cupertino: Map of Cupertino Monta Vista Homes Under $1.1M
- 06/12/12 02:57 AM
A picture tells a thousands words. Take a loop at this map I put together of Cupertino Monta Vista Homes that sold this year under $1.1M. Notice how the listings that sold under $1.1M are clustered by the highway, railroad, or busy street. If you want to buy a Monta Vista home under $1.1M in this market, you have to think about whether you mind living near a highway, railroad, or busy street. … (3 comments)
cupertino: Cupertino Castlewood Neighborhood up 20% over mid 2005 prices
- 05/11/12 04:01 PM
Case Study Cupertino Castlewood Neighborhood up 20% over mid 2005 prices Many people say that during a real estate downturn, houses in good school districts keep their values better. Rather than simply trust this logic, I performed a Case Study.
People say that sometimes statistics are manipulated by cherry-picking statistics that show their intended viewpoint. For instance, data might show housing prices in Sunnyvale increasing by 35%, but maybe that upward shift in prices is simply because more homes are being sold in the more expensive southern part of Sunnyvale rather than the less expensive northern part of Sunnyvale.
… (0 comments)
cupertino: Prepare your kids for the STAR test to boost your school's API
- 05/04/12 06:24 PM
If you want to boost your home value, boost your school's API. To boost your school's API, you should start preparing your kids for the California STAR tests. Actually, the 2011-2012 school year testing has already been completed in Cupertino Union School District, so it may already be too late for this academic year. You can always prepare your kids for next year.
What kind of questions are in the STAR test? The questions in the STAR test are actually very good questions to test kids' intuition and underlying understanding of the subject matter. A student with a deeper understanding … (1 comments)
Each spring, all students in California from grades two through eleven take the state's Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) exams, a battery of standardized tests.
The California STAR Program looks at how well schools and students are performing. Based on STAR tests and the California High School Exit Examination (CAHSEE), California assigns … (0 comments)
cupertino: Santa Clara County Utility Directory - Who to call based on which city
- 03/23/12 04:44 AM
Santa Clara County Utility Directory Below is a list that tells you who to call based on which city your property is in:Campbell Electricity/Gas PG & E 800-PGE-5000 111 Almaden Blvd. San Jose, CA 95113 Water San Jose Water Co. 408-279-7900 374 Santa Clara St. San Jose CA Garbage Green Valley Disposal 408-354-2100 573 University Ave. Los Gatos, CA 95030 TV Cable COMCAST 800-945-2288 1900 S 10th St, San Jose, CA 95112 Phone Local Pacific Bell 800-310-2355 SBC Payment Center Sacramento, CA 95887 Phone Local AT & T 800-222-0299 PO Box 8212 Aurora, IL 60572 Long Distance AT & T 800-222-0300 … (0 comments)
cupertino: Cupertino Union School District Open Enrollment / Lottery Results for 2012-2013 School Year
- 03/05/12 11:13 PM
Cupertino Union School District Open Enrollment / Lottery Results for 2012-2013 School Year On Thursday March 1, 2012, the Cupertino Union School District Open Enrollment / Lottery was held for the 2012-2013 School Year. The order of drawing was:9:00am All Attendance Area Schools (except Alternative Education Program Schools)9:30am Mandarin Immersion Alternative Program (CLIP)9:45am Murdoch-Portal Alternative Program School10:30am McAuliffe Alternative Program School10:45am Faria A+ Alternative Program SchoolRight now, a Lottery Wait List is being established for each school, based on the drawn lottery numbers. Results will be sent to parents by mail during the week of March 26th. Any parent who … (0 comments)
cupertino: Cupertino Union School District Kindergarten Registration for the 2012-2013 School Year
- 02/13/12 05:28 PM
Cupertino Union School District Kindergarten Registration for the 2012-2013 School Year The Cupertino Union School District Kindergarten Registration for the 2012-2013 School Year is taking place right now. It started on February 6th and will continue through February 16th. Parents must go to the office of their neighborhood elementary school to pick up registration packets. The reg packets will be sequentially numbered. The number is only valid if the reg packet is returned to the neighborhood school during the Kindergarten Registration Window (Feb 6 - Feb 16, 2012). Some items to note:1. Sibling priority will be given to siblings of … (0 comments)
cupertino: Ramifications if you lose the Cupertino Union School District's Stocklmeir Elementary Lottery
- 01/24/12 12:23 PM
