Following a three-month closure due to COVID-19, Sunrise Middle School re-opened its campus today for a 20-day summer program for about 60 of its students.

All county health department guidelines are being followed. There are 12 students in each of five classes, and the groups may not mix. Students are wearing masks, staying six feet apart, and washing their hands frequently.

The students are working on a “Big Dream” project about their future careers and enjoying water play and other recreational activities after lunch.

Find out more here in this ABC7 news report.

For more information please see this link from KTVU Channel 2:
https://www.ktvu.com/video/699411

The Sunrise Board of Directors approved a resolution calling for “forgiveness circles” for African Americans and other people of color in the wake of numerous killings of Blacks by white police officers. The resolution calls for meetings in which representatives of various ethnicities would learn the true history of a group’s struggles and ask for forgiveness for past wrongs done to that group.

The resolution acknowledges that schools are a perfect platform to educate youth and their parents about “the true story of systematic torture and institutional racism involving African Americans” and other ethnicities.

“An injustice to some has been an injustice to all and has led to a corrupt system that often affects other ethnicities and gender minorities, as well as dehumanizes and economically penalizes people who have crossed a country’s border without permission,” the resolution says.

In the planned circles, students, parents, teachers, and school board members will be invited to learn about “the whole truth of our nation’s ugly history” and to “be empowered with the truth that all people deserve to have the wrongs done to them publicly acknowledged and accounted for.”

Participants in these healing circles will learn about the African American history and that of other ethnic groups. Representatives of the privileged majority will ask for forgiveness on behalf of the entire majority, and representatives of the minority will accept the request for forgiveness, thereby beginning a circle of healing that is intended to spread beyond the Sunrise community to the entire San Jose community and beyond.

The resolution, approved by unanimous vote, also calls for Social Justice classes this Fall that will expose students to the full histories of African American and other ethnic groups and allow students to “to discuss these injustices, explore ideas for change, and explore ideas for transformation as well as participate in that transformative future.”

Following is the resolution:

SUNRISE MIDDLE SCHOOL BOARD OF DIRECTORS RESOLUTION – BLACK LIVES MATTER

WHEREAS, throughout our nation’s history the true story of systematic torture and institutional racism involving African Americans has not been fully told or understood; and
WHEREAS, throughout our nation’s history African Americans’ personal and systematic atrocities have not been publicly heard, recognized and atoned for; and
WHEREAS, throughout our nation’s history this institutional racism has led to deep personal grief and lasting economic disparity and unnecessary incarceration; and
WHEREAS, the continued loss of Black lives – and the covering up of the details involving those killings – has led to mounting outrage among all sectors of our nation; and
WHEREAS, an injustice to some has been an injustice to all and has led to a corrupt system that often affects other ethnicities and gender minorities, as well as dehumanizes and economically penalizes people who have crossed a country’s border without permission; and
WHEREAS, the recent unnecessary loss of the lives of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Rayshard Brooks, Ahmaud Arbery and so many others has brought this outrage to the forefront and indeed, people of all races, have been awoken to the atrocities and abuse of power; and
WHEREAS, Black Lives Matter is becoming the mantle for a larger movement, one that has become international in scope, and what is unfolding is the realization that a number of groups have been subjected to highly discriminatory treatment over a long period of time, and the reforms that are being called for should take account of discriminatory treatment generally; and
WHEREAS, Latino, transgender, Native American and other indigenous lives have also been the victims of systematic racism and have been systematically mistreated by law enforcement; and
WHEREAS, our schools provide the perfect platform for young people to finally be exposed to the whole truth of our nation’s ugly history and to be empowered with the truth that all people deserve to have the wrongs done to them publicly acknowledged and accounted for; and
WHEREAS, the wrongs of the past must now be corrected to ensure that every Black, Brown, Asian Pacific American, indigenous, transgender, and minority person is treated ethically, can live in dignity, and has social, economic, and political power.

