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