September 8, 2006

Evergreen SchoolScene

Welcome Back!

After a long and warm summer, Evergreen schools are back in session

Cedar Grove Elementary teacher Mike Fong leads his third-grade class to their room for the first day of school. Evergreen Elementary School District schools opened their doors for the 2006-07 academic year on Aug. 28. Photos by Jeff Frazee	A long line of cars snakes through the Evergreen Valley High School parking lot on the first day of school.

Principal Brian Martes welcomes Teresa Acevedo and fourth grader Alicia Gonzales to the first day of school at Cedar Grove Elementary.	Students and parents pour into the corridors of Cedar Grove Elementary on the first day of school on Aug. 28.

Fourth-grader Christian Gonzales waits nervously for school to begin with his mom, Anna, and 11-month-old Judith.		Third-grade teacher Mike Fong opens his class to new students at Cedar Grove Elementary on Evergreen School District’s first day of the 2006-07 school year.

Evergreen School District 2006-2007 Happenings

By Kathy Gomez
Evergreen Elementary School District Director of Educational Services
Special to the Times

Evergreen School District has many exciting plans for the 2006-2007 school year, chief among them is to make sure that every child in the district achieves.

The district’s assessment results from spring STAR testing show that its students continue to make forward progress as a whole. Superintendent Clif Black has made it clear to every district employee that student achievement is everyone’s number one goal.

Evergreen students returned to school on Monday, August 28 and learned about some of the plans in store for them. Below is a summary of what each school has planned for the coming year.

Cadwallader Elementary School is on the move. Principal Denise Williams is beginning her fifth year at the school and has an aggressive plan for working with parents and the community to enhance student learning. She and her staff will work together to refine instructional practices in Step Up to Writing and will use the “Focused Approach” to better meet the needs of the school’s English Language Learners (ELL). Ms. Williams, who also serves as the district’s Director of English Language Learners, leads her school on the cutting edge of best practices in helping ELL students achieve.

Cedar Grove Elementary School has a new principal. Mr. Brian Martes is excited to return to Cedar Grove after a short hiatus as assistant principal at Quimby Oak. Mr. Martes and his staff will be focusing on helping the school’s students develop writing proficiency. Using Step Up to Writing strategies and working closely with the district’s resource teacher, the teachers will develop and implement lessons and use student work to assess the effectiveness of their strategies.

Chaboya Middle School has a gorgeous new floor and expanded basketball court facilities in their gym as well as new and expanded kitchen facilities. These changes are much welcomed by Principal Bette Samdahl who leads the district’s largest middle school. Ms. Samdahl and her administrative staff, which includes Mr. Derrick Watkins, Ms. Leslye Lawler and Mr. Allen Ventura, plan to work with Project Cornerstone this year to help build student assets.

Carolyn A. Clark Elementary School is open for its second year. An active PTA and committed parent community have planned an exciting year of community-building activities. Principal Jeff Smith is excited about not only the community-building activities but also the professional development work he has planned with his staff. Implementation of the district’s new social studies curriculum and a focus on enhancing student writing will form the foundation for site-based professional development work.

The Dove Hill Elementary School staff is looking forward to working with their families and community this year as they refine their practices in differentiating instruction so that all students achieve. Principal Dolores Garcia is also looking to further implement Step Up to Writing to help all students become proficient writers. Plans this year also include working with Project Cornerstone to implement an ABC Parent Program and Los Dichos de la Casa, a Spanish language-based version of the ABC Parent Program. Mrs. Garcia invites all interested parents and Dove Hill community members to contact her if they would like to learn more.

Evergreen Elementary School will also implement a Project Cornerstone ABC Parent Program. Principal Kathy Shepard is looking forward to the opportunity to bring parents and grandparents into the classrooms to read and lead discussions with students. This program is designed to enlarge the circle of caring adults that students meet and know on campus. In addition to working with Project Cornerstone the staff will work on further implementing Step Up to Writing and differentiated instruction strategies.

