Board Communication Corner
- January 2024
- November & December 2023
- OCTOBER 2023
- September 2023
- July & August 2023
- June 2023
- May 2023
- April 2022
- March 2023
- February 2023
January 2024
Courageous Leaders Staff Development - January 18
Trustees Rosa Kim and Jeff Moe attended the third of five sessions of the staff development course called “Courageous Leaders.” The purpose of the course is to help develop the leadership skills of staff members, whether they are currently in leadership positions, or hope to be in the future. The course provides an in-depth study of leadership and provides insight into the individual motivation of team members. For trustees, attending the class not only provides a great learning opportunity, but it also provides insight into the high-level skills and values that FUHSD expects of its leaders.
Sunnyvale Rotary Crab Feed - January 27
Trustees Rosa Kim and Jeff Moe attended the annual Sunnyvale Rotary Crab Feed. This is a fundraiser for the Sunnyvale Rotary Club, of which Trustee Rosa Kim is a member. It was a great opportunity for board members to meet with members of the community during a fun and festive event.
CUSD State of the District Tour
All five FUHSD Board members attended the CUSD State of the District tour and presentation. The tour and presentation provided the FUHSD board members with the opportunity to see the excellent work being done at CUSD, one of our feeder districts. After the tour, CUSD Superintendent Stacy Yao gave a presentation on the progress and accomplishments of CUSD.
November & December 2023
Cupertino Rotary Diwali Celebration - November 15
Trustees Jeff Moe, Rod Sinks and Stanley Kou attended the Diwali celebration hosted by Cupertino Rotary. The celebration included professional dancers, and a fashion show that featured beautiful garments worn in different regions in India. Past Cupertino Rotary President Savita Vaidhyanathan briefly provided a background on Diwali, including the 5 days of celebration of the triumph of good over evil.
CSBA Conference - November 29 to December 2
All five school board trustees, as well as the Superintendent and several members of staff, attended the annual California School Board Association (CSBA) conference in San Franciso. The CSBA conference offers a robust professional development opportunity that focuses on student achievement and learning. The conference provides the opportunity to network with colleagues from across the state, share insights and explore ways to raise student achievement levels.
MONTA VISTA HIGH SCHOOL Orchestra Concert - December 14
At the end of the semester, each school offers concerts and performances for parents and the community. Trustees attend the concerts offered by the school to which they are assigned. Trustee Jeff Moe attended the MVHS Orchestra concert and found the music quality to be excellent. Thanks to all the teachers who help to develop their students’ talent. Listening to the students’ beautiful music was a great way to start the holiday season.
OCTOBER 2023
SCCOE LGBTQ+ History Month Showcase - October 5
Trustee Rosa Kim attended the 2023 LGBTQ+ History Month Showcase hosted by Santa Clara County Office of Education(SCCOE) at the Sounty County Annex with Associate Superintendent Trudy Gross, School-Based Therapist Lead Leila Lurie, and Monta Vista High School Wellness Space Liaison Doreen Bonde. The FUHSD was honored along with four other school districts for inclusive practices, including our Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression (SOGIE) professional development for staff and the name/gender change process for students. SCCOE hosted the 2023 LGBTQ+ History Month Showcase to acknowledge and celebrate champions advocating for LGBTQ+ inclusivity in Santa Clara County. An FUHSD booth was set up during the Resource Fair at the event and shared resources with other participating districts and SCCOE staff.
2023 FUHSD Marching Band Expo - October 7
Trustee Stanley Kou and Rosa Kim attended FUHSD Marching Band Expo at Fremont High School’s Diesener Field. This event featured all five district marching bands and color guards in addition to guests from Dublin High School and San Jose State University. Trustee Kim shared that she was thrilled to see the spectacular performances of all of the five high school teams. Each team had their own unique repertoire and performed with passion and incredible focus, which moved many audiences filled the stadium. A huge kudos to the band/color guard teachers, volunteers and students for their hard work!
September 2023
Homestead High School Buildings A, B, S, and Library Quad Grand Opening – September 6
A large group of community members, along with the Board of Trustees, the Superintendent, district staff, school staff and students, attended the grand opening of Buildings A, B, S and the Library Quad at Homestead High School. After the opening ceremony, students led community members on tours of the modernized buildings. It was a fun event for all, celebrating the opening of several new excellent facilities for our students.
