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San Mateo Union High School District
A Commitment to Qualify Education for a Better Future
650 N. Delaware Street, San Mateo, CA 94401
650-558-2299 | www.smuhsd.org
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Tuesday, April 23 Special Study Session and
Thursday, April 25 Board Meeting
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Learn About Serving on the Black Parents Association's Board
Virtual Meeting is Tonight - April 22
Parents, students, educators and community members who are interested in serving on the Black Parents Association Board and/or joining the organization AND individuals interested in attending BPA events and assisting with BPA fundraising are encouraged to attend tonight's (Monday, April 22) virtual meeting from 6-7 p.m.
View the Zoom login information.
The BPA is a 501(c)(3) volunteer-led association that supports equitable and inclusive learning environments for our students. The group is dedicated to cooperatively promoting quality education for students of African, African American, or multiracial descent while offering the best level of support and information to both students and parents. Through collaboration, participation and support, they help to enrich our students’ high school journey preparing them to reach their fullest potential.
In order to continue to be operational, the group needs a Board of Directors, including a president, treasurer, and secretary. These individuals need to be at least 18 years of age, so the opportunity could be extended to recent high school graduates who have an interest in learning more about non-profit management.
Learn more about the Black Parents Association: www.smuhsd.org/bpa
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April 29: Financial Aid Workshop
Deadline to apply for financial aid is now May 2
All SMUHSD 12th graders and their families are invited to get in-person help with FAFSA or CADAA / Dream Act Applications on Monday, April 29.
Workshop details:
- Monday, April 29, 6 - 8 p.m. at the San Mateo High School Library
Additional information:
- As a reminder, it is a graduation requirement that you have to file for financial aid:
- No RSVP required - just show up!
- Any student is welcome to attend any workshop, regardless of what school they attend.
- A Spanish-speaking staff member will be on hand to help with the application process.
- Please bring your school-issued Chromebook or a personal laptop
- Students might need the following to complete their applications: tax returns, net worth of investments / businesses and current balances of cash and bank accounts.
Questions? Contact your school site's College, Career and Financial Aid Advisor.
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Help Make Our Schools More Equitable for Students - Attend the May 2 Equity Advisory Meeting
The Equity Advisory Committee meets monthly during the school year to discuss ways to better support our students and their families through equitable practices. We use this information to help make our Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) a better plan to provide positive outcomes for our students.
The final meeting will be held at the San Mateo Union High School District Office, located at 650 N. Delaware Street in San Mateo on Thursday, May 2, 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. Spanish interpretation will be available.
If you’d like to learn more please email Sonia Gill at sgill@smuhsd.org or visit the website.
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Upcoming Student Performances Across the District
Save the dates for these upcoming performances. Learn more at www.smuhsd.org/vapa
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Student Art Exhibit Runs Through Saturday, April 27
The Society of West-Coast Artists is hosting an exhibit featuring artwork from students at Burlingame, Capuchino, Mills and San Mateo High Schools at their gallery at 527 San Mateo Ave., San Bruno, April 15-27.
The exhibit is open to the public and will feature paintings, drawings, photography and ceramics. The gallery is typically open Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Learn more.
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Local Business Helps San Mateo High School Athletes Get Across the Finish Line | |
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San Mateo High Teacher and Cross Country/Track and Field Coach Tracey Freyre recently shared a story of a local business who, for the second time this season, demonstrated incredible kindness to SMHS English Language Development and other multilingual students in need, who recently joined the school’s track team!
Thanks to the generosity of A Runner’s Mind (located in Burlingame and San Francisco) and General Manager Eileen Urtz, five of our Cross Country/Track & Field athletes have been gifted with training shoes, socks and insoles and/or racing spikes. The high-quality running gear that ARM provides typically costs around $250 per athlete - to many families, the high cost of gear means the student can’t participate at all or they do participate but in gear that can lead to injury.
Tracey had this to say about the impact on her student athletes: “They (A Runner’s Mind) have been so welcoming and accommodating when it comes to our kids whose families struggle financially, and it has really made a difference in terms of our athletes being able to train, compete, and contribute to the team without getting injured.”
