Principal's Update

Happy Sunday! It's the last Comet Notes of the year! This week will go by in a flash! See below for the senior events for this week as well as the finals schedule. Please see an email that I sent on Friday regarding your role for Graduation Ceremony on Wednesday, June 4 at 6pm. If you didn't receive one, please let me know. 

On Thursday, June 5, we will be having our last staff meeting along with breakfast and our end of the year recognitions in The Hub. Breakfast will be ready by 8:30(ish) and we will begin our meeting and recognitions at 9am. We should be all done by 10:30am, giving you plenty of time to complete your check out sheet, clean out your classrooms, and shift your mind on summer mode!

CHECK OUT PROCESS: You can CLICK HERE for our 24-25 JLHS Staff CheckOut Sheet. Please print it out, you will get each step signed off as you complete them. Completing ALL the tasks on this sheet is required by Thursday, June 5 at 2pm. Please make sure to complete all the tasks before you truly check out for the summer.

COMET REFLECTION RETREAT: Certificated staff, don't forget to RSVP for our Comet Reflection Retreat on Monday, June 9 from 9am to 3pm. Check your google invite.

MINI-SESSIONS: We're still recruiting teachers who are interested in having a "mini-session" during the weeks before summer school. If you are interested in hosting mini-sessions between June 6 and June 18, for students who earned D or F in their 1st or 2nd semester in your class, please CLICK HERE to submit a proposal. 

PBL CURRICULUM PLANNING VIRTUAL WORKSHOP: Certificated staff, reminder that if you are unable to travel to a conference or workshop this summer, there is a virtual one that would be a good one to attend. It is hosted by our NTN Coach Elena Bell, and it is a virtual deep dive workshop - this one specific to PBL curriculum planning. Please see the flyer below for more information. I don't need a proposal done for this one, you just simply have to let me know via email. =)

I've only received 9 responses to the DoorDash feedback form. It takes just a few minutes to provide your input on food delivery's future for 25-26 onward. I would like to hear from most of you, so please take a moment to provide your thoughts by CLICKING HERE. 

Please begin to think about packing your classroom for the summer. The 500 building will be used for summer school. There may be some events over summer that would require use of some other classrooms as well. All other classrooms will follow a rotating schedule of cleaning throughout the summer. It would be best to make sure that all your items are stored and put away properly. 

Last 3 days with the students! Enjoy! Have a great week, Comets!

Principal's Update

Happy Sunday Comets! It's a beautiful 3 day weekend and I hope you are enjoying every minute of it. We are T-7 days of school left. The end of the school year is so close you can sense it! Hang in there so we can finish strong!

Last week was a busy week with our Goodbye Spirit Week, Senior Honor Night, and Goodbye Rally. Special thanks to the leadership of Ms. Carla Hernandez our APA for putting together a memorable and heartfelt honor night. Also a special thanks to the leadership of Cathlyn Telebrico our Activities Director for putting together a fantastic rally. Their teams did an amazing job! THANK YOU to everyone involved!

This week we will be celebrating the accomplishments of our athletes at our annual Ryan/Oyama Athletic Awards on Wednesday, May 28 at 6pm in our Quad. It will be a beautiful celebration of our amazing year of athletics!

On Thursday, May 29, we will be hosting our first ever Incoming 12th graders Dream Session at 6pm in The Hub. Our seniors and their parents/guardians will be coming together to visualize what 10 years from now will look like and strategize how to stay A-G so that our incoming seniors can keep their options open for what's after high school. 

Our graduation is on Wednesday June 4 at 6pm. All certificated staff are required to attend graduation since it is a part of your supervision hours. Please CLICK HERE to indicate what role you would like to have for graduation. Classified staff who wish to participate can also complete the same form. 

As you begin to think about closing out the 24-25 school year, you can CLICK HERE for our 24-25 JLHS Staff CheckOut Sheet. Completing ALL the tasks on this sheet is required by Thursday, June 5 at 2pm. Please make sure to complete all the tasks before you truly check out for the summer.

The invites for graduation and our "end of the school year party" are below. Save the date!

Certificated staff, don't forget to RSVP for our Comet Reflection Retreat on Monday, June 9 from 9am to 3pm. Check your google invite.

We're still recruiting teachers who are interested in having a "mini-session" during the weeks before summer school. If you are interested in hosting mini-sessions between June 6 and June 18, for students who earned D or F in their 1st or 2nd semester in your class, please CLICK HERE to submit a proposal. 

Certificated staff, reminder that if you are unable to travel to a conference or workshop this summer, there is a virtual one that would be a good one to attend. It is hosted by our NTN Coach Elena Bell, and it is a virtual deep dive workshop - this one specific to PBL curriculum planning. Please see the flyer below for more information. I don't need a proposal done for this one, you just simply have to let me know via email. =)

There has been district wide conversation about not allowing Door Dash or any food delivery service to bring food and items on campus. Please sound off on your thoughts by CLICKING HERE. It is an anonymous google form. I'd like to get feedback from most of our staff. 

Wishing you a great week ahead. Go Comets!

Principal's Update

Happy Sunday Comets! T-12 days until graduation! This Monday is our last collaboration day of the year and you will continue to meet in departments. Please check with your department chair on your meeting location. 

Tuesday, we will be having our last School Site Council Meeting of the year. Our only item on the agenda is to finalize and approve our 25-26 SPSA. You can CLICK HERE for the agenda. You can CLICK HERE to review the official DTS version of our 25-26 SPSA - there was an issue with DTS and it wasn't allowing me to list our Goal 6 or adjust our Title I and II funding amounts. I am hoping district can help me remedy those errors tomorrow so SSC has the official corrected version. In the meantime you can CLICK HERE to review the SPSA action items and goals that were shared last time. 

Wednesday is our Senior Honor Night at 6pm! If you are able to, you are more than welcome to join us on this very special occasion. 

This week is also Spirit Week! Here are the outfits/themed days you will need to prepare for:

• Monday: Inside Out Day – Flip your fashion and wear your clothes inside out!

• Tuesday: Teacher/Student Swap Day – Dress like your favorite teacher, or if you're a teacher, try out the student look!

• Wednesday: Beach Day – Bring the summer vibes with your best beachwear.

• Thursday: Then & Now Day – Throw it back and dress up as a picture of your younger self.

• Friday: Class Colors Day –

  • Seniors: Green

  • Juniors:  Pink

  • Sophomores:  Teal

  • Freshmen:  Purple

We will be on an activity schedule on Friday for our Goodbye Rally! If you are interested in participating in the staff dance, please see Telebrico's email with the info!

Our graduation is on Wednesday June 4 at 6pm. All certificated staff are required to attend graduation since it is a part of your supervision hours. Please CLICK HERE to indicate what role you would like to have for graduation. Classified staff who wish to participate can also complete the same form. 

Save the date for our Ryan/Oyama athletic awards - see Chavez' athletics page for more info. 

Also, every year, on the first Monday after school is over, I host a "Comet Reflection Retreat" where we sit together and take stock of the year. We talk about our pluses and deltas, and what those would mean for the summer and the following school year. This year, our Comet Reflection Retreat will be held on Monday, June 9 from 9am to 3pm. You will be sent a calendar invite, please say "yes" or "no" on the invite so I know how many people to expect. 

The invites for graduation and our "end of the school year party" are below. Save the dates!

We're still recruiting teachers who are interested in having a "mini-session" during the weeks before summer school. If you are interested in hosting mini-sessions between June 6 and June 18, for students who earned D or F in their 1st or 2nd semester in your class, please CLICK HERE to submit a proposal. 

If you are unable to travel to a conference or workshop this summer, there is a virtual one that would be a good one to attend. It is hosted by our NTN Coach Elena Bell, and it is a virtual deep dive workshop - this one specific to PBL curriculum planning. Please see the flyer below for more information. I don't need a proposal done for this one, you just simply have to let me know via email. =)

Have a great week ahead, Comets!

Photos of the Week

Last week was Staff Appreciation Week! Here's a few photos from Friday's matching Comet shirt day. =) 

Principal's Update

Happy Sunday Comets! I hope all of our Comet Moms felt loved, celebrated, and appreciated this Mother’s Day weekend!

Monday's collaboration continues to be in departments. So, please check in with your department chair to see where you will be meeting starting at 3:10pm. Following our department collaboration, our department chairs will be meeting at 4pm in our TRC room 701 for our monthly meeting. 

Our district is in the beginning stages of undergoing a transformation in its election system for elected trustees: changing from at-large trustee elections to by-trustee area elections. A series of 5 public hearings will be held to engage all stakeholders in the process. This is an important change in the governorship of our district. The first public hearing will be held on Monday (05/12) night at Overfelt High School. As a staff member, it is important to attend at least one of the public hearings so that you can be knowledgeable and engaged in this important shift. Official wording of the public hearing notice: "On April 8, 2025, the Board of Trustees of the East Side Union High School District approved a resolution initiating the process to change the District's election system for elected trustees from at-large trustee elections to by-trustee area elections in single-member trustee areas." 

If you are interested in hosting mini-sessions between June 6 and June 18, for students who earned D or F in their 1st or 2nd semester in your class, please CLICK HERE to submit a proposal. 

On Thursday, May 15, the US Army's medical careers truck will be coming to campus to share information about various medical career options. The truck will be on campus from 11am to 2pm. All students are welcome to visit the truck during lunch. If you would like to bring your class(es) to visit the US Army's medical truck, please let me know. 

Have a great week ahead, Comets!

