Board Communication Corner

In May, Trustees Jeff Moe and Hung Wei attended the Equity Showcase held at Fremont High School. A total of 39 teachers and teacher groups from all five FUHSD schools presented innovative teaching practices that they implemented this year. The presentations were very thoughtful, covering both successful and unsuccessful aspects, adjustments made and future plans. In addition, each presenter invited the audience (often other teachers and administrators) to ask questions and provide feedback, furthering the learning process. 

Trustee Moe also made sure to tune in to the Monta Vista High School Boys Volleyball CCS Championship, which was streamed live on the NFHS Network. It was a close and exciting 5-set match, which Monta Vista ultimately lost to Bellarmine High School. However, Monta Vista had the last word, by defeating Bellarmine in the Norcal semifinal in another very close match. And then Monta Vista went on to win the Norcal Championship against Clovis High School in another 5-set thriller.  

Trustee Moe also visited Fremont High for the Statway Class final student presentations and Homestead High School's Mythology class for the student year end presentations, which were based on Google's practice of giving employees 20% of their time to work on a project of their choosing.

"As I viewed the student presentations, I was struck by the students’ enthusiasm and creativity. Not only were the students completely engaged in the projects, in some cases they enlisted the help of friends and family. Congratulations to the students and to Mr Hinton for creating a valuable learning exercise for the students. I am looking forward to next year’s presentations." - Jeff Moe, Trustee

This month, Trustee Jeff Moe represented FUHSD at the Annual Saratoga State of the City event. The event was initiated by members of the Saratoga Youth Commission, which includes three students from Lynbrook High School. Mayor Mary-Lynne Bernard gave a warm and informative presentation on Saratoga’s recent accomplishments, focusing on health, safety, parks, trees, public art and outdoor experiences. 

The entire Board of Trustees was present to celebrate Superintendent Polly Bove as the recipient of the prestigious Citizen of the Year award at the Cupertino STAR Awards on April 28. Assistant Superintendent Tom Avvakumovits gave a rousing introduction for Superintendent Bove. 

Student Board Member and Monta Vista student Samantha Millar organized a Voter Registration Event, which was held at Monta Vista High School on April 27.  Trustee Moe attended along with board colleagues Roy Rocklin, Hung Wei, Jeff Moe and Bill Wilson. Students and elected officials gave inspiring talks to encourage students to register to vote. At Samantha’s home school alone, 150 students registered. Congratulations to Samantha for a successful event and voter registration drive!

Trustee Moe also attended the Santa Clara County School Boards Association's annual Hoffmann Awards dinner on April 26, where the FUHSD Mentor Team was honored the District's signature professional development program The Skillful Teacher. The Hoffmann Awards is in its 33rd year of honoring school and district programs that significantly impact student success in our region. Trustees Roy Rocklin, Hung Wei, Jeff Moe and Bill Wilson and Assistant Superintendent Tom Avvakumovits attended the ceremony to celebrate with Josh Maisel, Coordinator of Academic Interventions, and the mentor team – teachers Rachel Perry, Stacey Stebbins, Jessica Uy and Jackie Corso.

This month, Trustee Jeff Moe attended the Every Student Succeeding Awards Ceremony hosted by the DeAnza Charter of the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA). This program honors students from the Sunnyvale School District and the Fremont Union High School District who have overcome great personal and academic obstacles and exceeded expectations, along with the educators who have supported them in their individual journeys. Thirteen students were honored, with teachers and counselors providing a description of their accomplishments and the barriers they have overcome. Each story was an inspiration. 

Trustee Moe also attended the Every 15 Minutes program at Homestead High School. The program name comes from the fact that when this program was created, a person was killed, maimed or injured by an alcohol-related traffic collision in the U.S. every 15 minutes.  The purpose of the program is to provide a dramatization and simulation that allows students to reflect upon the decision to drink and drive or to get into a car with someone else who has been drinking.

Trustees Moe and Roy Rocklin also attended the Synopsys Science and Technology Championship at the San Jose Convention Center, one of the most highly regarded regional science fairs in California. Students from FUHSD were well represented at the Synopsys Championship.  

"Not only is participating in the science fair fun, but, research has shown that science fair activities increase student learning in science and in a wide range of 21st century skills such as critical thinking, communication, and collaboration." - Trustee Jeff Moe

Trustee Jeff Moe offers his congratulations to both the Boys and Girls basketball teams at Lynbrook High School, which both earned berths in the CCS tournament. On February 24, he attended the Girls second-round tournament game against Leland High School. Trustee Moe shared that, "The young Lynbrook team fell behind early in the game, but never gave up. It was a hard-fought and competitive game, but Leland pulled ahead in the end to win. Congratulations on a great season and looking forward to next season."

Trustee Moe also had the pleasure of representing the FUHSD Board at the Bi-Annual Wafu School of Ikebana 48th Anniversary Flower Show dinner celebration on March 3. The Wafu School of Ikebana offers classes through FUHSD Adult Education. It is a relationship that is cherished by all at FUHSD. The dinner was attended by supporters of the school, including Akira Ichioka, Director and Consul, Consulate General of Japan, Liz Ambra, Vice Principal of FUHSD Adult School, and Darcy Paul, Mayor of Cupertino. It was an opportunity to recognize this world-renown program, and to honor the program founder and leader, Fusako Hoyrup. Throughout the weekend, hundreds of art pieces were on display at Quinlan Community Center.

On March 2, Trustee Moe attended the Lunar New Year Luncheon at Dynasty Restaurant, hosted by the Cupertino Chamber Asian American Business Council. Also representing FUHSD was Aram Darmanian, Manager of Bond Operations. The lunch featured good food and lively entertainment, and it was an opportunity to connect with active members of our community. Congratulations to Henry Sang and the Shin Shin Foundation who received “BRIDGE” awards, recognizing individuals and businesses who have continuously fostered the mission of the AABC in promoting, strengthening and enhancing the inter-ethnic business environment in the Cupertino community. 

CHS FBLA Meeting

On February 8, 2018, Trustee Jeff Moe attended the weekly FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) meeting at Cupertino High School and gave a presentation about being part of the political world. FBLA is a non-profit educational organization with over 250,000 members across the country preparing students for careers in fields such as business, technology, and law. During his presentation, Trustee Moe shared his experience of being elected to the Board and serving in a largely volunteer capacity, and he compared his experience in politics with other local state representatives who have made politics their career. About 50 students attended, asking great questions and providing a wonderful opportunity to connect directly with students. 

Cupertino State of the City

Board members Barbara Nunes, Hung Wei, Bill Wilson and Jeff Moe attended the Cupertino State of the City Address. This year, the theme was “Why We Thrive - Volunteering as Necessary for Democratic Viability." The meeting was opened by Cupertino Rotary President John Zirelli who provided an overview of the Cupertino Rotary Club. He highlighted the work the club is doing internationally and in the community, and he recognized the members of the club Board of Directors and Cabinet. Next, Cupertino Chamber of Commerce President Andrew Walters described the mission and priorities of the chamber, highlighting chamber events planned for 2018. In addition, Andrew talked about the annual STAR Awards sponsored by the chamber to honor local businesses and individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the community. He announced that this year’s recipient of the Citizen of the Year is FUHSD's very own Superintendent Polly Bove! 

The chamber next recognized two public safety officers for special contributions they have made to Cupertino: Deputy Chief Joe Parker of the Santa Clara County Fire Department and Deputy Mark Harvey of the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Department. The final presentation was from Cupertino Mayor Darcy Paul, who focused on the importance of public service and volunteering to our community and our system of government. He encouraged everyone to give of his or her knowledge and experience.