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Sunrise Middle School Board of Directors declares that Black Lives Matter and joins the movement to fight for full disclosure, accountability, liberation, and justice.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Sunrise Middle School Board of Directors is committed to providing Humanities classes that will expose our youth to the full and ugly history of the atrocities that we as a nation have imposed on several population groups, beginning with African Americans.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Sunrise Middle School Board of Directors is committed to providing Social Justice education, empowerment trainings, trauma-informed healing workshops and art classes that will give our youth a safe platform to discuss these injustices, explore ideas for change, and explore ideas for transformation as well as participate in that transformative future.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Sunrise Middle School Board of Directors is committed to transformative justice practices and implicit bias training around the guiding principles of Black Lives Matter and will work collaboratively with staff, students, families, and the community to learn Black history and dismantle institutionalized racism in ourselves and our society.
FINALLY, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Sunrise Middle School Board of Directors is committed to holding “forgiveness circles”, beginning with African Americans and extending to all minority groups, whereby a group’s history will be told fully and representatives of the privileged majority will ask for forgiveness on behalf of the entire majority, and representatives of the minority will accept the request for forgiveness, thereby beginning a circle of healing that will hopefully spread beyond the Sunrise community to the entire San Jose community and beyond.

PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Board of Directors of Sunrise Middle School, San Jose, California, this 15th day of June 2020 by the following vote: AYES: NOES: ABSTENTIONS:

We honor the many African Americans who have been purposely or carelessly killed in the last few years – Eric Garner, John Crawford III, Michael Brown, Ezell Ford, Dante Parker, Michelle Cusseaux, Laquan McDonald, Tanisha Anderson, Akai Gurley, Tamir Rice, Rumain Brisbon, Jermae Reid, George Mann, Matthrw Ajibade, Frank Smart, Natasha McKenna, Tony Robinson, Anthony Hill, Mya Hall, Phillip White, Eric Harris, Walter Scott, William Chapman II, Alexia Christian, Brendon Glenn, Victor Manuel Larosa, Jonathan Sanders, Freddie Blue, Joseph Mann, Salvado Ellswood, Sandra Bland, Albert Joseph Davis, Darrius Stewart, Billy Ray Davis, Samuel Dubose, Troy Robinson, Asshams Pharoah Manley, Felix Kumi, Keith Harrison McLeod, Junior Prosper, Lamontez Jones, Paterson Brown, Dominic Hutchinson, Anthony Ashford, Alonzo Smith, Tyree Crawford, India Kager, La’vante Biggs, Michael Lee Marshall, Jamar Clark, Richard Perkins, Nathaniel Harris Pickett, Benni Lee Tignor, Miguel Espinal, Michael Noel, Kevin Matthews, Bettie Jones, Quintonio Legrier, Keith Childress Jr., Janet Wilson, Randy Nelson, Antronie Scott, Wendell Celestine, David Joseph, Calin Roquemore, Dyzhawn Perkins, Christopher Davis, Marco Loud, Pete Gaines, Torry Robinson, Darius Robinson, Kevin Hicks, Mary Truxillo, Demarcus Semer, Willie Tillman, Terril Thomas, Sylvie Smith, Alton Sterling, Philano Castile, Terence Crutcher, Paul O’Neal, Alteria Woods, Jordan Edwards, Aaron Bailey, Ronell Foster, Stephon Clark, Antwon Rose II, Botham Jean, Pamels Turner, Dominique Clayton, Christopher McCorvey, Eric Reason, Michael Lorenzo Dean, Rayshard Brooks, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Manuel Ellis, Tony McDade, David McAtee, Nina Pop, Darius J. Tarver, Freddie Gray, Rashad Cunningham, Trayvon Martin, Monika Diamond and the many more whose names we do not know or may have left off of this list.

The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected a Trump Administration challenge to California’s sanctuary law, which restricts law enforcement from cooperating with immigration agents. The court challenge came from various local governments and school districts, including Sunrise Middle School.

The nation’s high court upheld California’s law which prohibits police and sheriff’s deputies from notifying federal immigration agents when they have undocumented immigrants in their custody and prevents them from holding immigrants beyond the end of their sentences so they can be picked up for deportation.

The Sunrise Board of Directors approved its COVID-19 Operations Report tonight. The report outlines all that the school has done since March 13 to maintain a high-quality distance learning plan. The report also outlines what the school has provided as extra supports for its low-income families and English Learners. See the full report here.

Undocumented adults can apply for $500 payments from the state of California starting this morning at 8 am. Call the Catholic Charities hotline at 1-866-490-3899. The one-time payments will be $500 per adult with a maximum of $1,000 per household.

You must:

• be at least 18 years old and undocumented
• be ineligible for federal COVID-19 relief
• have experienced hardship due to the coronavirus.