Masters in Governance, Course 2 – September 23
All five Trustees, along with Superintendent Graham Clark and other members of district staff, attended Course 2 of the California School Board Association Masters in Governance program. FUHSD is hosting the program for over 30 other school governance participants from across the state. Course 2 dealt with Policy & Judicial Review and Student Learning & Achievement. The purpose of CSBA's Masters in Governance program is to equip local education agencies with the knowledge and skills to build and support an effective governance structure. The remaining three courses will continue at the FUHSD district office through the rest of the school year.
July & August 2023
APISBMA Northern California Mixer – August 13
Three FUHSD Trustees attended a mixer hosted by the board of the Asian Pacific Islander School Board Members Association (APISBMA), including APISBMA board members Rosa Kim and Naomi Nakano-Matsumoto (board president). This was an excellent opportunity to network with other Bay area board members and discuss upcoming issues. The guest speaker was Malia Vella, council member of the City of Alameda and Deputy Superintendent for the California Department of Education. Malia shared her interesting life journey with the group.
Summer Academy Graduation – July 27
All five Trustees attended the Summer Academy graduation. Summer Academy is for students who need at least one more class to graduate. Commencement remarks were given by Summer Academy Principal Viviana Torres, Assistant Principal Bronwyn La May, and Board President Rosa Kim. Congratulations to all the graduates who are moving onto a bright future.
June 2023
FUHSD Graduations – June 8-9
Each of the five Trustees attended the 2023 graduation ceremonies at their assigned high schools, allowing them the privilege of handing diplomas to the students. The graduation season is filled with excitement, hope and gratitude. As the Trustees often say during the graduation ceremonies, “graduation is not an ending, but rather a beginning of learning in a wider arena.”
Cupertino Rotary Poetry Contest Awards – June 14
Trustee Jeff Moe participated in the Cupertino Rotary Poetry Contest award ceremony. The Poetry Contest theme for this year was "Turn your dreams into reality." The student awardees read their poems to the audience during the ceremony. A total of 57 high school students participated in the contest including students from each of the five FUHSD schools. Former Cupertino Poets Laureate Jing Jing Yang and Jennifer Brown provided a brief overview of the contest and the selection process. Congratulations to the outstanding awardees listed below.
Place |
Name |
School/Grade |
Title |
---|---|---|---|
1 |
Suravi Sunil |
Monta Vista High School, Grade 9 |
Dandelion Dreams |
2 |
Sravya Vakkalanka |
Lynbrook High School, Grade 12 |
Moon Rocket Ride |
3 |
Iris Chou |
Homestead High School, Grade 12 |
No Fear in Trying |
FUHSD Adult School Graduation – June 20
All five Trustees attended the 2023 FUHSD Adult School graduation. A total of 36 students graduated from the Adult School this year. These students represent the epitome of perseverance. Many experienced hardships during their high school years which drove their high school experience to extend beyond the typical four years. Their drive and determination to graduate is an inspiration.
May 2023
May 9 – English Learner Speech Contest
The 13th annual English Learner (EL) speech contest was held at Fremont High School on May 9. EL students from throughout the district participated. The contest required the help of numerous volunteer judges who included parents, teachers, community members, all four School Board trustees, students, and even former EL contestants.
The EL Speech Contest is an award-winning program that helps EL students boost their English language skills. he students are required to memorize a 3 to 5 minute speech. As former speech contestants shared, participating in the contest is a challenging and nerve-wracking experience, yet very rewarding.
May 19 – Lynbrook In-Design Fashion Show
Trustees Stanley Kou and Jeff Moe attended the In-Design Fashion show at Lynbrook High School. The student designers and student models did an outstanding job replicating a Paris fashion show. Other students gave singing and dancing performances between the design sets. It was an outstanding evening of entertainment for the large audience of parents and community members. A special thanks to art teacher Charlotte Kruk for being the inspiration for the fashion show.
May 21 – Asian American & Pacific Islander Multicultural Festival
Trustees Rosa Kim and Jeff Moe participated in the Asian American & Pacific Islander Multicultural Festival held at the Cupertino Library Square. Several hundred members of the community attended the festival, which included games, cultural booths, cultural dances and music. The Festival was a wonderful celebration of the rich cultural diversity of our community.
