Junipero Serra ES, the next hidden gem to emerge?
Since we're in the thick of Round 2 admissions, I thought this report that Dana Woldow posted to the sfschools list would be of interest to many families:
I'm not an incoming kindergarten parent, but I have been checking out some elementary schools lately, looking for one to support as a volunteer. Having been involved with the so-called "turnaround" at both Aptos MS and Balboa HS, I'm now in the market for an elementary school to assist. Actually, the term "turnaround" is a bit of a misnomer, as both Aptos and Balboa were already schools with "good bones" which just had a low profile. By good bones, I mean: a strong Principal with a vision and the energy to inspire the staff with that vision, an experienced staff with just enough new blood to keep the energy level high, a good location in a safe family oriented neighborhood near a park, rising test scores, small class size, and a warm, caring atmosphere. I'm happy to say that after looking for 6 months, I have found my perfect match – Junipero Serra Elementary.
I knew the minute I met Eve Cheung, Principal, that this was a school where I would be welcomed. The winner of the 2008 Schoolmaster of the Year award for SF elementary schools, Ms Cheung is that visionary leader who can take a school and really put her stamp on it. During the entire 2 hours of my visit, she addressed by name every single child who passed her in the hall. She spoke about the school's new focus on science, because she feels it is important for the students to get beyond just the English and math that figure so prominently in the standardized testing. Later this year, the school will host a science night for families, with visiting scientists and some experiments set up, and by next year they hope to host their first science fair; I've already volunteered to help organize this.
The school uses a program to foster cooperation among students (I am sorry to say I forgot the name, but it included the word "Caring"), which includes older students having a buddy in the younger grades, and a daily component when the students share their feelings, especially about their interactions with other students. This helps the staff keep tabs on what is going on when the students are out of the classroom; if someone is being teased on the yard, for example, that will come out immediately during this sharing time, where it can be addressed and the situation defused, so that no child ever has to endure feeling unhappy about being at school, for any reason. As a result, the students all talk freely about their feelings, and exhibit a high level of compassion for each other.
The class sizes are small, and all of the students we saw were engaged and on task. We were in a first grade classroom during the reading lesson, and I have to say I was impressed at the complexity of the story they were reading aloud – a lot of hard words in there which those kids got easily. I shouldn't be surprised, though, because the school's test scores have been steadily rising, despite the fact that 81% of the students qualify for free lunch, and many of them are English language learners. Their API is 755 – the same as Sunnyside – and they rank a 7 on the similar schools index (for those who place stock in that number.)
The school has a well-equipped computer lab and a full time technology teacher. The instrumental music teacher was there today and we heard the violins play a pretty good rendition of "Happy Birthday"; 4th and 5th grade have the usual choice of violin, trumpet, flute, or clarinet, while 3rd graders play recorder and 1st and 2nd graders have choral music. There was student art all over the walls, and student writing samples up in most of the classrooms, including Kindergarten. Two of the Kindergarten classrooms are located in the annex across the street from the main building, where they share a nice play yard with the child development program. Next year, a third Kindergarten will be situated inside the main building, and smart parents will sign up soon for a spot, because Serra has an interesting enrollment pattern. The school alternates enrolling 3 Kindergartens with 3 1st grades – so, next year they will have 3 incoming K classes, and 2 1st grades, while the following year they will have 3 1st grades but only enroll 2 incoming K classes. For those with a younger sibling coming up, this means that snagging a place for the oldest in next year's K class will ensure getting a seat for the younger sib a few years down the road, even if it is year when only 2 classes are admitted. You all know how it goes with schools in this town – the school no one ever heard of this year is on everyone's top 7 list a few years later, and then there are tears and recriminations when people get turned away. The smart move is to get in before the crowds descend.
I spoke at length with some of the other school staff, and learned that the school has a PTA, but more importantly, they have a huge number of parents who come to the school on a regular basis, volunteering to go on the field trips, and attending the school events. They have a new partnership with Google, who will be supporting some site improvements and providing more volunteers, and are having some work done by the district as well, including an exterior paint job.
Although the school does not have a language immersion program, it does have a bilingual strand in the early grades for language learners. With a high number of Spanish speakers, the Principal mentioned the possibility of having an after school class for English speakers to learn Spanish. Ms Cheung is committed to the idea that every child should speak at least two languages, she is bilingual herself as are her children, and she is trying hard to be able to offer that option to all of her students as well.
Located right on Holly Park, the school is convenient to Bernal Heights and Noe Valley. I was able to get a parking place within a block of the school, and there is a fire station right across the street, with hunky firemen standing around out front (always a plus, in my opinion), showing off their fire engine to a group of big-eyed preschoolers. For those who worry that they don't have the time or energy to "turn around" a school, all I can say is, this one really doesn't need any turning – it is THERE, and just needs to become known to more parents. If you are not happy with your assigned school, I really urge you to check this one out – it's a winner, and in a year or two, it will be the "hidden gem" school that everyone has on their top 7 list. They are doing tours every day now; you can call the school at 695-5685 to set up a visit.
