August 27 & 29

Below are comments from our Community Information Meetings from August 27 & 29. We appreciate your participation in our design process as we create the programs and structures for this new learning environment.

August 27, 2013

Changes the community wants to see…

    • more subject offerings

    • smaller classes

    • less politics

    • opportunity for parent involvement

    • better nutrition

    • more student interaction

    • more teamwork

    • no more grade level limits

    • school is exciting and fun

    • focus on learning rather than test scores

    • less state level testing

    • less standardized testing

    • clear admission processes

    • small classrooms

    • one-on-one interactions

    • more technology with instruction (software, programs)

    • more hands-on learning

    • excited teachers who want to change learning

    • changes

    • individualized learning for each child

    • teaching to the child not just the class

    • kids collaborating

    • balancing student body with different academic levels

    • tapping into each child’s potential

    • lots of music and art

    • limited homework

    • more hi tech

    • kids learning coding

    • experimenting

    • questioning everything

    • more access to technology

    • push their thinking

    • more communication

    • let teachers be teachers

    • more interactions with teachers

    • less structure

    • more creativity

    • more art

    • options for foreign language

    • options for music

    • Better chance to find my daughter’s passion

    • structed P.E.

    • School preparing our kids for real life

    • less homework!

    • open up space to let students explore their unique talents

    • limit homework

    • individualized lesson plans or paths based on strengths

    • opportunities for independent learning

    • freedom for principal to hire and fire teachers

    • less union control in the classroom

    • a place for introverts, detail oriented, creative thinkers, abstract thinking children

  • Lab time - hands on learning

August 29, 2013

Changes the community wants to see…

    • New ways of thinking, planning, and executive learning and development

    • more individual attention

    • more personalization

    • a good fit between, student, teacher, and school

    • smaller class sizes

    • more attention with kids that need it

    • more attention to kid’s learning levels

    • smaller class sizes

    • more practical, real life solutions and examples

    • wanting my child to have more time and attention on areas that are their need

    • stop focusing on passing state testing

    • More hands-on/practice better technology

    • kids thinking for themselves

    • Applied learning taking it beyond memorization

    • more interesting

    • better nutrition

    • less homework/busywork

    • early interventions for problems...don’t wait for kids to fail

    • connection with nature and the outside world

    • less busywork and monotonous learning

    • environmentally conscious campus (solar/rain barrels) trashless lunches

    • kids prepared for the future

    • depth and application over regurgitation and memorization

    • school fits child vs. child fits school

    • keyboarding skills

What excites you?

  • innovation

  • using different methods to learn subjects

  • celebrating culture and diversity

  • tapping into right brain

  • no middle school

  • assessing each child’s strength

  • my child not having to fit the mold of “sitting smart and being quiet” all of the time

  • having both kids in the same place for a while

  • student empowerment

  • unique strengths are valued

  • using more technology like laptops and iPads

  • having a wide variety of learning tools

  • new learning opportunities

  • being involved in creating a new school environment

  • new traditions that don’t follow the old paths

  • kids get to think outside the box

What don’t you want to see…

  • kids sitting all day with the same teacher

  • workbooks all day

  • Large class sizes

  • Teachers just do “a job”

  • Don’t want to see a lack in social skills due to increase in technology

New Opportunities you would like to see…

  • kids being challenged

  • art and enrichment classes will be offered

  • Exploration of child’s unique talents

  • No holding back based on age / grade level

  • Using play & imagination to solve problems

  • Leadership

  • More foreign languages / exposure to other cultures.

  • Field trips centered around learning: i.e. Yosemite week: geology, biology, writing, etc.

  • Solve real-world problems

  • Experiencing different unique (new) ways to learn (old) subjects

  • Speech programs

  • Adaptive learning

  • New Programs - sports, electives, language; let children explore (hands-on).

  • Give each child a voice

  • Special ed. opportunities

What scares you?

  • Leaving friends

  • Will they be ready for HS and college?

  • No homework

  • Too much homework

  • Transitional impact from this school to a “regular” high school

  • Parking/Drop-off and Pick-up (solution 10 min early for kinder)

  • Classroom discipline

  • Target lurkers

  • My kids not getting in

  • In 5 years, can you still transfer in if not in from Kindergarten?

  • Can an overpass be put in over Camino Del Norte? 2 School = a lot of foot traffic

  • Still want structured learning - for kids not as self motivated/driven

  • I don’t want to see all project curriculum and then not how to do “the basics” (ex. write an essay)

  • What kind of security?

  • Uncertainty

  • Leaving friends

  • Separating siblings

  • Kids with high test scores will be the only one in

  • School will turn into more of a GATE school

  • Not prepared for high school

What excites you?

  • My kid will be prepared for the future!

  • Some interaction of different in ages in class setting

  • To be creative

  • Challenged academically

  • Be able to have their voice heard

  • Child drive needs of an individual

  • More opportunities for activities outside of traditional classroom teaching

  • to have the opportunity for my daughter to go to a new school that is innovative in it’s approaches

  • The ability for our kids to grow with technology - not just playing catch up

  • The opportunity to grow beyond traditional boundaries and reach his full potential in ways he may not in traditional

  • Learning at his own pace

  • New experience

  • Upcoming for the future

  • Creativity

  • Forward thinking

  • New ideas

  • Energy

  • This emulates the real engineering world which I came from. This is how problems are solved.

  • Kudos to teaching this before their first job

What don’t you want to see…

  • no odd/even days

  • no more soul crushing doldrums

  • Kids must fail before they get individualized help or formality of 504, etc.

  • Don’t want to be a year where everything is being figured out

  • I don’t want to see children getting lost, falling behind

  • Large class sizes

  • Repetition and rote

  • Agenda based teaching

  • Test-driven school

  • Big class sizes and less individualized attention

  • Reversing course - going back to traditional STAR test focus

  • Too great a focus on testing / test prep without application

  • Teaching to state tests!

New Opportunities you would like to see…

  • For my child to reach her highest potential and to love learning

  • Environmentally conscious campus and missions

  • Better nutrition = less garbage

  • individual friendly

  • child friendly

  • not standards friendly

  • at a new school the tech

  • new school new environment

  • new/more advanced technology

  • Moving forward with technology and learning

  • Creativity

  • New ideas

  • change in the way of teaching

  • The opportunity to do things differently in better ways

  • Opportunities

Deal Breakers…

  • No ESS before or after school.

  • Too many kids per teacher that students get left behind or they don’t do enough work on their own and rely on group work too much.

  • No grades

  • No 6th grade (15 parents out of 18 attending concurred)

  • More homework

  • Homework with no application to life.

  • Too much tech and not enough social lessons.

  • No vocational ed.

  • As an incoming 6th grader, not having upper classmen.

What scares you?

  • Don’t want my child to be a guinea pig in a failed experiment

  • Will my child be able to pick up on the new format?

  • If we don’t change school

  • Can we project accurately at what will be needed for our kids to succeed in their adult life

  • If my child will not be able to adapt to a new way

  • Changing for the first time - still working the bugs out

  • My child adapting to a different way of learning

  • Will they be prepared for SAT - test taking

  • The unknown of how things will work

  • That we won’t get it

  • That it may not be successful for my child

  • Go back to old ways