Holly Oak Elementary School staff is gearing up for another successful year. Principal Leila Welch and her staff have a number of exciting events planned this fall. In September the school will kick off its PTA fundraiser and host a Back to School Night for all families. Peace Patrol, Student Service Club, and the Cornerstone Club will also get underway. In October, the annual mini-conference will be held to make parents aware of some of the academic programs in place for their children. Red Ribbon Week and an Octoberfest will be celebrated toward the end of the month. Mrs. Welch and her staff are excited about their work and look forward to helping their students succeed academically and socially.

Laurelwood Elementary School had some work done over the summer. A fresh coat of paint and a resurfaced kindergarten playground made the school look inviting to students as they returned on the first day. The school has purchased a new mobile tech cart with 32 computers. The COW (Computers On Wheels) will be used by students for project-based learning. Principal Dan Deguara said that the school staff will continue to work with Project Cornerstone staff to develop the ABC Parent Program that is designed to help students build developmental assets. Additionally, the staff will participate in Step Up to Writing and “Focused Approach” professional development activities over the course of the year.

LeyVa Middle School students will have a brand new library/media center this year. The brand new state of the art facility will house not only books, periodicals, and journals, but also technology resources that will allow students to do research and engage in project-based learning activities. Principal Chris Corpus said that the school is partnering with City Year national volunteer group and that students will be participating in community service activities. Working with
Mr. Corpus as Assistant Principals are Mr. Mark Munoz, Dr. LaReisha Johnson, and Ms. Lyn Gustaferro.

Tom Matsumoto Elementary School will host a Family Step Up to Writing Night on October 5. The school will also be partnering with Project Cornerstone to implement the ABC program whereby parents and/or grandparents visit the school and read to the students. This program is designed to use literacy opportunities to share concepts of student-to-student respect; increase student achievement, learning engagement and interpersonal competence by positively impacting school climate, and increase the number of caring adults that students interact with at school. Principal Mary Helmer and Assistant Principal Steve Sweeney are “looking forward to refining the school’s instructional program to meet the needs of all our students.”

Millbrook Elementary School has undergone phase one of a two-phase renovation project. Twenty new classrooms and a new restroom facility have been brought in to replace outdated and well-worn buildings. The new buildings have energy efficient lighting and heating/air conditioning systems. Phase two of the renovation project involves moving existing classrooms closer to the center of the school grounds, creating a courtyard, and expanding the playground/field area. Principal Hedwig Rucker is very pleased with the work that was done this summer and is anxiously awaiting the completion of the project next year.

Montgomery Elementary School has a brand new look. Over the summer, work was completed on the school’s new two-story building. New landscaping and sod as well as a new playground and parking lot have made the school not only attractive but also student friendly. Principal Kelly Johnson and the staff at Montgomery are enjoying the new surroundings and are looking forward to working together with the community to meet the needs of all of Montgomery’s students.

Norwood Creek Elementary School is continuing to build on the theme it implemented last year, which is “Developing Thriving Children.” In addition to working with Project Cornerstone, Principal Bob Pruitt and his staff plan to focus on further developing students’ writing skills. The staff will be working with the District’s Step Up to Writing Resource Teacher to practice and refine their implementation of best practices with regard to helping students become proficient writers.

The Quimby Oak Middle School staff is excited to begin the new year. Principal Phil Bond and his staff have implemented PASSPORT, a new semester-long class for all students at Quimby. This class will help students identify their personal strengths and challenges, foster positive peer relationships, help support a positive campus climate and enable students to participate in service learning projects to benefit the community. Working with Mr. Bond as assistant principals this year are Mr. Ken Barber, Ms. Gina Juarez, Ms. Ruth Stephens Radle, and Mr. Jim Sherman.