Principal's Update

Principal's Update

Hello Everyone! Happy Sunday and Welcome Back from Spring Break! Whether you stayed home or went to a far away place, I hope you had the best time! I actually took a break from school this week and took my son to his archery tournament in Gainesville, Florida. It was 5 days of intense archery between the World Youth team trials and the 2nd leg of the USA team series, Gator Cup. He didn't make the top 3 to qualify for Worlds, but he did score his personal best in the Gator Cup which allowed him to keep his #4 national ranking for the 2026 USA team. 3 more of these tournaments to go, and a few other ones in between. It was my first time in the Sunshine state. We didn't see the beach but we did see a baby gator and try fresh squeezed Florida orange juice. 

We are now in the final stretch of the 24-25 school year, I can hardly believe it. The next 27 days of school will go by so fast! I'll list some notable dates below, please mark them in your calendar: 

• Wednesday, April 30 - 2nd semester, 5th grading period Honor Roll Breakfast 

• Thursday, May 1 - College & Career Decision Day (please wear your college gear!)

• Thursday, May 1 - Club Awards

• Wednesday, May 21 - Senior Honor Night 

• Thursday, May 28 - Ryan/Oyama Athletic Awards

• Wednesday, May 28 - Senior F Day 

• June 2 to 4 - Finals 

• Wednesday, June 4 - Graduation

• Thursday, June 5 - EOY Staff Breakfast & Recognitions

Tomorrow, Monday April 28, certificated staff will be meeting in departments. Please check in with your department chair so that you know where you will be meeting at 3:10pm. Following department collaborations, department chairs will be meeting in room 701 at 4:00pm.

If you haven't yet done your staff Panorama survey, please do so by Wednesday, April 30. Your feedback is very important. If you have students in your 2nd period class who haven't yet taken their student Panorama survey, you'll get a list of who they are. 

If you are interested in hosting mini-sessions between June 6 and June 18, for students who earned D or F in their 1st or 2nd semester in your class, please CLICK HERE to submit a proposal. 

We will be having our 2nd semester 5th grading period Honor Roll breakfast on Wednesday, April 30 from 7:45am to 8:25am, at the front of the school. Please join us in celebrating all of our 3.0+ Comets!

I hope you have a great week back from Spring break! Go Comets!

Principal's Update

Hello Comets! Happy Sunday! I hope you enjoyed the beautiful weather this weekend. Soaking in the sun helps lift all of our spirits and gets us that final push to Spring Break! 5 more days!

This Friday, April 18, our senior class is hosting our PROM "The Enchanted Forest" at the beautiful The Ranch at Silver Creek! Thank you so much to our staff who signed up to supervise the evening and help ensure that the students have a safe and memorable time. If you plan to stop by or attend prom, I hope you responded to Telebrico's email last week. Unfortunately, we are not able to accommodate surprise or last-minute additions to our guest list. I can't wait to share beautiful prom pictures with all of you. 

Our Spring 2025 Panorama survey is open. Please CLICK HERE to let me know when you will be administering the Panorama survey to your 2nd period classes. It is important that we complete our surveys before spring break. Our goal is to get to at least 70% of students responses. Currently we are only at 22% with 184 students responding. Thank you so much for your support and attention in making sure our students express their voice through this survey. The data on the survey is important because it informs our LCAP, SPSA, safety plan, etc. 

Tomorrow, Monday, April 14, all-certificated staff please meet in the Hub for our collaboration. Please arrive promptly by 3:10pm so that we can have most of our collab time to discuss our SPSA in your department groups. It would be helpful if you bring your laptops, as the materials will be linked to view via google doc. You'll be looking at the notes and responses from last meeting, student and parent notes, and our current SPSA, in order to inform what actions we would like to include in our 25-26 SPSA. After our collab, our department chairs will be getting together for our monthly meeting. 

This Tuesday we will host our parents with students with disabilities at our 3rd resource night. Please see Carla's APED section for more information. On Wednesday, we will host our incoming 9th graders and their parents at our annual 8th grade parent night. This is an opportunity for us to showcase what our school has to offer. Carla has been inviting each of your departments to participate and host a table, please make sure that you have communicated with her about that. 

After spring break, we will be on a fast track to summer. If you would like to host a mini-session for your students who earned an "F" for either 1st or 2nd semester, and you think can earn a passing grade with just a few more tasks, or would like to host one for your department, please email Carla. Mini-sessions can be offered between June 6 to June 18. We will send more specific information via your email. Our regular summer school session will be from June 20 to July 18. There was a google form sent out by HR for any one interested in teaching summer. If you did have interest, I hope you were able to fill out that google form. Our summer school coordinator will be once again Genevieve Estrada from MP. She did a wonderful job last summer and I look forward to her putting her Comet hat back on. 

I recently came across an article in NASSP's Principal Leadership magazine titled “Shifting the Narrative: Leading with Integrity in an AI-Driven Era” by Alana Winnick, Ed Tech Director. It explored how schools can integrate AI in ethical and innovative ways. One section really stood out to me because it directly ties with the challenges we are seeing in our classrooms—and what the Student Equity Council recently shared about the need for more intentionally meaningful and connected assignments. It also deeply aligns with the characteristics and instructional practices we’re supposed to be doing as a New Tech school. I thought it was worth sharing this excerpt with you:

"One of the key areas where we need to reframe our approach is in how we design assignments. When Google became mainstream, we used to say "if your question is 'Google-able,' it's not a good question." With generative AI, the same idea applies: If the assignment is "AI-able," it's not a good assignment. Think about it, if a teacher uses AI to design a task, the student uses AI to complete it, and then the teacher uses AI to grade it, what's the purpose of the assignment? Let's face it, if AI can replicate student work, then perhaps it's time to rethink the assignment itsel. As we move forward, we need to focus more on the learning process rather than the final product. We should be asking students to apply their knowledge and show us that they comprehend the content. Asking for rote facts is no longer important. We need to think about what's important and redesign our lessons to create authentic assessments that help students thrive in this new era, which can be uncomfortable for many educators. This requires a paradigm shift toward tried-and-true educational frameworks and instructional practices where students are encouraged to explore, experiment, and collaborate in authentic contexts. By embracing pedagogical approaches, such as project-based learning, the flipped classroom, and Universal Design for Learning (UDL), we can create more engaging and personalized learning experiences for all students that are "AI-proof." AI-proofing assignments isn't about making them AI-resistant; it's about using AI as a tool and deisgning tasks that ask students to demonstrate higher-order thinking skills- tasks that challenge them to apply, analyze, and synthesize information. If you're unsure if an assignment is AI-proof, run it through an AI tool yourself before asking students to complete it. I've taken a persuasive essay and turned it into a TED-Ed talk, where students had to pitch their ideas to parents about building something new in the community. I also revamped a biography unit into "The Perseverance Pod," an interview-style podcast highlighting how historical figures pushed through tough times. And the best part? We used AI to support us every step of the way!"

Just something to keep in mind as we reflect on our WASC growth areas and consider the actions we’re planning for our SPSA.

Wishing you a great week ahead! Go Comets!

Principal's Update

Happy Sunday Comets! I hope you got to enjoy what felt like a very short weekend. =) We are now officially 7.5 weeks away from summer and 2 weeks away from Spring Break! We can do this! This week is CAASSP testing for our juniors. Everyone will have some hand or be ready to help to make testing week a success. In addition, our seniors will be completing their SexEd requirements. In California, the California Healthy Youth Act (CHYA) mandates comprehensive sexual health and HIV prevention education for students in grades 7-12, requiring at least one instruction in middle school and one in high school. We are still playing catch up in ensuring that we comply with this mandate, which is why the seniors have to complete it. Once we are caught up, the SexEd requirements will be completed prior to senior year. 

Please read through Carla's APED notes, emails, and the above chart so that you are knowledgeable about the role you will play in CAASSP or SexEd this week. Thank you in advance for your help and support. 

Tomorrow, Monday, April 7, we will meet in the TLC for collaboration. Please arrive promptly at 3:10pm We will be engaging in the first round of discussion around our SPSA goals and actions. 

This Thursday, April 10, please join us for our Staff Appreciation BBQ hosted by ASB. Meet us at Comet Stadium. Wear your Comet gear and come cheer on our track and field and baseball teams—while enjoying some delicious BBQ and great company! See you there!

Wishing you a great CAASSP week ahead! Go Comets!

Principal's Update

Happy Sunday Comets! I hope you are enjoying your 3 day weekend. As we take the day off tomorrow in honor of César Chávez, it's a great time to reflect on the impact of his work and what it still means today. Chávez stood up for farmworkers and fought for fair treatment, better working conditions, and respect for all people—especially those whose voices weren’t being heard. His legacy is a reminder that real change happens when people come together and speak up for what’s right. In times like these, when so many are facing uncertainty and hardship, his message of unity, justice, and hope feels more important than ever. Let’s carry that spirit into the work we do every day with our students and community.

Huge thanks to our amazing Activities Director, Telebrico, for leading the way and organizing our 4th annual Comet Carnival/Night Market with the support of our awesome ASB students. Shoutout to Baldock, Ghatak, Harrington, Kawayoshi, Leipham, Macias, Martin, Nathan, Portillo, and Rosiles for helping throughout the evening—we truly couldn’t have done it without you. We’re also so grateful to our incredible vendors and community partners for being part of the night. Folklorico, KCC, and our student band “The Nowhere Men” absolutely crushed it with their performances! It was such a joy to see our students, families, and community come together. ARUSD also hosted their COPITA in our stadium over the weekend, so it was great having them join us Friday night—what an awesome way for our future Comets to see our campus and feel the spirit of our community.