I'm not an incoming kindergarten parent, but I have been checking out some elementary schools lately, looking for one to support as a volunteer. Having been involved with the so-called "turnaround" at both Aptos MS and Balboa HS, I'm now in the market for an elementary school to assist. Actually, the term "turnaround" is a bit of a misnomer, as both Aptos and Balboa were already schools with "good bones" which just had a low profile. By good bones, I mean: a strong Principal with a vision and the energy to inspire the staff with that vision, an experienced staff with just enough new blood to keep the energy level high, a good location in a safe family oriented neighborhood near a park, rising test scores, small class size, and a warm, caring atmosphere. I'm happy to say that after looking for 6 months, I have found my perfect match – Junipero Serra Elementary.
I knew the minute I met Eve Cheung, Principal, that this was a school where I would be welcomed. The winner of the 2008 Schoolmaster of the Year award for SF elementary schools, Ms Cheung is that visionary leader who can take a school and really put her stamp on it. During the entire 2 hours of my visit, she addressed by name every single child who passed her in the hall. She spoke about the school's new focus on science, because she feels it is important for the students to get beyond just the English and math that figure so prominently in the standardized testing. Later this year, the school will host a science night for families, with visiting scientists and some experiments set up, and by next year they hope to host their first science fair; I've already volunteered to help organize this.
The school uses a program to foster cooperation among students (I am sorry to say I forgot the name, but it included the word "Caring"), which includes older students having a buddy in the younger grades, and a daily component when the students share their feelings, especially about their interactions with other students. This helps the staff keep tabs on what is going on when the students are out of the classroom; if someone is being teased on the yard, for example, that will come out immediately during this sharing time, where it can be addressed and the situation defused, so that no child ever has to endure feeling unhappy about being at school, for any reason. As a result, the students all talk freely about their feelings, and exhibit a high level of compassion for each other.
The class sizes are small, and all of the students we saw were engaged and on task. We were in a first grade classroom during the reading lesson, and I have to say I was impressed at the complexity of the story they were reading aloud – a lot of hard words in there which those kids got easily. I shouldn't be surprised, though, because the school's test scores have been steadily rising, despite the fact that 81% of the students qualify for free lunch, and many of them are English language learners. Their API is 755 – the same as Sunnyside – and they rank a 7 on the similar schools index (for those who place stock in that number.)
The school has a well-equipped computer lab and a full time technology teacher. The instrumental music teacher was there today and we heard the violins play a pretty good rendition of "Happy Birthday"; 4th and 5th grade have the usual choice of violin, trumpet, flute, or clarinet, while 3rd graders play recorder and 1st and 2nd graders have choral music. There was student art all over the walls, and student writing samples up in most of the classrooms, including Kindergarten. Two of the Kindergarten classrooms are located in the annex across the street from the main building, where they share a nice play yard with the child development program. Next year, a third Kindergarten will be situated inside the main building, and smart parents will sign up soon for a spot, because Serra has an interesting enrollment pattern. The school alternates enrolling 3 Kindergartens with 3 1st grades – so, next year they will have 3 incoming K classes, and 2 1st grades, while the following year they will have 3 1st grades but only enroll 2 incoming K classes. For those with a younger sibling coming up, this means that snagging a place for the oldest in next year's K class will ensure getting a seat for the younger sib a few years down the road, even if it is year when only 2 classes are admitted. You all know how it goes with schools in this town – the school no one ever heard of this year is on everyone's top 7 list a few years later, and then there are tears and recriminations when people get turned away. The smart move is to get in before the crowds descend.
I spoke at length with some of the other school staff, and learned that the school has a PTA, but more importantly, they have a huge number of parents who come to the school on a regular basis, volunteering to go on the field trips, and attending the school events. They have a new partnership with Google, who will be supporting some site improvements and providing more volunteers, and are having some work done by the district as well, including an exterior paint job.
Although the school does not have a language immersion program, it does have a bilingual strand in the early grades for language learners. With a high number of Spanish speakers, the Principal mentioned the possibility of having an after school class for English speakers to learn Spanish. Ms Cheung is committed to the idea that every child should speak at least two languages, she is bilingual herself as are her children, and she is trying hard to be able to offer that option to all of her students as well.
Located right on Holly Park, the school is convenient to Bernal Heights and Noe Valley. I was able to get a parking place within a block of the school, and there is a fire station right across the street, with hunky firemen standing around out front (always a plus, in my opinion), showing off their fire engine to a group of big-eyed preschoolers. For those who worry that they don't have the time or energy to "turn around" a school, all I can say is, this one really doesn't need any turning – it is THERE, and just needs to become known to more parents. If you are not happy with your assigned school, I really urge you to check this one out – it's a winner, and in a year or two, it will be the "hidden gem" school that everyone has on their top 7 list. They are doing tours every day now; you can call the school at 695-5685 to set up a visit.
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