On Wed., May 25th, the Superintendent sent a message to all CUSD families and staff via ParentSquare expressing the heartbreak over the Robb Elementary School shooting and providing information about how the district works to keep our students and staff safe at school.
District News
Updated Wed, May 25th
At a recent Governing Board meeting, Superintendent Shelly Viramontez presented an overview of results from the April 2022 community engagement survey. It was administered to CUSD parents, students, staff, and community partners by Huron/Studer Education.
“The survey is part of the district’s commitment of continual improvement and one of several ways that we elicit input from our community,” Viramontez said. “Feedback is very important for identifying what is working, what needs to be changed, and how to direct funds and resources to support those needs.”
The overall themes: Stakeholders are generally satisfied with the school and district leadership and the condition of schools. They want to improve two-way communication within the organization.
Each school and district department of five employees or more received its own results which they are examining in greater detail. The teams will identify focus areas for celebration (what is going well) and for areas for improvement. These will be incorporated into site and department goals. The Superintendent will report progress in future board meetings.
District-wide Themes from Survey
What is going well
(Areas that received the highest number of 5’s - Strongly Agree)
Students
- My principal is a good leader.
- My teacher cares about me.
- Learning is important at my school.
Parents/Guardians
- My child has the necessary classroom supplies and equipment.
- My family is treated with respect at this school.
- The school is clean and well maintained.
- After-school site manager is approachable.
Employees
- My principal/supervisor demonstrates concern for me.
- My principal/supervisor acknowledges good performance.
- Would recommend CUSD to a parent for their child.
- Believe the Superintendent uses a variety of methods to promote effective communication.
What to Improve
(Area that received a lower number of 5’s - Strongly Agree)
Improve 2-way communication to support all levels of the organization.
Next Steps
- Streamline communication methods
- Share information with Board
- Conduct some focus groups with students & families
- Determine a few actions aimed at improving outcomes
- Incorporate into our goals
The District is using some of its one-time funding to work with Huron/Studer Education to build long-term, district-wide capacity for maintaining a system of continual improvement. “Campbell is a great place to learn and a great place to work, and we want to keep it that way,” Viramontez said.
Updated Wed, May 25th
More opportunities to keep COVID-19 at bay are coming to our district in the near future:
Schools to distribute home test kits before school ends in June
Before the school year ends, schools will be providing at-home COVID-19 test kits for students to take home for the summer. There are two kits per student, from preschool through grade eight, and each kit contains two tests. It is recommended that parents keep one of the tests in reserve to use right before school begins in August.
Each school will provide the parents/guardians of their students with information about when and how to obtain the test kits before school ends on June 10th.
June 4 COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic to offer all doses and boosters for ages 5 and older
Safeway Northern California is again partnering with our district to provide a COVID-19 vaccine clinic to the community. They will be offering first and second doses, and first and second boosters to eligible participants age 5 and older. See the flier in today’s newsletter for details.
Date: Sat. June 4, 2022
Time: 10am-2pm
Location: PLC Building, next to Monroe Middle School, 1055 S. Monroe St., San Jose. (Enter from S. Genevieve Lane.)
Updated Tue, May 24th
Enjoy live entertainment for a low price when you and a companion attend The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley Jr., presented by Castlemont and Blackford elementary school students.
Based on the best-selling book series, this musical theater production follows the hijinks of Flat Stanley as he folds his way around the world and tries to get back to being a three dimensional boy.
- Castlemont Performances: 7:00pm on Friday and Saturday, May 27th and May 28th
- Blackford Performances: 7:00pm on Friday and Saturday, June 3rd and June 4th
All performances for both schools take place at the Castlemont School Multipurpose Room Stage, 3040 E. Payne Ave, Campbell.
Purchase Tickets at https://campbellusd.seatyourself.biz/
Updated Thu, May 19th
Hundreds of revelers, young and old, gathered on Saturday, April 30th, to celebrate Campbell Union School District’s 100th year of teaching and learning in the community. See the photos here.
Smiles were everywhere as current and former students greeted current and former teachers, students entertained crowds with songs, and families explored exhibits about the past, present and future of education here. School volunteers provided fun activities, such as a photo booth, face painting, books, food tastings, STEAM activities and more.
Governing Board members and Superintendent Viramontez greeted attendees, and Senator Dave Cortese, Assemblyman Evan Low, Supervisor Susan Ellenberg, County Superintendent Mary Ann Dewan and Campbell Mayor Paul Resnikoff each presented commendations acknowledging the District’s 100 years of educating the local elementary and middle school students.
The day culminated with a community concert on the Campbell City Green featuring Village School Teacher Gina Keopf and her band, Gina and the Tonics, followed by the headline band Clean Slate. More than 300 people gathered to listen, dance, and enjoy the celebration.
