Joaquin Miller Middle School MUSTANG - TeacherWeb

Joaquin Miller Middle School MUSTANG 6151 Rainbow Drive 1420Jose, CA 95129 San Principal: Sal Gumina Assistant Principal: Amy Steele Board of Education Anjali Kausar, Ben Liao, Josephine Lucey, Gary McCue, Phyllis Vogel

Phone: (408) 252-3755 Fax: (408) 255-5269 Counselor A- Le: Amorette Lueck Counselor Li - Z: Melinda Morey Superintendent Phil Quon

Attendance: Call 252-3755, extension 6 Please report absences by 9:00 a.m. each morning that your child is absent. Please spell the child’s name beginning with last name, first name, include grade, reason for absence, and your relation to the child. Homework: Homework may be requested for absences of three days or more. Please call before 9:00 a.m. to request, and pickup the homework after 3:00 p.m. You may also check the teacher’s website for homework. To email Staff: lastname_firstname@cusdk8.org Parent Information Viewer: Grades: http://cusd.gradebook.net/pinnacle/piv Website: http://www.MillerMiddle.org September 1, 2011

On behalf of the entire Miller Staff, we would like to extend a huge thank you to all the volunteers who helped with W.E.B. orientation, preparation of back to school packets, selling PE uniforms and planners, and general office starting up school support. Special thanks to Liza and Cassidy Hudepohl and Christine and Tim Sireci for setting up, organizing and selling the PE uniforms and planners. We couldn’t have done it without all your help. We sincerely thank you all! On behalf of the Teachers and Staff, I want to say “Welcome”, to our new Miller Middle School parents and students, and “Welcome back,” to our returning families. I want to thank our teachers, staff, and community volunteers for all of their hard work in making this year’s opening of the 2011/2012 school year so successful. Miller MS continues to grow. In fact, for those of you who have had the opportunity to visit Miller MS recently, you’ll know that we have three new classrooms in the North-West corner of the campus. Because of our growth, as well as having to fill vacancies due to teacher’s who have retired or moved on, I would like to introduce and welcome the following new teachers to Miller MS. Steven Greenfield – 6th grade (room 45) Cynthia Chase – 6th grade (room 46 Chris Hayes – 6th grade (room 49, pers 1, 2), (room 43, pers 4, 5, 6) Anna Seguin – 7/8th LA (room 50) Maria Yoo – 8th LA (room 51) Grace Furci – Special Education (room 25) Karl Sonntag – Special Education (room 24) Ling-Ling Chern – CLIP 7 (room 49) Greg Campanella - 6th grade long term substitute (room 42)

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I invite all parents to our annual Back-To-School night, Thursday, September 1st, at 7:00pm. I’ll begin the evening in the center quad with some opening comments, and then quickly hand off to representatives from the Miller PTA, and the Miller Community Education Foundation. Just a reminder, this evening is a parent-only event in which parents will have the opportunity to meet their student’s teachers and get information about the courses of study in their various classes. This is NOT an evening for parent conferences. Lastly, please mark your calendars that on Thursday, 9/22/11 (5:00-7:00pm), the Miller PTA will be hosting our annual Miller MS Community BBQ. Be on the look-out for information your child will be bringing home as the date gets closer. I look forward to another great year. Sincerely, Sal Gumina Principal

Back to School Night – September 1, 2011 Miller Back to School Night will be Thursday, September 1st. This is the time when parents will meet their child’s teachers and learn about the course content and student performance expectations. The evening will begin at 7:00 p.m. in the Quad and class visitation will begin at 7:15 p.m. This is a parents-only event. We look forward to seeing you there.

Magazine Drive The annual Miller Magazine Drive will begin on August 25. This is a major fund raising event for the Miller Student Council and we strongly urge all families to participate to help support our school. Student Council funds dances, clubs, sports, lunch time activities, assemblies and more. Please consider ordering magazines as Christmas or birthday presents for your families and friends. Magazine order forms went home with your child August 25th Following is the AP Hearst code to link to order your magazine electronically: http://shop.aphearst.com/participant.aspx?s=0c61ef23-bbab-4dff-8f07-9f4a00c63652 It's a great way to help the school throughout the year. Especially during the holidays... parents….students – you can still shop.....Check out the gift card option this year which is a fabulous gift. Thank you in advance for your participation. Notes from the Office: Forgotten lunch and homework policy. Students, if you forget homework, we do not page students or deliver to classrooms. So and check the bookcase in front of the office for parent drop-offs if something. All forgotten items will be discarded at the end of the

your lunch or your please come to the office you have forgotten week.

