set of values, discuss problems and take steps to “repair harm.”
Principal Nursement said that restorative justice has helped the
school reduce recidivism by 20 percent and suspensions by
42 percent. She credited MHUSD’s school resource officer, Jeff
Brandon of the Morgan Hill Police Department, as a key player
in the program’s success. The GUSD sent its resource officer to
train with MHPD over the summer.
As MHUSD continues to expand and enhance its science,
technology, engineering and math (STEM) education, the goal
is to fully engage and equip administrators to lead, teachers
to teach, and all of its students to thrive in a STEM education
environment. With this in mind, Nursement said that Martin
Murphy is “working toward a partnership” with the California
Association of Latino Superintendents and Administrators
(CALSA) with the potential to bring additional support and
resources to this effort. “CALSA STEM curricula is designed
to help underrepresented students engage with role models/
mentors in STEM fields so they can envision these fields as a
potential choice for college and career,” Nursement said. The
yearlong program includes curricula aligned with Common
Core and Next Generation Science Standards.
Same Place, New Face
and Greener Footprint
When students arrive at San Martin/Gwinn Environmental
Science Academy to start the new school year, they’ll find
the entrance has moved to Llagas Avenue. Along with new
administrative offices and added visitor parking, the district has
installed environmentally-friendly modular classroom buildings
on the west end of campus. The added capacity will serve the
school’s transition to K-8 with a larger student population over
the next two years, and the campus improvements were made
possible through a combination of Measure G and Capital
Facilities funds.
According to a school district announcement, the new
portables are the nation’s “first and only prefabricated classrooms
to be pre-verified by the Collaborative for High Performance
Schools (CHPS) to meet strict specifications for indoor environ-
mental quality, energy efficiency, materials, waste management,
resource conservation and other sustainable prerequisites.”
It’s fitting that an Environmental Science Academy takes the
lead with classrooms that are healthy for students and kind
to the environment as well as being cost-effective to maintain.
Nothing gets students’ attention more than when their schools
“walk the talk.”
Showing Kids We Care about Fitness
This year MHUSD Superintendent Steve Betando has launched
a new health initiative, Super Health Challenge 1-2-3. MHUSD
partnered with Specialized and Kaiser Permanente to invite
and inspire not only students, but their families and the entire
community to participate in maintaining and improving health
through fitness.
The idea is to make a personal commitment to exercise
123 minutes (or more) per week, then log fitness activity on
the health initiative’s website and track progress toward fitness
goals. Participants will be eligible to win prizes. Rather than
letting busy schedules push health to the back burner, the goal
is to build it into the daily routine for a more balanced, happier,
and longer life. Get fit, visit superhealth123.com/.
“We’re not resting on our awards. We keep pushing to innovate and improve. We owe it to the kids.”
Chris Moore, Principal, Britton Middle School (MHUSD)
Construction at San Martin/Gwinn
Environmental Science Academy
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016
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