On Wednesday, December 2, parents and staff of Lowell High School in San Francisco honored their former principal Paul Cheng by naming Lowell's Career Center the "Paul Cheng VICCI Center."  The plaque on the wall as you enter the Center reads:

PAUL CHENG VICCI CENTER
In appreciation of his dedication and expertise
On this 150^th anniversary year,
The PTSA names the VICCI Center in honor of
Paul Cheng, Principal of Lowell from 1990-2006.
We celebrate his many accomplishments 

1990, 1992, 1994, 2001, 2005
California Distinguished School 

1995-1996 and 2001-2002
U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon School

 2004
New science building completed and dedicated

2006
Lowell ranked #26 best public high school in U.S.
By Newsweek Magazine June 7, 2006

Paul was appointed Associate Superintendent of Administrative Services for the Fremont Union High School District on July 1, 2007. Paul retired in June 2009 but is continuing to serve the District part time as a consultant.

Cupertino High School Special Education Teachers Jason Heskett and Sean Cryan were awarded a $5,000 Go Green Grant from the City of San Jose for their Bookworm Composting Project.  
Bookworm Composting is a model food scrap waste recycling program. After an initial purchase of a large 5’ x 6’ worm composting bin by the Cupertino Rotary, the teachers and students started their worm population and begin adding food scraps. Currently, food scraps are donated by the culinary arts classrooms, the cafeteria, the Learning Center, individual teachers, and offsite groups. Students in Jason’s careers class add food wastes to the bin and monitor and maintain the environment. Students are responsible for all aspects of the maintenance and overall health of the bin. The students treat the project like a business, with the product being worm castings and “tea” that can be sold or donated and used as garden fertilizer. With the grant money they will purchase additional worm bins for other proposed sites.

STUDY SESSION: Homestead High School Plan
Principal Graham Clark; Executive Assistant Gabrielle Horwege; Assistant Principals Paula Bassett, Tara Grande and Don Romero; Deans Ben Clausnitzer and Laura Gonzales; and English Teacher/Department Chair/WASC Coordinator Lisa Clausnitzer presented an overview of the 2009-2010 Homestead High School Plan. The high school competed its WASC self-study in spring 2007 and received a fill six-year accreditation. The team reviewed the focus work in the Plan for the three WASC and schoolwide goals:
   1)  Students will participate in improved instructional practice through the use of common, standards-based
        curriculum and assessments providing learning experiences with the ESLRs.
   2)  Students will receive improved instruction in every class based on classroom assessments and schoolwide
        data analysis, leading to improved GPAs for all students, especially those who are struggling academically
   3)  Homestead High School will continue building a learning environment with a support system reaching
        all students, especially those who are struggling academically.

Student Board Member Report Christopher Chui, Monta Vista High School, reported on
student activities at our high schools.

SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT
Executive Assistant Susan Mazzi represented the District on December 2 at Lowell High School in San Francisco, when parents and staff honored their former principal Paul Cheng by naming Lowell’s Career Center the “Paul Cheng VICCI Center.” Mazzi said that Cheng was so honored and humbled to be the recipient of this recognition  • Superintendent Polly Bove acknowledged the exceptional work of Human Resources Director Tom Avvakumovits in connecting with credentialing programs at local colleges. Bove stated that San Jose State University professors Dr. Mary Warner and Dr. Jonathan Lovell expressed their gratitude for having Tom come out to the University and provide an engaging and thoughtful presentation to their  students about applying and interviewing for teaching positions. • Superintendent Bove announced that the Foothill-De Anza Community College District has announced Linda Thor as its new Chancellor. • Academic Deputy Superintendent Kate Jamentz reported that the District is hosting a Expository Reading and Writing Workshop offered by the County Office of Education. This workshop provides lesson modules designed to prepare students for the demands of college course work, including meeting the standards of the CSU English Placement Test. Of the 40+ teachers participating in the workshop, 24 are teachers in our District. 

