Home » Santa Clarita News » Education » Newhall School District » Newhall School District Looks Back On Successful School year
Photo of McGrath School in the Newhall School District.

Newhall School District Looks Back On Successful School year

Newhall School District Officials are looking back on what they call a positive year for the district in multiple areas.


Sponsored Articles


Don’t miss a thing. Get breaking KHTS Santa Clarita News Alerts delivered right to your inbox.

“I continue to marvel at the district’s culture of excellence that is unwavering in its commitment to our students,” Superintendent Paul Cordeiro said. “We function so well as a team. By that I mean, teachers first and foremost, supported by committed site administrators and staff working in concert with parents and other stakeholders. And I can’t fail to mention the district Governing Board that is entirely student-focused and very supportive of the work.”

This was Cordeiro’s first full school year as superintendent after returning to the district in February 2015. He reflected on a number of highlights from the past school year, including the board adoption of two new math programs: Bridges and College Preparatory Math, following months of careful review.

Cordeiro said the new programs are far better than earlier programs adopted by the state Board of Education.

The district has also implemented ongoing professional development to support mathematics instruction. Under the new Common Core State Standards, the most significant changes have been in mathematics, where the emphasis is on mastery of mathematical concepts.

The district has purchased hundreds new computers to lower the student-to-computer ratio of 4:1 to 2:1.

Officials have also facilitated the creation of an implementation plan for the Next Generation Science Standards.

Get live news updates about Santa Clarita by following KHTS on Facebook and KHTS on Twitter

The plan,Cordeiro said, puts the district ahead of the curve and well-positioned to use existing assets such as a science lab at each school and trained science curriculum specialists. The district will increase professional development in 2016/17 school year in an all-out effort put Newhall on the map as a leader in science instruction.

Successful implementation of an expanded visual arts program has helped students “maximize their creativity,” said a news release by the district, “but also helps students connect art history and art techniques to other subject areas.”

The district now has two visual arts teachers to facilitate this growth.

Participation in the district’s thriving music program is at a record high. In instrumental music alone, there were 960 participating studentsd, over 14 percent of the district’s total enrollment.

Students start learning to play an instrument in fourth grade, and over 33 percent of the district’s fourth-through sixth-graders participated.

Students are in the midst of participating in the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress,better known as CAASPP, which replaced the discontinued Standardized Testing and Reporting Program, or STAR program.

CAASPP includes online assessments for mathematics and English language arts and literacy as well as a paper-based assessment for fifth grade science.

In the past school year, the district made continued improvement to its K-6 Coherent Writing Program to reflect changes to the Common Core standards and the CAASPP.

Cordeiro is optimistic that the district will improve on last year’s CAASPP results that, by grade and subject, were the highest in the Santa Clarita Valley.

“Our theme will always be continuous improvement, applying what the research tells us works best,” he said. “And our teachers deserve a great deal of credit for making it happen. They are extremely committed to their students.”

The district has also moved ahead with physical improvements to its campuses, Cordeiro said, with significant progress on building and modernization projects funded by voter-approved Measure E at Meadows, Newhall, Old Orchard and Peachland elementary schools.

Additionally, work is underway for the renovation of the historic auditorium at Newhall Elementary School. The $4.8 million project is funded by Measure E. When the Newhall Family Theater for the Performing Arts opens in December, it will be a state-of- the-art performance space for student and community productions.

Last January, the district held an informational open house, attended by more than 100 people, to provide an overview of the excellent educational opportunities the district provides students.

District officials have continued to welcome students no matter where they live.

Originating with a one-room schoolhouse in the 1880s, the Newhall School District today comprises 10 elementary schools: McGrath, Meadows, Newhall, Oak Hills, Old Orchard, Peachland, Pico Canyon, Stevenson Ranch, Valencia Valley and Wiley Canyon.

Additionally, the district offers preschool programs. District schools have won multiple state and national awards for education excellence and students’ standardized testing scores have been among the highest in the Santa Clarita Valley.

In addition to focusing on science and technology, the district also continues to place a strong emphasis on arts education.

For information on enrolling a student, parents can contact Teri Satorhelyi at (661) 291-4182 or by email.

Ed. Note: This is a news release provided by the Newhall School District.

Do you have a news tip? Call us at (661) 298-1220, or drop us a line at community@hometownstation.com.

KHTS AM 1220 - Santa Clarita Radio

Newhall School District Looks Back On Successful School year

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

About KHTS Newsroom

KHTS FM 98.1 & AM 1220 focuses on Santa Clarita news, traffic, weather, sports, and also plays music. Bringing you SCV breaking news first and keeping you up to date with Santa Clarita events.