Silver Oak Elementary School has a new principal. Ms. Carole Schmitt comes to the school with a strong background of teaching and administrative experience. She has served as a teacher, project specialist, assistant principal and principal and has been with the Evergreen School District for 20 years. She is excited about her new assignment and is looking forward to working with the staff as they refine their practices in differentiated instruction techniques, research based comprehension strategies and Step Up to Writing.

J.F. Smith Elementary School will continue to move forward as it increases the use of technology to enhance student learning. A Technology Committee, composed of teachers, parents and Principal Keith Hodgin is in place and will work this year to develop and implement a long-term technology plan. The school has also formed a Beautification Committee to explore ways the school and community can work together to maintain a school site that is attractive, safe, and conducive to student learning.

K.R. Smith Elementary School has a new principal. Mr. Nick Radley has served as a teacher and assistant principal at the school and is now taking the helm as principal. He and his staff have some big plans for the year. In addition to doing in-depth analysis of student achievement data, they plan to focus on refining their use of differentiated instruction techniques to better meet individual student needs and to work closely with the school’s families and community to ensure academic and social success for all K.R. Smith students.

O.B. Whaley Elementary School prides itself on meeting the comprehensive needs of children and their families. This year, they will again offer the After School Education Safety Program (ASES) which is implemented through a State grant in collaboration with the YMCA and the Evergreen School District. ASES serves approximately 90 students from dismissal until 6:00 p.m. The program strives to foster developmental assets and has a strong family and nutrition component. Principal Lisa Artiga, who is beginning her seventh year as principal at O.B. Whaley, is excited to offer for the first time this year, a Head Start preschool on the O.B. Whaley campus, which will serve the needs of 34 preschoolers. In addition, before and after-school Extended Day programs, taught by O.B. Whaley teachers, will be offered to students based on need.

Academically, the school will continue to focus on meeting the diverse needs of all students. Emphasis will be placed on improving reading comprehension and writing skills. Teachers will implement Step-Up-to-Writing strategies and complete their “Focused Approach” training to support students in meeting the standards.

School Scene Roundup

By Laura Firchow
Times Intern

LeyVa Middle School recovers quickly from devastating campus fire

Social studies classes are held in new, energy efficient rooms

As the 2006-07 school year kicked off, all signs indicated that LeyVa Middle School has recovered quickly and calmly from the campus fire that took place on June 5.

The newly renovated classrooms at LeyVa Middle School are brightly lit, and are newly furnished, making them a great place to learn again. Photos by Laura Firchow

Three classrooms underwent interior renovations throughout the summer after they were damaged from the smoke and flames of a fire set by an unknown individual.

The majority of the damage was to the middle room of the three, where the fire was set in the corner near a pile of books after the arsonist broke in through one of the classroom windows.

Luckily, the school’s alarm company sent out a dispatcher who arrived on the scene only five minutes after the smoke alarm started ringing. They then called 9-1-1 and the closest fire department was there within another five minutes.

“It was the quick response that saved the rest of the building from burning down,” said LeyVa Principal Christopher Corpus. “We were lucky that it was only one classroom that suffered severe damage”.

Swenson Construction Company went to work within three days of the fire and rid the rooms of any smoke damage that existed. Light demolition was needed, as the rooms’ walls were reconstructed, but the frame of the building was salvageable.

The once smoke-damaged rooms have been repainted outside to blend in with the rest of the buildings on campus.

During the last two weeks of the 2005-2006 school year, the seventh and eighth-grade social studies classes that met in these rooms had class in the library and some of the lesser-used rooms on campus. Fortunately, every teacher was able to move into a full-time classroom, according to Corpus.

Repairs were made quickly, but attention to detail was of top importance. Construction took just two months and was completed by mid-August.

Overall, the repairs included cleaning, repainting, new carpeting, and new air conditioning ducts, as well as installing new desks, energy efficient lighting, and insulation on the ceiling, which was tripled. New insulation was also installed in the side and front walls of the rooms.

These modifications make the three new classrooms the most energy efficient rooms on the middle school campus, according to Corpus.


