Prinicpal's Corner

Word of the Month: Giving 

Mission:  To successfully develop intellectually curious, self-confident, and self-reliant young people for the betterment of a future global society. 

"When children feel better they behave better". This something that our Regional Director of Student Services, Debbie, said during our Trauma Informed Practices PD, before starting off this school year. As we know, a good number of our students carry the weight of their home lives with them and for the most part, we have no clue what their family dynamics and living situation are like.  That is why we have to do more for our students who need more from us.

When I was in elementary school I was a very good student up until the 5th grade. My family and I moved from South Gate to Huntington Park and I found myself as the new kid in a new school. I hadn't experienced being made fun of until then. That year, I was made fun of for being brown skinned by other students who were just like me. I never told my parents or the teacher until later, after the effects of it had taken place. I was not motivated to do well and I stopped liking school. Because I felt bad about myself I acted out and became withdrawn. It wasn't until the following year when we moved back to South Gate that I was referred to a counselor. My teacher noticed I was behaving differently and took action. The work I was able to do with the counselor helped me go back to being the good student I was before.  I sometimes think about what would have happened if my teacher hadn't noticed. Would my feelings of sadness turned into anger or despair?

As we know, some students need more of our attention and resources than others. Giving them what they need is equity. Equity is not giving students the same thing in equal proportions. We have the responsibility to put more effort into our students who need us the most. That is what they need to be successful. 

"That's at the core of equity: understanding who your kids are and how to meet their needs. You are still focused on outcomes, but the path to get there may not be the same for each one." 

-Pedro Noguera