The centennial event was made possible with support from the Campbell Historical Museum, Campbell Chamber Community Foundation, A Party Place, Mathnasium, Sutton Swim School, Campbell Press, Kiwanis, the City of Campbell, parent and employee volunteers from our schools, and other community partners.
Updated Wed, May 18th
FEI (Family Engagement Institute) in CUSD, one of Campbell Union School District’s programs aimed at strengthening the home-to-school connection, earned the County School Board Association’s highest honors in the prestigious Glenn W. Hoffmann Awards program: the Kristi Porter Outstanding Program Award. It is the highest award of all of those receiving Hoffmann Awards among the 31 districts in the county.
“Parents tell us in person and through surveys that the FEI program has made a positive difference for them and their families,” said Director of Student Services Rosanna Palomo. “It builds their knowledge, skills and confidence in supporting their child’s education and strengthens communication at home and at school.”
In the photo above, a parent poses for a photo at completion of the fall 2019 FEI sessions. Learn more about FEI in CUSD here.
The Hoffmann awards are a 35-year tradition that celebrates school and school district programs that significantly impact student success in our region. The awards are named for Glenn W. Hoffmann, who served as the Superintendent of Santa Clara County schools from 1967 to 1984, and believed that leadership is a key factor in educational reform. A selection committee of school administrators and school board members score entries from Santa Clara County school programs. Awards are given to only those programs that receive the highest scores. The highest-scoring program of all also earns the Kristi Porter Outstanding Program Award, named after a late board member of the Oak Grove School District and past president of the SCCSBA.
Updated Wed, May 18th
Students from Forest Hill, Rolling Hills, and from the county’s Occupationally Impaired (OI) program at Blackford School competed on May 13th at the 42nd annual Kiwanis Special Games.
Inclusion is a core tenet of schooling in our district and we appreciate the opportunity to celebrate their skills and talents. The West Valley Community College field was a-buzz as parents, teachers, aides and volunteers cheered for CUSD students and the nearly 1,000 other Bay Area athletes with special needs who gathered to compete in a variety of sports and events. The Special Games program is put on annually by all of the Kiwanis Clubs in the South Bay and Peninsula, and CUSD is proud of the students representing us there.
Updated Wed, May 18th
At its May 12 meeting, the CUSD Governing Board held a Special Recognition of the 2021-2022 employees and volunteers of the year. One of the highlights was the announcement of those who were nominated for county-level recognition.
The District's Teacher of the Year for 2021-22 is Gloria McGriff of Capri School.
District Classified Employees of the Year, in various categories, are (l-r with certificates): 
- Paul Thornburg, Food and Nutrition Classified Employee of the Year
- Peri Sivaram, Para-educator and Instructional Assistance Classified Employee of the Year
- Jackie Cresci, Transportation Services, Classified Employee of the Year
- Jose Villaseñor, Maintenance, Operations and Facilities Classified Employee of the Year
- Allie Hardy, Support Services Classified Employee of the Year
- Kim Scheerer, Clerical Administrative Classified Employee of the Year
While it is always a challenge to distill our many talented staff and volunteers down to single nominations, each school and department had the opportunity to nominate people from their team for Teacher of the Year, Classified Employee of the Year and Volunteer of the Year. See the full list of honorees here.
Updated Wed, May 25th
Today, California children who turn 5 years old between Sept. 2, 2022 and Feb. 2, 2023, can enroll in CUSD’s Transitional Kindergarten (TK) for the school year that begins this August. The expansion is thanks to California’s Universal TK program, which was part of the legislative changes of AB 130.
Sky-High Potential
Four year olds are pretty smart these days. Still, there’s a lot to learn beyond reading, writing and math. “Doing school” also means learning to self-regulate emotions, taking turns, making friends, thinking critically to solve problems and much more.
TK is a two-year bridge program between preschool and kindergarten made especially for students who will be turning 5 years old later in the school year. They are taught by credentialed teachers and the program includes lots of hands-on learning, verbal and social-emotional skills. The program is also offered in a full-day schedule similar to Kindergarten, and the legislation also provides for a staffing ratio of 12 students to 1 adult. Learn the Prek/TK/K Difference in CUSD.
While TK/Kindergarten combination classes are allowed, the district is planning to offer a TK-only class at each elementary school. The number of students who enroll in TK will determine the final locations and class offerings for the 2022-23 school year. Visit our website for more Enrollment Information.
Updated Wed, May 18th
As May is Mental Health Awareness Month, we want to acknowledge those who work hard to help our students, staff, and families experiencing mental health challenges. Mental health is an incredibly important part of overall health, and the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic will remain for years. That is why we continue in our efforts to partner with community-based agencies to provide support to our students and families.
Through our partnerships and several grants, we are able to promote mental wellness for everyone in our school system. See our list of partners here.
Pictured above: Our Wellness Center at Monroe Middle School has become a model for implementing a regional network of school-based wellness centers for students.