August 20, 2004

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Publication Date: Friday, August 20, 2004

Mountain View-Whisman School District

By Julie O'Shea

A lot of uncertainties are facing the Mountain View-Whisman district as it begins the 2004-2005 school year.

On top of last week's surprise announcement that Superintendent Jim Negri is considering a new job at a Contra Costa County high school district, Mountain View-Whisman continues to grapple with mounting financial woes, despite having passed a $1.6-million parcel tax in March.

The district is forking over $50,000 to fight a lawsuit that claims the tax election was conducted illegally, and school administrators have said that if they don't come up with more money, they may have to close a campus by next fall.

Still, educators are pushing forward, getting ready to open their schools next week to roughly 4,300 students. Construction at most of the nine campuses has been completed and many of the cancelled programs and services -- like art and music classes and after-school sports -- have been restored, thanks to the fundraising efforts of the Mountain View Education Foundation. The district also avoided layoffs this year.

Enrollment: 450

New staff: Principal Ruth Willen is new this year, in addition to resource teacher Sharvari Dixit, kindergarten teachers Ann Hanneman and Terry Rooney, and fourth-grade teacher Michael Kahl.

Back to School night. Parents are invited to visit Bubb for kindergarten and grades 1 and 3 on Sept. 7 and for grades 2, 4 and 5 on Sept. 8.

Enrollment: 360

New facilities: Four new preschool classrooms and a preschool office on site.

New staff: Fourth- and fifth-grade combination teacher, Liz Cotter, resource teacher Susan Rader and part-time second-grade dual immersion teacher, Paula Galazzo, are new this year.

Extracurricular activites. Homework Club includes computer lab, art classes, library, math club, chess club and field trips. New this year will be after-school instrumental music classes and chorus.

Events. The PTA Welcome Back Ice Cream Social is on Aug. 20. Back to School night for kindergarteners is on Aug. 26 and for grades 1-5 on Sept. 9.

School year theme: "Year of Continuous Improvement."

Enrollment: 410

New staff: Resource teacher Kelly Beall is the only new staff member this year.

Extracurriculars. Art club, "Little Feet" aerobics dance club, honor choir, chess club, French and Spanish clubs.

Back to School night. Parents are invited to visit Huff on Sept. 8.

School year theme: "Multicultural Community Building."

Enrollment: 420

New staff: Third-grade teachers Julie Kreiger and Dorothy Steinman are new this year.

Extracurriculars. Chorus, chess club, debate club, book club, traditional folkloric dance, after school GATE (Gifted and Talented Education) program, Stanford EPGY Math, conflict resolution program, nutrition education and jazz dance are being offered.

Events. The ice cream social is on Aug. 31 at 6 p.m., and Back to School night is on Sept. 8.

School year theme: "Laughing Lions Love to Learn."

Enrollment: 450

New staff: First-grade teacher, Angela Spears, second-grade teachers Sumungala Prasad and Halie Evans, fourth-grade teacher Amanda Pilat and resource teacher Sharvari Dixit are new this year.

Back to School night. Parents are invited to visit Monta Loma on Sept. 22.

Enrollment: 380

New staff: Fifth-grade teachers Lela Karzian and Donna Kashat are both new this year.

Back to School night. Parents are invited to visit Slater on Sept. 22.

Enrollment: 460

New staff: Kindergarten teacher Barbara Scott, kindergarten and first-grade teacher Margaret Wysocki, first-grade teacher Kerri Katsuyama and fourth-fifth combination teachers Sarah Koh and Kelly Beall are new to Theuerkauf this year.

Back to School night. Parents are invited to visit Theuerkauf on Sept. 9.

Enrollment: 562

New staff: Sixth-grade language arts and social studies teachers Niki Davis and Thomas Ochoa, seventh-grade science teacher Ranen Bhattacharya and music director Leanne Weatherly are new this year.

Extracurriculars. After-school athletics are offered year-round, starting with boys' volleyball and girls' softball. The following programs will start after Labor Day: "Tween Time," which has a Homework Center and many activities begins Sept. 13; Ysports will do five-week sessions of several different sports; LEAP (Leading to Empowerment and Prevention) will be taught by Challenge Learning Center; and Tech Corps will teach students about how computers work and having them help with technology around the school.

Extra instruction. Intervention classes for students behind in their language arts and mathematics skills will be held after school on Mondays through Thursdays. Details and invitations will be given to students.

Back to School night. Parents are invited to visit Crittenden on Sept. 9.

Enrollment: 740

New facilities: "We are in the process of 'the Big Dig,'" said Principal Judy Crates, referring to the city's water reservoir project on campus. "We now have 'Mount Graham' behind the fence at the rear of the school, and it is growing daily. This is the soil that will be placed on top of the reservoir once it is finished."

Crates said the school will be making adjustments with their physical education classes and after-school sports. However, she added, "any inconveniences this year are greatly offset by the end result -- a soccer field with artificial turf, new softball fields, volleyball and basketball courts and landscape.

New staff: Resource teachers Michele Farhat and Valerie Wood, special day class teachers Melissa Pritchet and Melissa Hall, sixth- and seventh-grade math teacher Rani Fischer, and leadership teacher Gail Lee are new this year.

Extracurriculars. Graham is bringing back zero period performing arts classes this year.

Back to School night. Parents are invited to visit Graham on Sept. 7.

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