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Publication Date: Wednesday, September 07, 2005 Back to School 2005: Menlo Park City School District
Back to School 2005: Menlo Park City School District
(September 07, 2005) District faces challenges as enrollment grows
By Marjorie Mader
Almanac Staff Writer
Superintendent Ken Ranella sees challenges ahead for the Menlo Park City School District now and in the near future as enrollment continues to grow and 320 new housing units are projected east of El Camino Real in Menlo Park.
The trend of increasing enrollment stretches facilities at the already constrained four campuses, requires hiring and training more teachers and presents funding challenges, he said.
"We did not grow to the extent anticipated -- 100 more students for a total 2,176 yet -- but we expect some students to show up after Labor Day," he said. So far, 2,141 students are in classes at Laurel, Encinal, Oak Knoll and Hillview.
The district's decision last spring to reduce kindergarten class sizes to about 20 students from an average of 24 -- while a plus for students and parents -- initiated some changes. Three more kindergartens were added, and two portables were moved to Laurel and one to Oak Knoll as the district took advantage of state funding for its class-size reduction program. This program has been in effect for Menlo Park's grades 1-3 since 1997.
For the 2005-06 school year, Menlo Park has hired 22 new teachers, including additions and replacements, and one librarian.
Superintendent Ranella and trustees are taking a proactive approach toward mapping the district's future by developing a master plan for facilities and operation.
Consultant Tom Williams is researching demographic information, and an architect from DLM -- Deems Lewis McKinley -- will assess future needs of the campuses. The District Facility Committee is examining infrastructure and program needs and alternatives to the growing number of portable classrooms.
"Over 500 of our students are housed in portables most of the school day," said Mr. Ranella, and that's "significant," he added.
A major step toward meeting the needs of children with special needs was hiring Olivia Mandilk as the district's full-time director of student services. She has proposed initiatives to develop programs that the district can operate rather than relying on the more costly county office of education services and non-public placements. Special education costs have risen dramatically, an increase of $650,000 during the past year.
As an example of the district becoming more self-reliant in this area, the eight Menlo Park students in a county class in San Carlos and their experienced teacher Chris Atkinson were brought back to the district this fall to a classroom at Oak Knoll School.
The district is continuing its focus on differentiation of instruction --an approach to meet the needs of a class of students by presenting lessons in a variety of ways so that all students can grasp it.
"We really believe our focus is making a difference for students. Our test scores are up, and parents are pleased," said the superintendent.
This year the district also is moving ahead on the integration of technology into classrooms. Curriculum standards are being clarified for each grade level. Technology standards are being developed for all personnel. In addition, the district is implementing "School Plan," developed by the Santa Clara County Office of Education, to computerize student and school information.
Parent conferences will return to the traditional, minimum days for students this year, based on a two-year agreement with the teachers. The pilot Galileo enrichment program offered on campus last year for students in grades 1-5 on parent-conference days and funded by the Menlo Park-Atherton Education Foundation, will not continue due to its $100,000 price tag and scheduling complications.
"We're pleased to be back" in the remodeled and expanded district office on the Encinal site, said Superintendent Ranella, and "we're grateful to Scott and Steve Bohannon for their donation of interim office space on Constitution Drive, east of U.S. 101 for the past year.
Following are reports on each of the district's four schools, where classes started Thursday, August 25.
Laurel
95 Edge Road Atherton Phone:
324-0186 Nancy Hendry, principal Grades: K-2
Enrollment: 453
More students. Enrollment has grown by one class -- 20 more students
than last year. Laurel has nine kindergarten classes, eight classes in
first grades and seven in second grade.
Small classes. This year, all students will be in classes of about
20 because the district has extended its participation in the state's
class-size reduction program to include kindergarten as well as grades
1 and 2.
New teachers. Eight teachers joined the Laurel staff this year,
and many of them have worked previously as long-term substitutes at Laurel
or surrounding districts. The four new kindergarten teachers are: Sydney
Fisher, a Hillview graduate and long-term sub; Emily Getchel from the
Hillsborough district; Christina Santiago, a long-term sub last year at
Laurel; and Erika Glavan, who graduated from the University of Virginia,
where six Laurel teachers trained this summer with Carol Tomlinson, a
"guru" in differentiated instruction. More new teachers are Whitney Engle,
first grade, a long-term sub from Las Lomitas; Sandra Horowitz, long-term
sub and science aide at Laurel; Ruth Peterson, who moved to Laurel to
teach second grade after 15 years teaching fourth grade at Encinal.
