District News

The district’s Preschool Department is offering Kinder Readiness Summer Care for children who will be Transitional Kindergarten/Kindergarten students in the upcoming 2023-2024 school year. 

The program begins July 3, 2023 and ends August 10, 2023. 

If you are interested in enrolling your child, please visit this link to view options and learn more about the program: 2023 Kinder Readiness Summer Care. 

We look forward to partnering with you in helping your children learn, grow, and thrive this summer!

Save the Date! Two TK/K Readiness Resource Fairs this summer. 

• June 28, 2023, 4-7pm, at Castlemont School, 3040 E Payne Ave, Campbell
• August 3, location and time TBA

Check our district calendar for updates.

Sometimes, a change in one part of a system leads to changes in other parts. As two of our current school principals retire in June, the vacancies opened opportunities for others. Because of this, several of our schools will experience a change in leadership. 

Also, as school principals’ responsibilities have expanded over the years, we have added part-time assistant principals to two of our elementary schools. They will spend the other half of their time supporting programs for students with additional learning needs.

Blackford: Current Principal Anne Ajlouni is retiring. Blackford’s new principal in 2023-24 will be Veronica Valencia. She has worked in our district for 16 years as a teacher and site administrator, most recently as Assistant Principal at Monroe Middle School.

Campbell School of Innovation: Principal Kami Thordarson is retiring. Xyzzy Godfrey, currently the principal of Village School. An employee of CUSD for 16 years, she has been a teacher and site administrator, and will join Assistant Principal Stephanie Day in furthering the CSI mission. 

Capri: The new school year will bring a new part-time Assistant Principal: Lisa Wiseman. She has worked in our district for 15 years as a teacher and district-level Teacher on Special Assignment.

Village: The new principal for our parent participation school will be Alicia Mommer. Principal Mommer brings a unique combination of administrative experience in both public schools and the nonprofit sector, as well as extensive experience as a classroom teacher at a parent participation school.

Monroe Middle: Current Marshall Lane Principal Patrick Sieler, who has extensive experience as a middle school teacher and administrator, will be moving to Monroe Middle School, working as co-administrator with Principal Ruth Stephens Radle.

Marshall Lane: Marshall Lane’s new Principal for 2023-24 will be Amy Vanderbosch, current assistant principal at Rolling Hills. She will be joined by new Assistant Principal Michelle Beddo for 50% of her time.  She has worked in our district for 19 years, first as a teacher, and currently as Administrator of Accountability & Learning. 

Rolling Hills Middle: The district has begun the hiring process for a new assistant principal for Rolling Hills. When the new administrator has been hired, we will notify Rolling Hills staff and families.

In the words of Socrates, "the secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new."  We are confident in these new leadership teams and hope you will join us in welcoming them.

“The Innovation Grant program encourages students to take ownership of their education and school experience,” said District Superintendent Shelly Viramontez.

Through the grant program, 10 student teams are using the design-thinking process to generate, test and implement ideas for two areas identified in our student survey data as needs: campus cleanliness and building a sense of belonging at their schools. 

“When we provide students with real-world challenges, they see the connections to what they learn in school and recognize they have the ability to make a difference in their everyday lives,” Viramontez added. 

Here are stories of progress at two schools.

Capri School: Using the idea of prevention, not punishment, the Capri Innovation Team set about promoting positive behavior focused on three challenges: campus cleanliness, maintaining play equipment, and reducing conflicts at recess..  

“Our student leadership team has taken the initiative to build community across grade levels through PE Buddies, Recess Buddies, Leadership Club, Design Challenges, and Teacher Green Team (campus clean-up),” said Gloria McGriff. “The students create, collaborate, communicate, and are empathetic.”

The Green Team is a group of students who choose to check out buckets, gloves and “garbage grabbers” to collect litter. “Before, the Green Team was being used for consequences instead of a fun activity to do,” said student Saveh. “We changed it so students and classes that participate earn rewards like a popsicle party, or extra STEAM Lab time.”

The PE Leaders are trained 4th and 5th grade students who join the students in grades K-2 at recess to lead games, resolve conflicts, and reinforce positive behavior among the younger students. The Innovation Grant helped to pay for training student leaders in conflict resolution with Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS), and in the use and care of STEAM Lab and playground equipment.

The students and staff are noticing the difference. The office is seeing fewer students being sent there for making poor choices, and students are more aware of how individual behaviors, like not playing fair or not returning equipment, impact others at the school. 

Monroe Middle School: “The challenge was to try to find a way to communicate with people who don’t speak English so they can learn better and feel welcome,” said Gabriel, one of Monroe's Innovation Team members. The team’s solution: Newcomer Ambassadors. 

Schools across the U.S. have experienced increasing numbers of students arriving from other countries, such as Ukraine and Afghanistan, who have little or no English skills. The Ambassadors help the new students access translation applications on a school iPad.  

“It helps our students continue to be successful in school, by accessing content-specific material in their home language,” said Teacher Cheryl Lee. The project does more than assist students with their studies. It also builds a sense of belonging as communication between all peers increases. “It also helps students know that they can help themselves,” said student Mobasher.

We will know that this project is successful by analyzing student work production and engagement along with student surveys & interviews.

Our teachers are committed to ensuring that every student becomes a proficient reader. Parents can help by encouraging your child to read every day–even when schools close for summer. In-person or online access is easier for all CUSD students, because the Campbell public library accounts they have during the school year are good even while schools are closed for summer break. 

Following is information about Santa Clara County’s public library summer programs.

SCCLD’s Summer Reading Program Find Your Voice

Our voices have power. We use our voices to share stories, express ourselves, and spark change. Our voices include not only the sounds we make, but the words we write, the art we create, the movements we perform, and the actions we take each day to impact our world.

 Join us for an exciting array of programs for children, teens, and adults. Read a book and find your voice this summer with SCCLD!  All are invited to join June 1st through July 31st.  It’s free and fun for all ages!

How to Join

• It’s easy to get started. Beginning June 1st, sign up (or log in) online on Beanstack (link to pre-register will be available May 1st), or print a reading log.  You can also download the Beanstack app for your mobile device.
• Earn badges by reading and completing activities. This year, SCCLD’s Summer Reading Program runs June 1st through July 31st.

Look forward to:

• Programs for kids, teens, and adults including performers, book clubs, and more!
• Earn badges throughout the summer in Beanstack by logging your reading and activities.

Earn a prize* for reading 5 books and completing one activity this summer!

*Completion prizes will be available starting August 1st while supplies last.