A Runner's Mind has two locations, one in Burlingame and one in San Francisco, please visit their website for store hours and locations: arunnersmind.com.
| Hillsdale Art Students Honored | |
Hillsdale High School Art Teacher Daisy Colchie recently shared that three of her art students were recognized with Scholastic Arts Awards:
- Ivan Lin, AP Art - Gold, Silver and Honorable Mention
- Vivian Sui, AP Art - Silver and Honorable Mention
- Agata Toporova, Advanced Art - Honorable mention
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As Silver and Gold award recipients, Ivan and Vivian (pictured above) exhibited their work on April 13 at a Pop-Up Exhibition of California Regional Winners at California College of the Arts in San Francisco.
Learn more about Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.
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San Bruno Community Foundation Presents Grant to Capuchino High to Expand Program for Rising 9th Graders
At the March 28 Board Meeting, Belinda Wong, a member of the San Bruno Community Foundation Board, presented a $15,000 community grant check to the District for the Summer Bridge Program for rising 9th graders at Capuchino High School.
In September 2023, the District applied for the grant on our behalf for funding to expand our Summer Bridge Program for incoming 9th graders. The program helps students build the foundational academic skills needed to be successful in high school academically. In recent years, we have added a social emotional learning (SEL) component to the program to help students build bonds with one another as well as adults on campus. The program allows students to develop organizational skills to be successful in high school, and make connections to others before school begins.
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Holly Wade Honored by Association of California School Administrators
Congratulations to Dr. Holly Wade, SMUHSD Director of Special Education - she was a recipient of an Administrator of the Year Award given by the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) Region 5 Board and Executive Board.
The award, given to administrators who demonstrate dedication and commitment to excellence in education, was presented on April 18.
It was also recently announced that Holly will be honored with a statewide recognition of Special Education Administrator of the Year. This award honors an exceptional leader who demonstrates a commitment to an equitable education system and have made significant contributions to education. The statewide awards ceremony is November 15.
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Aragon, Capuchino, Hillsdale and Mills Receive High Ratings at Music Festival | |
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Congratulations to District schools who performed at the CMEA West Festival on April 12 and received the following ratings:
- Aragon' High School: Chamber Orchestra: Unanimous Superior (Class III level)
- Aragon High School String Orchestra Score: Superior (Class II)
- Capuchino High School Symphonic Band: Composite Superior (Class III)
- Capuchino High School Concert Band: Composite Superior (Class II)
- Hillsdale High School Wind Ensemble: Unanimous Superior
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Mills High School String Ensemble: Unanimous Superior
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Mills High School Concert Band: Unanimous Superior
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San Mateo Police Activities League Honors Two Students
The San Mateo Police Activities League (San Mateo PAL( held their Annual Lights and Sirens Awards and Recognition Dinner on March 22. Aragon High's Guadalupe Hernandez was named Police Explorer of the Year and Middle College's Cooper Wong was named PAL Youth of the Year.
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Guadalupe Hernandez
Police Explorers are community service volunteers aged 14 - 20 years old who help serve the community while developing critical life and leadership skills, exploring the law enforcement field, and preparing for their future academic and professional careers.
Throughout her tenure as an Explorer, Guadalupe has completed rigorous training programs such as the Explorer Academy, Advanced Explorer Academy, and Explorer Leadership Academy. She was promoted to Explorer Sergeant in 2023, where she now oversees a squad of fellow Explorers.
Not only has she excelled in various competitions throughout San Mateo County, but she has also been part of a team that represented the San Mateo Police Department in a national Explorer competition in Las Vegas - securing 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places in several law enforcement-based scenarios. Despite the demands of balancing academics and extracurricular commitments. She currently serves as a PAL Program staff member while also preparing to pursue her dream of higher education in Psychology at San Jose State University.
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Cooper Wong
Cooper was recognized as the Youth of the Year for his many years of volunteer service. Cooper joined the San Mateo PAL’s Junior Giants program when he was 5 years old. This was one of his first experiences playing baseball. As Cooper got older and played for several different baseball leagues, he noticed a lot of inequity in terms of access to coaching, equipment, and fields.