Silver Creek High School comes back to school with a newly renovated gym

Repairs to damage from New Year’s storms completed in time for school

Silver Creek High School happily kicked off the school year with a new gym and fully operational campus.

During the infamous New Year’s storms of 2006, the entire Evergreen area suffered from numerous incidents of damage to buildings, property and landscape. Silver Creek High School was hit hard by the storm on January 1, when the roof of the high school’s 37-year-old gym tore off in large sections, leaving two-thirds of the gym fully exposed to the relentless weather.

After the storm cleared, the large gymnasium was left soaking in two inches of standing rainwater.

The newly renovated Silver Creek gym has a fresh coat of paint and modern bleachers, making it an inviting facility. Students and athletes can once again display their talent on the new, polished hardwood floors.

Cleanup crews immediately got to work vacuuming up as much of the water as possible to prevent damage to the walls and hardwood floor of the gym. Unfortunately, their hard work was not enough to avoid damage, and within two days, the hardwood floors began warping.

Throughout the remainder of the school year, and during the majority of the summer months, the gym was closed and underwent complete interior renovation.

What would have been a large inconvenience to winter athletic teams, especially boys’ and girls’ basketball, was made manageable with the help of neighboring schools and the Evergreen Valley College, all of which offered its own gyms for use to Silver Creek teams.

All athletic practices were held at the Evergreen Valley College facilities and all home games were rescheduled to take place at competing teams’ gymnasiums.

“We were very thankful for everyone’s help and for the use of their facilities,” said Silver Creek Principal Thelma Boac.

This year, the athletic teams and P.E. classes at Silver Creek will enjoy the luxuries of a nearly brand-new gym facility.

Vice Principal Chris Schroeder gave a detailed run down of everything done to renovate the gym facility. The main repairs included a new hardwood gym floor, a new roof, and repainting of the entire gym, including walls and ceilings.

Some of the windows near the ceiling of the gym were also replaced and new bleachers were installed. The finishing touch that brought the whole renovation together was the painting of the new logo in the center of the gym floor. The “SC” logo is painted in bold, block letters and finishes off the modern look of the facility. All repairs were completed by July, in plenty of time for the start of school.

“We are very happy with the results,” Schroeder said. “It’s good to have the gym back. It is an important part of our school.”

Evergreen schools shine with STAR and API scores

By Lorraine Gabbert
Staff Writer

The continued success of Evergreen schools was reflected through their 2006 California Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) and Academic Performance Index (API) scores recently released by the California Department of Education.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell considers state and federal testing essential in ensuring that schools continue to meet the individual needs of their students, preparing them for success in a rapidly changing global economy.

“The state and federal accountability systems provide important information about public school performance,” he said. “They show that California schools are making steady progress in raising student achievement, but that we must continue to focus on closing the achievement gap.”

Evergreen’s elementary, middle and high schools’ API scores continued to climb, demonstrating growth from 2005 to 2006, with Laurelwood Elementary School in the Evergreen Elementary District showing the least gains, and Valle Vista Elementary School in the Mount Pleasant Elementary District making the greatest gains. However, even though Laurelwood Elementary School took a dip in its API score this year, it still scored above 800 and are considered proficient as determined by the State of California. 

According to California State Standards, every student must reach the proficient or advanced level of learning. In this respect, Evergreen schools are performing well with increasing scores and percentile growth of achieving students.

Making sense of the API
The API is the state’s primary measurement tool used to calculate the academic performance, growth and effectiveness of California’s schools in meeting state standards. While low API scores may identify problem schools, the API test is also analyzed by teachers to target students in need of assistance in specific areas, as well as a reminder to focus on the standards.

Based upon a numeric range of 200 to 1,000 points, the target goal for each school is a score of 800 points. Annual growth targets are 5 percent of the difference between a school’s base API score and the state’s 800-point target.