Thank you all for your support with last week’s tardy sweeps—we’ve already seen a positive impact with more students arriving to class on time and ready to learn. We’ll continue to run random sweeps throughout the weeks ahead, so please keep reinforcing the importance of being on time. Just a quick reminder: doors should be closed at the end of the bell sound, not while it’s still ringing—students who enter during the bell are still considered on time. Detentions for tardies are being served, and we hope you're noticing a more focused start to your class periods. Your consistency and support make all the difference!

The Spring Panorama survey has opened. Please take your staff Panorama survey. We will block out April 7-18 for you to do the Panorama survey with your 2nd period class. More information will come to you later. You have received an email from Panorama on Monday March 24, inviting you to take the survey. The email will contain a unique link for each staff member. All Certificated, Administrative, and Classified staff will be invited to participate in this survey. Classified includes all classified, kitchen staff, custodians, gardeners.

As a backup option for any staff who for some reason can not access the survey, they can complete an anonymous survey using this link: Anonymous Survey Link Staff will enter their access code. Their access code is their email address without the domain (all lowercase).

Notes for Staff:

• Panorama will send frequent reminder emails to staff with an outstanding survey.  

• Sometimes, emails get routed to the Junk, Spam, or Trash folders. Please encourage staff to check these folders if they are having trouble finding their survey link email.

• If the email still doesn’t appear, please have them contact support+eastsideunion@panoramaed.com, or use the backup option.

On Wednesday, April 2, you are invited to join our Alliance teachers at Mexico Lindo (on Foxworthy) for the very special prom fundraiser that they are hosting along with EVHS and PHHS. Flyer is below.

We're now in the last week of the 5th grading period! I wish you a great week ahead! Go Comets!

Principal's Update

Hello Comets! Happy Sunday! The weather over the weekend was beautiful and I hope you were able to take advantage of the sun. Definitely helps lift the spirits within this March madness time. Please check out the updates from Activities for our Night Market Spirit Week this week! We culminate with our Night Market Carnival that celebrates our 75 years as James Lick High School. You definitely don't want to miss out on the fun! 

Slight change of plans for our collaboration for tomorrow, Monday. We originally were supposed to spend the time together continuing our WASC reflection, however, it is crucial we take the time to prepare ourselves for our upcoming SBAC week and those EL monitoring forms that are now ready for us to use. Please meet Carla in the TLC at 3:10pm - all-certificated - for tomorrow's collaboration dedicated to SBAC and our ELs. We will reconnect about our WASC reflections in April when we make its connection to our SPSA. 

Soon you will receive an email for our Spring Panorama survey. Please take a moment to complete those as a staff member. With Mari's lead, we will get our parents to complete their surveys. Sometime in April, we will also dedicate a week to complete them with our students. Please be on the lookout for that time. 

If you use Illuminate for any of your class assessments, please see the email from Kirsten King regarding the new feature of Illuminate connecting to a lock down browser. I'm not sure how many of you use the Illuminate assessment feature for your class, so just wanted to put it out there that there is an update on how to use it. If you have any questions, please let me know and I can get you connected. 

TARDY SWEEPS are starting!!! Here is what you need to know:

• Staff will get an email the DAY OF TARDY SWEEPS to notify you that it is Tardy Sweep day. (1 to 2 days per week)

• On Tardy Sweep Day...

  • Once the bell rings to start class, close/lock your door

  • DO NOT ADMIT students without a tardy pass, even 1st period. **only on tardy sweep day**

  • Once a student arrives in your class with a tardy pass, please mark them Tardy accordingly.

  • DO NOT release students during class time WITHOUT a valid Minga pass or visible hall pass. 

  • Student Aides will require a pass. On Monday, you will receive a Student Aide pass for your Student Aides to use when they are out of class with your permission. 

  • SVCTE students who are tardy to 3rd period due to the bus schedule, will be identified and will need to proceed directly to 3rd period class. Failure to do so on tardy sweep day will result in being swept and processed for tardy/detention passes.

• On Tardy Sweep Day...

  • Safety Team members will be positioned at points of entry and around campus.

  • Students who are outside of class after the bell rings, will be sent to The Hub for tardy/detention processing, and to receive their tardy pass.

We are looking forward to this process and its positive impact in getting our students to class on time and staying there. 

Have a great week Comets!

Please take a few moments to click on the 2 buttons above. They will provide you with all the necessary information you need for our 2 Activity Schedule days - Tuesday, March 18 AND Wednesday, March 19. I know it is a hassle to have shifts in schedules and different activities. I appreciate your continued flexibility and understanding as we strive to create meaningful opportunities that support student motivation, sense of belonging, and overall engagement.

Tomorrow, Monday, March 17 **HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY** you will be collaborating with your departments in THE HUB. Please arrive in THE HUB by 3:10pm and sit at the table(s) assigned to your department. To add to tomorrow's fun...please watch your email for a special St. Patrick's Day Staff Scavenger Hunt! Participate in the hunt throughout the day. Winner will be announced at collaboration! Fabulous prizes await. =) 

Since have wrapped up our WASC self-study and are now in our reflection/next step phase, we have to get started on our annual work on our SPSA. I feel like the work that we will take on for our SPSA this year is clearer since we just wrapped up our WASC and we have a bulleted itemized list of growth areas that we need to tackle. You can see our SPSA work timeline by CLICKING HERE. You can see that the first step of the work connecting WASC to SPSA begun at last Friday's Cafecito and continues at tomorrow's Department Chair meeting and then Tuesday's School Site Council meeting. 

Every other Thursday at 7:30 AM, our Comet Support Team—including advisors, admin, counselors, campus monitors, wellness center staff, and other certificated support members—meets to discuss school climate and proactive strategies to help you foster a positive and structured learning environment. This year, attendance and student movement outside of the classroom—both tardiness and time spent out of class—have been key discussion points.

At our last meeting, we agreed to implement Tardy Sweeps starting the week of March 24 as a coordinated effort to improve punctuality. Here’s what this means:

• Tardy Sweeps will take place twice a week, on unannounced days.

• On Tardy Sweep days, teachers will receive an email in the morning confirming that a sweep will occur that day.

• When the bell rings, if you don't do so already, please close and lock your doors. Any student not in class at that time will be swept to the hub, processed, and assigned detention for that afternoon or the following day.

• Students will receive a pass to return to class after being processed. On Tardy Sweep days ONLY, students must have this pass to enter your classroom.

• Teachers with student aides will receive special ID badges this week. Student aides must wear their student aide ID badge while running errands to ensure they are not mistakenly swept up.

• Students who are out of class after or before the first/last 10 minutes of class, require a visible hall pass OR a valid Minga pass. If they do not have a visible hall pass OR a valid Minga pass, they will also be swept up.

This week, we will be informing students and parents about the upcoming Tardy Sweeps so they are aware of the expectations. Our safety team is finalizing logistics and will provide further details once they are set.

From experience, Tardy Sweeps are one of the most effective ways to ensure students make it to class on time and reduce unnecessary movement during instructional time. While no system is perfect, this should help reinforce the importance of punctuality and create a more focused classroom environment. I ask for your patience and understanding as your safety team and administration work to implement Tardy Sweeps to the best of our ability. If you have any problems or concerns with how things are done, I ask that you please let me know so that we can work to make adjustments. I appreciate your support and look forward to seeing the positive impact in your classrooms.

On Thursday, March 20, a group of students who earned a GPA of 3.7+ in the 1st semester will be attending a Santa Clara University field trip sponsored by their MultiCultural Center. 37 students have turned in their permission slips. They will be spending the day learning about SCU, shadowing their students, engaging in activities, and enjoying lunch with their Bronco friends. 

Wishing you a great week ahead! Go Comets!

Principal's Update

Happy Sunday Comets! Now that we have wrapped up WASC, it's time for some reflection so we can plan and implement our next steps together. We'll follow the following schedule for our reflection cycle:

• Tomorrow, Monday, 03/10 collaboration - individual reflection, time to work on your own to read through the draft visiting committee full report and/or visiting committee summary report and to please complete this reflection guide no later than end of day Wednesday, March 12. 

• Next Monday 03/17 collaboration - departmental reflection

• Next Next Monday 03/24 collaboration - all staff reflection

Our bi-annual Comet Con Career Day is this week on Thursday, March 13! Please see emails from Zabala for more information and for the presenter schedules and locations for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th period. I look forward to a great day of giving our students the opportunity to dream and plan their future. 

Looking ahead to next week, we will be having 2 activity schedule days next week, please mark your calendars:

• Tuesday, March 18 - activity schedule for Higher Ed Day (please see notes or emails from your APED, Carla Hernandez) for more information. 

• Wednesday, March 19 - activity schedule for BMX anti-bullying rally (email will follow with more information)

Thank you! I wish you a great week ahead! Go Comets!

Principal's Update

Happy Sunday Comets! It is WASC time! I'm excited for our WASC visit. It is truly a chance for us to get feedback on what and how we are doing. Our WASC visiting committee will be arriving at 7:45am on Monday to begin their visit with a meeting with Estranero, Boostani, Hernandez, Villasenor, & myself followed by a quick campus tour to get acquainted with our school. They'll be coming in and starting their classroom visit as soon as they are settled by 2nd period. You also received emails from me to remind you of your meetings with the WASC team and/or to sub for a colleague. Thank you in advance for your help and flexibility this week. Remember that on Wednesday, we will have another visiting group from the CDE who will be visiting EL, PE, and various classrooms.

