As we end another school year, we have a great deal to celebrate in the Morgan Hill Unified School District and are pleased to provide highlights of accomplishments for our community.
The Class of 2008 is the first graduating class in the district to spend all four years on a high school campus since 1979, 29 years ago, when the ninth-graders were moved to the middle school to alleviate overcrowding at Live Oak High School.
The Class of 2008 had a 95 percent passage rate on the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) as compared to 94 percent in 2007 and 92.5 percent in 2006 (first year of requirement).
Central Continuation High School had the largest graduating class, 50 students, in its history.
In spite of funding cutbacks at the state and district level, through collaborative efforts of fiscal services department personnel, district administrators, teachers, and classified employees, a balanced budget for 2008-09 will be presented to the Board of Education for approval on June 24.
The district is moving forward to contract with an energy investment partnership to install solar panels as parking lot covers at Live Oak and Ann Sobrato high schools at no cost to the district. This arrangement will provide substantial savings to the district for energy consumption over a 20-year period.
A newly installed districtwide 3Com VCX Voice Over Internet Protocol phone system has increased security for students and staff and is providing savings to the district for school-to-school phone calls.
A redesigned and enhanced MHUSD Web site has more information and is more user friendly for staff and the community. Check it out at www.mhu.k12.ca.us.
A total of 2,100 fourth-, fifth- and sixth-grade students at nine school sites continued to be exposed to music, choice of vocal or instrumental, through direct music instruction once a week throughout the year.
The district has applied for $155,000 in Microsoft voucher money to purchase computers and related software and equipment for school sites.
Elementary students and teachers benefited from a new system of online testing in reading, providing immediate feedback to teachers of student progress in reading.
Elementary teachers piloted an online report card process with expected implementation fall 2008, to increase efficiency of grade reporting and reduce the time teachers spend completing report cards.
The district has purchased a Web-based service that will provide password-protected access for students and parents to personal grades, class assignments and attendance at both high schools beginning fall 2008.
The superintendent has published four monthly columns in the Morgan Hill Times since March in an effort to increase widespread communication of important information about the issues that face the district.
Thanks to a grant from Morgan Hill business Anaerobe Systems, Live Oak and Sobrato physics students conducted a research project involving energy transfer with potential energy savings applications. This project and partnership can continue into the future and offers hands-on opportunities for student research and development in an exciting field.
All principals have participated this year in extensive training to identify and insure educational equity for all students. As instructional leaders of their schools, principals will use what they have learned to train their staffs in this critical area.
Approximately 140 students from Burnett, Jackson and Walsh elementary schools received after-school tutoring through state grant funding this school year. A fourth school, Barrett Elementary, will be added for next school year, bringing the total number of students served to 300 plus.
Results of a voluntary State Department of Education biannual survey of MHUSD secondary students showed that 87.5 percent of student reported caring relationships with adults on their campus, and 92 percent reported high expectations for students by adults on campus.
These are but a few of the accomplishments for this past year and things to look forward to for next year. We are proud of our students, our faculty, our staff, and our community, and we wish our graduating seniors continued success with their education and their futures.
Alan Nishino Alan Nishino has been serving as superintendent of the Morgan Hill Unified School District since July of 2005. He served as superintendent of the Alameda School District for five years. Reach him at alan.nishino@mhu.k12.ca.us.
Although the Morgan Hill Times does not have any obligation to monitor this board, the Morgan Hill Times reserves the right at all times to check this board and to remove any information or materials that are unlawful, threatening, abusive, libelous, defamatory, obscene, vulgar, pornographic, profane, indecent or otherwise objectionable to the Morgan Hill Times in our sole discretion and to disclose any information necessary to satisfy the law, regulation, or government request. The Morgan Hill Times also reserves the right to permanently block any user who violates these terms and conditions. All threats to systems or site infrastructure shall be assumed genuine in nature and will be reported to the appropriate law enforcement authorities. Submission of any comments will be considered permission to use online or in print.
Behind the brews: the origin and making of El Toro beers
