The San Mateo Union High School District Board of Trustees will also meet in person on Thursday, May 9 at 7 p.m. Closed session begins at 6 p.m. Members of the public may attend in person or via Zoom. 

Read What's Coming Up for a meeting preview.

View the agenda.

On Thursday, May 16, the SMUHSD Board of Trustees will also meet in person for a Special Study Session: Artificial Intelligence in Education. Members of the public may attend in person or via Zoom. 

View Zoom login information and see how to make a public comment in person or via zoom.



If the Zoom webinar reaches maximum capacity, the meeting may also be viewed on our Board Meeting YouTube channel.

Families of Students with IEPs: to Learn About Resources and Support Services on May 22

SMUHSD‘s Division of Special Education’s Community Advisory Committee invites you to a celebration welcoming families of students with IEPs to the District! Connect with current families and staff and

learn more about the Community Advisory Committee!

Details

• Wednesday, May 22, 2024, 6 - 7:30 p.m. | RSVP
• Location: Millbrae Recreation Center, 477 Lincoln Circle, Millbrae, CA 94030
• Dinner will be served
• Simultaneous Spanish Interpretation will be available
• Topic: Mentoring and Supporting our Incoming Parents

If you have questions please contact SMUHSD Program Specialist Tina Ish at kish@smuhsd.org. 

Upcoming Student Performances Across the District

Save the dates for these upcoming performances. Learn more at www.smuhsd.org/vapa

Aragon Dance

• May 10-11: 'Til the Break of Dons Spring Dance Showcase

Burlingame Drama

• May 17: Advanced Drama's Night of One Acts

Capuchino Music

• May 14: Spring Symphonic Concert with College of San Mateo

Hillsdale Music

• May 16: Spring Concert Series #1
• May 22: Spring Concert Series #2

Mills Music

• May 17: Spring Concert

San Mateo Music

• May 11: Bands and Orchestra Concert
• May 16: Choir Concert with Hillsdale

Aragon Robotics Competes at World Championships in Houston

Shout out to the Aragon Robotics Team and staff advisor Craig Sipple who recently competed at the First Robotics Competition World Championships in Houston April 17-20. Hosted by FIRST®, FIRST Championship is a culminating, international event for our youth robotics competition season and an annual celebration of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) for our community as we prepare young people for the future.

Check out a video of one of Aragon Robotics matches (Team #840 in blue) from the competition.

Mills Robotics Team Wins Spirit Award

Mills High Robotics Team - The Boba Bots - competed last month at the Monterey Bay Regional, placing 13th out of 36! The Boba Bots were alliance captains for the first time in 25 years, competing with Robodores (Monterey HS) and Goldstrikers (Cupertino HS), and fought hard during quarterfinals. 

In addition to the Boba Bots' historic feat, the team won the Team Spirit Award at Monterey Bay Regional! Overall, the feats the team accomplished at Monterey are some of the many highlights for San Mateo Union High School District's oldest robotics team for 2024!

Follow the Boba Bots on Instagram to stay up-to-date.

Visit their website for more information.

Burlingame High Student Places Second in OpEd Contest

Congratulations to Burlingame High Student Sophia Bella  - she came in 2nd Place in the CalMatters Earth Day Op Ed Contest.

Read Sophia's OpEd: "California has to rid itself of a ‘no’ mentality to change its relationship with cars

Aragon Math Club Participates in Stanford Math Tournament

In early April, Aragon High School's Math club competed among 70 teams, totaling around 400 students, in the 2024 Stanford Math Tournament (SMT). Aragon sent one team, among which three students received recognition for high scores:

• 10th place in the Algebra round, Top 12/Tiebreaker round qualifier in the Geometry Round: Akilan Paramasivam
• Top 25% in the General round (Honorable Mention): Anish Dara, Alex Zhao

Photo, from left: Jake Hu, Yury Bychkov, Alex Zhao, Anish Dara, Akilan Paramasivam

SMUHSD Students to Serve on American Legion Auxiliary California Girls State Delegation

Congratulations to the following SMUHSD students who were named to the 81st Session of the American Legion Auxiliary (ALA) California Girls State Delegation:

• Danielle Bluvshteyn, Aragon
• Lilah Higgins, Burlingame
• Estrella Sosa Garcia, Capuchino
• Aishani Garg, Design Tech
• Angelina Stump, Hillsdale
• Violet Aloft, San Mateo

These students will meet in June with approximately 500 other students from all over California for a six-day session of civic education, leadership skills training, camaraderie, and lifelong friendships. The mantra at Girls State is "We'll Make It Work" and the culture of Girls State is LEEP: Learn, Engage, Empower, Pass it On.

