Published June 7, 2016 on Morgan Hill Life’s website
Dear All MHUSD,
Steve Betando
I wish you all a wonderful last day of school. I feel so proud and honored to be a part of Morgan Hill Unified School District as I reflect on this year and all the work you have done for our students. The successes you have all created are too countless to name even if I did have all the information about what you have done.
Every once in awhile I get a peek into the amazing work you do which regularly goes unnoticed. Those glimpses wake my appreciation for your work. The most wonderful part of all that has happened this year is the increase in student engagement. In my role, I have the frequent responsibility of talking with community members, agencies, businesses, and, of course parents. The overwhelming general and specific feedback from these interactions reflect the excellent education and caring environment that you all have created. I have received a flood of positive comments all year but there has been such a vast amount of positive input in the past couple months that I feel compelled to pass on their and my appreciation for you all.
Many I interacted with talked about individual successes they were involved with or heard about in our schools. Parents and students have shared personal stories of triumph with your guidance. The community groups and individuals give me appreciation for your efforts..I thank them, agree with them, and accept it on your behalf. I hear about the positive effects of projects such as the grade level configuration, PBIS, Restorative Justice, Academy building, family nights, support services intervention, extracurricular activities (tailored so that every child has an opportunity to be engaged outside the classroom), field trips, class circle activities, innovative technology strategies and so much else. The regular class instruction includes interactive student activities that is essential to this engagement. I received so many comments about positive personal experiences. From employees going out of their way to help people get what they need, to follow-up calls to be certain children are getting emotional support after a stressful event, parents appreciate what you do. Also, the schools have never looked better. We are in the midst of creating more aesthetically pleasing and functional school sites.
Student attendance is high. Graduation rates are way above and dropout rates are far below expectations. At our high schools, our young adults are well prepared for their future. Below is a list of next year’s confirmed destinations for the class of 2016. Most of these destinations will receive multiple MHUSD students at their institutions:
Apprenticeships and Tradeschools (several)
Arizona State University
Art Institute of San Francisco
Art Institute of Seattle
Azusa Pacific University
Brigham Young University – Utah
Brigham Young University – Idaho
Butte Community College
Cabrillo Community College
Case Western Reserve University
California Baptist University
California State University Channel Islands
California State University Chico
California State University East Bay
California State University Fresno
California State University Fullerton
California State University Long Beach
California State University Los Angeles
California State University Monterey Bay
California State University Sacramento
California State University San Diego
California State University San Francisco
California State University San Jose
California State University Sonoma
Cal-Poly San Luis Obispo
Cal-Poly Pomona
Chabot College
Chico State University
De Anza Community College
Evergreen Valley Community College
Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandise
Folsom Lake Community College
Foothill Community College
Foreign Exchange (Norway, Denmark, Brazil, Italy)
Gavilan Community College
George Washington University
Georgetown University
Hartnell College
Hillsdale College
Humboldt State University
Jade Barber College
Lewis & Clark University
Lindenwood University Belleville
Loyola Marymount University
Merced Community College
Menlo College
Middle Tennessee State University
Mills College
Mission Community College
Modesto Community College
Monterey Peninsula College
Northwest Institute of Arts
Northern Arizona University
Notre Dame de Namur University
Ohio State University
Oregon State
Pensacola State College
Portland Community College
Sacramento State University
San Diego City College
San Jose City College
San Mateo Community College
Santa Clara University
Santa Rose City College
St. Mary’s College
Stanford University
Stockholm University
Tarrant County College
U. S. Air Force
U. S. Army
U. S. Marines
U. S. Navy
University of Arizona
University of California Berkeley
University of California Davis
University of California Irvine
University of California Long Beach
University of California Los Angeles
University of California Merced
University of California Riverside
University of California San Diego
University of California Santa Barbara
University of California Santa Cruz
University of Nevada, Reno
University of Oregon
University of Southern California
University of Pacific
University of Washington
University of Wyoming
Universal Technical Institute (UTI) Sacramento
Utah State University
West Valley Community College
Western Washington University
Westmont College
Workforce (Direct Employment – several)
Each one of you directly or indirectly contributes to launching our students into their bright future by what you do. What I have noticed in my conversations with many of you is that all are continuing to seek ways to do things better and reach children deeper and more often. I feel more that the end of this school year is not a destination for our efforts but a great milestone on our continued journey to create even more excellent opportunities for children in the future. As we pack the memories of this great year and as time pushes 2015-2016 behind us, I hope you all take a moment to appreciate the hard work of your peers, reflect on your successes, but more importantly take some time to relax and refresh. We have more excitement and opportunities in the next year.
I feel fortunate to be able to work in a progressive, high achieving, student-centered organization. I appreciate the support you have given our students, one another, and to all our leaders. On behalf of the community and our students, THANK YOU!
Sincerely,
Steve Betando
