10th Site Progress:  Another Step Towards Resolving School Overcrowding
June 27, 2018

Last night the Mountain View City Council voted to continue its collaboration with the Los Altos School District to create a public school and park in the San Antonio Precise Plan Area, an area of the City where there is a great need for both. The Council vote allows the district to pursue a new school site at California and Showers Drive, which is currently owned by Federal Realty, while keeping in place a collaborative agreement that will reduce the cost of the property by ten of millions of dollars.

The Los Altos School District’s acquisition of a 10th site is first and foremost about protecting excellent educational opportunities for all current and future local students. We at the Los Altos School district are working side-by-side with the property owners to reach an agreement to secure the site as soon as possible to protect our small-school model, which we believe is key to student success.  This would be a huge victory and win-win solution for LASD and the City of Mountain View.

Since 2012, LASD has been engaged in a community process to find a solution to address school overcrowding.  The district houses 10 schools on nine sites.  Current enrollment exceeds 5,000 students—including Bullis Charter School—a level last reached in the 1970s when the district had 12 schools.  Community task forces, committees and public forums have consistently urged the district to seek a new school site.
 
LASD previously identified the Old Mill/Safeway site as its preference, but attempts to negotiate with the landowner proved fruitless.  While both sites meet the district’s criteria for a new school and were among the sites recommended by the community-led LASD 10th Site Committee, the Federal site is the most viable option for a negotiated sale.

The Federal site would provide a larger school and park for students and residents than Safeway/Old Mill.  At 9.65 acres, the Federal site would accommodate the district’s needs to reduce overcrowding and prepare for future enrollment. Due to a requirement to provide parkland in the City of Mountain View for its development project on another site, Greystar developers will also purchase an additional 2 acres from Federal Realty to create a park for the City of Mountain View. By locating these 2 acres adjacent to the new school’s playfields, the city would gain a large park in the neighborhood, where open space is scarce.

A negotiated sale will save both time and money by avoiding a formal eminent domain process to the benefit all local students, taxpayers and community members. We are working alongside Federal Realty, Greystar and the City of Mountain View through a constructive negotiation to purchase the site at a fair and reasonable price.  The savings on the purchase of land will mean more of our Measure N bond funds can be used for school construction and projects at existing school sites.

Students Reflect on Their Success at Egan’s Viking Showcase

At the end of each school year, Egan’s 8th grade graduates have an opportunity to reflect on their successes, opportunities for growth and goals for their high school education.

For the Viking Showcase, students prepare a presentation that they share with Los Altos School District parent and community volunteers.  Weeks of reflection allows them to take a deep dive into their educational experiences and determine how they will communicate these elements to adults in a formal setting.

“This day came about because we believe reflection is key to solidifying learning,” explained Egan English teacher, Karen Kehlet. “Through the process of preparing for the Viking Showcase, students become more aware of all they have accomplished, they see their personal as well as academic growth, and they identify areas for continued focus in high school.”

Long term and reflective experiences like this prepare students to be successful with more challenging projects as they enter high school.  

Students find the experience both challenging and rewarding.  One student explained, “I learned that from 7th grade to 8th grade I changed for the better.  The summer between 7th and 8th grade, I reflected on my year and realized that I had to work harder to improve my grades.  In 8th grade, I made sure focus on the courses that gave me the most trouble and by the end of the year, those courses were my best.”  

Another student shared that the Viking Showcase reminded her of photography class and was “like a pause button for life.”  She explained, “taking a look at my ‘picture’ of 7th and 8th grades showed me how much I’ve changed and all the different paths I can take moving into high school.”  

“In preparing for the showcase, I realize I’ve had good days and bad days,” another student shared. “I’m glad I got to experience the bad days because they’ve helped me become the person I am today.”

Viking Showcase would not be possible without the overwhelming number of hours contributed by our parent and community volunteers, or without the support of the entire Egan Junior High School staff. This year’s PTA Chairs—Gayle Mujica, Natasha Stirrup and Alice Cox—worked tirelessly for this wonderful event.  

Thank you to all who volunteered to support our students’ education.

On May 23, students at Blach and Egan Junior High Schools elected their new student councils.  After poring over campaign posters and listening to student speeches, incoming 7th graders and next year’s 8th grade students voted for their new President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary.
     
Students take their responsibilities seriously.  They carefully craft their speeches to ensure they convey their vision for the school.  Candidates also explain this vision to gather petition signatures from at least 35 students to prove they are qualified to run for their chosen elected office.  
 
Student Council collaborates and represents student voice with teachers, parents and administrators to understand deeply and shape the operations of the school. For example, the Blach Student Council’s mission is to become a positive, compassionate community that will foster an inclusive environment.  The Council aims to help students learn about their society and develop the fundamental skills necessary for a successful life to be thoroughly prepared for high school and beyond.
 
Student government fosters communication, planning and organizational skills, in addition to offering students the responsibility to take on and finish their own projects to benefit their peers. It is often their first glimpse into the complexities of policy development, which helps students understand multiple perspectives and the art of compromise.
 
