Castlemont Elementary School

District News

Updated Wed, Jan 24th

Starting January 18th, families, students and staff are invited to participate in the district’s annual survey. The survey asks for feedback around student learning, school safety, sense of belonging and more.

Parents and guardians will receive links via email and ParentSquare. Students in grades 3-8 will participate during specific class sessions.

If you have questions, please contact the school office.

Updated Wed, Jan 24th

Campbell Union School District's commitment to safety and innovation is evident in its proactive approach to teaching digital citizenship, and earned it the prestigious Common Sense District certification. The distinction acknowledges the district’s commitment to preparing students to be critical thinkers who use technology to create rather than being passive consumers of online content. 

“We frequently discuss our responsibility for preparing our students for their yet-to-be-defined futures, and navigating and leveraging technology effectively is a big part of that," said District Superintendent Shelly Viramontez. “Digital media and technology are evolving rapidly, and digital citizenship skills are essential for students as they unlock extraordinary opportunities and learn to navigate and avoid potential risks. That's why we are dedicated to providing spaces for students to think critically,  innovate, and use technology responsibly to learn, create, and thrive.”

Campbell Union School District's 12 schools join over 80,000 schools nationwide in using Common Sense Education's resources. Our middle schools integrate digital citizenship into their Technology PBIS lessons, and digital citizenship is a foundational part of our Innovation lessons in CUSD’s elementary grades.

“We applaud the faculty and staff for embracing digital citizenship as an important part of their students' education,” said Kelly Mendoza, Vice President of Education Programs at Common Sense Education. She commended CUSD for its whole-community approach to preparing students for the digital age, and the importance of addressing online challenges such as plagiarism, loss of privacy, and cyberbullying.

“We're honored to be recognized as a Common Sense District," said Coordinator of Innovation, Teaching & Learning Julie Goo, who has been instrumental in assuring that digital citizenry is integrated into the district’s Art, Innovation, and Music (AIM) program. “We are empowering learners to apply our Profile of a Graduate competencies as they create digitally and design solutions to current and future challenges.”

Learn more about the district’s integrated inclusion of digital citizenship on the Art, Innovation, and Music Blog: bit.ly/cusdaimblog

Common Sense is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to helping kids and families thrive in a world of media and technology. Common Sense Education's research-based resources, developed in collaboration with Project Zero researchers, are used in classrooms across all 50 states, impacting over 50,000 schools and half a million educators. To see all of Common Sense Education’s resources, visit https://www.commonsense.org/education

Updated Tue, Dec 26th

Campbell Union School District’s elementary schools are offering tours for families of young children to get a glimpse into kindergarten and transitional kindergarten. These special tours aim to ease the transition into school and foster a sense of community for our new families.

Tours give parents an inside look into the learning environment, curriculum, and overall school culture and the opportunity to ask questions of the school administrators.

View the tour schedule here.

Updated Tue, Dec 26th

All of us in Campbell Union School District are grateful to be part of this caring community. 

Please click here for a special message from Superintendent Shelly Viramontez.

Our schools will be closed for Winter Break, December 18 through January 1, and we wish everyone a happy, safe and restful two weeks. We look forward to resuming teaching and learning when we return on January 2nd.

Updated Wed, Dec 20th

In a proactive approach to inclusivity, Campbell Union School District is tackling language barriers for its diverse community. With over 50 different languages spoken among district families, the initiative helps all families engage with and support their student’s success at school.

“Except in our dual immersion school, all student instruction is provided in English. That presents an extra hurdle for students whose primary language is not English,” said English Language Development Program Coordinator Denise Kilpatrick. “Our district is committed to making educational content accessible for all students and actively involving their families in the learning process.”

Because the district is committed to two-way communication, it provides a range of resources to facilitate it, including on-demand interpreters and translators for employee requests, language preference settings on ParentSquare for personalized communication, and multilingual options for school newsletters. A phone interpretation service, Language Scientific, facilitates real-time conversations, ensuring effective communication between parents and teachers.

To further bridge the gap, some schools are piloting web translation applications. These tools aid newcomer students in accessing classroom lessons and provide families with an additional avenue for obtaining information to support their children's learning at home.

Caption: Multicultural events and celebrations, like this one at Forest Hill, are another way our schools embrace partnering with parents and encourage family involvement in student learning. See short video.

Updated Tue, Dec 12th

Campbell Union School District has officially joined a class action lawsuit against Meta, alleging that their products are intentionally designed to be addictive, marketed towards children, and are negatively impacting student mental health, according to District Superintendent Shelly Viramontez. 

