Miller Middle School
Encyclopedia
Joaquin Miller Middle School, commonly referred to as Miller Middle School, is a co-educational, public
middle school
which teaches grades 6-8 in the West San Jose area of San Jose, California
, USA
near Cupertino. Miller Middle School is part of the Cupertino Union School District
. Its official mascot is the Mustang. It was named after 19th century poet Joaquin Miller
.
Most students come from Murdock-Portal, Blue Hills, John Muir
, Meyerholz, Dilworth, Eaton, De Vargas, Faria and McAuliffe
elementary schools.
Most graduates of Miller Middle School go on to attend Lynbrook High School
, in the Fremont Union High School District
, the neighboring secondary school.
Miller is a California Distinguished School.
. Miller started in 1959 with a couple classrooms, quad, and library with orchards in the background. The 2009-2010 school year marked Miller's 50th anniversary. Joaquin Miller also has a road named after him.
For more info: Miller Calendar
. There are two rounds to this competition. The first round, or audition round, consists of applicants who audition, then are hand-picked by the judges to go to the final round. In the final round, the students vote to determine the winner. The winner of miller idol for 2010-2011 was Jennifer Lee.
in the spring break. Miller 8th graders have attended this trip each year for over 30 years.
in Vallejo
. The Advanced Band also travels to and performs at Disneyland and California Adventure, and has performed at Santa Monica College
, Fullerton College, Cal State Fresno, Clovis North Educational Center, Biola University, and has recorded a studio soundtrack session backstage at Disneyland every year during the annual Disneyland trip.
come to visit Miller for two days. The visit is usually in September. Miller students, as well as students from other Cupertino Union School District
schools, visit Toyokawa, Japan in the summer of every year.
School publications include:
, given annually to approximately fifty math teachers nationally: Ingrid Lu (2001) and Pallavi Rajendra Shah (2002). Shah has met President
George W. Bush
with her team in Washington D.C..
Miller's Choirs have earned Unanimous Superior ratings at CMEA Festivals every year since 2004. Also, Advanced Choir will be performing at the annual state convention in Sacramento. This is a very high honor, as this shows the choir program has a state-wide reputation.
Miller Middle School's Band Department hosts and runs a CMEA Solo and Ensemble Festival held in March at San Jose State University
every year. Many music students from all over the Bay area, including many Miller students, perform in the festival. Some students who earn a Superior rating at the local CMEA Solo and Ensemble Festival may go on to perform in the statewide Solo and Ensemble Festival, held in Sacramento.
.
Public
In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individuals, and the public is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the Öffentlichkeit or public sphere. The concept of a public has also been defined in political science,...
middle school
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
which teaches grades 6-8 in the West San Jose area of San Jose, California
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
near Cupertino. Miller Middle School is part of the Cupertino Union School District
Cupertino Union School District
The Cupertino Union School District covers the city of Cupertino, California, and parts of San Jose, Sunnyvale, Saratoga, Santa Clara, and Los Altos, California. The CUSD operates twenty elementary schools and five middle schools...
. Its official mascot is the Mustang. It was named after 19th century poet Joaquin Miller
Joaquin Miller
Joaquin Miller was the pen name of the colorful American poet Cincinnatus Heine Miller , nicknamed the "Poet of the Sierras".-Early years and family:...
.
Most students come from Murdock-Portal, Blue Hills, John Muir
John Muir
John Muir was a Scottish-born American naturalist, author, and early advocate of preservation of wilderness in the United States. His letters, essays, and books telling of his adventures in nature, especially in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, have been read by millions...
, Meyerholz, Dilworth, Eaton, De Vargas, Faria and McAuliffe
Christa McAuliffe School
Christa McAuliffe School is a public elementary school and middle school located in Saratoga, California, in the Cupertino Union School District...
elementary schools.
Most graduates of Miller Middle School go on to attend Lynbrook High School
Lynbrook High School
Lynbrook High School is a co-educational, public, four-year secondary school located in the West San Jose neighborhood of San Jose, California, USA...
, in the Fremont Union High School District
Fremont Union High School District
The Fremont Union High School District is a school district in Northern California, serving Cupertino, most of Sunnyvale and parts of San Jose, Los Altos, Saratoga, and Santa Clara. As of 2004, it serves over 9,500 students...
, the neighboring secondary school.
Miller is a California Distinguished School.