UPDATE ON BOND MEASURE B
Superintendent Glenn Evans highlighted progress in the District’s Measure B Bond Program. Solar Project — the California Solar Incentive five-year rebate period begins only after the construction of the full system at a site. Cupertino and Homestead High Schools’ systems will be complete this month and the sites/District will begin to see energy savings when activated. Although the Lynbrook High School system is activated, energy savings will not begin until the system is complete with the installation of additional arrays in the track and fields area next year. Technology Project — During the summer of 2009, the District installed ceiling mounted digital projectors and audio systems in two buildings at Monta Vista High School. Over the holiday break, the District will complete the installation in the remaining classrooms. During the spring and summer of 2010, installation of the projectors and audio systems will take place in classrooms at Cupertino, Fremont and Homestead High Schools. Although Lynbrook High School classrooms all have projectors, within the next two to three years the oldest of them will be replaced with modern equipment. EIR Status — The development of Environmental Impact Reports (EIR) for the Lynbrook and Monta Vista High Schools’ tracks and fields projects is actively proceeding but is running about three weeks behind schedule due to technical details in the proposed design, particularly the proposed lighting design. When the EIR development began, the project description utilized a generic specification for the use of the sports field lights as: Monday through Saturday up to 9pm plus up to six home football game per year. A study is currently underway with the five high schools to determine the actual intended use of the lights, which is much less than the generic specification. It is expected that the lower usage will provide a significant mitigation to the impact of the track and fields projects and may help reduce community objections to adding lights at those sites. Traffic Study — One of the top areas of concern for neighbors of Lynbrook and Monta Vista High Schools is traffic and parking — not only in connection with the tracks and fields renovations, but as a fact of daily life when school is in session. An elementary school and middle school are very close to each high school. District staff is proposing to enter into a contract with the traffic engineering firm that is doing the traffic and parking studies for the EIR to analyze daily traffic patterns and recommend ways to mitigate traffic congestion, especially during peak hours of morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up. The District will also work with the cities of Cupertino and San Jose to address the long-standing community concerns regarding traffic around neighborhood schools. Security Cameras – District staff have met with several professional security consultants to review the process of needs assessment, system design, and construction oversight of updated security camera monitoring systems at the District’s five high schools. Upon completion of assessments and the overall project plan in early 2010, District staff will propose initiating a security camera project. Installation of the systems could start in summer 2010. HHS and FHS Tracks Fields — Phase One of tracks and fields renovations (baseball, softball and soccer fields) at Fremont and Homestead High Schools is progressing. At Homestead High School, the poles for the protective netting and fencing on the baseball field have been installed, the wooden circles defining the cutouts for bases and pitching mound are in place, and the structure bases for the solar array are in place. At Fremont High School, netting and fencing poles for the softball field are installed. The contractor is focusing on site utilities (electrical, drainage, irrigation, storm and sewer lines) and grading the site. Solar underground electrical conduits are installed while the footings are dependent on the weather.

UPDATE ON THE BUDGET
CBO/Associate Superintendent Christine Mallery reported that the November Budget Outlook Report from the Legislative Analyst Office shows a $20.7 billion, two-year structural deficit that persists in California’s budget. The LAO attributes the problem to previously enacted budget solutions that will fail to produce the savings anticipated, and a persistent gap between obligations and state revenues. Additionally, the LAO projects that these structural shortfalls will continue for several years with the worst being a $23 billion shortfall in 2012-2013. There was some positive news for school districts: the state’s economy is stabilizing and state revenues are on track for 2009-2010. Mallery stated staff is closely following legislation around Race To The Top (RTTT) funding, specifically issues involving charter schools and open enrollment. The First Interim Report for the 2009-2010 Budget will be presented at the next Board Meeting.

2008-2009 PARCEL TAX REPORT
CBO/Associate Superintendent Christine Mallery reviewed the 2008-09 year end summary on parcel tax revenues and expenditures.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES…
     • Approved revised extension of Lease/Lease Back Agreements for the Construction of Increment 2 of the
       Tracks and Fields Improvement Projects at Homestead and Fremont High Schools
     • Approved staff plans to negotiate a contract for Services from Infinite Campus for use of their System as
       the District’s Student Information System to Replace SASI
     • Approved Adult Community Education Course: Emergency Medical Technician Academy
     • Approved tentative 2010 Summer School Calendar
     • Accepted 2008-2009 Independent Audit
     • Accepted 2008-2009 Measure B General Obligation Bond Fund Independent Audit and Agreed-Upon
       Procedures Report
     • Approved agreement with Bright Horizon Children’s Centers LLC for the Operation of Child Care Services
       at the Cupertino High School Site for a period of five years with one five-year option to extend the initial
       term under the same terms and conditions of the Agreement
     • Approved Declaration and Disposal of Surplus Personal Property and Designation of Christine Mallery,
       CBO/Associate Superintendent and Erik Walukiewicz, Coordinator of Safety Operation Services to dispose
       of the surplus property by sale; in addition, failing to dispose of the items through sale, authorized
       Christine Mallery, CBO/Associate Superintendent and Erik Walukiewicz, Coordinator of Safety Operation
       Services, to dispose of the items as authorized by the Education Code
     • Approved Verification of Requirements for a Provisional Internship Permit for Teresa Parry, Math Teacher
     • Accepted and Certified November 3, 2009 Election Results
     • Authorized the Superintendent to conduct a Voter Survey in connection with a
       possible future Parcel Tax Renewal
     • Reviewed Proposed 2010 Calendar of Board Meetings