Club signups will be announced during Daily Announcements as they become available. Daily Announcements will be read over the broadcast system and uploaded on the Miller website daily. Arriving on Campus: Zero period students may go to their classrooms at 7:35 am. First period students, please wait behind the gates until the 1st period bell rings at 8:35 a.m. so as not disrupt other classes already in session.

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Collaborative Late Start Wednesdays: This is a reminder that Zero period students should NOT be on campus before 8:55 am. First period will start at 9:48 am, so first period students may wait in front of the gates at 9:38 am. Attendance: Parents, Please call (408) 252-3755; hit extension 6. All absences must be reported by 9:00 am each morning that a student is absent. Include student's name, grade, reason for absence, and your relation to the child. Emergency Cards: It is very important that every student has an up-to-date emergency card on file in the office. Please be sure you returned your card to school already. Please let us know asap if there are any changes in phone numbers, change of address or a change of any adults permitted to pick your child up in an emergency. 9. If at all possible, do not take vacations or family trips during school. Because CUSD gets funding based on the number of students who are physically at school on a day to day basis, our district loses thousands of dollars every year for unexcused absences. Food carts: Snack foods and beverages may be purchased with CASH daily from the campus food cart located in front of the cafeteria. However, the speed lines and salad bar areas are strictly “no cash” lines in order to expedite service. There are two speedline only food carts. The food cart outside of room 32 is a speedline for 7th and 8th graders. The food cart inside the MP room is for box lunches or snacks. No cash will be accepted at the speedlines. Parents are encouraged to pre-pay for school lunches online: For your convenience, you are encouraged to pay for your children’s school lunches online. If you do not already have an account set up, go to http://www.paypams.com or call 1-888-994-5100. You will need to provide your child’s PIN and billing information. Payments may be made by credit/debit cards or by electronic check withdrawal from your bank account. You can make payments, view your child’s payment history and change payment preferences 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This web or phone site can also be used by parents to check account balances. If parents choose not to pay on-line or by phone, the inquiry service is still free to use. Parents can simply use their child’s PIN to set up an account with no payment required. Lunch menus are posted on the district web-site. The elementary and middle school lunch menus are posted on the district’s web-site: www.cupertino.ca.campusgrid.net/home The lunch price is $2.75 for students. The milk and juice price is 75 cents. Miller School Website: Please take some time and check out our school website. The website address is: www.MillerMiddle.org It may be a good idea to bookmark this site as it is updated regularly and contains all the pertinent information from our school. After School Sports The after school sports program sponsored through the Los Gatos Parks and Recreation Department begins with Girls Softball and Boys Volleyball now through mid October . There is a fee per sport. Practices and game times will be posted on our website. Sports Program includes: Girls Softball, Boys Volleyball, Cross Country, Girls Volleyball, Boys Basketball, Girls Basketball, Boys Soccer, Girls soccer, Track and Field

SUPPORT Miller Middle School WHEN YOU SHOP Below are some easy ways to help raise money for Miller and Miller PTA by taking advantage of programs that are already in place for purchases you normally make.

Register your Safeway Club Card for the current school year. To register your cards, go to http://www.escrip.com. Millers’ eScrip ID is: 1432747. Our school earns credits equal to 5% of your qualifying school supply purchases to use for FREE supplies when you shop at Office Depot. Every time you shop at Office Depot, remember to give our school ID# which is 70014423. If you are at Office Depot and do not have the number

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with you, please ask the cashier to scan the number for Joaquin Miller Middle School. You can also credit our school when online shopping at http://www.officedepot.com. When parents, teachers and other school supporters use their REDcard (Target Visa Credit Card, Target Credit Card or Target Check Card), Target donates up to 1% of their purchases to their designated school. All that is needed is a REDcard to enroll and participate. You can enroll at http://www.target.com/tcoe or 1-800-316-6142. By installing the OneCause toolbar on your Internet browser, a percentage of every eligible purchase you make at hundreds of online merchants will be contributed to your school. It's easy to get started: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Go to http://www.onecause.com/toolbar/install Install the OneCause toolbar, if you haven't already. Fill in school information. Click on support this school. Create an account, now you are ready to shop!

