July 8, 2008

School Scene

Campbell Union School District honors teachers,
outstanding students and volunteer

The Campbell Union School District’s [CUSD] Governing Board recently recognized teachers, students and parents who have earned special recognition and made contributions to local schools.

Lynhaven School Community Liaison Myriam Cordero was honored as the Classified Employee of the Year by CUSD recently.

CUSD schools eaach select one teacher as the Teacher of the Year.  From that pool of top teachers, the CUSD selects one teacher to represent the entire district as Teacher of the Year.  The district also chooses a Classified Employee of the Year from the many nominations sent from schools and departments that wish to recognize the important role that the non-credentialed school support staff have in educating students.

The 2008 CUSD Teacher of the Year is Lorena Anaya, teacher at Capri Elementary School. The CUSD Classified Employee of the Year is Myriam Cordero, community liaison at Lynhaven School.

The other nominated Teachers of the Year are Blackford’s Bonnie Scheide, Campbell Middle’s Sheryl Spencer, Castlemont’s Susan Newton,  Forest Hill’s JoAnn Freda, Lynhaven’s Lisa Kahn, Marshall Lane’s Bindi Gill, Monroe Middle’s April Penny, Rolling Hills Middle’s Anna Rutledge, Rosemary’s Fran Magallanes, Sherman Oaks Barbara Lynn, and Roberta Hendryx  from Village Elementary. 

CUSD Teacher of the Year for 2008 was Capri Elementary School’s Lorena Anaya. Photos courtesy of CUSD

Six-year-old twins Kyle and Noah Tolbert were recognized as outstanding students who initiated a book drive when they heard were children who did not have books to read. The brothers collected over 1,000 new and used books to be distributed to students in CUSD’s special education preschool program and Rosemary School.

CUSD recognized the Village School team Hailey Boe, Brendan Craig, Cassie King, Tori Slack and Paj Thao for participating in the Destination Imagination State Finals Competition.

Village School students Claire Leary, Joshua Leary, Sarah Malone and Nicholas Pasetta achieved a state award for high honors from the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth’s Talent Search as did Rolling Hills Middle School students Daniel Conrad, Soumajit Kundu, Andrei Simpson and Brian Tashjian.

Campbell Middle School eighth grader Pardis Gheibi was recognized as a secondary level video division winner at the California Multimedia Festival.

CUSD recognized Judith del Toro as the Volunteer of the Year whose volunteer efforts, bilingual/ bicultural skills are creating new bonds between school and family at Blackford and Monroe Middle Schools and in district-level committees.

Justin Hendryx was given a commendation from San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed for his winning entry in naming the peregrine falcons. “It’s a great honor to win,” said Justin Hendryx regarding his winning essay. Photo courtesy of the Hendryx family.

Justin Hendryx wins San Jose’s falcon naming contest

When Village Elementary School teacher Sherry Stack taught her fifth graders science, Justin Hendryx took a special interest in the peregrine falcons at San Jose’s City Hall.

Hendryx researched the peregrines and watched in awe at the falcon cam on the city’s website. And so when a contest was announced to name the new babies born high atop city hall, he sat down and wrote a winning essay.

“The Miwok Indians lived in this area before the Spanish came so I though Meyye would be a good name,” said Hendryx. “It means bird in Miwok. It’s a great honor to win.”

Hendryx was one of three winners chosen out of 130 entries. They were all given a City of San Jose commendation at city hall.