South Whittier School District held their monthly board meeting on Tuesday, January 17, in the district board room and via Zoom.
This month board members and attendees heard five award recognitions and presentations. There was a Graves Middle School student ELAC recognition, Title 1 Conference donor recognition, Operation School Bell and the Assistance League of Whittier recognition, Lake Marie Elementary student achievement report, and an educational services board update.
Graves Middle School Student ELAC Recognition
Graves Middle School Principal, Mr. Marquez, honored 20 GMS students who completed an East Los Angeles College course earning college credit.
These students took a Counseling 1 class worth one credit that is transferrable to any accredited college. This was an independent online course, however, GMS counselor, Mr. Torres, met with students once a week to assist in the course and also provided lunch for attendees. Mr. Marquez shared he doesn’t believe the success of students would have happened without that support.
Students were honored and given a certificate of recognition. SWSD Superintendent, Dr. Gonzales, also shared with students and their families, “This is so important. Your child has started their college transcript. This was the first step to get into college and every journey starts with the first step. You guys have taken the first step, and I am so proud of you. I most importantly want to thank the parents for continuing to encourage them and support them.”
Title 1 Conference Donor Recognition
Dr. Reanna Mendoza, Director of Assessment, Accountability and Parent Engagement, recognized donors from South Whittier’s first annual Title 1 Conference held in fall of 2022.
She honored McDonald’s who donated breakfast to all attendees and Chik-fil-A who donated lunch for all attendees.
Operation School Bell and the Assistance League of Whittier Recognition
SWSD honored the Assistance League of Whittier for their generosity to families in the district through their event Operation School Bell that they held in fall of 2022.
During Operation School Bell eligible families were able to attend the event at the participating Target. The Assistance League provides a voucher for each student with a set amount of money.The vouchers were good toward school clothes and under garments only, and only during this specified date and time. Families are able to shop with no tax added to their purchases.
The event supported 140 students and the League gave $10,000.
Lake Marie Elementary Student Achievement Report
Lake Marie principal, Ms. Palomino, gave the board and attendees an updated student achievement report.
Palomino began with a school overview sharing the different sub groups that make up Lake Marie. She then shared the academic achievement plan that is based off data from CAASPP and Star 360. The achievement included CGI math, ELD and EL supports, interventions, after school support, and more.
Ms. Palomino shared that their focus is literacy. With that in mind, they have implemented multiple intervention programs including LEAP Academy, Bookworm, and Freckle Academy.
Aside from academics, Lake Marie, has also put great focus on their school climate, culture, and support. Palomino reported on attendance data, behavior data, and their PBIS implementations.
Educational Services Board Update
Dr. Rebecca Rodriguez, Associate Superintendent Educational Services, and Dr. Reanna Mendoza, Director of Assessment, Accountability and Parent Engagement, gave the board and attendees an accountability update.
This update included information regarding the CAASPP assessment. This update included the timeline, state education priorities, and the current changes on the CAASPP dashboard and some changes that will also take place next year. Along with the changes, they also shared data from our CAASPP dashboard regarding academic performance, engagement, conditions and climate.
Aside from the CAASPP data, they gave data from Star 360 scores as well. This data included ELA and Math for all students and English Learners.
After all data was shared they then presented next steps and the plan toward continued improvement. This included professional development days, CGI lab days, a district focus on reading and writing, and much more.
The district will hold their next board meeting on Tuesday, February 21, 2023 in the district board room and via Zoom.