“Our teachers and administrators see the adverse effects of social media on children's mental health and learning capabilities every day,” said Dr. Viramontez. “We don’t anticipate any financial gain. We want to raise awareness and combat the harm caused by the seemingly deliberate manipulation of children and youth.”

Multiple studies underscore the risks and behaviors of children who use social media:

  • Nearly 40% of children 8-12 years old use social media. Those are peak years for brain development and risk-taking behavior.
  • Up to 95% of youth age 13-17 report using social media—More than ⅓ say “almost constantly” 
  • Children and adolescents on social media are commonly exposed to extreme, inappropriate, and harmful content.
  • Those spending 3-plus hours/day on social media face twice the risk of poor mental health, including depression and anxiety symptoms. (8th & 10th graders average 3.5 hours/day on it.)
  • Studies limiting use of social media resulted in mental health benefits for young adults.
  • Excessive use is linked to sleep problems, attention problems and feelings of exclusion.

“Our top priorities are ensuring student safety and educating them to their highest potential,” Dr. Viramontez said. “We do that on multiple fronts: We have multiple layers of filters, protocols, and systems to protect students on district-issued devices; we educate our students to be critical thinkers and responsible digital citizens, not passive consumers of media; our middle schools are certified Common Sense Media schools, and we collaborate with families to encourage digital wellness and responsible technology use.”  

Want to Learn More?

 

Updated Tue, Dec 5th

We wish you a very happy Thanksgiving, and look forward to seeing you all when classes resume on November 27th.

Click to see a special thanks to our many community partners. 

Updated Tue, Nov 28th

For over 400 families eager for Campbell USD’s Campbell Care program placement, the wait is finally over. An innovative process, inspired by feedback and continuous improvement science, has addressed placements, outpacing initial expectations.

The start of the 2023-24 school year posed a challenge for the Campbell Care program: high demand for child care, new laws altering student sign-up priorities, and a scarcity of qualified staff across the industry.

Applying the principles of continuous improvement, the District’s Expanded Learning Department quickly identified hiring and retention strategies that led to a remarkable change. In just 10 weeks, the program accommodated 77% more students from the interest list. With around 1,000 students enrolled, the program is on track to surpass pre-pandemic levels.

Like many after school programs nationwide, the district's staff mostly comprises part-time employees balancing college attendance and work schedules.

"To attract and retain the best employees, the feedback and data told us that we needed to fast track the hiring process, provide information to candidates prior to interviews, along with cultivating a supportive workplace culture,” said Martha de Ojeda, Director of the Expanded Learning Department. “We created ways to offer part-time employees more hours, better pay, and we increased our investment in their training and support." Additionally, the program increased its employee retention rate and built a substitute pool of Campbell Care employees whose current schedule prevents them working a consistent schedule.

“Feedback from employees and families makes a difference,” said District Superintendent Shelly Viramontez.  “Our district is committed to continuous improvement and educating students to their highest potential. By leveraging the principles and tools of continuous improvement science, we strategically harness multiple data sources and feedback to innovate, solve problems, remove hassles and enhance systems for our students and staff.”

Updated Wed, Nov 22nd

Students across the district are thinking like designers and engineers as more classrooms incorporate design thinking into lessons. Their skills and potential are on display at school-based showcases across the district.

Students, like these at Campbell School of Innovation, are applying our Profile of a Graduate Competencies in relevant and real-world ways, collaborating and innovating to solve problems they see on campus and in the world. 

These lessons provide more hands-on learning—something our survey data said was needed—and opportunities for students to dig deeper into topics that interest them.

Be sure to check your school’s calendar each week to find out when the next showcase will be happening.

8th grade boy describes his new sport shoe design
Enhancing athletic footwear for greater performance.

8th grade girl shows her design for an enhanced athletic shoe.
Improving skills with a new design in athletic shoes.

8th grade boy shows his design for a glove that enhances ball handling in sports
New glove design improves ball handling in a wide range of sports.

Updated Wed, Nov 22nd

Creating. Inspiring. Exploring. These are the daily experiences for Campbell Union School District teachers, substitutes, early childhood educators, and counselors in speech, health, and others who support our students and schools. 

In the classroom or out, there are many ways to help our students reach their highest potential. Check our job listings at www.campbellusd.org/jobs.

Also, the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing has a new Roadmap to Teaching, with a suite of digital tools and a new staff of career counselors to provide individualized guidance. Interactive online resources lead users through their personal options to discover how their talents can benefit students of all ages.