Learn more about ALA District 26 of San Mateo County. 

BHS 9th Grader Receives Honors Award Distinction at Math Olympiad

Burlingame High 9th grader Connor Leong participated in the USA Junior Mathematical Olympiad (USAJMO) and received an Honors award distinction. He qualified with his AMC and AIME scores. This is an incredible achievement - congratulations Connor! 

Aragon Math Club Hosts Math Marathon for Middle Schoolers

More than 90 students from four middle schools (Bowditch, Borel, Burlingame Intermediate, and Crocker) participated in Aragon’s Math Marathon (AMM), held on March 15. The Math Marathon is hosted by Aragon’s Math Club with a goal to provide an opportunity for students to use their problem solving and team collaboration skills. 

The Aragon Math Marathon consists of three rounds - a quick-paced sprint round, a longer/harder focus round, and a team round where students work in teams.

In addition to the Math Marathon competition on March 15, the Math Club also hosted the Aragon Math League (AML), an asynchronous competition that runs throughout the year like MOEMS (Math Olympiad for Elementary and Middle Schools), with awards for it being handed out at the AMM award ceremony.

Congratulations to the first place team from BIS.

The event was run by volunteer students from the Aragon Math Club including President Akilan Paramasivam and Aragon Teacher/Club Advisor Adam Jacobs (pictured above).

San Mateo High's Career Coordinator Nancy Kane Honored

San Mateo High Career Coordinator Nancy Kane was recognized as a 2024 Junior Achievement of Northern California Education Partner of the Year.

The award was presented at the JA Northern California Business Hall of Fame event on April 25. The Educator of the Year award honors an outstanding individual who, through their work, has made a significant contribution to their community. 

Photo: Nancy Kane (left) with Mills Career Coordinator Sandra Murtagh

Hillsdale High 12th Graders Participate in Democracy Day

On April 24, students at Hillsdale High School participated in Democracy Day, a day that featured lessons planned by 12th graders that touched on the following essential questions: “What are the threats to and opportunities for democracy?” and “What actions can we take to keep Democracy strong?”

The lessons were built around looking at how different issues relate to the four key characteristics of Democracy:  

1. Popular Sovereignty: The government is ruled by the consent of the people.
2. Social Contract: An unsaid agreement between people in society that we give up some freedoms for the overall benefit of everyone.
3. Natural Rights: Everyone has rights that they are born with and should have guaranteed. 
4. Limited Government: The government only has the powers given by the law, so it isn’t all powerful and we don’t give up all our power.

Democracy Day serves as an opportunity for students (and staff) to learn about things they may have never heard about before.

The day ended with a panel discussion for 12th graders that included San Mateo County District 1 Supervisor Jackie Speier, San Mateo Mayor Lisa Diaz Nash, San Mateo City Council Member Adam Lorraine and two HHS Alumni - Carter Pohl, Lead Organizing Fellow, Bay Rising and Noah Ventosa, Manager of Fundraising and Development at SGR Consulting and former Campaign Manager for San Mateo County District 1 Supervisor Jackie Speier. The panelists talked about their paths to politics/organizing and talked about the importance of researching candidates and local measures before voting as well as getting involved on a local level - whether that be through voter drives or working for a candidate’s campaign. 

Democracy Day was designed and implemented this year for the first time, by HHS 12th grade Humanities teachers. It is the latest in a long line of 12th grade projects and exhibitions centered on Hillsdale's Graduate Profile-- the definition of what students should strive to demonstrate before graduation.

Burlingame High's Student Newspaper Receives Distinguished Badge

The Burlingame B has acquired a Distinguished Site Badge from Best of SNO (https://bestofsno.com/).

Each year, the program branches out a little more in multimedia.

In order to acquire Site Excellence, you have to attain badges in the following categories:

• Best of Sno
• Audience Engagement
• Multimedia
• Story Page Excellence
• Continuous Coverage
• Site Excellence for the website

Shout out to Editor-in-Chief Elise Spenner; Managing Editors Jake Rothstein amd Sophia Bella, Webmaster Jeannine Chiang and Multimedia Editor Natalie Gyde! Burlingame High School’s Journalism Advisor is Melissa Murphy. 

