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Simi schools back in session
So, what's new this year? Simply put, "The students," according to Royal High School principal Dan Houghton. For some, the first day of school marks a time of change. For others, there's a sense of continuity, especially with ongoing programs like Second Step and Safe School Ambassadors. "We have three goals and objectives for the year," said Superintendent Kathryn Scroggin. "One of those goals . . . is to increase parent involvement in our schools. The second one is to focus on improving student learning and achievement, which is a rather broad goal. The third one is to create a program for at-risk middle school students and provide support for them."
After spending the last six years as principal of Berylwood Elementary, and three years before that at Madera, Mason finds herself among the fresh faces on Arroyo's campus. But the change doesn't feel too different, she said. "When I was principal at Madera, Arroyo wasn't open at the time. Some parents at Arroyo were parents at Madera," Mason said. "There's a fifth-grade boy now who was a toddler who spent time with his mother in the office at Madera. His mother and I kept in contact. . . . It's been kind of a comfortable cycle." The three public high schools, Royal, Santa Susana and Simi Valley, are implementing the Safe School Ambassadors program for the second year. In the program, students are handpicked to participate in a two-day retreat at BrandeisBardin Institute, where they're trained to diffuse potentially negative situations, and then share what they learned with fellow classmates. Hillside, Sinaloa and Valley View middle schools are in their second year of employing the Second Step violence prevention program. Seven elementary schools are expected to join the other elementary schools already using Second Step, according to Bill Waxman, director of secondary education for Simi Unified. Second Step was initiated in the district at 14 elementary schools in 2004. The program features "lessons that assist students, not only in focusing on their work and achieving more in school, but give them strategies for dealing with bullying and resisting (negative) situations," Waxman said. On the construction side of things, Madera, Valley View Middle School and Simi Valley High are reaping the benefits of the Measure C4 bond. "If you drive to the city and go to the schools, you can see a variety of projects in progress," Waxman said. "Some work started in the summer and will continue into fall. And then there will be other phases starting next year." With the painting of the school's exterior, projects at Simi Valley High are 85 percent complete, according to Principal Steve Pietrolungo. Using money from the bond, the school is building a new science laboratory that will likely be completed next spring, said Gary Nottingham, manager of the bond program. Valley View replaced plumbing lines and had a technology upgrade to allow computer lines to hold more information. Madera is going through similar technology upgrades while Park View and Katherine elementary schools had roofing work completed, Nottingham said. As is customary on the first day of class, there was plenty of buzz at all the schools. At Simi High, Pietrolungo anticipated enrollment figures will increase from 2,541 students last year to roughly 2,600, and the school is welcoming 17 new staff members. "The numbers are looking really good," the principal said. "It's hard to say who shows up on the first day. We are seeing a little growth and we're excited about the growth. It's hard to pinpoint an exact number, but it's close to 2,600 kids on campus." Schools will release enrollment figures to the SVUSD after the first week of school. Houghton said he's pleased the Highlanders are getting back into the daily groove. "We have 113 teachers who are very excited to be here. They can't wait for the students to arrive," Houghton said. "That's why the teachers are here- they're not here for staff development days. They chose this profession to teach kids." Heading into the new year, Houghton said he thinks Royal has only scratched the surface of its technological potential. "One of our main focuses is to get more technology into the classroom for the teachers and the kids to use," Houghton said. "We want to get new computers and LCD projectors in every classroom. "A handful of teachers are setting up their own websites for students so if they're absent, they can go to the teacher's website and see the lesson. Or if students didn't understand it, they could get a review. Or the parents can go look at it. Technology's huge. It's never-ending, it's always changing." At Santa Susana High, Tuesday's orientation day for incoming ninth-graders was deemed a success. After first holding an orientation the day before school officially started last year, Principal Pamela Carter anticipates the ninth-grade orientation will now kick off every school year. "It cuts down on their anxiety and gives them a chance to find classrooms and other things when the other kids don't clog up the halls," Carter said. "They actually meet their teachers and get their textbooks, and in the afternoon they got their lockers. They get a chance to meet administrators and counselors. It's a more intimate way for us to get to know them." Although each school has its own character, principals unanimously emphasize one point: Parents must get involved in their child's education. "Parent involvement is not just serving milk and cookies," Hillside Middle School Principal Susanne Wolf said. "It's about getting involved in tutoring or having your child read to you or e-mailing a teacher, 'I see you've got this assignment, I have questions.' "Or it's helping atrisk students in science and math. We just want to get more people involved." |
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