In the 9th grade, Cooper and a close friend led their first Little League baseball equipment drive and raised a small lot of baseball equipment! They donated many needed items to San Mateo PAL’s Junior Giants program and to Ravenswood Little League in East Palo Alto. Their efforts over the last three years raised nearly $20,000 in gear that has benefited hundreds of youth in our community. Cooper has been a youth volunteer for PAL’s Junior Giants Program for the last three years totaling close to 200 volunteer hours. His energy and spirit have offered guidance and encouraged fun to the 60 youth who have been on the teams Cooper helped coach and the many more who encountered Cooper on game days.
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Aragon Teacher John Chen Featured on Cal-Hi Sports | |
John Chen, Aragon High’s Director of Choirs and Orchestras, was recently featured on Cal-Hi Sports as the Meriwest Credit Union Merit Award recipient - he was selected by his student Z Carracedo. Watch what Z had to say about his favorite teacher. | |
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Hillsdale High School Featured in “Redesigning High Schools” Report
Education aims to give every student the opportunity to learn and thrive, but a majority of U.S. schools are still designed on the “factory model” of learning. A new report from the Learning Policy Institute outlines ten lessons that constitute evidence-based features of effective redesigned high schools that help create the kind of education experience students need: safe environments where exciting and rigorous academic work occurs and where all groups of students succeed academically, graduate at high levels, and go on to college and productive work. Hillsdale High School is incredibly proud to be featured.
Download the report.
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San Mateo High Band Participates in Hawaii Invitational Music Festival
San Mateo High School Band Director Matthew Gallegops recently shared the news about his students who participated in the 44th Annual Hawaii Invitational International Music Festival & Salute To Youth Parade, April 1-6.
Winter Guard Competition
- Winter Guard, 1st Place in Division
Parade Competition
- Marching Band, 1st Place
- Color Guard, 1st Place
- Drum Major, 1st Place
Concert Festival
- Symphonic Band, 1st Place
- Jazz Band, 1st Place
- Orchestra (combined with Hillsdale High), 1st Place
- Choir (combined with Hillsdale High), 1st Place
L Pattern Competition (Pictured)
- Pedro Archila Argueta - 1st place Open Class
- Noah Itzkovitz - 1st place Scholastic Class
- Megan Iannone - 2nd place Scholastic Class
- Briah Urman - 3rd place Scholastic Class
- Juha Park - 1st place Novice Class
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Aragon Named One of the "Best Communities for Music Education"
Aragon’s Music Department, led by Director of Bands Kevin Gallagher and Director of Choirs and Orchestras John Chen, was once again named one of the “Best Communities for Music Education” in the country and awarded the Support Music Merit Award from the NAMM Foundation.
Learn more.
Photo: AHS Director of Bands Kevin Gallagher, Assistant Principal Andrew Hartig and Director of Choirs and Orchestras John Chen holding the NAMM Foundation Banner
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Mental Health Matters 5K Run/Walk is Saturday, May 18
Save the Date! The Mental Health Matters 5K Run/Walk is Saturday, May 18 at Ryder Park in San Mateo.
This annual event is hosted by Star Vista and the San Mateo Police Activities League in partnership with Strides for Awareness.
Learn more about volunteer opportunities and registering.
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Save the Date: May Mindfulness Day is May 20 at allcove San Mateo
Join allcove San Mateo on Monday, May 20 from 3:30 - 6:30 p.m. to celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month. allcove San Mateo will have an array of activities aimed at fostering mental well-being and spreading awareness, including group discussions, mindfulness sessions and more.
Workshop schedules:
- 3:30 - 4:30 p.m.: Mindfulness
- 4:30 - 5:30 p.m.: Coping Skills
- 5:30 - 6:30 p.m.: Self Care and Crafts
allcove San Mateo is located at 2600 El Camino, Suite 300 in San Mateo.
RSVP.