Several factors contribute to a school’s API score. The most significant of which is the California Standards Test (CST) given to grades two through eleven during the STAR test. The California Achievement Test, 6th Edition (CAT/6) makes up another component of the STAR exam and is a norm-referenced, multiple choice test given to grades three and seven only. The CAT/6 is used to measure general academic knowledge and is used for national comparison data. Rounding out the API score are the California High School Exit Exam CAHSEE and CAPA, a standards-based test for students with significant cognitive disabilities.

Various student subgroups within a school must also make improvements for a school to meet its API targets. These subgroups include ethnic, socio-economically disadvantaged, and for the first time in 2006, English learners and students with disabilities. Introducing these two new subgroups into the API results reduced the percentage of schools meeting their API growth targets, and accounted for about one quarter of the decline between 2005 and 2006. In addition, the API scores were affected by a decrease in the improvement of students’ scores on the California Standards Test.

Evergreen District’s STAR testing
STAR testing results show that in English-language arts district-wide, the percentage of students who tested at the proficient level grew by 3 percent in 2006, increasing from 58 to 61 percent. In mathematics, the district experienced a 2 percent growth in the number of students who are considered proficient. In both cases, second graders scored the highest percentage of students making the grade.

Linda Mora, Evergreen Elementary District’s Director of Instruction, attributes the district’s growth in English-language arts to a focus on writing. To assist students in this area, the district employs “Step Up to Writing,” a nationally researched-based strategy which uses a systematic approach to teaching kindergarten through eighth grade students how to plan, develop and write paragraphs and essays. In kindergarten through third grade, the focus is on writing narratives, essays and summaries. Informational reports are added in fourth grade, while persuasive compositions join the mix in fifth and sixth grade. Seventh grade students demonstrate their writing abilities with fictional and autobiographical narratives, while eighth graders pen biographies and short stories.

“With each progressive school year, students are expected to deepen their understanding of the writing process,” said
Mora, “and the genres are repeated with greater expectations.”

The Evergreen School District plans to continue to improve student writing through “Step Up To Writing,” including incorporating the teaching of voice in their work.

In mathematics, the goal of the Evergreen School District is for all students to be proficient in Algebra by the eighth grade.

“At all grade levels, students are expected to demonstrate appropriate grade level proficiency,” said Mora, “in Number Sense, Algebra and functions, Measurement and Geometry, Statistics, Data Analysis, Probability and Mathematical Reasoning.”

Evergreen District’s API scores
Evergreen School District’s Academic Performance Index (API) demonstrated a growth of 10 points, increasing its score from 827 in 2005 to 837 in 2006. The district includes a number of outstanding scoring schools, including Silver Oak Elementary School, the district’s highest scoring school, with an API score of 952. Close on its heels is James Franklin Smith Elementary with an API score of 949 and Tom Matsumoto Elementary School, with a 2006 score of 948. Matsumoto Elementary demonstrated the greatest growth, increasing 24 points from 924 in 2005 to 948 in 2006. Carolyn A. Clark Elementary followed with an impressive growth of 21 points, joining the 900-plus club with a score of 918. Cadwallader Elementary was also exemplary with a growth of 19 point, increasing its score from 796 in 2005 to 815 in 2006. Also noteworthy was O.B. Whaley Elementary School’s reaching the 800 mark with a growth of 11 points and a score of 806.

In 2006, 14 out of the Evergreen District’s 18 schools met and exceeded expected growth targets as determined by the State of California. Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) was also achieved at all schools in the Evergreen School District.

The district’s three middle schools continued to improve their API scores with Chaboya in the lead with a 3-point growth for a score of 846. George V. Leyva Intermediate School showed the greatest growth, with an 8-point gain for a score of 760. Quimby Oak Intermediate exhibited a 7-point gain for an API score of 819.

“Currently, all of our schools are in the process of disaggregating data,” said Mora, “to set and identify goals for the [new] school year.”

Mount Pleasant Elementary District
The Mount Pleasant School District defines excellence in teaching as instruction that maximizes positive student learning. Their educational program approach strives to be collaborative, responsive and pragmatic.