Remember that during our WASC visit: 

1. Classroom Visit Overview

• Casual Observations: The Visiting Committee visits to your classroom are informal. They typically enter a classroom, look around at student work displayed on walls and other areas, spend about 10 minutes observing, and then leave. There’s no need to do anything specific unless you’d like to introduce the team. The Visiting Committee will make every effort to visit each classroom at least once during their time at our school.

• Student Work Displays: It would be helpful for the visiting team if your classroom had an easily accessible area where you have displayed student work or curated displays. 

2. Check Off Form

• Snapshot Documentation: The Visiting Committee completes a check off form during each visit to capture a snapshot of what’s happening in the classroom. 

3. Special Activities

• Showcase Your Best: If your class is conducting a special project, innovative lesson, etc. The Visiting Committee has expressed interest in visiting classes that are engaging in this type of teaching and learning. They have shared that they would like to see these activities during their visit rather than during routine activities like tests.

Additionally, on Wednesday, March 5, we will have a secondary group that will be coming to visit us. The CA department of education - FPM team (Federal Progress Monitoring) - will be here to conduct classroom visits specific to our EL program, PE program, as well as any comprehensive education courses. In addition, they will also be conducting meetings with our ELAC team and School Site Council members. The CDE's FPM team's visit will be focused on one specific prompt: What is James Lick doing to address achievement gaps for students eligible for each program under review? Our programs under review are our EL, PE, and CE (comprehensive education). 

I encourage you to stay for the WASC report presentation after school on Wednesday. It will be a good opportunity to hear directly from the visiting committee on how we are doing and what our projected accreditation status will be. 

Let's have an amazing week! Thank you for everything that you do! Go Comets!

Hello Comets! I hope you had a great week off! We will be on a long haul until Spring break, since it is later in April this year. I am confident that together, we will make it to April 21 still strong, optimistic, hopeful, and with just enough energy to make it to June 4! 

Here's a snapshot of our week this week:

• MONDAY - collaboration schedule - department collaboration AND Parent Conference Call Campaign: Invite students with "Ds" 

• TUESDAY - regular schedule - School Site Council meeting at 6pm in Room 108

• WEDNESDAY - A day schedule - 1st, 3rd, and 5th period - ELPAC makeups - All-Certificated Staff Collaboration at 1:30pm in The Hub (if we can start on time we can end early) - grades due to IC at 5pm.

• THURSDAY - B day schedule - 2nd, 4th, 6th period - ELPAC make ups - All-Staff Dinner in Room 701 @ 3:30pm - Parent Conference Night @ 4pm to 7pm in The Hub.

• FRIDAY - regular schedule - *tentative* Superintendent's Visit 12:30pm to 2pm

In preparation for every Parent Conference Night, we make every effort to connect with our parents to invite them to this important event. As teachers, please reach out and call students who are earning "D"s in your class(es) and invite them to connect with you, their teachers, and important resources. You may call anytime before Thursday and record your phone call on THIS GOOGLE FORM. This connection is so important in ensuring that we can get as many parents here as possible to be an active participant in their child's education. Thank you for making the effort! Also, on Monday, please expect a stack of invitations/RSVP forms for our Parent Conference Night, to be distributed to your 4th period class. 

Like every Parent Conference Night, we will have dinner available for all staff and volunteers starting at 3:30pm in Room 701. Room 701 will serve as our "hospitality" room where you can go to for the duration of Parent Conference Night to grab a snack, a beverage (school appropriate =), and take a quick rest. We are looking forward to another great evening of connecting with our parents, each other, and our community partners. Please arrive in The Hub no later than 4pm. You will have an assigned table/area next to your department members. You will need to bring your laptop and/or grade reports, as well as any other material(s) that you feel will be helpful for your conversation with parents. You can CLICK HERE for our Parent Conference Night staff info sheet. 

Our WASC Visiting Committee will be on our campus in a little over a week's time - Monday, March 3 to Wednesday March 5. You can see the schedule below. You also received calendar invites as it pertains to your focus group and your meeting time with WASC. In order to prepare for their visit, here are some important information to help you do your part: 

1. Classroom Visit Overview

• Casual Observations: The Visiting Committee visits to your classroom are informal. They typically enter a classroom, look around at student work displayed on walls and other areas, spend about 10 minutes observing, and then leave. There’s no need to do anything specific unless you’d like to introduce the team. The Visiting Committee will make every effort to visit each classroom at least once during their time at our school.

• Student Work Displays: It would be helpful for the visiting team if your classroom had an easily accessible area where you have displayed student work or curated displays. Please email me or Estranero if you will be setting this up in your classroom so that we can guide the Visiting Committee on which classrooms have this type of set up. 

2. Check Off Form

• Snapshot Documentation: The Visiting Committee completes a check off form during each visit to capture a snapshot of what’s happening in the classroom. 

3. Special Activities

• Showcase Your Best: If your class is conducting a special project, innovative lesson, or any activity that stands out, please let me or Estranero know. The Visiting Committee has expressed interest in visiting classes that are engaging in this type of teaching and learning. They have shared that they would like to see these activities during their visit rather than during routine activities like tests.

The Visiting Committee is also requesting that we provide them with additional evidence of the following items. If you have a lesson or unit plan, student work/project, or related artifact(s) that would support what they are asking for below, please email me or Estranero. 

• Multiple Levels of Teaching and Learning: Additional evidence of assignments that challenge students with higher order thinking skills. 

• Equity Structured Assignments: Examples of assignments designed to meet different intellectual levels. 

Additionally, on Wednesday, March 5, we will have a secondary group that will be coming to visit us. The CA department of education - FPM team (Federal Progress Monitoring) - will be here to conduct classroom visits specific to our EL program, PE program, as well as any comprehensive education courses. In addition, they will also be conducting meetings with our ELAC team and School Site Council members. 3 of our district schools were chosen for this yearly review - this year it was our turn as well as Andrew Hill and Yerba Buena. We were given this date by the state and despite our WASC visit happening at the same time, I am unable to move it. We will be ok, it will be just a little bit hectic that day. For the last several months, I have been working with our Associate Supt Marquez, Director of Instuction, Kleckner, and our EL and PE teams to provide all the evidence that they have required from us. The CDE's FPM team's visit will be focused on one specific prompt: What is James Lick doing to address achievement gaps for students eligible for each program under review? Our programs under review are our EL, PE, and CE (comprehensive education). An FPM process is unlike a WASC process. They ask for specific documentation rather than seeking analysis and reflection. 

I appreciate you taking the time to read all of this. I will take a few moments to address them during our A day collaboration, in case you have any questions. I am looking forward to our A day collaboration specific to scaffolding. Our teachers who attended our NTN Scaffolding series, as well as Zabala and Estranero, will be leading collab. It will be a great learning experience for us all especially as it will require us to connect with a specific student in our class(es) that need support. Please look for an email from Zabala for more information. 

If you have any requests for Thursday's dinner, please let me know. I am open to ideas of what to order. =) 

Happy last week of February! Here we go! Go Comets!!! 

It's Valentine's Spirit Week! Let's show out and show our spirit! Here are the dress themes for each day of the week. I look forward to your participation. 

Happy Super Bowl Sunday! Here's to hoping that the Eagles Fly! I hope you're having a great weekend and enjoyed some yummy treats today. We are just 5 days away from February break. Let's help one another hang in there, and more importantly support each and every one of our students get through the end of the 4th grading period as successfully as they can. 

Tomorrow, Monday is department collaboration. Please connect with your department chair for where you will be meeting tomorrow. Please be on the look out for more information on what to prepare for your classrooms our WASC self-study visit on March 3-5. The WASC visiting schedule is below. Please take a look at the meeting time(s) for your focus groups and any meetings that may pertain to you. I will try to send specific calendar invites for certain groups so that you know when you will need to join in. 

Thank you to our Wellness Team for getting Vision Screening for all of our students. BACH will be here on Wednesday, February 12 from 9am to 4pm to conduct vision screenings for all of our students who would like to be screened. Thank you to our PE and US History and Gov/Econ teachers for taking the time during their classes. The schedule for visits is also below, in case any students have questions about when their class is going. 

Wishing you a great week ahead! Go Comets!

February 2

1st Semester Data

Principal's Update

Hello Comets! Happy Sunday! I hope you had a restful weekend. We are now in February and it is Black History Month! Please CLICK HERE for a link of resources that you can use in your classroom to celebrate Black History. 

We are T-minus 10 school days from February break. Hang in there. Please see our 1st semester data above. I am not sharing this to emphasize we need to give all students As and Bs, but I am sharing this because one of the needs identified on our WASC report that we just submitted was that we need to take a closer look at our data and use it to drive what we do. We have a long way to go to making this our practice as a whole school, but we can start here. Grades that students earn is truly the only measure we have of numerically evaluating student success and if students learned. I invite you to take a closer look at our data and reflect on how we can address the needs that the data brings up. 

I want to thank the teachers who participated in last week's Instructional Rounds as observers: Roussel, Nguyen, Chavez, Launspach, Ramirez, Romero, Singh, Adams, Estranero, Ghijsen, Haynes, Leipham, Gonzalez, Wu, and Ceja. And a special thank you to the teachers whose classes they observed. As well as a special special thank you to Zabala for coordinating this great professional development. You can CLICK HERE for the notes summary from the team's debrief and observations. In a nutshell, our Instructional Rounds debrief #2 focused on supporting unmotivated students, fostering student agency, and ensuring clarity on high-quality work expectations. Key strategies included peer support, teacher check-ins, structured routines, and rubrics. The discussion emphasized building student confidence and using instructional rounds to identify and address student needs effectively. 