History
Miller was named after the 19th Century poet Joaquin MillerJoaquin Miller
Joaquin Miller was the pen name of the colorful American poet Cincinnatus Heine Miller , nicknamed the "Poet of the Sierras".-Early years and family:...
. Miller started in 1959 with a couple classrooms, quad, and library with orchards in the background. The 2009-2010 school year marked Miller's 50th anniversary. Joaquin Miller also has a road named after him.
For more info: Miller Calendar
Electives
Miller's Electives include:- Exploratory Wheel (art, cooking, woodshop, drama, and music)
- Art
- DramaDramaDrama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
- YearbookYearbookA yearbook, also known as an annual, is a book to record, highlight, and commemorate the past year of a school or a book published annually. Virtually all American, Australian and Canadian high schools, most colleges and many elementary and middle schools publish yearbooks...
- JournalismJournalismJournalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
- Communication Arts (morning announcements)
- Concert bandConcert bandA concert band, also called wind band, symphonic band, symphonic winds, wind orchestra, wind symphony, wind ensemble, or symphonic wind ensemble, is a performing ensemble consisting of several members of the woodwind instrument family, brass instrument family, and percussion instrument family.A...
(Beginning, Mustang/Intermediate, Advanced) - ChoirChoirA choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
(Beginning, Advanced) - Woodshop
- DraftingTechnical drawingTechnical drawing, also known as drafting or draughting, is the act and discipline of composing plans that visually communicate how something functions or has to be constructed.Drafting is the language of industry....
- Foods and Nutrition
- Beginning Sewing and Fashion Design
- Survival Skills
- Leadership
- Study Skills
- French 1A & 1B, Japanese 1A & 1B, Spanish 1A & 1B
- Chinese 2: LiteracyLiteracyLiteracy has traditionally been described as the ability to read for knowledge, write coherently and think critically about printed material.Literacy represents the lifelong, intellectual process of gaining meaning from print...
- Mathematics Enrichment
- Teacher Aide (eighth grade only)
- Office Aide (eighth grade only)
Miller Idol
Miller Idol is one of the biggest events held in Miller. It is a singing competition held by the Student Government of Miller. It consists of four judges, representing the four current judges of American IdolAmerican Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
. There are two rounds to this competition. The first round, or audition round, consists of applicants who audition, then are hand-picked by the judges to go to the final round. In the final round, the students vote to determine the winner. The winner of miller idol for 2010-2011 was Jennifer Lee.
WEB and Corrals
WEB is a program at Miller that stands for “Where Everyone Belongs." WEB leaders are eighth grade students who help sixth grade students transition from elementary school to middle school. WEB leaders are nominated by teachers at the end of their seventh grade year. Right before the beginning of the school year, WEB groups get together and the WEB leaders show the sixth graders the school and play a few games. The school additionally hosts a "W.E.B. carnival" for sixth graders mid-year and two "Mustang Corrals" each year, in which the entire student body can participate in various games and activities. Corrals include dancing, dunk tank, mountain climbing, food, jump house, and more. The school began to host Mustang corrals again in the 2004-2005 school year. The 6th graders can also enjoy the W.E.B. Movies.Student Council
The Student Council includes the President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, 2 Social Chairs, and the Sergeant-at-arms, with representatives from each grade and a representative from each classroom. Student Council elections take place every September. In total, there are 7 officers, 3 representatives, and 2 green officers. The green officers are nominated by the President and Vice President of the Student Council. The 3 representatives represent each grade level to the School Site Council.Washington, D.C.
Each year, eighth graders travel to Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
in the spring break. Miller 8th graders have attended this trip each year for over 30 years.
Choir and Band
Miller students have a passion for excellent music. There are three Beginning Bands, three Mustang (intermediate) Bands, one Advanced Band, one Beginning Choir, and one Advanced Choir. Choir, Advanced Choir, Mustang Band, and Advanced Band have trips not only to other schools to compete or perform, but also around the state, and sometimes even the country. In April 2008, the Advanced Choir traveled to Orlando, Florida. Both Choirs perform at yearly festivals and win many awards. The Mustang Band has performed in the past at Homestead High School, Saratoga High School, American High School in Fremont, and traveled to Six FlagsSix Flags
Six Flags Entertainment Corp. is the world's largest amusement park corporation based on quantity of properties and the fifth most popular in terms of attendance. The company maintains 14 properties located throughout North America, including theme parks, thrill parks, water parks and family...
in Vallejo
Vallejo, California
Vallejo is the largest city in Solano County, California, United States. The population was 115,942 at the 2010 census. It is located in the San Francisco Bay Area on the northeastern shore of San Pablo Bay...
