Student volunteers needed at Walden West Outdoor School
 The Santa Clara County Office of Education's Walden West Outdoor School is looking for responsible and caring student cabin leader volunteers for the week of Dec. 1 to 5.
Student volunteers come up on Sunday, Nov. 30 at 6:30 p.m. for an evening of training and stay through midday on Friday, Dec. 5. Volunteers will be assigned a cabin group of 5th or 6th grade boys or girls, as well as a field group leader and class to assist while on the trail. Assistance with transportation from a student's high school is available if needed. Volunteers will earn 100 hours of community service to use towards graduation requirements. Volunteers must be at least a sophomore in high school or 16 years old if not in a traditional school.
 If you know anyone who is interested and able to volunteer during the first week of December, please have them sign up on the Walden West website. Click on the link in the Volunteer section to sign up. All paperwork, and more information about the program, is also on the website. Those 18 and older will need to be fingerprinted to volunteer. Other weeks will be available throughout the year for similar volunteer opportunities, please check the Walden West website periodically for updates.
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Computer Science Education Week encourages student creativity and innovation
 Schools, teachers and students around the world will celebrate Computer Science Education Week from Dec. 8 to 14, encouraging school districts to better integrate computer science into their current curriculum.
According to nonprofit organization Code.org, computer science remains marginalized throughout the K-12 education system in the United States, even as it drives innovation, the economy and incredible technological advances. Half of all states do not currently allow students to count computer science courses towards graduation requirements.
 In California alone, there are more than 80,000 open computing jobs, but only about 5,000 computer science graduates. Computer science does count for math or science credit in California schools, but there is no clear computer science teacher certification pathway or standards for curriculum. By 2020, it is estimated that there will be more than one million more jobs in computer science than students to fill them, even though it is a top paying college degree.
New legislation signed into law this year by Governor Jerry Brown will attempt to address this discrepancy by giving school district governing boards the power to award mathematics course credit to those students who successfully complete an approved computer science course. The law also encourages school boards to submit their computer science courses to the University of California for certification and addition to the school's "A-G" course list.
 To help make computer science a fundamental piece of your school or district's curriculum, visit the Computer Science Week website for tools, tips and resources for effective advocacy and outreach. Schools can also join the Hour of Code, a global movement to institute a one-hour introduction to computer science for all students, designed to demonstrate that anyone can learn the basics behind coding. Tutorials from last year's Hour of Code, and for all age groups. are available here.
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Board votes on two charter petitions
Here's a summary of some of the actions taken by the Board at its Nov. 5 and 19 meetings:
- Denied a charter petition for Morgan Hill Prep School in a 4-3 vote;
- approved a charter petition for Voices College-Bound Language Academy at Morgan Hill in a 6-1 vote;
- heard a presentation from the Business Services Branch on the business support services they provide to the SCCOE's programs and departments, as well as county-wide school districts and county sponsored charters;
- honored Cecilio Dimas, Director of STEAM, as the Employee of the Month for November; and
- honored Jasmyne, Jenay and Justin Longoria for their academic achievements, community service accomplishments and perseverance in pursuing their studies and goals as part of the SCCOE's annual Student Recognition Program.
The Board of Education is the elected governing body of the SCCOE. Its seven members serve four-year terms and are elected by different regions of the county. Learn more about the members, and view their meeting schedule, agendas and minutes.
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Signature SCCOE programs honored with the Golden Bell
 The Santa Clara County Office of Education's Champions for Leadership program and Seal of Biliteracy and Pathway Awards Initiative have been chosen as two of this year's recipients of the prestigious Golden Bell Award. Presented by the California School Boards Association (CSBA), this award recognizes public school programs that focus on meeting the needs of all students, are innovative and sustainable, and have made a demonstrated difference in the classroom.  Champions for Leadership is a leadership development, mentoring and succession planning program that matches future leaders with a mentor and professional development opportunities to deepen the impact of their work in public education. While enrolled in the program, participants complete a project designed to address organizational needs, from improved paraeducator recruitment and retention to the need for individualized action plans for alternative education students who require assistance getting back on track for graduation. Since 2009, 104 SCCOE employees have completed the program. Champions for Leadership is also one of this year's recipients of the California County Boards of Education (CCBE) Apple for Excellence award. Each year, the CCBE works in collaboration with the CSBA's Golden Bell Awards program to honor exemplary county office of education programs that are on the cutting-edge of innovation.  The Seal of Biliteracy and Pathway Awards Initiative is a countywide recognition program that encourages students to adopt a second language by presenting Pathway Awards to fifth-, sixth- and eighth-grade students who have made exceptional progress towards fluency, and the Seal of Biliteracy to graduating senior who prove themselves to be functionally biliterate. Since its inception in 2011, the program has grown from 208 students studying five languages to 1,267 students across 10 languages. "The Golden Bell Award is a worthy honor for both of these remarkable programs," said Jon R. Gundry, County Superintendent of Schools. "They each represent great examples of our ongoing efforts at the Santa Clara County Office of Education to ensure that our educators and students are among the best-served in the nation. I am tremendously proud of the efforts of our staff." An 11-member judging panel made up of experts from school districts and county offices of education reviewed all written entries and made initial recommendations for awards. Finalists were assessed through an on-site visit, evaluating the program in action. Both of the SCCOE's honorees will receive their awards at a recognition ceremony to be held on Tuesday, Dec. 16 at the CSBA's Annual Education Conference in San Francisco.
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Students honored for exploration of Chinese culture
Local education and community leaders gathered at the Santa Clara County Office of Education (SCCOE) on Saturday, Nov. 15, to honor the winners of the first annual San Jose - Silicon Valley 1st Chinese Star Contest, a competition co-sponsored by the SCCOE and the Confucius Institute at San Francisco State University intended to encourage the exploration of Chinese language, art, poetry and culture by K-12 students.
 More than 270 students from local schools participated in the competition on Oct. 25, displaying an impressive knowledge of Chinese language and culture.
County Superintendent of Schools Jon R. Gundry and representatives from the Confucius Institute and the Chinese Consulate General in San Francisco were in attendance to honor students in each of the four competition categories: Calligraphy (pen/brush), Painting/Drawing, Chinese Poetry Recital and Oral Presentation. Photos from the event can be viewed here.
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Since 1852, the Santa Clara County Office of Education has provided vital services and resources to the county's 31 K-12 public school districts and more than 250,000 students. The SCCOE strives to provide advocacy and leadership on education issues, student programs that are models of excellence and indispensable services to schools and community partners. The SCCOE is committed to serving, inspiring and promoting student and public school success.
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