We have a recent state mandate to address regarding the progress of our EL (English Learner) and RFEP (Redesignated) students. We are now required, schools across our district, to complete a Progress Monitoring Form for each EL and RFEP student who earned/earning a D or F in each grading period. The Progress Monitoring Form is accessible from your ELLevation portal. You can CLICK HERE to access the presentation and instructions on how to fill out the form. It is required that the forms be completed by Friday, February 28. On Thursday, February 6, Carla and I will facilitate non-mandatory prep-period workshops for anyone who would like assistance in accessing or filling out the form, or just have any general questions or guidance. I will send out google calendar invitations for Thursday during your prep, if you feel you don't need help with the form, then feel free to RSVP with a NO, but if you need help, please RSVP with a YES. Carla and I look forward to helping you complete this requirement. Thank you!

This week is ELPAC week. Please see Joel's APTS update for information and the schedule. Let's support our EL students in making sure they make it to their test taking appointments and locations.

Also this week, on Thursday, February 6, 25-26 course requests are due from all of our 9th, 10th, and 11th graders. Please remind them to turn them in to Ms. Luna, our counseling tech, or in the black box in the counseling office. Please see Carla's APED Update for more information. 

In the midst of our food fair festivities and the periods after, a group of students set off fireworks in the 1000 boys restroom (during lunch and then during 6th period). Our advisors and admin team didn't have the capacity to review footage in detail to identify who was in the restroom, who didn't enter, who came out at what time, and the activities around the restroom prior. Our advisors did however, do a great job at getting as much of the group of students into interviews and sent a few home for the day and Monday to be assigned discipline on Monday. I was able to review the footage over the weekend, and pending identification, and more witness statements, we will have completed a separate and thorough investigation as to who were directly involved in both fireworks incidents. There were no reports of damages to the 1000 boys restroom. The UBR consequence to fireworks is considered possession of a dangerous object which does lead to a suspendable offense. I am super thankful for our advisors and campus monitors who always work together with our admin team to respond as quickly as possible, secure the safety of our campus, and ensure that investigations are thorough resulting in appropriate disciplinary consequences. I want to thank our larger safety team, comprising of our staff who monitor areas at break or lunch, for their vigilance. The team is doing a good jobl, but like any strong team, we must refine our practices, including enhancing supervision and coverage, to proactively address potential student behavior.

Last week, we held multiple re-entry days for students returning from suspension. I want to thank our Wellness Center team, Advisors, Safety Team, CBOs, and TOSAs for their collaboration in supporting a full-day re-entry process. This 1st-6th period re-entry is essential, allowing the team to work individually with each student to reset expectations, clarify rules, engage with parents, and provide support for mental health, academics, and other personalized needs. Re-entry days require a team effort, but they are essential in reducing the likelihood of repeat behavior and supporting students' successful reintegration. 

Tomorrow, I will be sharing this letter with all of our James Lick families regarding immigration enforcement. I think it is important that you know the message that I am sending. On Tuesday morning, we will be having our principal's meeting and we will be discussing our latest protocols and receiving more information. If you have any question regarding this, please don't hesitate to connect with me. I wholeheartedly appreciate you holding safe and welcoming spaces for each and every student in your classrooms. 

Tomorrow, Monday is department collaboration. As is every Monday in February. Please connect with your department chair for where you will be meeting tomorrow. We will also be having our department chair meeting following collaboration on Monday. 

We have our parent Cafecito on Friday 02-07 in the morning during 1st period. 

It's also National School Counseling Week! Please let our amazing counselors know how much you appreciate them! Thank you for all you do - Ms. Noemi Huitron, Ms. Ruby Chavez, Ms. Veronica Martinez!!!

I apologize for the length of tonight's Comet Notes. I just want to make sure that you have as much information as you need. If you feel I am ever withholding any information, I beg you to please just tell me. As I have always been before, I welcome your conversations, thoughts, questions, feelings, just let me know you want to connect and I'll make sure to make the time for you. 

Have a great week ahead! Go Comets!

Principal's Update

Happy Sunday! For those who celebrate, Happy Lunar New Year!!! I hope you all had a great weekend and you were able to rest. Last week we experienced several fights, one which included a brandished knife. I want to reiterate my appreciation to our staff who responded quickly and were able to de-escalate and contain the incidents. I want to especially thank our safety team for conducting separate and thorough investigations in order to determine appropriate consequences, working with SJPD and our CBOs as needed, support students involved with safety plans, coordinating and meeting with parents, and being pro-active about student conflict. Most of the incidents that occurred last week were due to student-to-student conflicts (personal drama), or drama stemming from middle school. 

We did experience 3 non-students coming on to campus who gained access through our softest point, our front door. As a result, we will be keeping our front door locked indefinitely starting at 9:30am through 3:30pm. I am working on getting a door buzzer (ring style) - in the meantime there is a sign that instructs visitors to call Sheri's number for access. Our TAs in the lobby also assist in opening our doors. They have specific instructions on who can gain access. We already keep our pedestrian gates in front of the gym, parking lot, and 500 gate locked during the school day. Our parking lot gates do remain open throughout the school day - we do close them if we have intel that further security is needed. Our safety team and front office staff are well connected throughout the day. This level of immediate communication is so crucial in keeping our campus safe and secure. 

Tomorrow, Monday January 27, we will have an all-staff collaboration in The Hub to discuss and be re-trained about our Safety Drill process. Tuesday, January 28 we will be on an activity schedule due to our 2nd semester Safety Drill occurring during activity period. Boostani will be sharing with you a strong recommendation that you keep your classroom doors locked during the school day. I know it is easier for us and students to access your classroom if it is unlocked. However, we would rather it be safe than easier - so it would be best to keep your classroom doors locked. Late students can gain access by knocking on your door. Admin and the safety team have master keys so we can access if needed or in an emergency. 

In the same spirit of keeping our campus safe and secure, I want to remind you about our Visitor Process. All visitors must check in to the front office - there is a check in book at Sheri's desk and they will need a visitor ID badge. Visitors must have a previously scheduled appointment with you in order to gain access to campus or your classrooms. Drop-In visits are not allowed. Drop-In visits that are not allowed include alumni coming back to say hello. This includes no access during break or lunch - regardless of how nice they are. Parents with appointments for meetings will gain access to campus. Parents who do not have apppointments, our front office staff can call you to see if you are available, and if you are then access can be granted. Parents do have the right to observe classes or our school with a 24-hour notice. I am hopeful that our district can one day be able to have digital check-in process for visitors which include an ID scan and photo. 

On Friday afternoon, Superintendent VanderZee sent communication regarding immigration enforcement issues and community resources. Please take a moment to review his email. For our school, if you hear any rumors, receive word of ICE activity in our area, please contact me asap - my cell is the fastest way - 209-482-4279. There is also a Rapid Response hotline 408-290-1144 that you can call to report activity and get confirmation of activity. We continue to be a welcoming and safe place for all of our students, regardless of their immigration status. We will continue to protect the information and privacy of our students. Here is a resource for school officials: Quick Reference for School Officials - from the CA DOJ. If anything, call me first please. Here are resources to share with your students: Immigrant Legal Resource Center: Family Preparedness Plan, Guide for Students and Families, Safe Schools & Resources for Immigrant Students. We will continue to do our very best to be a welcoming and safe space for our students and their families.

I wish you a great week ahead. Go Comets!

Principal's Update

Happy Sunday Comets! I hope you are having a great weekend! As we approach Martin Luther King Jr. Day tomorrow, I am reminded of his powerful words: “The time is always right to do what is right.” These words resonate deeply as we navigate the challenges many of our students face in these uncertain times. For our students, especially our LGBTQ+, immigrant, undocumented students, the current political climate has created fear and anxiety for themselves and their families. It is our responsibility to do what is right—to ensure that every student feels safe, supported, and valued in our school community.

Let me remind you that we are a Sanctuary School, operating under our district's Resolution #2016/2017-20, "Affirming Support of Students and Families Regarding Immigration Enforcement Actions at Schools." This resolution solidifies our role as a safe haven for students and families, regardless of their immigration status.

Here are key points from the resolution that guide our work:

1. Schools Are Safe Spaces: Immigration enforcement actions at schools are strongly discouraged, as schools are recognized as sensitive locations. Our campus is a sanctuary where students and families should feel protected.

2. Protecting Student Privacy: Under FERPA, we are prohibited from sharing student information with outside agencies, including ICE, without written parental consent, a judicial order, or a lawfully issued subpoena.

3. Responding to Immigration Inquiries: Any request for information or access from immigration enforcement must be forwarded to the Superintendent’s Office. No staff member should act on such requests independently.

4. Equity in Services: All students are entitled to equal access to school services, including meals, transportation, and academic instruction, regardless of their or their family’s immigration status.

5. Supporting Families: Staff are encouraged to connect families to resources such as legal aid, social services, and emergency plans through organizations like the Rapid Response Network to help mitigate the impact of immigration enforcement on our students’ lives.

In addition to these points, here are ways we can create a culture of safety and belonging for all students:

• Reassure Students: Let them know that our school is their sanctuary. Make your classrooms spaces where students feel they belong and are protected.

• Offer Emotional Support: Many students may need a trusted adult to listen to their fears or anxieties. Be that supportive presence and refer them to our wellness center or social workers if needed.