PTA NEWS

PTA Coffee with the Principal, Thursday, Sept. 8th Join us for coffee with the Principal and PTA Meeting September 8th at 7:45 AM. Come meet Mr. Sal Gumina and our Assistant Principal, Ms. Amy Steele at the first PTA meeting in the library. Miller PTA Welcome Back Family BBQ and Corral on the Quad Thursday, September 22 5:00 – 7:00 PM Dinner served from 5:00 to 7:00 PM Pre-Order Dinner PTA Order Form* On-Line or pick up form in the office (Pick up meal tickets by Will-Call on the day of the event) Be a part of the Miller Back to School! This year we are combining with student council and having a Mustang Corral, as well as dinner. Come find old friends, make new friends and meet the fantastic Miller teachers and staff. Please bring the whole family! And the kids can bring their bicycles, too. Come enjoy games, rock climbing and bounce houses Bicycle Rodeo presented by Calabazas Cyclery, back by popular demand * Please pre-order dinner. Limited number of food tickets available at the door. Samosas, Spring rolls and drinks for sale separately at the event THANK YOU -- to all the volunteers who helped with agenda and P.E. uniform sales before school. Special thanks to Liza Hudepohl and Christine Sireci for organizing!

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We Need You!

Join the Miller PTA! The Miller PTA depends on your membership as our primary source of

income to support programs and activities focused on making Miller a wonderful place for our children to learn and grow. You are not required to attend meetings or volunteer your time if you are a PTA member. We just don’t want you to miss out on being a part of this special community. Your “voice” means a great deal to us! So, if you haven’t already filled out the PTA Membership Envelope, please consider taking that important step in being involved with your child’s education and success at school. (Extra envelopes in the office.) Thank You! The Magazine Drive is here! September 13. Only one (1) turn-in day this year on September 13! The PTA needs your help to make this a very successful fundraising event for our Miller Student Council. For every dollar in sales, the Student Council earns 45 cents to fund school dances, Mustang Corrals, student council projects, and the purchase of additional school equipment and supplies. Please consider subscribing to magazines (digital subscriptions & gifts cards available) for holiday and birthday gifts for families and friends. Our target goal is for each grade level to make $15,000. If we reach $35,000 school-wide, Mr. Gumina and Ms. Steele will celebrate by running one (1) lap in each P.E. period! The PTA encourages each student to sell at least 5 subscriptions to reach our goal. And we need parents to help process orders and give out prizes. If you can help, please email Joyce Costello at jlin_costello@yahoo.com. We thank you in advance for your support. Important Dates: August 25: Kick-off Assembly, packets come home September 13: One Turn-in Day only at 2nd period September 27: 6th grade prize distribution September 28: 7th & 8th grade prize distribution October 6: Limo Lunch- Hometown Buffet (turn in 18 orders) Announcing PTA Reflections 2011-2012

This Year’s Theme: "Diversity Means…" SUBMISSION DEADLINE - Friday, October 14, 2011 Is your student looking for a way to express themselves and show others their talent as a photographer, visual artist, writer, composer, choreographer, or film producer? Create an original piece of artwork in one of six categories: Musical Composition Film/Video Production Visual Arts

Dance Choreography Literature Photography 5

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Program Rules and Entry Forms are available from the Miller Office. You can also download forms and see great examples of previous entries at: http://www.capta.org/sections/programs/reflections.cfm

Approximate timeline of student entries:

October 14 – Student entries due to Miller Office Mid-Late October – Selected Miller entries move on to Council level December – Selected entries move on to District level January – Selected entries move on to State level Spring – Reflections Winners Awards and final return of entries to students All entries must be submitted to the Miller Office by October 14, 2011. QUESTIONS? Please refer to Miller's website under PTA –> Reflections or contact Jacklyn (jacklynchiew@hotmail.com). Brunch & Lunch Volunteers Needed We need volunteers to help with brunch and lunch food sales, and for lunch yard duty. Please consider volunteering, even if you can only help once a week or every other week. We want to keep brunch and lunch running smoothly and safely for our students. Please contact Grace Siu at volunteerformiller@yahoo.com if you can help out. Thank you!

Free Money for Technology Did you know that local merchants, especially Safeway, donate thousands of dollars to Miller each year just because you shop at their stores? Money that Miller Middle School receives through the eScrip program has been earmarked for technology purchases at the school. You can help bring more dollars to Miller at no cost to you other than the few minutes it takes to register or update your account. Please go to www.escrip.com and register your grocery cards, such as Safeway or Target, or make sure your eScrip account is up-to-date. Miller’s Group ID # is 1432747. If you can’t find your Safeway Club Card number, call 1-877-723-3929 to cross-reference your phone number to your card number.

Thank you for your support!

