Back to School: Menlo Park City School District Back to School: Menlo Park City School District (August 29, 2001)

More parcel-tax funds launch new programs to bolster learning at four schools \

Parcel-tax dollars are at work in all four schools in the Menlo Park City School District.

"It's really dramatic the way in which the [new] parcel tax has enabled us to enhance our education of children," said Superintendent Meredith Jones.

She lists some of the big improvements this year: 21 new full-time teaching positions; doubling the music staff so that all 1,975 students will take music twice a week; and hiring district-paid art teachers for Laurel, Encinal and Oak Knoll.

Previously, the art program at these schools relied on volunteers and a PTA-funded artist-in residence.

For the first time, a counselor is on site at Laurel, Encinal and Oak Knoll schools.

Superintendent Jones led the planning effort over the past three years that resulted in voter support in April 2000 for a $298 per year parcel tax, aimed at strengthening programs for the district's 1,965 students. Parcel taxes will bring an estimated $3.1 million to the district in the 2001-2002 school year. The new parcel tax was increased in June to $315.28 due to an increase in the Consumer Price Index; the 1995 parcel tax, still in effect, is now set at $93.22.

"Initially, we projected phasing in the new programs over three years, but we have established almost 100 percent of the programs we had planned," said Dr. Jones.

Speeding up the implementation also brings "instructional resource" teachers to Laurel and Oak Knoll to provide more support for students and teachers in K-2, and full-time reading specialists to Encinal, Oak Knoll and Hillview schools. Experienced district teachers have stepped up to fill these newly created positions.

To provide leadership in math, science and language arts at Hillview this year, teachers on staff applied for and were named to the new "curriculum resource" teacher positions. These teachers will have their regular teaching load reduced by one section, providing time for them to do curriculum work in designated subject areas. An after-school academic program coordinator will run the after-school tutoring program.

Kindergartners through third-graders this year will have a longer day, which gives the district flexibility for scheduling art, music, library, physical education and computer lab without reducing instructional time in the classroom. Fifteen minutes will be added in grades K-2, and 25 minutes in grade 3.

During the first phase of the parcel-tax program last year, funds were used to reduce class sizes in grades 4-8 and keep kindergarten classes in the low 20s. Previously, some of the upper-grade classes had as many as 30 students.

Menlo Park has taken the lead in exploring ways to provide teacher professional development in collaboration with the Las Lomitas, Portola Valley and Woodside elementary districts. A consultant from Scarsdale, New York, public schools will help develop the program. Already 60 teachers have signed up to take a 45-hour optional course, called "Cross Cultural, Language and Academic Development," after school and on Saturdays.