• Be Inclusive in Your Teaching: Highlight the contributions and resilience of immigrant communities, and promote discussions about equity, justice, and compassion in age-appropriate ways.

• Monitor for Signs of Stress: Be attentive to students who may be struggling emotionally or academically as a result of these challenges.

As educators, it’s essential that we remain neutral and professional when addressing sensitive topics, especially during politically charged times. Please remember that our role is to create a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment for all students, regardless of our own beliefs or backgrounds. Avoid expressing personal political opinions, sarcasm, or remarks that could be viewed as favoring one side over another. Instead, focus on fostering thoughtful, balanced discussions that encourage critical thinking and mutual respect. By modeling neutrality and professionalism, we ensure that every student feels heard, valued, and supported.

We are a school and a community that stands together. Our students look to us for guidance, reassurance, and care during uncertain times, and it is our shared responsibility to ensure that they feel safe and supported.

Thank you for your continued commitment to our students and families. If you have questions, need resources, or would like to discuss additional ways we can help, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Wishing you a great week ahead! Go Comets!

Click here for the Schoolwide Lesson for Monday, January 12 

Principal's Update

Happy Sunday Comets! I hope you had a great weekend. It is an exciting week ahead with a few schoolwide events. We are on collaboration 2x this week - on Monday AND on Wednesday. Please see the snapshot above so you kow what is happening. You can click on the link above to access the last schoolwide lesson of the series. Please facilitate this lesson to your 3rd period class on Monday, January 12. It is so important that all of our students get the same message and the schoolwide lesson is an important delivery method for that. 

On Tuesday, our Special Education department will be doing their 2nd pull out day of the year. Thank you to those of you who will be covering their class periods so they can engage in this important work. In the evening on Tuesday, we will be hosting our parents of students with disabilities for a Resource Night. 

On Wednesday, we will once again be on collaboration schedule. It will be our motivational speaker day! Ovi will be coming to speak to students in each of our grades, our ELD students, and to you, our staff, as well. Please see Zabala's email on January 9, it has all of the information you need to fully engage in the day. I will include snapshots of the rotation for Wednesday below. We will also have our first Wellness Wednesday of the 2nd semester. See the Wellness Center calendar below. =)

I also hope you can come a little early on Thursday, January 16 to join us for our 1st semester Honor Roll breakfast! This is such a great event as it honors our academic achievers (3.0 GPA and higher). Invitations  will be distributed on Monday. When those invites come to your class, please make sure to distribute them to the students. 

Final touches and edits will be done to our WASC report this week. I'll send an email once it's all done so you can give it a once over if you'd like before we turn it in by end of day this Friday. 

Please read all of the other pages of our Comet Notes, don't miss important information. =) 

Have an amazing week, Comets!

Principal's Update

Click below for the Schoolwide Lessons for our first 6 days of school. 

Happy New Year Comets!!! Happy Sunday! I hope you are rested and ready for the 95 days of the 2nd semester. Carla asked me if I was ready to come back, and I honestly can say that I am. I truly did miss school after celebrating NYE. I know that sounds crazy, but let's goooo!!! To help us kick off the 2nd semester, we will be hosting our Honor Roll breakfast on Thursday, January 16! See flyer below. Please save the date and I hope that you will join our honored students and their families!

It is now MINGA time!!! Please use MINGA for hall passes for this 2nd semester. More information during collab, but I hope you remember your MINGA trainings from last semester. =) 

This first week of school through Monday, January 13 we will be on collaboration schedule. At 3:10pm each day, please attend each of the following staff meetings:

• Monday, January 6 - ALL STAFF - @ HUB - Welcome Back Info

• Tuesday, January 7 - CERTIFICATED STAFF & 7-8 hour Paras - Choice 1) @ TLC - ELLevation, Choice 2) @ ZOOM - Scaffolding Series (see requirements) 

• Wednesday, January 8 - CERTIFICATED STAFF & 7-8 hour Paras - Choice 1) @ TLC - ELLevation, Choice 2) @ ZOOM - Scaffolding Series (see requirements) 

• Thursday, January 9 - CERTIFICATED STAFF & 7-8 hour Paras - Choice 1) @ TLC - ELLevation, Choice 2) @ ZOOM - Scaffolding Series (see requirements below) 

• Friday, January 10 - ALL STAFF - @ HUB - 2nd Semester Info & WASC

• Monday, January 13 - ALL STAFF - @ HUB - Mandated Training: Workplace Violence

***Scaffolding Series Requirements**

• Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday

• 3:15pm to 5:15pm via Zoom

• Facilitated by: Elena Bell, our NTN coach

• Workshop pay:

  • 1.5 hours x 3 days - for workshop participation*

  • 10 hours - for planning of scaffolding implementation in a 4th grading period unit/lesson

• Requirements:

  • Attend all Zoom workshops via your laptop on school premises

  • Laptop cameras must be on during the workshop

  • Workshop engagement and participation

  • 2x observation of designed scaffolding activity during 4th grading period

As a reminder, during the school day for the first 6 days of school, we will also be facilitating our School Wide Lessons during specific class periods. Please see the picture of the schedule above. You can click it and you will be forwarded to the google doc with all the information you need for facilitating our School Wide Lessons. Thank you for making sure that all of our students receive the same messages. 

Please join me and Melanie during your prep period on Thursday, January 10 to discuss our WASC report. It is still in draft form but we are almost done. You can click on the 24-25 WASC Website button above to get access to the draft report and our website if you would like to get a head start on reviewing our WASC report. 

In this 2nd semester, we will be in the testing season. ELPAC, SBAC, and AP testing are in the horizon. Please see Carla and Joel's pages for information on testing and the schedule that we will be following. 

Save the date for January 15, we will welcome our motivational speaker, Ovi. Please see the information that was sent out by Ms. Ramirez and Ms. Cabigas. More information to come! 

We will be doing 2nd semester Instructional Rounds during the last week of January. Please see more information to come from our MTSS Coordinator, Zabala. 

This week, you will be receiving an email with an update on your supervision hours. Please be on the lookout =)

We will have our Department Chair meeting tomorrow, Monday, January 6 at 3:50pm in Room 701. 

There's so much to share and I hope you take the time to look over all the information in our various pages. Let's get ready, it's go time! Go Comets!

I wish you a great week ahead! May you have a fantastic holiday season and an even more amazing 2-weeks off!

Go Comets!

Principal's Update

Happy Sunday Comets! It's truly a happy Sunday with a Niner win at home! Phew! We will continue our Monday collaboration together, in The Hub, in order to continue our World Cafe protocol on our Chapter 4 WASC work. Please arrive no later than 3:10pm so that we can get started on time. 

It's Winter Spirit Week time! Here's our dress code for the week:

• Monday - Christmas PJs

• Tuesday - Tree Topper (dress from the head up with Santa Hats, reinder ears, etc)

• Wednesday - Winter Wonderland (dress out in all white)

• Thursday - Santa vs. Grinch

• Friday - Christmas Movies - 9th: Grinch, 10th: Rudolph, 11th: Night before Xmas, 12th: Charlie Brown

It's so much more fun when staff join in the fun! If you're all dressed up, swing by the quad at lunch for a photo opportunity and to join in the lunchtime activity fun!

On Thursday evening, we will be hosting a joint dinner with Foothill High School for our McKinney-Vento dinner. Thanks to our grant from the City of San Jose, we will be able to provide a catered dinner for our McKinney-Vento families. You, our wonderful staff, including generous community members and groups, have come together to provide gifts and necessities and a $50 grocery gift card for our families. In addition, our district office has additional warm items and a $75 target gift card for each family. This dinner has become one of my favorite evenings for our school. It is a true example of the extent of support we have for our students and families with the most need. Thank you! 

On Friday, we will be on activity schedule for our Winter Rally! More information to come from our Activities Director and APA about our rally logistics. 

On behalf of our entire admin team, I hope that you can join all of us at San Pedro Square Market this Friday the 13th, starting at 4:30pm for our Comet Holiday Party! We will provide the food and the holiday prizes. Remember, this is the yearly opportunity to win "sub for a day" and there are 4 up for grabs along with other fabulous prizes. You must be present to win. =) We will be located somewhere in the courtyard at San Pedro Square, probably under the big tree. See you there!

In many schools and universities, the week before finals is considered "Dead Week" a week where no new content or learning occurs, but rather the week to review and finish any outstanding past work and prepare for final exams. While the practice of "Dead Week" isn't something widely accepted in all of our high schools, it is a practice that should be implemented in order to help prepare our students for their final exams, and a closer practice to how college/university will be. I ask that this is something you would consider this week, since it is probably a little late in the semester to introduce a brand new unit or concept. Remember that next week, for finals, each period will be 2-hours long in order to accommodate final exams, final project presentations, or other end-of-the-semester practices that truly capture and provide the opportunity for students to show what they have learned since August.

For 2nd semester, we will be more intentionally implementing our Minga app and using it's capabilities - this includes hall/bathroom passes. Last Thursday, we began using Minga to document students who leave campus and the app instantly sends a text and email to parents notifying them that their student left campus - against school policy. In just 1 day, this has deterred some students from feeling free to cross the street to grab a snack. We know that the more we use it, the better things will be. In order to help you shift your hall/bathroom pass system over to Minga, I am inviting you to attend a 1-1/small group training for Minga during your prep period either on Thursday 12/12 or Friday 12/13. This will be a paid hour training, even if you are not supervising students. I hope this gives you an incentive to spend a prep period with Cathlyn or me so that you can get familiar to implement Minga hall/bathroom pass fully at the start of the 2nd semester. You will receive a calendar invite from me during your prep period, please accept or deny the calendar invite as you see fit, based on your availability. Cathlyn and I are looking forward to helping you be more prepared to use Minga fully starting the 2nd semester. Thank you!

