On May 1, 2014, selection committees comprised of principals, certificated, and classified management personnel met to select the 2013-2014 Teacher of the Year and the 2013-2014 Classified Employee of the Year. Each school site, along with the District Office and…
Alia Wilson
Congratulations to Vargas Elementary School teachers Barbara Papamarcos, Ceci Mendoza-Torres, and Jennifer Morgan for being featured in San José State University (SJSU) School of Education’s Impact Magazine. These wonderful teachers describe their work as cooperating teachers in SJSU’s Critical Research…
This academic year made a meaningful impact on over forty 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade Bishop Elementary School students who participated in an after school Musical Theatre program. Students met twice a week with Starting Arts Director Ms. Clara, practicing…
How do we get young students more interested in math and science? This question was posed to Pascal Lee, Planetary Scientist of the SETI Institute, when he took on his role as Chairman of the Mars Institute. His response was…
Leveraging Innovation by Growing and Honoring Teachers (LIGHT) Awards is a program of the Intrepid Philanthropy Foundation, a private foundation that seeks to improve the United States educational system in order to provide opportunities for all students to be productive…
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson recently named 424 public elementary schools “California Distinguished Schools” for their strong commitment and innovative approaches to improving student academic achievement. Among those schools named was our own Cherry Chase Elementary School. “I applaud…
The free Life Skills Bread Baking Program, that was recently brought to Sunnyvale Middle School, has reached more than 190,000 students nationwide since it began in 1992, providing students an opportunity to practice a fun, real-world application of skills they…
This past December, students at Ellis Elementary School participated in the first nationwide Hour of Code, in which students all over the nation learned computer coding. The Hour of Code was held December 9-13 as a part of National Computer…
Students in Sunnyvale joined millions of their peers across the country to celebrate the sixteenth annual National Education Association’s (NEA) Read Across America Day on Monday, March 3, 2014. NEA’s Read Across America Day, which celebrates Dr. Seuss’s birthday and…
Dear Friends, Well here we find ourselves in the middle of winter and while the rest of the country is battling the elements, Californians’ are hoping that we receive much needed moisture soon. Lately, and as I approach my 27th…
Farm fresh food has made a comeback in our schools – over half of California’s 1000 school districts are engaged in “Farm to School” activities, according to the USDA’s new Farm to School Census. The Community Alliance with Family Farmers…
Spring is arriving soon and many children and teens will join a variety of youth sports teams. Unfortunately, a number of children will suffer some type of injury. Of those injuries, some will experience a concussion. According to the Centers…
Silicon Valley Leadership Group partnered with Sunnyvale School District to host the Women & Girls Leadership Summit at Columbia Middle School to provide a morning dedicated to connecting strong female leaders in Silicon Valley with Columbia Middle School girls. This…
College Day is a community-wide effort spearheaded by the volunteer-led First Generation College Attainment Coalition. San Jose State University hosted a College Day Family and Community Conference on October 19, 2013, for all Santa Clara County students, mostly high school…
BAWSI stands for Bay Area Women’s Sports Initiative. The program is offered at Lakewood at no cost to the school or the district. BAWSI (pronounced “bossy”) is a nonprofit organization that creates programs through which women athletes bring health, hope…