Shifting grades. Teacher Andi Dehne returns to Laurel after being
on leave and moves from kindergarten to teach second grade with Jeriann
Hirsch. Linda Creighton has moved from teaching second grade to first
grade with Stacei Santana.
Computer guy. Andy Allen, Laurel's first male teacher, is the
new computer aide. He worked previously in the computer lab of a private
K-6 school in Los Altos and takes over from Sharon Wilson, who retired.
The computer lab has been updated with flat-screen computers. The new
science aide is Leah Strichartz.
Facilities. Two new portable classroom were moved on campus this
summer to make room for the additional enrollment. The custodian's room
was converted back to a classroom.
On board. Laurel's entire teaching staff is involved in the three
school-wide collaborative planning days. Teachers also participated this
summer and during the school year in staff development opportunities,
geared to make sure every student succeeds. Teachers are working with
consultant Kathy Glass, who focuses on teaching skills, learning strategies,
and ways to identify student academic needs.
"Quarter Gourmet." A favorite event returns for another year
when families bring dishes to share, pay a quarter for each serving and
get to know each other. The first one is Friday, September 9, at 5 p.m.
on the second-grade playground.
Book fair. Save the date for Laurel's annual book fair Monday
through Friday, October 3-7.
First PTO meeting. Parents are invited to the first general meeting
of the school's Parent Teacher Organization on Wednesday, October 21,
starting at 6:30 p.m. with hors de oeuvres. "It's a great time for parents
to meet other parents and the staff," says Principal Hendry.
Oak Knoll
1895 Oak Knoll Lane Menlo Park
Phone: 854-4433
David Ackerman, principal Grades: K-5
Enrollment: 656 students, an increase of 16 students across all
grades
Small classes. Class sizes will continue to be small again this
year with 20 or fewer students in grades K-3; 20.6 in fourth grade 4;
about 23 in fifth grade. An extra kindergarten and second-grade class
has been added as well as seven new teachers.
Teachers: Leah Yujuico, who taught kindergarten in San Bruno,
will teach the second all-day kindergarten this year. New fourth-grade
teachers are Rebecca Shawo, who taught at the Community Middle College
in the Modesto-Merced area, and Michelle Tom, a graduate of UCLA who earned
her credential at UC Santa Cruz. Susie Borba joins Oak Knoll's third-grade
team after teaching third grade at a parochial school.
New librarian. With the retirement of Jo Ann Arneson, a librarian
and veteran teacher who taught in all the Menlo Park schools during the
past 40 years, Oak Knoll has a new library media teacher. She is Denise
Healy, who brings 10 years of experience as a teacher in Southern California.
Special education team. Christine Atkinson, an special education
teacher with the San Mateo County Office of Education for the past 20
years, has moved with her class of Menlo Park students to new digs at
Oak Knoll. Nanette Jolicoeur, who started working in the district last
January, is teaching the other special education class. She taught for
a combined six year in Daly City, San Francisco and Las Lomitas schools.
All-day kindergarten. Oak Knoll will have two all-day kindergartens
again this school year with teachers Alicia Bush and Leah Yujuico. About
two-thirds of the parents of incoming kindergartners signed up for the
all-day program, but there were only 40 places. Students were selected
by lottery. The all-day class is from 8:15 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. The four
other kindergartens remain on the traditional schedule of 8:15 a.m., extended
to 12:10 p.m. After the third week of school, five students in each of
the traditional kindergarten classes will stay longer until 2:15 p.m.
one day a week to do small group activities with their teacher.
Back-to-school night. Parents will head back to school on Thursday,
September 8, to meet teachers and learn about the program. There will
be two different starting times for parents: 6:30 p.m. for grades K-2
and 7:30 p.m. for grades 3-5.
Beautification. Parent Beautification Committee members put in
extra hours planting and sprucing up the school grounds for opening day.
Fall Family Fiesta. Families will return to school Friday, September
16, for a social time, games and Mexican taco bar, catered by Una Mas,
from 5 to 7 p.m. Tickets need to be purchased in advance.
Encinal
195 Encinal Ave. Atherton
Phone: 326-5164
Stacy Marshall, principal Grades: 3-5
Enrollment: 370, up 15 students from last year
Classes. Class sizes are 20 or fewer students in third grade and
22 students in fourth and fifth-grades. There are now seven third-grade
classes, six fourth-grades, and five fifth-grades.