Ramifications if you lose the Cupertino Union School District's Stocklmeir Elementary Lottery The Cupertino Union School District (CUSD) will once again hold a lottery for kids entering kindergarten for families who live within the boundaries of Stocklmeir Elementary School.However, this is no cause for alarm. The CUSD expects all (or at least most) of the students to get into Stocklmeir.The unlucky parents whose kids don't get into Stocklmeir through the lottery have other options that aren't that bad.They can apply to other elementary schools within the Cupertino Union School District. What distinguishes Cupertino from some other top school districts … (0 comments)
cupertino: Stocklmeir's lottery system means parents don't have to camp out
- 01/24/12 12:15 PM
Stocklmeir's lottery system means parents don't have to camp out Posted Under: Quality of Life in Sunnyvale, Schools in Sunnyvale, In My Neighborhood in Sunnyvale | January 24, 2012 4:43 PM | 4 views | No comments Tuesday, January 24, 2012 Stocklmeir's lottery system means parents don't have to camp out The Cupertino Union School District will be running a lottery system for spots in Stocklmeir Elementary. Some people don't like to hear the word lottery for such an important issue, but the reason for the lottery makes sense. If the school district had offered spots on a first-come, … (0 comments)
cupertino: Cupertino Collins Elementary $465k - Blast from the Past
- 12/25/11 11:04 AM
Real estate goes up and down in the short term, but over the long run it goes up. Here's a reminder of one that got away. This Cupertino home with Collins Elementary was listed at $465k, which sounded like an outrageously high price at the time, but since then this house reached a value of $1.1M and after dipping back down to $900k is back up to $950k. … (0 comments)
cupertino: Cupertino vs. Santa Clara vs. Berryessa property tax comparison
- 10/26/11 07:29 PM
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 24, 2011 Cupertino vs. Santa Clara vs. Berryessa property tax comparison For buyers who are numbers driven, I did a detailed comparison of the property tax charges between sample houses in the 3 neighborhoods below: 1. Cupertino address with Cupertino schools 2. Santa Clara address with Cupertino schools 3. San Jose address with Berryessa schools The overall property tax rates are very similar for all properties in Santa Clara County because for all properties, you start with the same 1% maximum levy on the assessed value and that 1% is the bulk of every property tax bill. The variations are due to … (0 comments)
Cupertino, Santa Clara, Good schools, Convenient location for under $750,000 Now that the high-balance conforming loan limit has dropped from $729,750 down to $625,000, many homebuyers have now reduced their search criteria to $750,000 homes. $625,000 <-- max loan without going into Jumbo loan territory+ $125,000 <-- 20% = minimum down payment to get conventional loan without MI-----------= $750,000What is the best real estate you can buy in the South Bay for $750,000? That depends on your priorities. If your priorities are:-- Single Family Home (no monthly HOA fee)-- Good Schools (good API for elementary, middle, and high school)-- Convenient … (0 comments)
cupertino: Cupertino Lynbrook High School Math Curriculum
- 10/16/11 04:23 PM
Cupertino Lynbrook High School Math Curriculum Many parents like to buy homes in neighborhoods that will get their kids into the top schools. One such neighborhood is the Lynbrook High School neighborhood. Lynbrook High is one of the top high schools in the state. What can your child expect at Lynbrook High as far as math curriculum? After holding multiple open houses in the Lynbrook High neighborhood, I took the opportunity to speak to some of the parents about what their kids actually learn while in Lynbrook High. Since math is a subject which builds upon itself from stage to stage, this is … (1 comments)
cupertino: S.T.A.R. Testing for Cupertino Union and Fremont Union High School Districts: You can opt your child out according to one parent
- 04/10/11 05:27 AM
S.T.A.R. Testing will take place during the first 2 weeks right after spring break in the Cupertino Union School District (CUSD). Star Testing is administered for kids 2nd grade through 8 grade in CUSD and for high school kids in Fremont Union High School District (FUHSD).According to one of the parents, you can opt out your child from Star Testing if that's what you want. I personally think you should let your child get accustomed to standardized testing while they are young, but if, for some reason you are against it, follow this parent's steps outlined below:Write a handwritten letter to the … (0 comments)
cupertino: My toddler is can read the Wall Street Journal. How can I get her into kindergarten early?