Check out The Burlingame B website.

Burlingame 12th Grader Featured in Article about College Rejection Letter Walls

Burlingame High 12th grader Arda Inegol is quoted in a recent San Francisco Chronicle article by Education Reporter Jill Tucker: Bay Area high school seniors are sharing their college rejection letters. Why that’s stirring controversy

You can also read Arda's article on the same topic in The Burlingame B: Rejection wall will celebrate redirections

Mental Health Matters 5K Run/Walk is Saturday, May 18

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.

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.

Students: Do You Want to be a Voice for Youth Mental Health Access?

Do you know of any youth leaders who want to be involved in their community and want to be a voice for youth mental health access?

allcove San Mateo Youth Advisory Group (YAG) will be part of all the decision-making processes for the allcove youth drop-in center, support local development, and create solutions that target youth’s current needs. allcove is completely youth driven and youth advised by our YAG; we want youth voice to be at the forefront of allcove!

Students: Want to become an active community advocate? Pursuing a vision where every youth belongs, chooses the support they need and thrives, allcove is developing an innovative network of integrated youth mental health centers designed with, by and for youth that reduce stigma, embrace mental wellness, increase community connection, and provide access to culturally responsive services.

Take a look at the allcove website to learn more.

Students can learn more and apply for the YAG by May 31.

Download the flyer.

Free Webinars for Parents and Guardians

Empowered and Equipped: A Personal Perspective of Neurodiversity

• Thursday, May 9, 5:30 - 6:30 p.m.
• David Flink, Founder and Chief Empowerment Officer, Eye to Eye
• Register
• Simultaneous Spanish interpretation will be available. 

In the third event in the new Neurodiversity Speaker Series, David Flink, Founder and CEO at Eye to Eye, will provide a “personal perspective” into the power of mentoring, community, and allyship in the lives of Different Thinkers.

The free Neurodiversity Speaker Series is presented by The Parent Venture, Children’s Health Council, Compass High School, REEL2e, and The RILEY Project, with major funding from the Educating All Learners Alliance (EALA).

For more information, please visit www.neurodiversityspeakerseries.org.

Peace in Schools: Why Mindfulness Education Matters

• Friday, May 10, 12- 1 p.m.
• Janice Martellucci, Executive Director, Peace in Schools
• Register
• Simultaneous Spanish interpretation will be available.

Join Janice Martellucci, Executive Director of the non-profit Peace in Schools, to learn more about their groundbreaking programs and why mindfulness is a highly effective antidote to teen suffering and isolation.

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.

May 7: Fentanyl Poisoning Awareness and Prevention Webinar

Join Dr. Bonnie Halpern-Felsher from Stanford Medicine's REACH Lab (aka Halpern-Felsher REACH Lab), where she will provide information on the dangers of illegal fentanyl, impact on teens and adolescents, harm-reduction strategies, and educational resources available to educators, students, parents and more.

Two virtual sessions will be available, via zoom.

Tuesday, May 7, 9 - 10 a.m.: Register

Tuesday, May 7, 4 - 5 p.m.: Register

Registration Now Open for Free Rotary Youth Leadership Academy 

The Rotary Youth Leadership Academy is a free summer camp open to current 9th, 10th and 11th graders in SF, Marin and San Mateo counties. 

Details:

• July 29-August 2: Five day overnight leadership camp
• Camp Redwood Glen & Conference Center, Scotts Valley, California
• The camp is free to attend thanks to the support of local rotary clubs

Camp highlights:

• Develop leadership skills
• Get inspired
• Meet friends and have fun

Learn more and apply by May 15.

May 15: San Mateo County Transit District Strategic Plan Multilingual Virtual Community Meeting

The San Mateo County Transit District (SMCTD) is hosting a multilingual virtual community meeting to gather public feedback on elements of the District's draft Strategic Plan.

The Strategic Plan will serve as a roadmap for the next 10 years and includes the District’s mission, vision, goals, core values, as well as a series of action items that the District could undertake. It will guide SamTrans bus service and infrastructure and the District’s role as a managing agency, but will not provide policy direction for Caltrain, the Transportation Authority, or Express Lanes Joint Powers Authority.

SMCTD would like your help prioritizing various action items outlined in the Strategic Plan!

