance. This work changes lives and I'm proud to be a social worker.

What does a SLS Coordinator do for a school district and what are the most rewarding parts of your job? My job is to find any barrier to a students' education (housing, food, medical, immigration, mental health, etc) and find resources in the city, county, state or federal resources that can remove those barriers so students can focus on their education. The most rewarding part is letting a struggling family know there is support...the responses vary from crying to screaming for joy and I celebrate right alongside them.

Click to read more about SLS coordinator Nicole Steward

MHS Theater returns to stage for spring musical 'The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical'

In December 2021, Milpitas HS theater teacher Kaila Schwartz was approached by two of her senior students who wanted to put on a spring production.

Schwartz was admittedly a bit apprehensive due to the uncertainty of COVID, which had forced the cancellation of the last play, “Peter and the Starcatcher,” just two weeks before it was set to premiere.

“They just said they wanted to do another musical before they graduated,” recalled Schwartz. “I listened to them and their arguments for doing one, and I couldn’t disagree with what they said.”

That very evening, Schwartz applied for the rights to “The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical.” She had seen it on Broadway and thought it would be fun to do with her students.

“It’s a celebration of differences and overcoming obstacles and friendship,” said Schwartz, who then surprised her students with the news after her application was accepted. They will had two performances at the MHS Theater on April 7-8.

Click to read more about MHS Theater

Milpitas High School students attend

2022 West Valley College Student Summit

Milpitas High School students attended the 2022 West Valley College Student Summit, sponsored by the Umoja (Unity) Program and coordinator Philip Severe.

The Milpitas HS contingent was among 160 students representing 8 different high schools attending this summit for the first time.

"Our students were very grateful for the opportunity to be with their peers in such a positive way," shared Milpitas HS Assistant Principal Cheryl Rivera.

After an opening welcome from the West Valley College President, students were separated in groups of 25 and each group attended four 25-minute workshops. The workshop facilitators shared information about Transfer, Financial Aid and Scholarships.

The Umoja Community presented a student panel to respond to questions students had about the transition from high school to college and any other questions. Students received lunch and a gift bag with useful items for school and info. about college.

Following comments from the Director of Admissions, students were treated to a 45-minute campus tour. The campus guides were students from the Umoja (Unity) program.

Elementary students hear from female role models in special MCEE Women's History Month virtual event

Fourth-grade students from Ms. Pitts and Ms. Do’s classrooms at Weller Elementary School were two of many classes treated to a special interactive Milpitas Community Educational Endowment (MCEE) event, "Celebrating International Women’s Day with Bay Area Women Role Models," which included Milpitas High School alum, Spelman College student and children’s book author Nyla Choates and professional executive coordinator and children’s book author Juliette Gomez. The program introduces local women who can serve as role models to our youth.

At Ms. Hong’s fourth-grade classroom at Curtner Elementary School, students interacted with Yoga enthusiast, studio owner and author Michelle Wing, who led a segment of the virtual event by asking students about the benefits of yoga.

2022 MUSD Championship Basketball Teams

MUSD COVID-19 Testing Clinics for All

2022 Women's History Month Video Resolution

2022 Adult Education Week Video Resolution