Following is news on each of the district's four schools.
Laurel 95 Edge Road Atherton Phone: 324-0186 Nancy Hendry , principal Grades: K-2 Enrollment: 375
Small classes: Kindergarten classes will be smaller this year, ranging from 20 to 22 students. First- and second-graders will be in classes of 20 or fewer students as part of the state's class-size reduction program. Enrollment appears to have stabilized at Laurel. There will be seven kindergartens, six first-grade classes and six classes of second-graders. Teachers: Two new teachers have joined the Laurel team. Jeannie Cocconi, an experienced Bay Area teacher, will teach kindergarten. Stephanie Zanocco comes from Chicago to fill a new art specialist position. Ms. Cocconi takes over from Jeanne London, who is moving into a new parcel-tax-funded position, called an "instructional resource" teacher. Ms. London will work with teachers as well as students, monitor support services for students, maintain assessment data, and help teachers develop strategies for differentiated student instruction. Pilot kindergarten program: Robin Allen will pilot a "staggered day" kindergarten program this year and teach her class through the entire day. Under this pilot, half of the children will come to school at 8:15 a.m. and continue until 11:55 a.m., while the other half will come at 10:30 a.m. and stay until the end of the day. All 20-some students will be together as a group with Ms. Allen for 85 minutes, enabling the children to benefit from learning activities in both a larger group and very small group setting. Construction over! With the installation of two new kindergarten lawns and new kindergarten play structures before school opened, Laurel has completed its bond-funded construction and renovation projects that started almost four years ago. What's next? "We're going to enjoy having the new parcel-tax-funded positions with their enrichment qualities and watch the programs develop as the year goes on," says Principal Nancy Hendry. These positions are designed to provide more support for students at all levels as well as teachers. Back-to-school night:<$:> Parents will head back to school on Thursday, September 6, at 7 p.m. to meet their children's teachers and learn about classroom programs. The first PTA meeting is Tuesday, September 25, at 7 p.m. at school. "Quarter Gourmet": Back for another year at Laurel is the popular "Quarter Gourmet." Families bring special dishes to share, pay a quarter for each serving, and get to know each other. The first one is Friday, September 14, at 6 p.m. under the school's arbor. "Mixed Nutz": A musical production geared to families, "The Cowboy and the Tiger," will be presented in the school's multi-use room four times in November by Mixed Nutz. Sponsored by the Laurel PTA, this event, will be a fundraiser for the school and open to the Menlo Park and Atherton community.
Oak Knoll 1895 Oak Knoll Lane Menlo Park Phone: 854-4433 Marilyn Franklin , principal Grades: K-5 Enrollment: 630
Enrollment stabilizes: Oak Knoll's enrollment appears to have stabilized with 630 students, about the same as last year. Smaller classes: Kindergartners and fourth- and fifth-graders will have smaller classes, averaging 24 students, thanks to funds from the parcel tax that voters approved last year. First- through third-graders are in classes of 20 or fewer students again this year because of the state's funding incentive for reducing class sizes. Teachers: Moving into new parcel-tax-funded positions this fall are Oak Knoll teachers Renee Lavezzo and Susan Sanchez. Ms. Lavezzo is the resource teacher for grades K-2; Ms. Sanchez is the reading specialist for grades 3-5. With additional funding for the music program, music specialists Bob Crabb and Bee Tee will teach music to students from kindergarten through fifth-grade. Barbara Cottrell is now the school's art teacher, supported by parcel tax funds. Previously, she was the artist-in-residence, supported by PTA funding. Robin Watts, filling in as a counselor at Hillview last year, will provide additional counseling services two days a week at Oak Knoll. Jenny Ryan, psychologist, moves to full-time this year. Joining the Oak Knoll teaching staff are four new fifth-grade teachers: Pamela Race, Julie Wilson, Noelle Gonsalves and Jennifer Allen. More new teachers are: Bill Quarre, second grade; Sarah Westfall, physical education; and Tami Lupo, special education class. Job sharing: Marianne Walters, who is cutting back to half- time at Oak Knoll this year, will share with Tami Girsky the position of lead teacher and student activities director. Ms. Girsky, back from maternity leave, was previously assistant principal at Hillview. Construction almost over: After several years of construction and remodeling projects, the work at Oak Knoll is almost finished. Six classrooms, the kitchen and two sets of bathrooms are scheduled for completion by the time school opens. A new kindergarten play structure and a new grass primary play yard are in place. Basketball courts and ball walls are being installed in the play area for the upper grades. The remaining bathrooms, conference rooms and hard surface play area should be completed by the end of September. Car pools, bike pools: To cut down on the amount of traffic around the school at starting and dismissal times, parents are encouraged to car pool. The PTA is coordinating not only car pools, but also bike pools. Parents will take turns biking to school with groups of students as a safety precaution. For information, call Margie Madding, PTA president, 325-2240. Back-to-school night: Parents will head back to school on Thursday, September 6, to meet their children's teachers and learn about the curriculum. The time is 7 p.m. for parents of kindergartners, first- and second-graders; 7:30 p.m. for parents of children in grades 3-5.