“Student government serves to empower student voices and encourage contributions to the school community, allowing them to play an active role in shaping their own learning environment.  Egan is most successful when all partners—including our students—have played an active role in the operations of our school,” said Egan Assistant Principal, Coni Cullimore.
 
“Student Council is about student empowerment as they weigh in on changes that impact their education.  Including students in our school operations and policy is essential to their development as young adults.  All students benefit by either serving in student government or voting to choose their representation,” said Blach Student Council Advisor, Trisha Mackenzie.
 
Student Council members appoint Commissioners to take on specific areas of focus to foster an inclusive and welcoming school environment.  Commissions include Philanthropy and Goodwill, Inclusion, Student Wellness and Ambassadors to incoming 7th grade students and their families.  
 
Students are excited to make a difference at Egan and Blach next year.  They feel it’s an honor to be elected to represent their schools.  They look forward to leading and becoming role models for the new 7th grade class.

Los Altos School District, ForeFront Power, Sunworks and TerraVerde Energy celebrated the completion of solar canopy systems across the District's nine schools at a ribbon cutting ceremony at Oak School on May 24.  At the time of the ceremony, the 1.4-megawatt (MW) solar project had already produced an energy savings of just over $25,000 for the district.  It is expected that LASD will save $175,000 annually, and up to $2.7 million in the first 10 years.

Click here to read the full press release about solar energy at LASD.

Elective Fair Inspires Incoming Los Altos School District 7^th Graders  

The classroom buzzed with excitement as students moved from station to station exploring aperture and shutter speed by photographing cupcakes in Ms. Clawson’s photography class at Egan Junior High.  Some students worked together to capture the movement of falling sprinkles onto carefully spread white frosting, while others positioned bright lights to photograph the perfect still-life.

At the Blach and Egan Junior High School Elective Fairs this month, incoming 7^th graders had the opportunity to explore elective course offerings like Ms. Clawson’s photography class. By touring classrooms and learning about the variety of educational enrichment choices they can make as they enter junior high school, students—and the parents who joined their children—were excited and inspired.  At both schools, students have the opportunity to choose from 25 different elective courses, including music, journalism, art, world languages, robotics, public speaking and more.

I want to take so many electives and it was cool to get to talk with kids who are taking the electives this year and ask my questions,” said one incoming Blach 7^th grader.

Blach Chorus and French teacher, Gail Wade, said, “our current students were excellent resources to our incoming students as they went from class to class to explore the electives. It was a first step towards independence for our incoming students.”

Electives not only pique students’ interests, they also provide an interdisciplinary overlap with traditional classes, creating the well-rounded education needed when applying to colleges in the future. One major reason the Los Altos School District offers such a wide variety of electives is due to the Los Altos Education Foundation, funded by parent and community donations.

While the rigors of core academics in math, science and English are the heart of junior high school education, elective classes play an important role in the educational program, preparing students for high school and college. “Being able to choose a class is part of growing up and expressing oneself.  Choice motivates young people to take ownership of their education,” said Principal Bhavna Narula. 

Anne Spector, band, orchestra and guitar teacher at Egan Junior High School said, “Music electives are wonderful opportunities for students to be creative and expressive, to learn to be heard and to listen, and to be part of a team.  Students build individual skills through focus and perseverance, and work together to add beauty to the world.”

Studies show that elective classes help strengthen skills in core subjects by exposing and enhancing the way students learn.  For example, the arts strengthen visual learning skills, whereas music enhances oral learning skills.

Egan Principal, Keith Rocha explained, “Elective classes are extremely important for our students because they help reveal new skills and abilities, including goal setting, evaluating progress, communication, adaptability and creativity, which are essential in any academic pursuit.”

A Blach parent reflected on her experience at the fair, “The electives will give [my daughter] the chance to explore her passions and find new interests. I am impressed with what I saw—passionate teachers, positive students and an overall focus on what is best for children.”

One incoming Egan 7^th grader and fair attendee explained why the fair inspired her, stating, “It was cool to see how much passion the students had for what they were doing.”

STEM Career Events Inspire Los Altos School District Junior High Students  

“Thank you for making me curious about my impact on the world and what I will choose it to be,” proclaimed one Blach Junior High School student after an inspiring presentation from a General Electric engineer. 

At Los Altos School District (LASD) STEM Career events, students focused on how those in STEM-related careers are using their skills to create a better world and help others.  STEM Career Day is designed to inform and encourage young people to pursue opportunities--both educationally and professionally--that exist in various STEM disciplines. In their science classrooms, students had the opportunity to engage with local professionals, learn more about their jobs and imagine the breadth of possibilities in STEM-related careers.  

	Gokul Krishnan discusses Maker Therapy at STEM Career Night

Over 200 students, parents and teachers participated in LASD’s STEM Career Night as impressive local professionals described how their STEM careers make a difference.  Gokul Krishnan, Founder of Maker Therapy discussed how his innovations help those who are critically ill.  Using drone technology to deliver blood in Rwanda, Paul Perry described his work as a mechanical engineer at Zipline International, Inc.  Suzan Briganti, owner of the enterprise software company, Swarm Vision, shared how she helps companies become more innovative to solve current and future problems.