. The Advanced Band also travels to and performs at Disneyland and California Adventure, and has performed at Santa Monica College
Santa Monica College
Santa Monica College is a two-year, public, junior college located in Santa Monica, California.Santa Monica College was first opened in 1929 as Santa Monica Junior College. Current enrollment is over 30,000 students in more than 90 fields of study...
, Fullerton College, Cal State Fresno, Clovis North Educational Center, Biola University, and has recorded a studio soundtrack session backstage at Disneyland every year during the annual Disneyland trip.
Exchange Students
Every year, students from Toyokawa, JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
come to visit Miller for two days. The visit is usually in September. Miller students, as well as students from other Cupertino Union School District
Cupertino Union School District
The Cupertino Union School District covers the city of Cupertino, California, and parts of San Jose, Sunnyvale, Saratoga, Santa Clara, and Los Altos, California. The CUSD operates twenty elementary schools and five middle schools...
schools, visit Toyokawa, Japan in the summer of every year.
Millervision
Every morning, Miller's Communication Arts class records and broadcasts the daily announcements. Students announce school news, including sports, clubs, contests, etc. The Principal or Assistant Principal may also make an announcement. Special features include Words of Wisdom and "public service announcements" which are usually funny videos concerning rules or other Miller issues of concern made by the Communication Arts class.Demographics
Enrollment at Miller Middle School in 2010-2011 is approximately 1,300 students. The majority of Miller's student body is Asian-American, with over 76.9% being Asian and 19.6% being white. 5% of the school is in the Special Education program. The school investment for each student is $6,907 while the state average is $4,743.Mathematics
Miller has a strong math department. Tests and homework are frequent. The school hosts the AMC and had 9 AIME qualifiers and had no USAMO qualifiers in 2011. It also won 5th place at the Northern California MathCounts Competition and has gotten 1st place 11 times at SCVMA for the past 25 years.Language Arts
Miller Language Arts classes use traditional methods of teaching as well as modern technology. The EETT program (enhancing education through technology) allowed every Language Arts classroom to have a full set of MacBooks.Science
Miller’s science classes engage students in labs and hands on experiments. The curriculum for sixth grade is earth science, life science for 7th, and physical science for 8th.Social Studies
Miller Middle School has a Social Studies program designed to prepare students for today's global world. It teaches different cultures, histories, and geographies. The classes are filled with simulations, activities, and educational curriculum related movies. 6th grade learns about Ancient History, 7th grade learns about Medieval History, and 8th grade learns about the US (add-on from 5th grade).Sports and Teams
There are softball, volleyball, soccer, and basketball teams which students can try out for. Track and field, wrestling, and cross-country running are teams that any student may participate in with no tryouts or cuts. Miller has had notable volleyball and basketball teams. From the 2005-2007 school year, the boys 7th and 8th grade volleyball teams won back-to-back championships. The girls basketball in the same years won back-to-back undefeated championships as well. In the 2009-2010 year, the girls 8th grade basketball team won the league championships. In the 2009-2010 year, the 7th grade boys track and field team placed first for both the league championships and sectionals. From 2010-2011, the C-Girls volleyball team won the league championships. In the winter of 2011, the 6/7 grade boy's soccer team took first place in the league.Miller Clubs/Groups
Miller has many clubs and groups.- Jazz choirVocal jazzJazz singing can be defined by the instrumental approach to the voice, where the singer can match the instruments in their stylistic approach to the lyrics, improvised or otherwise, or through scat singing; that is, the use of nonsensical meaningless non-morphemic syllables to imitate the sound of...
- Color guardColor guardIn the military of the United States and other militaries, the color guard carries the National Color and other flags appropriate to its position in the chain of command. Typically these include a unit flag and a departmental flag...
(none 2009-10 year) - Jazz BandJazz bandA jazz band is a musical ensemble that plays jazz music. Jazz bands usually consist of a rhythm section and a horn section, in the early days often trumpet, trombone, and clarinet with rhythm section of piano, banjo, bass or tuba, and drums.-Eras:SwingDuring the swing era in the mid-twentieth...