The program will run until June 30 or until the $125 million in state and private funds are spent, so people are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

Sunrise parents, Bay Area schools today were ordered to remain closed through the end of the school year. Please contact the school, 408-659-4785, and leave a message if you still have not been able to get internet for our online classes, and we will do our best to get you internet via Hotspot. We are still hoping to hold a belated graduation and summer school, and will keep you updated regarding those events. We wish you all the very best.

Sunrise Middle School is urging parents to make sure their students do all of their online learning. State officials now say it’s possible that schools will not re-open this year. We are hoping to be allowed to still hold graduation for our 8th graders who have been working hard.

The county health department and county office of education have just announced that schools will remain closed at least through May 1. Please have your child continue with their online learning in the meantime. Let us know if you are having problems with that by leaving a message on the school phone, 408-659-4785. We wish you the best during this time and miss you all.

Sunrise Middle School has revised its schedule for Zoom online classes with teachers so as to accommodate the larger classes. This revised schedule will begin this Wednesday, March 25.

Mondays

• 9 am – Math for 5th , 6-1, 7th , and 8-1
• 10 am – Math for 6-2 and 6-3, and 8-2
• 11 – 12 – Mr. Laxman – meditation and life skills
  • 11 am – 11:20 – 5th and 6th graders.
  • 11:20-11:40 – 7th graders
  • 11:40-12 – 8th graders
• 1:30pm – 6th grade Social Justice with Ms. Imelda

Tuesdays

• 9 am – English for 8-1, 7th and 6th grades
• 10 am – English for 8-3
• 10 am – Ms. Merek will meet with her students
• 10 am – Ms. Rebecca will meet with her students
• 11 am – Math for 8-3
• 11 am – English for 8-2
• 1:30 pm – 7th grade Social Justice with Ms. Imelda
• PE
  • Fifth grade – 11-11:15
  • Sixth grade – 11:15- 11:30
  • Seventh grade – 11:30-11:45
  • Eighth grade – 11:45-12

Wednesdays

• 9 am – 6th grade history with Mr. Waldon
• 9:30 am – 7th grade history with Mr. Waldon
• Sciences:
  • 10 am – science for 8th grade
  • 10:30 am – science for 7th
  • 11 am – science for 6th
• Histories:
  • 10:30 am – 8-3 US history
  • 11:30 am – 8-2 US history
  • 1:30 pm – 8-1 US history

Thursdays

• 9 am – English for 8-1, 7th and 6th grades
• 10 am – Ms. Merek will meet with her students
• 10 am – English for 8-3
• 10 am – Ms. Rebecca will meet with her students
• 11 am – Math for 8-3
• 11 am – English for 8-2
• 1:30 pm – 8th grade Social Justice with Ms. Imelda

Fridays

• 9 am – Math for 5th , 6-1, 7 th , 8-1
• 10 am – Math for 6-2 and 6-3, and 8-2
• 11-12 PE with Mr. Omar and Mr. Edgar
• 11-12 – PE with Mr. Omar and Mr. Edgar
  • 11-11:30 – PE for 5th and 6th graders
  • 11:30-12 – PE for 7th graders
  • 12-12:30 – PE for 8th graders

(these classes or longer sessions will also be recorded for viewing later)

Sunrise Middle School, like all county public schools, is closing for three weeks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. This is a directive from the Santa Clara County Health Department and the County Office of Education.
We have given students online learning assignments for them to do while the school is closed. Please email [email protected] or call 408-659-4785 and leave a message, if your child is having trouble accessing these assignments.
We plan to reopen Monday, April 6th.
There will be no spring break, as initially planned.
We wish you and your family well during this time.
Please do not mingle with groups of people, as this defeats the purpose of the closure. During our school closure, we wanted you to know about places where you can get free food while your children are not being served meals at school.
Please note these food pantries:

• Second Harvest Food Bank, 750 Curtner Ave. 8-5 Monday-Friday, 800-984-3663
• Ecumenical Hunger Program (EHP), 2411 Pulgas Ave., 650-323-7781
• Also, some local libraries are providing food.

Comcast/Xfinity now has a phone number you can call to get free internet if you don’t already have it. Your children need internet to do their online assignments from their teachers. Visit www.internetessentials.com or call 1-855-846-8376 for English and 1-855-765-6995 for Spanish.