| San Jose Schools Win Awards and Honors This | | | | to aid and publize the success of the California |
| Summer | | | | Board of Education and the school district , like |
| This summer several San Jose Schools won | | | | San Jose Schools. The California School |
| some kind of award or honor for their continued | | | | Recognition Program honors California's best and |
| achievements in education. Three schools in the | | | | inspiring schools with the California Distinguished |
| San Jose Schools system have won awards for | | | | School Award. Participation in the program is |
| successfully competing in the California Student | | | | completely voluntary and decided by the school |
| Media and Multimedia Festival. River Glenn Middle | | | | district. However, the award is very respect and |
| School and Almaden Elementary entered a | | | | many schools in the state strive to attain it. |
| multimedia technology and science project into the | | | | About 5% of the schools in California receive the |
| competition. This project entitled "Environmental | | | | California Distinguished School Award. Usually |
| Concerns in the Community" won the Multi-Grades | | | | participation in the program includes about 40 |
| & Schools Collaboration for Grades 4-8 | | | | school districts from across the state. San Jose |
| category. In this project three San Jose Schools | | | | Schools has participated for many years and plans |
| interacted with each other electronically to | | | | to continue in the future. |
| collaborate on a scientific investigation of the | | | | California's Model Schools Project |
| impact of precautionary measures designed to | | | | Recently, two San Jose Schools have been |
| protect area wetlands. The students participating | | | | selected to participate in the California Model |
| in the project came from a fourth grade class at | | | | Schools Project. The exhaustive application |
| Almaden Elementary, a fifth grade class at | | | | process narrowed the selection down to eight |
| Zanker Elementary and a class from River Glenn. | | | | schools in Santa Clara County of which two are |
| The two main coordinating teachers Mary | | | | members of the San Jose Schools system. The |
| Howland, Special Education Teacher of River Glen | | | | two schools selected to participate in the California |
| Middle School, and Beth Fensterwald, TSG of | | | | Model Schools Project were Gardner Academy |
| Almaden Elementary were also honored. | | | | and Willow Glen Middle School. These two schools |
| Two San Jose Elementary Schools received 2006 | | | | will work closely with and be supported by other |
| California Distinguished Schools honors this year. | | | | schools across Santa Clara County. They will also |
| Willow Glen Elementary and Terrell Elementary | | | | collaborate with the Successful Practices Network |
| were called by State Superintendent of Public | | | | at the International Center for Leadership in |
| Instruction Jack O'Connell to announce their | | | | Education. The main goals of the California Model |
| selection as 2006 California Distinguished Schools. | | | | Schools Project is to increase state testing |
| This honor is given to schools that have shown | | | | scores, improve the quality of the schools |
| themselves to improve over the school year. The | | | | instructional and leadership practices, and raise |
| California School Recognition Program is designed | | | | community involvement in the schools. |