Teachers. Encinal welcomes seven new and experienced teachers.
They are: Jeannette Etchamendy, who taught in Bakersfield the past seven
years, third grade; Kim Morris from the San Mateo-Foster City district,
and Rachel Naishtut, student teacher from Santa Barbara, fourth grade.
Ceil Kellogg, a National Board certified teacher with 23 years of experience
in San Diego, Monterey and Salinas, joins the fifth-grade team. Other
new fifth-grade teachers are: Brian Arcuri, who taught fourth and fifth
grade in San Francisco; Cassandra Marr, who taught fourth and fifth grades
for nine years in the San Mateo-Foster City district; and Stephanie Harms,
who taught six years in Kansas and Washington.
Focus. Teachers are involved in various staff-development activities
and collaborative planning days. They have reviewed recent STAR test data,
evaluated student progress and developed plans and strategies for the
year.
"Character Counts." This character education program, launched
last year, will continue and expand this year
"Community Read." Everybody at Encinal -- students, staff and
parents -- and their counterparts at Oak Knoll in grades 3-5 read the
same book at the same time: "Love from Your Friend, Hannah" by Mindy Warshaw
Skolsky. They celebrated with a lively fireside discussion of the book
last May at Encinal. This program promotes the love of reading and literacy
and received a Kent Award from the San Mateo County School Boards Association.
Librarian Gail Bradley and Principal Marshall accepted the award on behalf
of the school and district.
Garden keeps growing. Encinal's garden, planted in raised beds
along Middlefield Road, continues to be a focus for each of the grades.
Third-graders will plant "mystery seeds" (they don't know what they are)
and chart their growth. Fourth-graders are concentrating on raising plants
native to California. Fifth-graders will plant and harvest wheat. Each
activity is geared to the state curriculum for the grade-level. The tall
sunflowers just keep growing
Back-to-school night. Parents are invited to return to school
on Thursday, September 8, at 7 p.m. to meet teachers and learn more about
school programs.
Fall family picnic. Families bring a picnic supper for this annual
get-together on Friday, September 16, at 6 p.m. on the grass.
Hillview Middle
1100 Elder Ave. Menlo Park
Phone: 326-4341
Michael Moore, principal Grades: 6-8
Enrollment: 662, about the same as last year
Class size: Core classes (language arts and social studies) range
from 22 to 26 students at each grade sizes in the upper grades.
Honors for Hillview. In May, for the seventh time, Hillview was
selected as a California Distinguished School. It has received the honor
more times than any other school in the state.
Teachers. Joining the Hillview staff are seventh- grade core teachers
Martha Rosenthal, who moved from Encinal, and Sheryl Perez, who also will
teach Spanish. New members of the special education team are Marsha Blair
and Susan Churba.
New elective. Stephanie Fullen, French, will teach a new elective
class in dance.
Campus TV station. Hillview's television station is in its third
year of operation. Students produce the morning news and work with Michael
Kaelin, now the school's tech-TV person.
Camp Hillview. All incoming sixth-graders will participate in
Camp Hillview, a three-day orientation program at school designed and
carried out by the Hillview staff. The program provides a common academic
and social experience for sixth-graders. The camp takes place September
7- 9, concluding with the Hillview Community Festival and potluck supper
for all Hillview students and their parents at school on Friday, September
9, at 6 p.m.
Building character. Counselors Debbie Devoto and Robyn Watts are
launching a school-wide program that focuses on the fundamentals of building
character. Students and teachers will look at such building blocks as:
integrity -- both personal and academic -- responsibility, moral courage,
empathy, compassion, humility and cooperation. The counselors will broadcast
the lessons to the entire student body over the HTV, Hillview's TV station,
and teachers will do follow-up activities in each classroom. Lessons will
be posted on the Hillview Web site and parents can follow up at home.
The hope, says Ms. Devoto, is that all students will do community service
at some point in the year with help from volunteers from the Hillview
Parent Teacher Organization.
Now on line. Hillview's weekly calendar is now online via e-mail.
To sign up, go to www.hillviewpto.org and click on weekly calendar.
DISTRICT INFORMATION
Menlo Park City School District , 181 Encinal Ave., Atherton, 94027. Superintendent: Ken Ranella. Call 321-7140.
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