The number of Booksin Elementary School students who picked the middle school as their first choice rose sharply from 35 to 73 students this year, Willow Glen Middle School principal John Tavella said. Next year, 101 out of 121 fifth-graders at Booksin Elementary will attend the middle school.

Figures at other neighborhood elementary schools are equally encouraging, with 59 out of 92 students at Willow Glen Elementary, and 50 out of 80 students at Schallenberger Elementary selecting the middle school for next year.

The middle school also has 89 students on its waiting list. "This is a large number for the school that hasn't had a waiting list for several years," said Karen Fuqua, spokeswoman for the San Jose Unified School District.

Tavella credits the jump to the school's continuing outreach into the community. "We really went after our neighborhood children to get them back into the school," he said.

For the first time, the school, with the help of parent Rick Guptill, put together a 10-minute video presentation that showcased the middle school's wide range of programs. The video presented a day in the life of a Willow Glen Middle School student, Tavella said.

Piggybacking on the video, the parents also had a "Ram Power Breakfast" in February. Willow Glen Foundation members, the PTA and school staff served up pancakes and led more than 400 neighborhood parents and students on tours of the school. Parents also hear performances from the school choir and the jazz band, helping make the event a success, Tavella said.

"The more they know about the school, the better they feel about it," he said.

Adding to the outreach push, Tavella also visited elementary schools in the community with the school's cheerleading squad and robotics team. Sixth-grade students went along to answer questions fired at them by elementary school children on the activities and programs at the school.

Kim Guptill, president of the Willow Glen Foundation, is "thrilled" with the school's efforts to encourage more families back into the community schools.

"It's all about being better together," Tavella said. "If we all work together, the school will get better."