Education in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), as well as computer science are vital components of the academic program in LASD and considered the most critical disciplines for success in the 21^st Century workplace.  STEM Career Day and Night help connect lessons in the classroom to engaging careers and provide real-world examples of how honing these skills lead to exciting futures.

An innovator in education, LASD launched its STEM program 5 years ago with donations from the Los Altos Education Foundation (LAEF), the parent and community-funded school district foundation. STEM is integrated throughout the district, providing essential critical thinking, problem solving and creativity skills that are proven to propel student success and prepare them for the demanding and exciting careers of the future. Hands-on and project-based STEM education inspires a love of learning, creativity and critical thinking among local students. 

	Ivette Loredo led an activity for students to learn about her career with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

“LASD is on the forefront of education because our community is dedicated to student learning and academic excellence,” said Heather Macdonald, Executive Director of LAEF.  “Parent interest and donations to create the STEM program five years ago put our district out in front in terms of the hands-on learning and rigorous STEM educational standards that the State of California is just beginning to implement now.”

LASD’s STEM Coordinator, Karen Wilson stated, “the power of STEM Career events is connecting the hands-on learning in the classroom to students’ dreams about their futures and allowing them to truly visualize the possibilities of future careers in STEM-related disciplines.  STEM education emphasizes the role of experimentation, of evidence-based conclusions and the role of failure as a necessary component of learning and skill-building.  With STEM Career events, our students learn that these experiences aren’t just occurring in junior high classrooms, but are essential components of the adult lives they will lead in their future jobs.”

Student inspiration was evident in the thank you cards they wrote to the presenters.  One student noted, “I thought the presentation was very inspiring.  It inspired me to do something for the world.  Your job is really cool.”

Los Altos School District and Los Altos Community Foundation Program Seeks
Local Housing for Teachers 

Los Altos, CA, April 16, 2018 – As one of the top school districts in the state, Los Altos School District’s (LASD) innovative educational model consistently attracts talented teachers. But given the high cost of housing, many teachers struggle to find affordable accommodations locally and are unable to live as part of the neighborhood community.

To ensure it can continue to hire the best and brightest, LASD in a continued partnership with the Los Altos Community Foundation (LACF), is offering an electronic “bulletin board” program where residents can offer housing units to newly hired and existing LASD teachers. Now in its third year, this program has proven to be a valuable resource, especially for newly-hired teachers who wish to be part of the community in which they work.
Last year, several teachers found local housing through this program. Following are quotes from two of these teachers that describe the positive impact of finding affordable housing close to their schools.
 

How Local Residents Can Help
In anticipation of the upcoming 2018-2019 school year, the housing program is seeking local residents with available in-law units, apartments, or units with its own entrance available to rent to a teacher. Rentals units must be available for rent beginning in the July-August 2018 timeframe. An online interest form is available at http://tinyurl.com/lasdhousing. For additional information contact Erin Green, LASD Director of Student and Staff Services at egreen@lasdschools.org or (650) 947-1150.

About Los Altos School District
Los Altos School District operates seven elementary and two junior high schools and is a top-rated school district in the State of California. LASD serves 4,700 K-8 students from portions of Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Mountain View and Palo Alto. All nine schools in the district have been California Distinguished Schools and/or National Blue Ribbon Schools. LASD is nationally recognized for its many educational innovations and awards. To learn more, visit http://www.losaltos.k12.ca.us/

About Los Altos Community Foundation
Founded in 1991, Los Altos Community Foundation (LACF) enables residents, private foundations, and businesses to strengthen the community through local philanthropy and civic engagement. The Foundation, its donors, and volunteers, provide grants and scholarships, operate leadership and community-building programs, incubate “startup” nonprofits, offer donor-directed charitable funds, and convene groups to solve community issues. LACF manages local re-granting programs for the David and Lucile Packard Foundation and the Heising-Simons Foundation. Since its inception, the Foundation has granted over $10 million to our local community. For more information, visit www.losaltoscf.org

LASD CONTACT:  Erin Green, Director of Ed Services
(650) 947-1150| egreen@lasdschools.org | http://www.losaltos.k12.ca.us/
 

LACF CONTACT:  Anna Weldon, Director of Communications
(650) 949-5908| anna.weldon@losaltoscf.org| www.losaltoscf.org

Students currently in 6th grade must have proof of a Tdap or Dtap (Pertussis or Whooping Cough) booster given after their 7th birthday (after 10th birthday is recommended) in order to begin 7th grade in August of 2018.  Please provide a copy of your child's immunization record to your current school office as soon as possible.

For more information, please visit our Health Services page on immunizations.

All City Management Services Inc. is a family-owned company providing School Crossing Guard services for over 30 years. They currently have several positions open, right here in Los Altos. These are paid, part-time and seasonal positions. To qualify you must be 18 years old or older. No experience is necessary. Paid training is provided. Please call them at (800) 540-9290 for more information.

Click here to read the district's responses to the Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury Report, Show Me the Money: School Parcel Tax Exemptions for Seniors and Homeowners with Disabilities. A copy of the complete report is also attached.