May 22 - New Teacher Induction Celebration
All five board members attended the annual New Teacher Induction Celebration. Although the number of new inductees (5) was smaller than previous years, the celebratory spirit was just as strong. The teacher mentors also attended and gave recognition of the individual strengths of each new inductee. Also attending were Superintendent Graham Clark, Associate Superintendent Tom Avvakumovits and other members of the district staff, as well as representatives of the FEA.
April 2022
Spring for Education, FUHS Foundation EVENt – April 7
All four Trustees attended the Spring for Education event hosted by the Fremont Union High Schools Foundation. This fundraiser and community party included over 200 guests, including students, parents, teachers, administrators and community members. The event featured student performances and displays, a silent auction and an engaging program.
During the event, Bill and Judy Wilson received special recognition as “Circle of Believers” for their stalwart support of public education. Bill coached youth sports, was actively involved with Cupertino National Little League and served on the FUHSD Board of Trustees for 16 years. Judy has been (and continues to be) an exemplary leader and volunteer from the classroom to the Board Room including PTSA leadership, Chair of the Senior All-Night Party (Monta Vista High School) and has served as President and other leadership roles at Cupertino Rotary. Judy also served on the Board of the Fremont Union High Schools Foundation for over 10 years.
March 2023
Wafu School of Ikebana 2023 Flower Show – March 4
Trustees Jeff Moe and Rosa Kim attended the 2023 Ikebana Flower Show held at the Quinlan Center in Cupertino. It was a large display of breathtakingly beautiful Ikebana art. Among the dignitaries attending the show was Yasushi Noguchi, the Consulate General of Japan. Honored at the event was Fusako Hoyrup, California Chapter President of the Wafu School of Ikebana. Fusako teaches Ikebana at the FUHSD Adult School.
Education Options Project Springboard 2023 - March 16
Trustee Jeff Moe participated in Project Springboard 2023, which matches Transition Class students from FUHSD Education Options with Cupertino Rotarians. Trustee Moe participated in the first segment of the Project Springboard called Career Chats. He met with three budding Entrepreneurs to talk about starting their own businesses. Project Springboard is a wonderful program, coordinated by Tabitha Kappeler-Hurley, the Transitions Class Teacher, connecting students with experienced professionals in the community.
February 2023
Strengthening Families & Schools to Restore Youth Mental Health - Feb. 7
Trustee Jeff Moe attended this event hosted by the Challenge Success group. The keynote speaker was Dr. Kenneth Ginsburg, author of “Strengthen Your Family and Raise a Good Person.” After his keynote speech, Dr Ginsburg was interviewed by Challenge Success co-founder, Denise Pope, Ph.D. Highlights of Dr. Ginsburg’s keynote speech include:
- Parents should be guides for their adolescent children, and avoid trying to control them
- Parents should view their children in their best light, and not by what they produce
- The goal is to build an enduring relationship that will last a lifetime. Families thrive through intergenerational connections
- The best way to protect our children is by preparing them for life as adults, including the development of social skills and providing positive examples of respectful relationships
- Parents make mistakes as do all humans. Be willing to apologize
- Model self-compassion and self-forgiveness for our children. It is the most protective thing parents can do
- All students experience stress. With parental support, students can maintain a tolerable level of stress, allowing them to be successful in their learning and growth
- Parents should listen actively, watch closely and guide
Dr Ginsburg believes that the human separation experienced by children due to COVID will lead them to value the power and primacy of human connection and they will lose the shame of emotional distress.
Lunar New Year Celebration - Feb. 2
Three trustees and FUHSD District staff members attended the Lunar New Year Celebration hosted by the Cupertino Chamber of Commerce and Asian American Business Council. The event included an exciting and energetic dragon dance. The highlight of the event was the presentation of the Outstanding Individual Service Award to former FUHSD Trustee Bill Wilson.Congratulations to Bill!
Fremont High School Career Day - Feb. 1
Trustee Rosa Kim attended the Career Day at Fremont High School. There were more than 70 careers represented, which included social media manager, entrepreneur, photographer and agriculture careers. The speakers included alumni, parents and community members. Several Spanish only sessions were also offered for English learners. The speakers shared very practical information. Some speakers included demonstrations and activities for students. The insights shared by speakers would help students define their why for future career and encourage them proactively use their resources.