CLIPCO News

Every month we will feature a current student, teacher or alumni from CLIP to showcase on our blog.  If you are interested in being featured, contact web@cusdclipco.org. Who are you? My name is Gillie Ross, I’m in the 4th Grade How long have you been in the CLIP program? I started in Kindergarten, so 5 years now.  My brother and sister are also in the program with me. What are some of your hobbies or special interests? I like hockey and Karate.  I'm the goalie on a girls travel hockey team, and I'm 5th kyu in Karate.  And lately I've been singing a lot of Hamilton and Moana songs. What is your favorite subject in school? PE's my favorite, but I like writing and reading too.  They're a bit more useful.    What's your favorite after-school activity? Karate is my favorite.  I like learning new things, and how to protect myself.    Tell us about a special activity from CLIP that you enjoy. I've been in th...

Who are you? My name is Rachel Turkal. I grew up on the East Coast and lived in Germany for a couple years when I was a child. I went to a small liberal arts college in Virginia called Sweet Briar College where I majored in Psychology and Studio Art. Professionally I have worked with at-risk youth in a treatment facility setting, in various capacities as a customer service agent, and in various office administrative roles. I have a child in the 2nd grade and we have been in the CLIP program going on 3 years. What volunteer role do you have in CLIP currently? What roles, if any, have you had in the past? I currently am chairing the MCAC (Meyerholz CLIP Advisory Committee) and am assisting Nikki Tan run ASEP (After School Enrichment Program). Previously I have been on the CLIPCO Board as a grade representative for Kindergarten and 1st grade as well as being a member of the MCAC committee.   I am also on the PTA and volunteer with Project Cornerstone. What do y...

Dear CLIP families, Welcome to the kick-off of our 2017 Direct Give Contest! Each year we raise funds in order to sustain our wonderful CLIP program. Regular district funds are not enough to cover both Chinese and English aspects of the program. Your contributions support Mandarin curriculum development, Mandarin classroom teaching materials, instructional aides, textbooks, Chinese cultural/enrichment activities, and more.   CLIP is our community, and we need everyone to do their part to help. This includes donating your grade’s full recommended ask amount to sustain the program, volunteering on the CLIPCO subcommittees, and supporting CLIP in general.  The donation ask amounts are reasonable compared to other Bay Area schools who ask $800-$2000 per student (without Chinese immersion benefits), or Chinese bilingual private schools that cost more than $25,000 a year. This year's Direct Give Campaign started on the first day of school with a pledge form in your...

We are pleased to announce CLIPCO's new website!  Over the summer, we had a team of CLIP alumni designing and developing our new site!  The CLIPCOders team, led by college freshman Jasper Edbrooke, include Evan Cleve, and Alex Minooka, all students who graduated from CLIP in 2014. Visit the site often for updates, announcements and special features, such as spotlights on students, teachers and parents.  The new design is mobile-friendly, and will have all your news and updates for CLIP! We interviewed Jasper to find out more about the strategy and design behind the new website: Who are you? I am Jasper Edbrooke, and I am currently a freshman at De Anza College. I graduated CLIP with the CLIP class of 2014. How did you and your team get together? I got the team together by asking some other CLIP alumni from my year that I knew had experience or were interested in web development/computers. The original crew included about...

Every month we will feature a current student, teacher or alumni from CLIP to showcase on our blog.  If you are interested in being featured, contact web@cusdclipco.org. Who are you? My name is Anna Tsai.  I was a CLIP parent before becoming a CLIP teacher. I received my B.A. in  Economics, Minor in Psychology from U.C. Davis and worked as a financial analyst for many years. After staying home with both my children for eight years, I decided to follow my passion to become a teacher. Two years later I received my Multiple Subjects credential from San Jose State. I love being a teacher and love being with my students everyday. Both of my children, who are in college,  graduated from CLIP program, the very same program I teach in. When did you join the CLIP teaching staff?  What grade do you teach? I did my student teaching as a long-term substitute for CLIP 2nd grade in 2006. A year later I officially joined CLIP staff, teaching 1st grade. This is my 10t...

Dear CLIP Families, On behalf of CLIPCO, I want to welcome you to the new school year. And to our kinder parents and new families, a special welcome to you!  My name is Sylvia Leong, and I am the new CLIPCO president for 2017-18.  This is my ninth year in CLIP - my older child just graduated from the CLIP program, and my younger child is starting her 7th grade year at Miller.  I remember when our son got into CLIP, we felt like we literally won the lottery! Our family has had an amazing journey through CLIP, and it's my hope that you will have a great experience as well. As you begin this new school year, I want to share personally with you two things that have helped me and my family make the most of our time in CLIP. 1) Don't do it alone.  Being a part of a bilingual program is both an opportunity and a challenge. Our students receive more education, and more is expected of them.  It requires additional time and effort for the student and the fami...