Multilingual Virtual Community Meeting:

• Wednesday, May 15
• 5:30 - 6:30 p.m.
• Zoom link
• Call-in Option: +1 669 900 6833

For more information or if you have any questions, please contact DistrictStrategicPlan@samtrans.com.

June 5: Juneteenth Arts Showcase

Art submission deadline is May 17

The San Mateo County Office of Education invites students in all grade levels to participate in its Juneteenth Arts Showcase! Submissions are due Friday, May 17, and will be featured at a Juneteenth Youth Arts Showcase on Wednesday, June 5.

View the flyers or visit www.smcoe.org/juneteenth to learn more.

San Mateo County Youth Commission Seeks Commissioners

Apply now to be a San Mateo County Youth Commissioner (SMCYC)! The commission seeks applicants between the ages of 13-21 who live in San Mateo County and are passionate about elevating youth voice in local government.

Youth commissioners provide their perspective on issues such as:

• Civic Engagement
• Educational Equity
• Environmental Justice
• Health and Wellness
• Immigrant Youth

The application deadline is May 31.

Learn more.

Download the flyer for more information: English | Spanish | Chinese

Save the Date: Black Family Hangout is June 23

The Bay Area Community Health Advisory Council (BACHAC) and its Black Youth Advisory Board are hosting a Black Family Hangout on Saturday, June 23, from 3 - 6 p.m. (Location TBD).

The Black Family Hangout is an informal social gathering for Black Students in 6th grade - 12th grade, their families and community in San Mateo County. The event will offer a joyful space, fostering acceptance, community, support, and freedom in honor of Juneteenth.  

Learn more and RSVP.

Several Students Recognized at Climate Symposium

The San Mateo County Office of Education (SMCOE) recently announced that several SMUHSD affiliated groups and students were recognized at the Climate Ready Schools Symposium on April 30. 

The Burlingame High School Service Commission was recently honored as a Sustainable and Climate Ready Schools (SCRS) Challenge Standout Leader for the 2023-24 school year by the San Mateo County Office of Education. 

Aragon High’s Brandon Lin was recognized as a Standout Award Winner for his ReCap Project. The ReCap Project takes clean syringe needle caps and other clean small medical plastic waste and process them into useful products such as clipboards.

And the San Mateo County Youth Commission's Environmental Justice Subcommittee (which includes SMUHSD students) was recognized for their plastic waste reduction project. This group of students has been advocating for compostable or reusable food ware since the beginning of the school year. They have created a petition, hosted waste-awareness events, and presented at the April 25 SMUHSD Board meeting.

Green Hills Elementary School was recognized for Reducing Food Waste and their Hot Composting System. Green Hills expanded on previous waste management efforts this year by introducing a food share table and installing a three-bin composting system. They were able to complete the project with the help of Eagle Scout / Mills High School student Clarissa Louie.

The SCRS Challenge identifies students, teachers, administrators, and community members who are driving environmentally sustainable transformation across their school community’s Campus, Curriculum, and Community engagement programs. 

Also at the Symposium, both SMUHSD Capital Facilities Manager Jose Quintana and District Sustainability Coordinator/Hillsdale High School teacher Dave Emanuel served as panelists. 

Careers at SMUHSD

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

Classified Positions  

We have an Immediate Need for Substitute School Plant Operations Employees and Substitute Utility Workers!

SMUHSD has an immediate need for substitute School Plant Operations Employees and substitute Utility Workers! Subbing with SMUHSD is a great way to get your foot in the door and find out about full-time positions! 

Substitute School Plant Operations Employees (SPOE) earn $30.76 per hour and average about 80 hours a month. Apply now.

Substitute Utility Workers earn $30.76 per hour and average about 20-30 hours a month. Apply now.

Learn more.

Adult and Career Education Opportunities

Visit the Ed Join website to see open positions at San Mateo Adult and Career Education (San Mateo Adult School).

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.

Transportation Jobs

Please also check out the following openings in our Transportation Department:

School Bus Driver

• Part-time, 32.5 hours per week 
• Application open until filled.

Special Education Van Driver

• Part-time, 20 hours per week 
• Application open until filled.

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!



• Substitute Utility Worker
• Substitute School Plant Operations Employee
• Substitute Office Assistant II
• Substitute Instructional Assistant I, Special Education

To see a complete list of current vacancies - permanent and substitute, visit www.smuhsd.org/careers.