On October 14, 2016, students at Columbia Middle School experienced the unique opportunity to learn about 3D printing, laser cutting projects and more thanks to a visit from the Mobile Maker Lab from Santa Clara University. The mobile lab is…
STEM
Wide eyes, gaping mouths and audible gasps described the scene at Vargas Elementary when fourth graders were treated to a very special guest teacher in October. Taborri, a red-tailed hawk, was introduced to the students by a team from Wildlife…
Two Columbia Middle School students and a CMS science teacher went through the ultimate space adventure this summer, participating in activities such as building and launching rockets, experiencing weightlessness in an astronaut-training simulator and simulating space travel preparation. The trip was…
Sunnyvale School District’s Cumberland, San Miguel, and Vargas Elementary Schools are being honored under the 2016 California Gold Ribbon Schools Awards Program. The Gold Ribbon awards recognize California schools that have made advancements in implementing the California Standards for English…
Columbia Middle School’s Darren Zhang scored in the top 5 percent on the Mathematical Association of America’s AMC 8 competition. Winners were announced in January. The AMC 8 is a 25-question, 40-minute, multiple choice test in middle school mathematics designed…
One Homestead High school senior is taking advantage of a personal disappointment and using the experience to help others. Shriya Ghosh, a 17-year-old Sunnyvale resident, was bummed when her parents told her the science program she was accepted to this…
Administrators and board members celebrated the recognition of the District’s Outstanding Educator of the Year, Jonathan Watts, at the annual Murphy Awards held on Feb. 20 by the Sunnyvale Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Watts has been making a difference in Sunnyvale…
The 2015 California STEM Symposium drew 3,100 teachers and school administrators to the Anaheim Convention Center in October. Educators participated in more than 300 workshops, roundtable discussions and hands-on lessons created to help schools funnel more students into Science, Technology, Engineering,…
As part of the fifth national Manufacturing Day, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Northrop Grumman Marine Systems hosted 18 students from Columbia Middle School’s robotics program at its Sunnyvale facility on Sept. 29. It was the first time…
More than 400 students at Cumberland Elementary School marveled at 360-degree views of the Martian landscape, Yosemite Valley, and coral reefs Thursday without ever leaving their Sunnyvale campus. They embarked on virtual field trips thanks to the Google Expeditions Pioneer Program, which…
More than 700 students attended the Stanford Summer Explorations program, which ran from June 29 – July 24 at Bishop Elementary School for incoming 1st-5th graders and at Columbia Middle School (CMS) for incoming 6th-8th graders. Summer Explorations is a free, four week program,…
Two Sunnyvale School District teachers were students again this summer, gaining experience in the practical applications of the subjects they teach. Kathleen Keating from Cherry Chase Elementary School and Joe Gabent from Fairwood Elementary School served as interns with local…
When Olympic gold medalist Brenda Villa opened up for questions at the 16th annual Young Women’s Leadership Summit, Columbia Middle School girls rushed the stage to learn more about the water polo star’s life. Villa was one of 130 women…
In addition to the Stanford University Partnership Program at Columbia Middle School, department chairs and teachers at CMS have been hard at work, creating new programs and classes, applying for and receiving grants to supplement and strengthen existing curriculum across…
One of the most challenging aspects of teaching in the classroom, as most teachers will agree, is to meet the learning needs of each student. This is especially true when there is only one teacher and more than 30 students…