Mariann Engle, Mount Pleasant Elementary District’s Director of Instruction is pleased with the district’s STAR and API scores.

“Mount Pleasant, Robert Sanders and Valley Vista Elementary Schools did superb,” said Engle, “and their demographics are so different. Their programs support their students for good growth.”

In the Mount Pleasant District, Valle Vista Elementary School broke the 800 mark, with an API score of 882. It also demonstrated the district’s greatest growth, with a gain of 47 points from 2005 to 2006. Robert Sanders Elementary School, which has a dual-emersion program at their site, experienced an impressive API growth of 30 points, bringing its score to 724, while Mount Pleasant Elementary School turned in a 26-point increase to reach an API score of 782.

“We are quite pleased with their progress,” said Engle. “They really do an exceptional job with their reading-language arts program and ‘Success for All’ tutorials.”

Working in conjunction with the program, they access and test students every eight weeks, advancing them to the next level. For those needing additional assistance, tutorials aid in their growth. At Robert Sanders Elementary School, where students are taught in Spanish and assessed in English, children are also assessed and targeted every six to eight weeks during the language-arts block.

“I really think the teachers and principals have done an outstanding job in meeting the needs of our students,” said Engle. “We’re so proud of our three elementary schools for making such progress.”

Both Ida Jew Intermediate School and August Boeger Jr. High had a dip in their scores, of 8 and 14 points, respectively. Ida Jew currently has an API score of 732, while August Boeger’s score is 689.

Regarding the middle school dips, Engle notes that these schools experienced challenges such as principal changes. After August Boeger Jr. High’s scores dropped in math, immediate action was taken at the school, including teacher movement and additional staff development.

“The math department has had quite a change in staff and we’re also doing intensive staff development,” said Engle. “This year we’re using intervention benchmark assessments to make sure students don’t fall between the cracks, as well as regular benchmark assessments based on grade level standards, to make sure we’re monitoring progress and giving teachers insight into what they need to be doing in the classroom.”

Eastside Union High School District
Jane Baldi, Eastside Union High School District’s Director of Testing, Evaluation and Research is encouraged by the growth of Eastside Union High School District on its STAR testing.

“District-wide, we saw moderate improvement in terms of English-language arts, especially in grade 9,” she said. “The progress there was encouraging.”

Baldi also noted increases in science, higher-end math courses and the high school summative test.

Baldi was pleased by the five percent growth in both subjects at Mount Pleasant High School, although Evergreen stayed constant and Silver Creek took a slight dip.

Mount Pleasant also experienced the highest API growth of these schools, gaining 20 points in 2006 for a score of 693.

“Mount Pleasant has experienced three years of steady growth, gaining 55 API points,” said Baldi, “while Silver Creek has had an up-and-down pattern, with high increases one year, followed by a dip and improving again.”

According to Baldi, even though Silver Creek showed a loss of 14 points in 2006, last year they achieved a positive 52 points, illustrating healthy growth over multiple years. Evergreen Valley gained 5 points, for an API score of 818.

“The principals of all three schools have made continued efforts to align their curricula to the state standards,” Baldi said, “taking strategies and putting them into action.”

Among these efforts are programs incorporating differentiated instruction, dynamic teachers, training programs focused on motivating underperforming students, and explicit direct instruction.

“As a district,” said Baldi, “our main focus is on ninth grade and catching students before they fail. We want as many students as possible to pass the high school exit exam their first time through. We saw some good increases in our ninth grade algebra scores this year and hope to get even better through focusing on good teaching strategies.”

Whether regarding an elective course or core curriculum, Baldi sees teacher collaboration as a key to student success.
“The most powerful strategy is teachers talking with other teachers,” she said, “and determining their effectiveness through examining data.”

Baldi is in favor of teachers sharing their ideas through professional dialogue.

“This has shown to be the most powerful strategy that any district can do,” she said. “So that’s where we’re headed.”