Encinal 195 Encinal Ave. Atherton Phone: 326-5164 David Ackerman , principal Grades: 3-5 Enrollment: 380 More students: There's a bump in enrollment this year at Encinal. An additional fifth-grade teacher is on board to take care of the increase in enrollment. Classes: Class sizes are 20 or fewer in third grade again this year as part of the district's participation in the state's class-size reduction program for primary grades. Fourth-grade classes have 24 students; fifth grade has 23 students per class. Teachers<$:> Some big changes are taking place at Encinal this year. Janet Meister will spend half-time working with students for whom English is a second language. Lisa Spinas, third-grade teacher, fills the new position of language arts support teacher, working with students and teachers. For the first time, Encinal has an on-site counselor: Scott Wiley, a licensed psychologist and counselor from Virginia. Other new teachers: Stephanie Zanocco, art teacher; Johnna Jochner, fourth grade; and Crystal Kim, third grade. Music, music: Encinal is expanding its music program and has developed a plan for scheduling instruction in band, strings and vocal music. The district's team of music teachers _ Bob Crabb, John Ashfield, Bee Tee and Richard Vaughan _ will come to Encinal and teach the classes at the same time twice a week, eliminating pulling music students out of their regular classes at different times. Construction finished: Completion of a new interior courtyard and landscaping finishes the bond-funded construction and renovation projects at Encinal. Students will eat lunch at new metal picnic tables under the arbor and gather for activities in the paved patio with built-in planters. The playground equipment was replaced last spring. Back-to-school night: Parents are invited to return to school on Wednesday, September 12, at 7 p.m. to meet their children's teachers and learn more about school programs. Family picnic: Encinal's traditional fall family picnic is set for Friday, September 7, at 6 p.m. on the school's playground. Families may bring their own dinner or pre-order dinner from the Encinal PTA.
Hillview Middle 1100 Elder Ave. Menlo Park Phone: 326-4341 Michael Moore , principal Grades: 6-8 Enrollment: 600 Stable enrollment: About the same number of students as last year _ in the ballpark of 600 _are expected to attend Hillview. The sixth grade is smaller than last year's. Smaller classes: To reach the district's goal of reducing class sizes in the upper grades, classes will average 24 students. New assistant principal: Joy Shmueli comes to Hillview from Borel Middle School in San Mateo, where she taught sixth-grade language arts and reading, and was the student activities director. Miss Shmueli grew up in Foster City and still lives there. She takes over from "retirees" Leon Johnson and Nick Colasanti, who returned to Hillview last year to share the assistant principal's position, helping out while Tami Girsky was on maternity leave. Back at Hillview: Counselor Debbie Devoto is back at Hillview after being on leave last year. She, her husband and son Roscoe lived in Florence and traveled throughout Europe. Robyn Watts, who took over for Ms. Devoto during her leave, will provide additional counseling services three days a week. Teachers: New teachers have joined the faculty: Shalann Kunkel and Emily Lowrie, sixth-grade core; Melissa Lima and Molly McDermott, seventh-grade core; Patricia Cheng and Sayre Dolan, math; Alicia Payton, science; Angela Paolini, computer technology; Leticia Hernandez, special day class; and Brooke Welch, district speech and language teacher. Construction continues: More construction is ahead at Hillview with June 2002 as the probable completion date. After the flurry of getting the grounds, paving and walkways completed, all 23 classrooms will be renovated during the year on a rotating basis of six at a time. Classes will move into the portable buildings while rooms are upgraded. Hillview's new multi-use room, along Santa Cruz Avenue, has been completed, as has a new woodshop. New home for library: The Barbara Miller Library and Technology Center at Hillview has a spacious, light-filled new home this fall. Housed in the renovated multi-purpose room off Elder Avenue, the library can be divided by a sliding partition to provide an area for groups and presentations. There's a computer room, small conference room, work area and an office for librarian Sue Krumbein. Camp Hillview: Again this year, all incoming sixth-graders will participate in Camp Hlllview, the three-day orientation program at school, designed and carried out by the Hillview staff. Teachers Willy Haug and Susan Arrington lead the program, which provides a common academic and social experience for sixth-graders. Eighth-graders serve as camp counselors. Camp take place September 19-21, concluding with an evening event on Friday, September 21, a community festival for the whole school. Back-to-school night: Thursday, September 13, is the date for the annual back-to-school night for parents. It starts at 7 p.m.