By Henry Castaniada, Superintendent, Soquel Union Elementary School District
It is hard to believe that we are completing the 2014-15 school year. Throughout this school year our children and staff have benefited tremendously from the incredible support that was demonstrated by our parents. We were able to create dynamic learning opportunities through our talented staff and through the investments of our parents who sponsored activities, donated their time, attended fundraisers and were proactive in supporting the daily instruction of our students.
As Superintendent I am extremely grateful to work side by side with an outstanding staff and a tremendous parental support community. Having the opportunity to visit our five schools, Santa Cruz Gardens, Soquel Elementary, Main Street, Opal Cliffs and New Brighton Middle School throughout this year was definitely my highpoint. In summarizing the 2014-15 school year, here is a view of some of the highlights at each of our five schools.
Main Street School
Main Street School has created enrichment activities for both students and staff. The highly talented staff was awarded four grants from the Cotsen Foundation this year. Special activities for students that occur during the day, as well as after school, were in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. Their wonderful Life Lab will embrace the next generation of science standards for Common Core. The expansion of Reader’s and Writer’s workshop has enabled staff to become more effective in the area of intervention. Next year the staff at Main Street is excited to implement strategies learned from Silicon Valley Math Initiative (SVMI), Mini-Merit and growth mindset training.
New Brighton Middle School
One of the strongest educational components at New Brighton Middle School lies in the area of their outstanding elective courses. Students at New Brighton Middle School had the opportunity to engage in Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID), Art, Journalism, Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM), Spanish, Technology, Woodshop, Yearbook, Healthy Living and Shakespeare.
These wonderful classes are engaging and very exciting for our students. Another innovative strategy that is being implemented throughout New Brighton Middle School lies in the area of technology. The talented staff at New Brighton is
incorporating technology seamlessly, and our students are having the golden opportunity to explore complex instruction through different media sources. Next year the staff is looking forward to expanding enrichment classes, especially after school, and to create opportunities to develop a teen center concept.
Opal Cliffs School
The transitional kindergarten program at Opal Cliffs School this year was truly amazing. It gave our children the perfect creative and active learning environment with a focus on preparing them for a traditional academic kindergarten program. Our transitional kindergarten students were constantly engaged in exciting curriculum and entertaining playtime. The huge success of our transitional kindergarten was directly aligned with the special educators of this program and the incredible parent volunteers who actively participated on a daily basis to bring rich curricula to these students.
Santa Cruz Gardens
This year our children at Santa Cruz Gardens Elementary School expanded the rotation platform that was developed last year. Students in grades 4 and 5 were able to engage in the Khan Academy Lab, Mindfulness, Advanced Math and Language Arts interventions. Huge breakthroughs occurred at Santa Cruz Gardens in the area of inclusion. The talented staff has created a wonderful educational setting that embraces the inclusion model for all students. In the areas of Science students had the opportunity to create projects of inquiry that blended both Math and Science concepts together. The Science Fair was a huge hit at Santa Cruz Gardens Elementary School.
Soquel Elementary
The staff at Soquel Elementary School continues to create opportunities for exceptional professional staff developments. Highlights from this school year included the hosting of countywide staff development trainings at the school. Having the entire staff at Soquel Elementary trained in Reader’s and Writer’s workshop is a major accomplishment at any level.
The data teams that were created are building effective long-term intervention strategies that will result in all children being highly educated. Next year the Soquel Elementary School staff will continue to enrich their skill sets in the area of Cognitive Growth Instruction (CGI), Silicon Valley Math Initiative (SVMI) and Blended Technology.
As we begin to plan for the next school year, the excitement that we have built from the 2014-15 school year will enable us to expand our efforts in creating an environment of exploration learning that is academically challenging and fun for our students.