Dear LGSUHSD Community,
As we enter this season, I am feeling incredible gratitude. I am humbled to be a part of this dynamic and diverse community. I am grateful for my family and friends, especially as I am about to celebrate this season for the first time with my grandson. And, I am thankful that we live in a community that makes public education a priority for our young people.
One of our important goals for this year is communication. Effective communication is critical to the success of our community - from sharing educational initiatives to highlighting the remarkable work happening inside and outside the classroom, from knowing where to find essential information to understanding the challenges public school districts face. This new monthly community newsletter will be just one vehicle we will use to inform and share the incredible news and events happening in our community. In addition, we are looking to update our website into an easier-to-use, more robust communication tool for not only our district as a whole, but for our schools and programs. Look for a parent and student website redesign survey coming out this month to share your feedback.
As November reminds us to pause and find gratitude in all things big and small, I would like to encourage you to talk to your high school students about what makes them feel thankful. Take the time to write down their thoughts, read the list out loud at the end of a week or the month, and share and celebrate these small moments. This time goes by so fast and these small tokens of gratitude together will become fond memories in the future.
Respectfully,
Bill W. Sanderson
Superintendent
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The California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) test scores were publicly released last week from the California Department of Education. Given in the spring of 2022, this annual assessment is given to public school students in the State of California in grades 3-8, and again in grade 11. With a pause in this state test during the 2019-2020 and 2020/2021 school year due to the pandemic and remote learning, Governor Newsom released a statement sharing that California students were ahead of a national trend by showing less learning loss during the COVID-19 pandemic than in other large states.
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Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District’s student assessment data for the 2021-2022 school year highlights how students collectively in the district outperformed their peers in both Santa Clara County and the State of California in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science.
“The CASSPP test serves as just one measure for student achievement within our district,” said Bill W. Sanderson, Superintendent of the Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District. “We’re incredibly proud that despite the challenges this pandemic has brought our staff and students, their scores remain high. More importantly, our administrators and staff really value the education of the whole child. In addition to these tests, students’ performance in the classroom, and other various assessments, it’s important to measure success through our students' ability to develop critical thinking, communication, collaboration skills, and creativity.”
Individual student CAASPP score reports with information about the student’s overall progress and achievement are available in Aeries. Parents may view the information by logging into Aeries and clicking Test Scores > State Test Scores Reports.
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At the October 11, 2022 Board Meeting, the Board approved a proposal to conduct an energy audit at Los Gatos and Saratoga High Schools. Two students and a parent representing Saratoga High School’s Green Committee made public comments supporting the energy audit and encouraging the Board to add solar panels to each school.
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A side letter between the district and the District Teachers Association was approved, extending the deadline for teachers to contribute to the catastrophic leave bank, and revising substitute teacher pay based on hours worked.
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Mike Borger, from NV5 Energy Consulting, presented an update on solar feasibility in the district, including possible solar panel locations, next steps, and financing options. The Board Members discussed concerns and opportunities. Public comment was made by the President of Saratoga High School’s Green Committee supporting the installation of solar panels at the school sites. A follow-up presentation will be made at the November 15th Board Meeting.
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At the October 4, 2022, Town of Los Gatos Town Council Meeting, the Council approved the intent to grant property known as the Venue to the District. The Venue property is located within the campus of Los Gatos High School. The Board passed a resolution at the October 25, 2022 meeting to accept this property so both parties can proceed with an agreement to transfer the title of the granted property to the district.
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The Board approved four community members to the Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee for Measure E. This committee ensures that funding related to voter-passed Measure E is spent in the manner approved by the community. Join us in thanking John Curtis, Selin GursesAcar, Cyndi Morris, and Daniel Snyder for their volunteer service on this committee. The district is looking for one more member. If you are interested, you can complete the form here. If you have any questions, contact Pola-Michelle Alas at pmalas@lgsuhsd.org.
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With 28 years of combined service to the Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District Board of Trustees, Trustees Cynthia Chang and Peter Hertan are retiring this month from their role as Board Members. Join us as we celebrate Trustee Chang and Trustee Hertan’s commitment and dedication to our Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School district community at a retirement reception on Tuesday, November 15, 2022 from 4:15pm - 5:00pm at the Saratoga High School Library.
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Welcome to the following new hires:
Flor Alcoba, Administrative Assistant, District Office
Janae Benassi, School Resource Aide, Los Gatos High School
Khanh Criswell, Math Teacher, Saratoga High School
Tricia Zarevich, Executive Assistant to the Superintendent, District Office
Congratulations on your retirement:
Michael Bolhorst, Teacher, Los Gatos High School (effective 9/24/22)
Thomas Schipsi, General Maintenance Worker, Los Gatos High School (effective 8/15/22)
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Christine Holst, Teacher
Los Gatos HS
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What makes you proud to be a Wildcat? I was able to fulfill a childhood dream of mine by returning to Los Gatos High School as a teacher. I graduated from here in 2001 and "once a Wildcat, always a Wildcat" has been a motto of mine. I'm proud to be able to give back to the community that served me well.