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Family Education Webinars | |
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Free Webinars for Parents and Guardians
Helping Young People Lead Lives of Purpose
- Wednesday, April 24, 2024, 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.
- Speaker: Kendall Cotton Bronk, PhD, Professor of Psychology, Claremont Graduate University
- Register
- Simultaneous Spanish interpretation will be available.
Drawing on nearly two decades of scientific research, Kendall Cotton Bronk, PhD, will explore: What is purpose? Why does it matter? And how can we — as parents and caregivers — help our children discover their purpose in life?
This free presentation is sponsored by Sequoia Union High School District, Sequoia Healthcare District, and Peninsula Health Care District, in partnership with The Parent Venture.
Cyberbullying Prevention: Navigating the Intersection of AI, Social Media, and Digital Ethics
- Thursday, April 25, 2024, 6 – 7 p.m.
- Sameer Hinduja, PhD, Cyberbullying and Safe Social Media Expert
- Register
- Simultaneous Spanish interpretation will be available.
In this presentation, Sameer Hinduja, PhD, cyberbullying expert, will share "best practices" around cyberbullying, artificial intelligence (AI), and safe social media use that can be implemented in your home and family.
This free presentation is sponsored by the Fremont Union High Schools Foundation, in partnership with The Parent Venture.
Project UnLonely: Healing Our Crisis of Disconnection
- Friday, April 26, 2024, 12 – 1 p.m.
- Jeremy Nobel, MD, PhD, Founder, Foundation for Art & Healing and Project UnLonely
- Register
- Simultaneous Spanish interpretation will be available.
In his new book, Project UnLonely: Healing Our Crisis of Disconnection, Jeremy Nobel, MD, MPH, unpacks our personal and national experience of loneliness to discover its roots and take steps to find comfort and connection.
This free presentation is sponsored by generous donors from the Mills-Peninsula Hospital Foundation and the San Mateo County Office of Education, in partnership with The Parent Venture.
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Virtual Event: Exploring High-Tech and High-Wage Careers
The Santa Clara County Office of Education presents Exploring High Tech and High Wage Careers April 22-25.
Students and families are invited to this virtual series to explore exciting professions at the intersection of career pathway interests and computer science for a dynamic and future-forward learning experience.
Learn more.
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Dear Poet Submissions Due Today - Monday, April 22
This year, the Academy of American Poets presents Dear Poet 2024 in collaboration with 826 National, the largest youth writing network in the country. Every April, Dear Poet, a multimedia education project, invites young people in grades five through twelve to write letters in response to poems written and read by award-winning poets.
The submission period for Dear Poet 2024 is open until today, Monday, April 22, 2024.
Every letter is read by a team of volunteers, and all students can expect a general response from the poet to whom they wrote, as well as a certificate honoring their work. Five letters written to each of our nine participating poets will be selected at the end of National Poetry Month, and the poets will write a personalized response to the selected student letters. The letters will be published in a shareable PDF booklet at the end of May.
Learn more.
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Burlingame Library National Poetry Month Community Celebration: Saturday, April 27
Join the Burlingame Public Library, in partnership with the Burlingame Library Foundation and San Mateo County Office of Arts, for a community poetry reading to celebrate National Poetry Month on Saturday, April 27.
This poetry event for adults and teens will feature poets from the library’s 2023/2024 Community Poetry Open Mic Series as well as from the Bridges of Wellness Intergenerational Poetry Workshop. Come and experience the vibrant spirit of our local community of poets!
Light refreshments provided by Dragonfly Community Arts.
No registration required.
Learn more.
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Hillsborough Youth Commission Hosts Fentanyl Awareness Event
The Hillsborough Youth Commission is hosting a Fentanyl Awareness Day event on Saturday, April 27, 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. at Crocker Middle School. The event is aimed at raising awareness around opioid usage and preventing overdoses. Come for opportunities to connect with professionals in government and healthcare, learn about opioid abuse and epidemiology, and participate in a raffle with chances to win free tickets to art museums and ballets.