- 04/07/11 06:01 AM
Q: My 3 year old daughter can read just about any word I throw at her. Is there any testing program that she can pass so Cupertino will allow her to get into Cupertino Kindergarten early?A (Karen from Student Assignment): Unfortunately no. There is no testing program to get gifted toddlers into kindergarten early. There's a strict age requirement. We at the Cupertino Student Assignment Department don't set that age requirement. The State sets that requirement. State law states your child must reach age 5 by December 2nd of that school year to get into public kindergarten. Q: Can I send … (2 comments)
cupertino: Cupertino Special Schools offer Creative Model or Traditional Model
- 01/12/11 04:23 PM
All parents who live in the Cupertino Union School District have an opportunity to apply to one of the four special schools offered by the Cupertino Union School District. Two of those schools, Faria Elementary and Christa McAuliffe Elementary are on opposite ends of the spectrum.Faria Elementary follows the traditional education model. The principal is no-nonsense. He stresses reading, writing, and arithmetic. Children sit in a traditional classroom with all desks facing the teacher at the head of the class. With this stress on core academics, Faria Elementary consistently scores at or near the top of all schools in the Bay Area … (0 comments)
cupertino: Cupertino Union School District Parents Discuss PISA Survey in Education
- 01/12/11 04:18 PM
One topic of concern to Cupertino parents last month were the PISA results. The Program for International Student Assessment (PISA ) is an internationally standardized assessment jointly developed by participating countries and administered to 15-year-olds in schools. PISA assesses how far students have acquired the knowledge and skills essential for full participation in society - reading, mathematical and scientific literacy are covered. Korea and Finland top the OECD's latest PISA survey of reading literacy among 15-year olds. Strong performances also were turned in from Hong Kong-China, Singapore, New Zealand and Japan. Canada also scored highly.Some findings and discussions (Note: These are findings and/or … (0 comments)
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Robert Lei
Sunnyvale Cupertino Santa Clara, Palo Alto Mountain...
I recently attended a meeting to discuss school emergency preparedness. This topic has been on the top of parents' minds since the tragic massacre of school kids at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut.
Here's some of what I learned in this meeting.
In an emergency situation, the authorities need to account for every child. Parents would need to go throught he appropriate channels to retrieve their child from the emergency. Parents cannot just come and take their child without letting the proper people know because then the authorities will wonder what happened to your child and will divert resources to go look for your child.
One of the middle schools in the Cupertino Union School District is designated as the central location for students in case of an emergency. That middle school is stocked with ample food, water, electrtical generators, etc. The authorities expect that in an emergency, most parents would take a break from their work to retrieve their child within 2-4 hours. However, if some parents continue to work during the emergency, they will be able to pick up their child from this designated middle school gathering point.
There are 25 schools that would feed kids to that designated middle school in the event of an emergency.
One of the officials at the meeting was instrumental at getting a $250,000 grant from Congressman Honda after a visit to Washington DC. Using that money, he subcontracted with a security company that devised a comprehensive $82,000 plan for school safety.
That official is a personal friend of Carla Holdsclaw, the person who trademarked the terms "code red" and "code blue". Other schools, who don't have permission from Ms. Holdsclaw will have to use the terms "Full lockdown" and "Shutdown in place" instead.
The biggest topic of this meeting was the discussion about whether a fence around the campus would be effective in preventing a Sandy Hook disaster. The cost of installing a fence for the 15 schools that don't have a fence would be in the millions of dollars. Some of the people questioned whether a fence would be effective in holding out a determined potential assailant. Another issue was in the event of a fire on campus, would a fence hold kids trapped inside with the flames, as was the case with the Brazilian tragedy where over 200 people perished.
One of the officers brought up the idea of having more parent volunteers patrolling campus. He also urged parents to talk their kids about safety.
The overall topic of safety in our schools will continue to be a hot topic for a while.
A picture tells a thousands words. Take a loop at this map I put together of Cupertino Monta Vista Homes that sold this year under $1.1M. Notice how the listings that sold under $1.1M are clustered by the highway, railroad, or busy street. If you want to buy a Monta Vista home under $1.1M in this market, you have to think about whether you mind living near a highway, railroad, or busy street.
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