From our February issue
Lakeside Trustees Complete AB1234 Training
Cynthia Gingerich
Lakeside Joint School District trustees, the superintendent/principal, and several members of the public recently participated in the Local Government Ethics and Public Service Laws and Principles training provided by the Office of the County Counsel of the County of Santa Clara. California law requires many locally elected officials to receive this training.
The training covered public official ethics, the Brown Act (open meeting laws), and the Fair Political Practices Act. “At Lakeside, our staff and volunteer board are determined to learn from the experts to fully understand their roles. Our mindset is to do not just what is required, but what we ought to do. We set our standards above the level of minimum legal compliance,” said Bob Chrisman, superintendent and principal.
Participants received information on the nature of a conflict of interest, descriptions of the prohibitions on the use of public funds for ballot measure campaigns, and best practices for conducting meetings with transparency. The training included ample question-and-answer opportunities. New member Les Niles commented, “This session really impressed me with the huge responsibility of serving on the board of trustees.”
Lakeside events in February
February 8 - Foundation meeting, 6 p.m.
February 22 - PTA meeting, 3 p.m.
From our January issue
Lakeside Elementary School
Cynthia Gingerich
Children’s holiday parade
On Saturday, December 5, Lakeside participated in the 53rd Annual Los Gatos Children’s Holiday Parade. Students and parents marched and sang holiday songs while our Orff music specialist, Casey Lelake, accompanied on guitar.
Lakeside winter program
On the evening of Wednesday, December 16, it was standing room only in the Lakeside Community Center as students performed musical numbers for family and friends. Each class sang seasonal songs and the 4th/5th- graders performed a sword dance. Together we celebrated the arrival of the holiday season and the beginning of winter.
Events
Week of January 4 to 8,
First annual white elephant silent auction. A great way to discreetly dispose of a gift you didn’t really want in exchange for something better.
Friday, January 22
PTA winter family dinner and movie night, 6 p.m. BYO dinner and pillow and blankie, and settle in to watch Disney’s Earth.
Saturday, January 23
Electronic waste recycling drive, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Deliver your old electronics and household appliances to Lakeside, such as computer monitors, television sets, and microwaves to discard them responsibly for free. EarthCare Recycling keeps your electronic waste from going into local or international landfills.
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From our January issue
Local Funds to Support
High Quality
Education
at Lakeside School
Dear Community Members,
For 127 years, the Lakeside Joint School District has prided itself on providing an excellent education for local students right here in our mountain community. In fact, our district is the fourth highest ranked K-8 district in Santa Clara County in student academic achievement. Children in kindergarten through fifth grades learn in a small school environment with excellent teachers. Our middle school students receive a comprehensive education that provides them with the skills to succeed in high school, including strong core academic programs like reading, writing and math, as well as fine arts, sports, and a complete science program with labs.
Our district has a unique partnership with the Campbell Union School District whereby our sixth through eighth grade students currently attend school at Rolling Hills Middle School, giving them the opportunity to experience a broad and academically challenging middle school education. With teachers who specialize in the subjects they teach, a comprehensive science program with updated labs for hands-on education and updated computer technology to help students excel in the 21st century economy—our middle school students thrive.
Changes in Funding
for Lakeside Middle School Students
Due to a sudden unexpected change in funding for the Lakeside middle school students’ program, the school district faces drastic cutbacks. In order to continue to provide our tradition of academic excellence for all students, a new revenue source is required. We have recently reduced administration, maintenance, and other expenses to aid in this effort, but it is not enough.
Continuing High Quality Education for All Lakeside Students
Because of this, the school Board of Trustees is considering a local education funding measure for the May 2010 special mail-only ballot. This measure would provide stable funding to continue excellent, comprehensive education for middle school students and, at the same time, preserve the small school environment at the Lakeside campus. All of the revenue from this measure will be spent locally on Lakeside Joint School District students and cannot be taken away by the state.
Without the revenue from this measure, we at Lakeside will do our best to educate the nine grades of students with a budget that currently supports only five teachers. This will likely result in two-grade or three-grade combination classes and an overall reduction in the quality of education for all Lakeside students.
With the revenue from this measure, we will continue to provide the excellent education currently available to all of our students and will continue our tradition of academic success in our mountain community.
Please contact me by phone at (408) 354-2372 or visit www.lakesidelosgatos.org for more information.
Sincerely,
Bob Chrisman
Superintendent/Principal |