Speakers at the event include:
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Senator Josh Becker, California Senate District 13
- Elizabeth Walker, Colin Walker Memorial Foundation
- Supervising Inspector Christopher Smith, Hillsborough Police Department
- Superintendent Nancy Magee, San Mateo County Office of Education
- Representative from San Mateo County Behavioral Health
- Representative from Central County Fire Department
Follow the Hillsborough Youth Commission on Instagram to stay up-to-date: @hillsboroughyouthcommission/
Learn more about the Hillsborough Youth Commission, made up of youth, including students from Aragon, Burlingame, Hillsdale and San Mateo High Schools.
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Safe Routes to Schools Survey for Parents/Guardians
Survey closes April 30
Take the San Mateo County Office of Education's (SMCOE) Safe Routes to School Survey today! Your feedback allows SMCOE to adjust Safe Routes to School (SRTS) education and encouragement program features to best meet the needs of each individual school. Your feedback will also be shared with decision makers who can address infrastructure issues regarding safe walking and biking.
The survey will take no more than five minutes to complete:
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Three SMUHSD Teachers Complete Environmental Solutionary Teacher Fellowship | |
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The San Mateo County Office of Education’s 9th Cohort of the Environmental Solutionary Teacher Fellowship shared the amazing work they have done over the last 10 months at their Capstone Celebration on March 28. Congratulations to the 38 educators from San Mateo and San Francisco Counties, including three from San Mateo Union High School District, who integrated environmental literacy and solutionary thinking into their teaching practice this year:
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Julie Stock, Art Teacher, San Mateo High School
Capstone project: incorporated a unit on Nature Journaling into her classroom. Students observed and documented the plants and trees on the SMHS campus. (See above photos)
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Bethany Li, English Teacher, Burlingame High School
Capstone Project: introduced project-based learning in the BHS Service Commission elective by partnering with SEI to complete the People and Planet Challenge (October as individual contributors) and the Earth Day Challenge (April as a class).
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Anna Liu, Architecture Teacher, Burlingame High School
Capstone project: integrated sustainability topics such as energy efficiency and sustainability design into her lessons and using solutions-based teaching throughout the school year. Check out the SMCOE spotlight on Anna.
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April 30: Youth for Climate Policy Virtual Event for High School Students
In celebration of Earth Day, join Youth for Climate Policy for a collaborative evening of networking and discussion on how you can drive your local government toward sustainability, making real change in your community. Network with peers and discuss advocacy tips with county leaders, former mayors, and student advocates.
Tuesday, April 30, 5 - 6 p.m.
Learn more about this virtual event.
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We are Hiring
Check out the following notices of vacancies at our school sites, District Office and Transportation Department. Applicants need to register for an EdJoin account and apply online. View all current openings: www.smuhsd.org/careers
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Data Control Analyst
Counseling/Student Services Assistant
Instructional Assistant II-Special Education
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Student Success Coordinator
- Full-time, 37.5 hours per week
- Location: San Mateo Adult and Career Education
- Apply by April 26
Substitute Student Success Coordinator
- 37.5 hours per week on variable basis
- August 6 - December 20, 2024
- Location: San Mateo High School
- Apply by July 31
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Student Nutrition Jobs
Contact Denis Vorrises at 650-558-2479 or dvorisses@smuhsd.org if you are interested in applying or want more information or apply on EdJoin today.
Highlights
- Work five hours a day, Monday-Friday
- Summers off and paid holidays
- Health benefit opportunities
- Starting pay is $24.17
- Employees with minimal experience in food services may be trained on all duties to be assigned.
Need more flexibility? We also have substitute student cafeteria opportunities.
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Transportation Jobs
Please also check out the following openings in our Transportation Department:
School Bus Driver
Special Education Van Driver
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Substitute Positions
Visit www.smuhsd.org/substitute for more information about substitute teaching.
Substitute Classified (Non Teaching) Positions
Need a Flexible Work Arrangement? Try Substituting with Us!
Learn more about the following substitute opportunities and apply online on Edjoin today!
To see a complete list of current vacancies - permanent and substitute, visit www.smuhsd.org/careers.
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