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Sixth District PTA (Santa Clara County) and The League of Women Voters of Palo Alto

Sixth District everychild.onevoice.®

present Stanford Professor Linda Darling-Hammond Stanford University Charles E. Ducommun Professor of Education; Co-Director, Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education;Member, Equity & Excellence Commission, US Dept of Education. "One of the nation's ten most influential people affecting educational policy over the past decade" -- Education Week, 2006

“The Flat World and Education” Dr. Darling-Hammond will discuss the topic of her latest book,The Flat World and Education: How America's Commitment to Equity Will Determine Our Future. [learn more] Everyone is welcome! Q&A and book-signing to follow. Tuesday, September 20, 7 to 9 p.m. Haymarket Theatre, Palo Alto High School 50 Embarcadero Road, Palo Alto [map] [campus map] FREE! Seating is limited! Register [online] or call 408-453-6536

Simultaneous Spanish Translation: must be requested when you make your reservation.

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Co-sponsors include LWVs of: San Jose/Santa Clara, Cupertino/Sunnyvale, Southwest Santa Clara Valley, Los Altos/Mountain View, and South San Mateo County; and CAT (Community in Action Team, Mountain View).

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upertino Union School District News GREAT SCHOOLS SUMMER READ-A-THON Sponsored by the Cupertino Educational Endowment Foundation (CEEF) REGISTRATION DEADLINE - AUGUST 31, 2011 Every CUSD student with $10+ in sponsorships will be entered into a grand prize drawing for the chance to win one Apple iPad2. All proceeds will be donated to support our great District schools! Visit www.ceefcares.org/read for more information and to register. If you have any questions, contact read@ceefcares.org

FITNESS TESTING RESULTS The FITNESSGRAM assessment is given to all students in grades 5 and 7 each year and strives to provide accurate and reliable information about your child's level of physical fitness. Results from Spring 2011 are being sent home this month through the middle school sites. FITNESSGRAM uses health-related criteria called Healthy Fitness Zones (HFZ) to determine students' overall physical fitness. It suggests areas for improvement when appropriate. HFZ are not based on class averages or any other peer comparisons. They are criterion-referenced standards based on how much fitness is needed for good health. The standards are set specifically for boys and girls of different ages using the best available research. The report defines the recommended range of fitness for each test measure. If your child's score falls within the HFZ, it means they have achieved the recommended level of fitness for their age. All students should be encouraged to continue to practice and improve their skills as an important step to lifelong fitness and overall good health.

HUMAN GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT PREVIEW Children need to acquire accurate information about the growth and development of boys and girls so that they can make responsible decisions. In keeping with this concept, the Cupertino Union School District promotes informed, responsible action through instruction, which supports the home in this important area of human behavior. Parents will be provided an opportunity to preview a sampling of the Grades 6 to 8 Human Growth and Development videos that will be shown to your children. The previews are scheduled from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. at Collins Elementary School – Guided Learning Center, 10300 N. Blaney Avenue, Cupertino. The grades and dates scheduled are Grade 6 – October 17; Grade 7 - October 24; and Grade 8 – November 7. Children are not recommended to attend – no childcare provisions are available.

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CELDT TESTING INFORMATION The Cupertino Union School District will administer the CELDT (California English Language Development Test) August through October 28, 2011. Based on your child’s CELDT scores from last year, if their proficiency is limited, withdrawn or transitional, your child will be included in the annual CELDT test at their school. A letter will be sent home with your child prior to the testing date at your school. The initial CELDT will be given to kindergarten students whose primary language on the Home Language Survey is a language other than English. The test consists of four skills: Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing. Students in grades K–8 are tested in all four areas. You will receive the official results after January 2012. If you have any questions, please contact your school office.

AFTERSCHOOL ENRICHMENT PROGRAM The City of Cupertino and the Cupertino Union School District have collaborated the last 16 years on providing enriching afterschool classes for students throughout the Cupertino Union School District. The Afterschool Enrichment program offers a variety of educational and recreational classes for your children no further than the classroom next door! The Fall 2011 brochure will be delivered to the schools the week of September 26, 2011. Registration will also begin Monday, September 26, 2011. In addition, there will be a brochure available online at www.cupertino.org and in the Quinlan Community Center front office located at 10185 North Stelling Road, Cupertino 95014. Classes for the Fall session will begin the week of October 17, 2011. For more information please call (408) 777-3120 or log on to www.cupertino.org.

DIWALI FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS Saturday October 8, 2011 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Memorial Park in Cupertino Free Admission Diwali is a time of joyous celebration. The Cupertino Chamber of Commerce is presenting its 9th Annual Diwali festival of Lights, a multicultural family fun day, which will include Multicultural music, dance performances, Kids Zone, international food court, arts and craft booths, and much more. In addition, there will be Coloring Contest for kids grades K-8 starting at 10:00 a.m. This contest features three different age categories (grades K-2, 3-5, and 6-8) and great prizes!!!! The artwork and color pencils will be provided to each participant on the day of the contest. Free parking will be available at DE Anza College (lots A & B). Additional information is available at www.cupertino-chamber.org.

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