What was your 1st job? My first job ever was as a "mother's helper" at the age of 11 where I learned to babysit and earned $1/child/hour the summer going into 6th grade. The girls that I started to babysit for became like little sister's to me and to this day I am in contact with them.
What are your words of wisdom to live by?
"Comparison is the thief of joy". I find that when we compare ourselves to others we miss the blessings and gifts in our own lives.
What's something we might not know about you? You might not know that I am a second generation alumni of Los Gatos High School. Both my parents graduated in 1974. Additionally my husband graduated in 2003, and my mother-in-law graduated in 1979. Beyond that, my husband's grandmother graduated in 1957 and his grandfather in 1953. To say we are a family with strong ties to Los Gatos would be an understatement.
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Octavio Escobedo
Maintenance Worker
Saratoga HS
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What makes you proud to be a Falcon? The staff, kids, and parents are very nice and I love to help people. This is the school where my son graduated from. I am very thankful for the staff that helped him succeed in high school and graduate.
What was your 1st job? Race Street Seafood Kitchen when I was 15 years old.
What are your words of wisdom to live by? If you’re going to do something, do it right.
What's something we might not know about you? The first seven years of working here, I worked two jobs: construction in the morning and then night custodian at night.
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Abe Gadhia
Student
Los Gatos HS
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What makes you proud to be a Wildcat? The amazing spirit we radiate towards our school during sports games or competitions.
Who is your hero or inspiration? I really look up to my older sister, Eesha, because she has this way of getting along with all types of people and making new friends really easily. She’s also such a talented musician, and I hope that I can find something I love doing as much as she loves playing music.
Do you have any hobbies/extracurricular activities you do outside of school? I’m in the high school marching band where I’m the leader of the saxophone section, in addition to being a part of the LGHS swim team. I’m also a part of a few clubs, including but not limited to SafeRides.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Probably working at some sort of job with my own apartment/house and enough free time to have fun with my friends/family occasionally, but who knows? A lot can happen in 10 years.
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Ava Cai
Student
Saratoga HS
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What makes you proud to be a Falcon? I love this school and community simply because of how comfortable being here feels. At SHS, you can do whatever you desire and be whoever you want, with the reassuring thought that the people around you will always support and be there for you.
Who is your hero or inspiration? My inspiration is my eighth-grade core teacher because he helped me discover my passion for poetry. Because of his constant support and never-ending encouragement, I learned to listen to what my heart tells me to do and not what society expects from me.
Do you have any hobbies/extracurricular activities you do outside of school? I participate in a debate event known as Public Forum, where in eighth grade, my partner and I placed second nationally. Also, my increasing interest in writing won me four writing contests, two of which were poetry competitions. Aside from academics, I've been playing basketball for more than eight years, currently powering through my sixth year on SVBC Stingrays.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years? I hope to pursue higher education and become a graduate student. Specifically, I would be very delighted and humbled to have an opportunity to educate myself in law.
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On October 20th, the Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District partnered with the County of Santa Clara’s Opioid Overdose Prevention Project to bring a powerful presentation to both students and parents about the Fentanyl/Opioid crisis happening throughout the nation. If you didn’t have the opportunity to watch this event or would like to review the resources, you can find the recording and the handouts on the district website here.
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Six COVID-19 tests were given to each student in October in anticipation of the upcoming cold and flu season.
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Governor Newsom announced in October that the California’s COVID-19 State of Emergency will end on February 28, 2023, with a plan to instead focus on the SMARTER Plan that will support communities if an outbreak were to occur.
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In addition to preventing any form of discrimination in Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District programs and activities, Title IX prohibits sexual discrimination and sexual harassment in all educational programs, including athletics.
Do you have questions about Title IX? Contact LGSUHSD’s Equity & Title IX Coordinator, Megan Farrell, at mfarrell@lgsuhsd.org or (408) 402-6313.
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LGSUHSD is committed to addressing discrimination, sexual harassment and assault, and bullying in our schools and community, including both immediate steps and long-term.
As part of that commitment, the district has implemented WeTip, a nationwide crime reporting system that ensures absolute anonymity, not just confidentiality.
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"Saratoga High School Places 2nd in Local Band Competition; Color Guard Team is First in its Category"
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"Spike in Teen Fentanyl Deaths Prompts Prevention, Awareness Effort in South Bay"
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"Los Gatos-Saratoga High School District Hires Executive Assistant"
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"Bay Area News Group Boys High School Athlete of the Week: Shane Timmons, Saratoga Football"
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17421 Farley Road W, Los Gatos / www.lgsuhsd.org / 408.354.2520
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