I wish you a great week ahead! We are almost there!

Go Comets!

Principal's Update

Happy Sunday! I hope you had a great Thanksgiving week! We are now in December! With the holidays and the last 3 weeks of the semester upon us, we are sure to have a fast and jolly sprint to the Holiday break! There are so many activities on the horizon and I know that we will all be filled with Comet spirit as we engage in all (or most) of them. =) 

For the next 3 Monday collaborations (December 2, 9, & 16) we will be meeting in The Hub - ALL-Staff (Certificated and Classified) - to engage in conversation and input for Chapter 4 of our WASC report. Please arrive in The Hub promptly at 3:10pm so that we can complete our requirements for Chapter 4. Chapter 4 of our WASC report requires us to identify our strengths, areas of growth, and major student learner needs. Our front offices will be closing at 3pm so that our classified staff members can join us. 

This week, on December 4 or 5, our instructional rounds team will be coming by to visit our classrooms to conduct their instructional rounds observations. Your classroom may be visited at some point during these two days. As explained before, and during our peer-to-peer observations, our instructional rounds will allow us to collect meaningful observations and data to not only help inform our WASC report but also understand our students and how they learn. The volunteer instructional rounds team will engage in training and norming prior to coming for observations on December 4 or 5. Their observations will continue to be grounded in the same questions from the Peer-To-Peer Observation questions. Please welcome our volunteer instructional rounds team(s) to your classrooms. Thank you!

Due to my schedule tomorrow at the district office, I won't be publishing a Tuesday video this week. Don't worry, please let the kids know that Tuesday video will return on December 10 and 17! =) 

Please read through the other pages in Comet Notes as they contain important information that you'll need to know this week. Also, based on discussion from last SSC meeting, specific to the needs of our EL students and our teaching staff, new initiatives for support (voluntary) and professional development will be shared soon. Keep an eye out =) 

I wish you all a great week back! Go Comets!

Previous Comet Notes Editions Below

Principal's Update

Happy Sunday! Now that the election has passed, I want to take a moment to recognize the importance of this time for our students, families, and staff. Elections remind us of our shared commitment to building a community where everyone belongs. We remain dedicated to being a safe, inclusive space for EVERY student and family, each one contributing to the diversity that makes our school special. Thank you for the support and guidance you offer our students during times of change, helping them grow as engaged, thoughtful citizens. Together, we continue moving forward with unity and purpose, ensuring everyone feels seen, valued, and safe in our school community. In this spirit of gratitude and reflection, and as Veterans Day approaches, I want to recognize and thank the veterans among us for their invaluable service. Your dedication and sacrifice exemplify qualities that inspire our entire school community. Let us use this day to honor our veterans and foster a spirit of gratitude among our students, helping them understand the significance of this day. Together, we can ensure Veterans Day is meaningful for everyone. Thank you all for your continued dedication to our students and our shared values of service and commitment. 

A special thank you to our teaching staff for participating in peer-to-peer observations last Tuesday and Wednesday. I recognize the challenge of fitting this in around Election Day and grade submission deadlines, so I truly appreciate those who took 15 minutes to engage. We had 25 staff members participate, and the insights gathered will help shape our essential questions for instructional rounds in early December and support our WASC work. I look forward to our second round of peer-to-peer observations next semester. Thank you again for your commitment to collaboration and growth!

Special announcement from Mr. Iniguez, Class of 2025 advisor abour our Class of 2025 fundraiser: As one of the class of 2025 Advisors, I would like to share this opportunity to support our Class of 2025. These students want to make their last year of high school one of the most memorable. This is when you step in and can help make this happen. Please follow the instructions in this email to create your own account or you can click on the link below and be ready to give assistance to making the Class of 2025 a momentous one! Class of 2025!

It’s been a while since I’ve had the chance to connect with each of you individually, and I miss the one-on-one appointments we had last year. I’m hoping to bring those back next school year, but for now, I’m borrowing a great idea from a colleague: "Snack and Chats." Join me on Friday, November 15, in the TRC (Teacher Resource Center) Room 701 for a snack and a casual chat—before, after, or during your prep period. We can discuss anything on your mind, answer questions, or you can simply grab a snack and say hello. This invitation is open to all certificated and classified staff. Additionally, HR has requested that each of you sign and confirm your employee verification letter; I’ll have those with me as well, so please stop by to complete those as well. I look forward to connecting with you, even if just for a few minutes!

This Thursday, November 14, at 6:00 p.m. in the gym, we will be holding our Winter Athletes & Parent Meeting. Please help remind our student-athletes to attend.

Wishing you a 4-day week ahead. Go Comets!

Principal's Update

Happy Sunday! I hope everyone had a great weekend! As we approach Election Day on November 5th, I want to take a moment to acknowledge the important role we play in shaping the future—not just through our teaching, but by encouraging our students to engage in civic responsibilities. Every vote matters, and it’s vital that we model the values of participation and advocacy for our young leaders. Let’s remind our students that their voices are powerful and can lead to real change. Thank you for your continued commitment to our students and our community. Together, we can inspire them to become informed and active citizens.

On Monday, November 4, we will continue to meet in our job-alike groups - department, classified staff, or certificated support staff meetings - during collaboration. During this time, we continue to identify evidence for our WASC self-study report. This will be the last Monday where you will meet within these groups, then you will go back to your Focus Groups to put the final pieces together for Chapter 3. Please arrive in your job-alike group meetings on time, at 3:10pm. Here are your meeting groups:

• SPED - w/ Vieira

• Math - w/ Romero - room 514

• Social Science - w/ Ghali - room 504

• English - w/ Adams - room 511

• Science - w/ Huynh

• World Languages - w/ Huerta - room 108

• Visual Arts (w/ Performing Arts) - w/ Leipham - room 406

• PE - w/ Iniguez 

• Certificated Support Team - w/ Villasenor - room 701 TRC

• Classified Staff - room TLC

Color Copying Notice - our color copier quota for the year is 51k copies, we are currently about a couple thousand copies shy of hitting our quota. Due to our unrestricted budget constraints, we are not in a position to be able to cover cost overages by going over our color copier quota. So, effective immediately, we are no longer making any color copies at our school, from our color copiers. We are also not using that color copier (the one in the Principal's Conference Room, next to Sheri) for any copies - whether color or black/white. Please make all copies and printing from our copy machines located in the admin hallway copy room, TLC, or 701. 

Printing and Copying for Students - if you have assignments or things that you need your students to print, please instruct them to print in the TLC. There are instructions in the TLC on how students can print from their chromebooks. Please do not direct students to ask Sheri to make copies or print. If you need to print something for your own use, as a teacher, please make the time to make the copies yourself, at any of our black/white copiers on campus. 

I want to remind everyone of our GenEd-IEP rotation. Please be mindful of calendar invites that our case managers may send you if it is your turn on the rotation list. If it is your turn on the rotation list, instead of attending the IEP meeting, you may be asked to sub for a teacher who is needed in an IEP. In an IEP meeting, it is meaningful and important to have the student's gen-ed teacher present in order to bring in the important perspective in determining accommodations and supports for our student(s). 

Our Peer-To-Peer Observations are on Tuesday, November 5 or Wednesday, November 6! Please see your email with more information. You received 2 emails from me, one about the classroom you are observing and another about who is coming to your classroom. You will receive THIS Peer-To-Peer Observation graphic org to write your observation notes on. After you complete your observation, please attend ONE of the following debrief sessions (you will be paid):

• Option 1 - @ Lunch and Learn - Thursday, November 7 @ 12:54pm - in 701 TRC

• Option 2 - @ After School - Thursday, November 7 @ 3:45pm - in 701 TRC

• Option 3 - @ Before School - Friday, November 8 @ 7:30am - in 701 TRC

Our observations experience will help us kick off our Instructional Rounds during the 1st week of December!

Jerseys - here's your 2nd chance to order our Comet custom jerseys! If you would like to order, please CLICK HERE. The estimated cost is $40 - that includes the jersey, customization, shipping. I'll close the order form by end of day Wednesday, November 6. Instructions for payment are on the form. 

On Wednesday, November 6 @ 5:30pm, we will host our ELD Parent Resource Night! If you would like to come and say Hi to parents of our EL students, please join us!

Have a great week, Comets!

Principal's Update

Happy Sunday! A Niner Win makes it a great weekend indeed! I hope you had a great weekend too!

 Last week was a whirlwind of Comet activities. Homecoming Week - Flag Football - Girls Volleyball Senior Night - Homecoming Spirit Week - Dia De Los Muertos Festival - Alliance Fall Harvest Dance - Homecoming Rally - Homecoming JV and Varsity Game - Homecoming Dance. Not sure how much more activities we could have crammed in just a few short days. Our events truly upheld our community relationships. Our Alliance Fall Harvest Dance welcomed not only our students but also those from our district's ESN (Extensive Support Needs) programs. Everyone enjoyed dancing, playing games, doing crafts, and, of course, eating pizza and yummy snacks! Our annual Dia De Los Muertos was a true success because of all the community effort that went into it. From the Aztec dancers, folklorico dancers, local vendors, and many more. We welcomed our community to join us in this beloved tradition. Our alumni also had a great time at the Homecoming game. Check out their picture above, you might recognize some faces. =) I want to thank our amazing staff who helped put these activities on and facilitate all the student leadership that it takes to put it all together. Thank you! I hope you enjoy the pictures. 

