I am Three

Today my teacher said, “Let’s grow as tall as the redwoods!” I reached my arms way up high. I stood on my tippy-toes. I stretched and stretched. “I’m getting bigger!” I laughed. Then we all became trees. I was a giant redwood. My feet were roots that stayed in the ground. My arms were branches. The wind whooshed through my leaves. I didn’t move when the pretend wind blew because redwoods are strong.

My friends were trees too. We made a whole forest. Some trees were tall. Some trees were wiggly. Then I heard a big “Caw!” It was Sarah the hawk! She flew high above our forest, looking all around. We waved our branches and said, “Hi, Sarah!” She glided Digital Equity for Mountain School Districts Santa Clara County Office of Education Reliable internet and power can be a challenge for our small mountain school districts. Winter storms, downed power lines, and the rural environment can lead to disrupted connectivity. Sometimes, schools are forced to close, interrupting learning for students and creating a barrier for outreach in times of crisis.

“In a small mountain school district like ours, reliable technology and uninterrupted connectivity are essential for teaching, learning, communication, and student safety,” said Lakeside superintendent/ principal Steve Burrell.

Through a digital-equity effort led by the Santa Clara County Office of Education, two small mountain school districts now have the infrastructure they need to stay connected no matter the weather conditions. Funded through a federal grant by the office of former Congresswoman Anna Eshoo, the Digital Equity Project brought upgraded systems and resilient power solutions to both Lakeside and Loma Prieta school districts The work included full network upgrades, including replacing routers, switches, and wireless-access points. Wi-Fi access was expanded to outdoor spaces to better serve students, staff, and families across campus.

New generators and backup systems were installed to ensure schools can remain open during power outages. These systems keep the internet running and classrooms open during prolonged interruptions. “The Digital Equity Project has had a tremendously positive impact on Lakeside School,” Burrell said. “The successful completion of both the generator project and our full network refresh has provided infrastructure and connectivity that meets our operational and instructional needs.”

“While the completed project can go unnoticed by anyone who would arrive on campus to see a building or a structure, it is equally (if not more) important to today’s school districts to have a relevant, upgraded IT infrastructure that is capable of keeping pace with the evolution of technology aimed to support our students,” said Loma Prieta superintendent, Dr. Kevin Grier.

The new systems include extended support agreements and infrastructure to last many years, ensuring districts can maintain high- quality connectivity without ongoing strain on local resources. Regardless of weather and outages, students will have access to what they need to connect, learn, and thrive.

away to visit the other trees. I wondered where she was going next. Soon there were pretend birds making nests in our branches. Our teacher asked, “Who else lives in the redwoods?” I yelled out “unicorns!”, but I also heard my friends say lizards and sharks and dinosaurs and cats and I really hope the shark doesn’t eat the cats. Maybe the dinosaur will eat the shark.

Then the rain came. The drops fell on my leaves. Then the sun came out, and everything sparkled. I liked being a tree. Then it was time to wash hands and my teacher said, “The redwoods are ready to walk.” My roots turned back into little feet, and my branches turned back into little arms.

But inside, I still felt as tall as a redwood tree.