Campbell Weekly

Printable News

Use the latest version of Firefox to print this page. Remember to set print settings to print background colors and images and make sure ignore scaling is not checked. Also, make sure "Page Headers" and "Page Footers" are all set to "--blank--."

This help text will not show up on the print.

Upcoming Events

High Energy at CSI Meet & Greet

a young CSI student gets a high five from one of the parents

Nearly 400 parents, students and staff gathered on May 8th for a Campbell School of Innovation event where they could get acquainted, learn more about the new school, and sign up for committees and volunteer activities that interest them.

Principal Norma Jeanne Ready and the CSI staff greeted families and provided an update on the school's schedule, construction, and planning for enriching learning experiences using the design thinking process.

“We’re excited about the opportunities that CSI and design thinking can bring to all students in our district,” said District Superintendent Shelly Viramontez. “CSI offers an opportunity to be innovative in our instructional delivery to better meet the needs of today’s students and prepare them for the skills and habits required for their success in this yet to be defined  future.”

More information will be provided to parents in the months leading to the school's opening on August 22nd.

District Breaks Language Barriers for Diverse Families

School and Family Partnership is Vital to Student Success

In a proactive approach to inclusivity, Campbell Union School District is tackling language barriers for its diverse community. With over 50 different languages spoken among district families, the initiative helps all families engage with and support their student’s success at school.

“Except in our dual immersion school, all student instruction is provided in English. That presents an extra hurdle for students whose primary language is not English,” said English Language Development Program Coordinator Denise Kilpatrick. “Our district is committed to making educational content accessible for all students and actively involving their families in the learning process.”

Because the district is committed to two-way communication, it provides a range of resources to facilitate it, including on-demand interpreters and translators for employee requests, language preference settings on ParentSquare for personalized communication, and multilingual options for school newsletters. A phone interpretation service, Language Scientific, facilitates real-time conversations, ensuring effective communication between parents and teachers.

To further bridge the gap, some schools are piloting web translation applications. These tools aid newcomer students in accessing classroom lessons and provide families with an additional avenue for obtaining information to support their children's learning at home.

Caption: Multicultural events and celebrations, like this one at Forest Hill, are another way our schools embrace partnering with parents and encourage family involvement in student learning. See short video.

District Takes a Stand in Class Action Suit Against Meta

Combating social media risks and advocating for student wellbeing

unhappy adolescent girl looking at her phone as two others behind her look and laugh at her

Campbell Union School District has officially joined a class action lawsuit against Meta, alleging that their products are intentionally designed to be addictive, marketed towards children, and are negatively impacting student mental health, according to District Superintendent Shelly Viramontez. 

“Our teachers and administrators see the adverse effects of social media on children's mental health and learning capabilities every day,” said Dr. Viramontez. “We don’t anticipate any financial gain. We want to raise awareness and combat the harm caused by the seemingly deliberate manipulation of children and youth.”

Multiple studies underscore the risks and behaviors of children who use social media:

  • Nearly 40% of children 8-12 years old use social media. Those are peak years for brain development and risk-taking behavior.
  • Up to 95% of youth age 13-17 report using social media—More than ⅓ say “almost constantly” 
  • Children and adolescents on social media are commonly exposed to extreme, inappropriate, and harmful content.
  • Those spending 3-plus hours/day on social media face twice the risk of poor mental health, including depression and anxiety symptoms. (8th & 10th graders average 3.5 hours/day on it.)
  • Studies limiting use of social media resulted in mental health benefits for young adults.
  • Excessive use is linked to sleep problems, attention problems and feelings of exclusion.

“Our top priorities are ensuring student safety and educating them to their highest potential,” Dr. Viramontez said. “We do that on multiple fronts: We have multiple layers of filters, protocols, and systems to protect students on district-issued devices; we educate our students to be critical thinkers and responsible digital citizens, not passive consumers of media; our middle schools are certified Common Sense Media schools, and we collaborate with families to encourage digital wellness and responsible technology use.”  

Want to Learn More?

 

We Are Thankful

Together with our community, we remove barriers to learning and educate students to their highest potential.

acorns and the words: Happy Thanksgiving on a wooden board

We wish you a very happy Thanksgiving, and look forward to seeing you all when classes resume on November 27th.

Click to see a special thanks to our many community partners. 

Continuous Improvement Unveils Solutions for Campbell Care Enrollment

Employee hiring and retention solutions allows program to enroll hundreds more students

man and woman employees at an exhibitor table at a hiring event

For over 400 families eager for Campbell USD’s Campbell Care program placement, the wait is finally over. An innovative process, inspired by feedback and continuous improvement science, has addressed placements, outpacing initial expectations.

The start of the 2023-24 school year posed a challenge for the Campbell Care program: high demand for child care, new laws altering student sign-up priorities, and a scarcity of qualified staff across the industry.

Applying the principles of continuous improvement, the District’s Expanded Learning Department quickly identified hiring and retention strategies that led to a remarkable change. In just 10 weeks, the program accommodated 77% more students from the interest list. With around 1,000 students enrolled, the program is on track to surpass pre-pandemic levels.

Like many after school programs nationwide, the district's staff mostly comprises part-time employees balancing college attendance and work schedules.

"To attract and retain the best employees, the feedback and data told us that we needed to fast track the hiring process, provide information to candidates prior to interviews, along with cultivating a supportive workplace culture,” said Martha de Ojeda, Director of the Expanded Learning Department. “We created ways to offer part-time employees more hours, better pay, and we increased our investment in their training and support." Additionally, the program increased its employee retention rate and built a substitute pool of Campbell Care employees whose current schedule prevents them working a consistent schedule.

“Feedback from employees and families makes a difference,” said District Superintendent Shelly Viramontez.  “Our district is committed to continuous improvement and educating students to their highest potential. By leveraging the principles and tools of continuous improvement science, we strategically harness multiple data sources and feedback to innovate, solve problems, remove hassles and enhance systems for our students and staff.”