We're not done with sharing our activities and spreading our Comet love to our community. This Wednesday, we will have our Haunted House from 5:30-8:30pm. Join the festivities and bring your family!

Tomorrow, Monday, for collaboration, we will be meeting in job-alike groups (departments) for our WASC work. This will be 1 of 2 job-alike WASC meetings. The task for these 2 Mondays is to gather evidence to show our progress and the actions your department is currently taking specific to category B, C, and D (for the certificated support team group, category E). Here are your meeting groups:

• SPED - w/ Vieira

• Math - w/ Romero - room 514

• Social Science - w/ Ghali - room 504

• English - w/ Adams - room 511

• Science - w/ Huynh

• World Languages - w/ Huerta - room 108

• Visual Arts (w/ Performing Arts) - w/ Leipham - room 406

• PE - w/ Iniguez 

• Certificated Support Team - w/ Villasenor - room 701 TRC

• Classified Staff - room TLC

It is very important that you arrive on time to your job-alike group meetings. Meetings begin at 3:10pm.

Department Chairs will meet tomorrow, Monday, at 3:50pm for our 2nd meeting of the month in room 701 TRC. 

I want to remind everyone of our GenEd-IEP rotation. Please be mindful of calendar invites that our case managers may send you if it is your turn on the rotation list. If it is your turn on the rotation list, instead of attending the IEP meeting, you may be asked to sub for a teacher who is needed in an IEP. In an IEP meeting, it is meaningful and important to have the student's gen-ed teacher present in order to bring in the important perspective in determining accommodations and supports for our student(s). 

I want to thank you for your efforts in helping get the most student responses for our Fall Panorama Survey. The survey closes this week and we are currently at a good student percentage, 71% response rate. If you know of some straglers in completing the survey, please encourage them to finish. I will also send them emails and hopefully we'll cross 75%. I'll share our Panorama results on next Sunday's Comet Notes, we are trending upward. 

On Friday, November 1, our Comet Football team will travel to Andrew Hill to compete in our annual Battle of the Bell. If you're on that side of town, come by and enjoy Friday Night Lights. 

Let's have an amazing week, Comets! I cannot believe we are now in the last week of the 2nd grading period!!!

Please see this message from The Tech:

Our district is involved in an exciting partnership with The Tech Interactive to integrate engineering and computational thinking skills into core curriculum areas. As part of this partnership, our district will support 2-4 teachers a year to participate in a Tech Academies Fellowship. The program is designed to support core subject teachers who are interested in developing skills to integrate engineering and computational thinking skills into their teaching to develop and implement a STEAM project that best meets the learning needs of our students. The program also develops those participating as leaders to support other educators in our school district.

You may already be familiar with this program from prior years/colleagues who’ve participated, but here are a few details around the program:

Program details:

• 12 month program (January 2025 - December 2025)  

• Integrated focus: both ME/CT together + in-depth in 1 area   

• Districts/fellows choose a STEAM project aligned to a district/ school need

(Please note: their website is in the process of being updated but these changes may not be reflected until mid-March.)

If you are interested in the Fellowship program, please complete this interest form by November 15th. You must complete this form in order to be considered for the program. When asked how you heard about the program, feel free to use my name.

Benefits of Tech Academies Fellowship:

• About 80-90 hours of PD and coaching, which includes compensation for your time

• Membership in a network of like-minded educators committed to increasing quality engineering education in the classroom     

• Professional growth as an instructional leader with requisite expertise to integrate engineering and computational thinking into cross curricular content areas. 

• District-supported release time for professional development held during the school year

• A stipend upon full completion of Summer Institute requirements

Please feel free to email ta@thetech.org if you have any questions regarding the fellowship.

Happy Sunday! 

I hope you had a Fall Break! Thank you to our custodial and office staff who were hard at work this past week completing various projects. Thanks to public voting, our football game on Friday was game of the week for the San Jose Mercury News. If you click the picture above, it will take you to the article. It was a great atmosphere with our JV win, the 1st time our cheerleaders performed on the sideline, and our Varsity boys pushing hard despite our loss against EV. The Friday before break, our flag football girls did a phenomenal job, here's Coach Gatenby's report:

The Girl's Flag Football team dominated Overfelt 39-6 Friday (10/04) night in front of a boisterous crowd who had plenty to cheer about. The mighty Lady Comets pulled away in the second half outscoring the Royals 26-0 after a close first half. Samarah West opened the game with an interception and then scored on a 35-yard run on the first offensive snap. Samarah added two more rushing touchdowns and threw for four more. Tara Holmes, Izkra Gomex, Ashley Nieto, and Jewliette Bradley all caught touchdown passes. The defense was smothering all night. Azalea Sibalja added to her team-leading interception total, picking off her third ball of the season. 

Come check the Lady Comets out on Tuesday, October 15th at home against Branham. 4:30 PM start time. 

We have a big week ahead! You received google calendar invites for this Tuesday (10/15) prep-period meetings about our Wellness Services. Please make sure to head over to room 505 during your prep period. Wednesday, we have our picture re-takes day. Students will receive a notice if they still need to take their picture. If you haven't taken your picture, please head over to the dance studio from 9am to 1:30pm. On Thursday we have our big CometCon Career day! Please see the flier below. If you still need to sign up for a guest speaker, please connect with Mr. Zabala. More details to come on the specifics of the day, but we will have guest speakers on campus during 2nd, 3rd, and 4th period with a career day fair during lunch period. 

Let's have an amazing week!!!

Update from our Wellness Center:

Hello Comets,

The Wellness Center wants to thank all the staff that have submitted a Care Referral so far. Please continue to submit referrals for students who need some extra support.Here is the link to submit referrals CARE Team Referral

Total Referrals so far: 93 

The Wellness Center Groups running at this time are the following: 

Presentation and Training - Tuesday, October 15th 

The Wellness Center wants to invite you on Tuesday, October 15 to meet us in Room 505 for a presentation around our Wellness Center and the Mandatory Suicide Prevention Training. Ms. Gubuan has sent everyone a calendar invite with your time slot and if you can’t make it during the day you can join us after school. We look forward to seeing you! 

October is Domestic Violence & Breast Cancer Awareness Month:

Principal's Update

Happy Sunday! What a weekend of celebration and fundraising. I hope you had a fabulous weekend too! 

Tomorrow, for collaboration, you will continue to meet with your WASC Focus Groups in your meeting rooms. You will start your chapter 3 work of gathering evidence. We will also be having our department chair meeting tomorrow, at 3:50pm in the TRC room 701. 

This week, we will be on an activity schedule due to our mandatory training for students for Title IX and Bullying. During Tuesday's activity period, please present each of these training videos to your class. It would be best if you familiarize yourself with the videos first. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask. 

Please join us at our Staff BBQ right after school, near the football field, this Thursday. JV will be playing at 4:30pm and then Varsity at 7pm against Mt. Pleasant for our Battle of White Road game! Come out, enjoy some bbq, and cheer our football team on!

Check out Carla's APED report for an update on our 1st grading period EWS report. 

Have a great week, Comets!

Principal's Update

Hello Comets! I hope you had a great weekend. Let's continue to ride our positive vibes across campus and continue to encourage our students in being amazing! With September beign Attendance Awareness Month, we are pushing more than usual for students to prioritize being in classes all day and everyday, and to not be tardy. Our attendance rate last week averaged at 87.93%, a marked improvement.

Our SHAPE data monitors our student behaviors, referrals, and suspensions. Here's our dashboard below as of today. 75% of our office referrals are for threats/harrasment-bullying and 25% of them for substance use. Here's a snapshot below. Compared to years past, especially last year, we are having a significantly more positive first 7 weeks of school overall, but most especially as it relates to student behavior. Huge shout out to ALL OF YOU for making this happen for fostering those much needed positive and encouraging relationships with our students. Special shout out goes to our Comet Support Team, especially Roberta, Kiren, and Leo, who have facilitated mediations and been so proactive in their work in helping our students meet and exceed their Comet expectations. Thank you! Everyones work is making all the difference.

We have not yet received our Early Warning System (EWS) data, which would provide insights into how our students performed academically during the first grading period. The EWS will also allow us to track their academic progress in connection with their attendance and behavior. Once the data is available, we’ll be able to assess if there are positive trends in those areas as well.

This is a big week for us with an A/B schedule on Tuesday/Wednesday and our 1st semester Parent Conference & Resource Night happening on Tuesday. You can CLICK HERE for a helpful teacher's guide so you know what to expect. Wednesday will be a collaboration facilitated by our PD committee focusing on our English Learners and a lesson focused on our academic vocabulary and learner-centered practices focus. 

On Monday, we will continue to meet in our WASC Focus Groups to wrap up your work on Chapter 2 - data analysis. Please prioritize arriving on time, at 3:10pm, to your focus group rooms. Thank you!

You should have received an email about our Panorama survey. This survey is district-wide and gathers your feedback, as well as our students and parents, on questions about our climate, culture, academics, supports, and other important topics about our school. Results from our Panorama survey inform our district's LCAP, our school's SPSA, Safety Plan, and other district and/or schoolwide initiatives. Please take your staff Panorama survey. In the coming weeks, we will notify you on how and when we will coordinate our efforts to make sure our students take the Panorama survey. 

Principal's Update