Estrella Elementary School has the responsibility for creating an equitable, supportive, inclusive, and safe learning environment where a collaboratively developed curriculum encourages students to apply higher level thinking, knowledge of technology, and 21st Century skills.  Utilizing a Growth Mindset, families, teachers and staff will cultivate the empowerment of our students for life-long learning by facilitating rigorous experiences, linking Estrella to a world outside the community,and ensuring success in an ever changing interdependent society.

 

 

 

The members of Estrella Elementary School are actualizing a comprehensive approach to learning that is firmly founded in research- based methods, with particular focus on those expounded on by Arthur Costa: Cognitive Coaching: A Foundation for Renaissance Schools, Learning and Leading with Habits of Mind; Robert Garmston: Adaptive Schools, and “ Response to Instruction and Intervention”  (RTI2).  We are dedicated to building this school together based on the foundation of understanding, valuing, and making commitments to the Constructivist Principles of Learning throughout the school culture and curriculum.  We see our students and  their potential through the lens of Academic Optimism: emphasizing a strong academic focus and a nurturing faculty who trust in the students and their families; thus establishing collective efficacy.

 

The principal is committed to building capacity for improvement for all educators within the school and will promote a culture of collegiality and self-efficacy by providing time, appropriate training, and structures for genuine and goal- oriented collaboration.  The faculty is committed on taking the responsibility for student learning.  They will match instruction to their students’ needs, based on professional reflection and school-wide communication, using student outcome data from multiple measures.  They trust in the parents’ commitment to participating in their child’s education and share having high expectations for student achievement.

As co-constructors in the knowledge building of the school, parents are trusted and recognized as equal partners in the decision-making process through the cooperative endeavors that take place both in and outside of school.  

 

Community members are valued and essential collaborators in achieving the goals established for student success. The community is a welcomed participant in the planning and completion of meaningful activities and learning projects such as Science Fairs, Recycling Programs. Community Gardens, etc., that will bring the community into the school.  

By establishing this strong theoretical construct as our guide and frame for building our school community, our legitimate goal – student academic and personal success – can be met in a measurable and sustainable manner. Our school family holds this as our mission and we will develop it and achieve it together, as a community.