- Miller MusicalBroadway theatreBroadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
once a year in November - ChessChessChess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
- Card Club
- Christian Club (every Thursday)
- Lego Robotics
- Builders' Club
- Red Cross Club
- Future Business Leaders of America
- Mathletes (Math olympiadOlympiadAn Olympiad is a period of four years, associated with the Olympic Games of Classical Greece. In the Hellenistic period, beginning with Ephorus, Olympiads were used as calendar epoch....
team, Math Counts team, etc.) - W.E.B. (Where Everyone Belongs/Welcome Everybody: sixth grade orientation club)
- Speech and Debate
- Science Fair
- Student Council
- Miller Math Marathon (annually)
- Fish Club
- After School Math
- Miller Power Hour (after school quiet study time)
School publications include:
- JournalismJournalismJournalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
(The Miller Mustang, The Miller newspaper) - YearbookYearbookA yearbook, also known as an annual, is a book to record, highlight, and commemorate the past year of a school or a book published annually. Virtually all American, Australian and Canadian high schools, most colleges and many elementary and middle schools publish yearbooks...
(The Golden Hoofprint) - NewsletterNewsletterA newsletter is a regularly distributed publication generally about one main topic that is of interest to its subscribers. Newspapers and leaflets are types of newsletters. Additionally, newsletters delivered electronically via email have gained rapid acceptance for the same reasons email in...
(Joaquin Miller Middle School Mustang).
Edyth May Sliffe Award
Two Miller Middle School math teachers have received the prestigious Edyth May Sliffe AwardEdyth May Sliffe Award
The Edyth May Sliffe Award is given annually to 20 teachers in the United States by the Mathematical Association of America . The awards are funded by a bequest from a retired high school mathematics teacher named Edyth May Sliffe, of Emeryville, California. Her purpose was to award high school...
, given annually to approximately fifty math teachers nationally: Ingrid Lu (2001) and Pallavi Rajendra Shah (2002). Shah has met President
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
with her team in Washington D.C..
Speech and Debate
In the school year of 2010-2011, the Miller Middle School Program sent a team of debaters to the national competition in Claremont McKenna College. The team ranked in the top fifty schools in the nation and consisted of Alvin Fan (7th), Dhruv Walia (8th), and a member from Sunnyvale Middle School Austin Liang (8th).California Distinguished School Award
In the 2008–2009 school year, Miller Middle School was awarded the California Distinguished School Award. This is the 4th time Miller has received this award.API Scores
The 2007–2008, 2008-2009 API scores allowed Miller to rank 1st in the Santa Clara County, and 2nd in the state of California.Music
The Miller Bands and Choirs go to CMEA festivals every year to receive ratings from three judges. In 2010-2011, the Mustang and the Advanced Bands earned Unanimous Superior ratings. In 2009-2010, the Jazz Band, Mustang Band, and Advanced Bands all earned Unanimous Superior for their CMEA Band Festival performances. In 2008–2009, the combined Mustang Band earned Excellent, while Advanced Band earned Unanimous Superior. In 2007–2008, the Mustang Bands earned Superior and Unanimous Superior, and Advanced Band earned Unanimous Superior.Miller's Choirs have earned Unanimous Superior ratings at CMEA Festivals every year since 2004. Also, Advanced Choir will be performing at the annual state convention in Sacramento. This is a very high honor, as this shows the choir program has a state-wide reputation.
Miller Middle School's Band Department hosts and runs a CMEA Solo and Ensemble Festival held in March at San Jose State University
San José State University
San Jose State University is a public university located in San Jose, California, United States...
every year. Many music students from all over the Bay area, including many Miller students, perform in the festival. Some students who earn a Superior rating at the local CMEA Solo and Ensemble Festival may go on to perform in the statewide Solo and Ensemble Festival, held in Sacramento.
Wordmasters
For the 2008–09 school year, Miller ranked among the top 10 schools for WordMasters. For the 2009-10 WordMasters challenge, Miller ranked top!Spelling Bee
Ramya A., from Miller, went to Washington D.C. to perform in the National Scripps Spelling Bee and earned 5th place. She was sponsored by the San Francisco ChronicleSan Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
.
External links
- Miller Middle School official website
- Miller (Joaquin) Middle School profile provided by schooltree.org
- CUSD Home Page