Welcome to the 2009-2010 school year at Laurelwood Elementary School in Santa Clara.  We proudly begin our 2^nd year as a CALIFORNIA DISTINGUISHED SCHOOL.  We look forward to an exciting year of new learning, nurturing friendships and working together to achieve our personal best. 

At Laurelwood, all students are expected to achieve to their fullest potential, striving for academic excellence, while being engaged in a challenging, standards-based curriculum.  We are dedicated to providing our students with a positive, safe and nurturing environment where all staff focuses on developing the whole child by differentiating instruction, empowering students with a desire to learn, while working, learning and growing together to become contributing members of society.

Here is a synopsis of a day-in-the-life at Laurelwood taken from our CA Distinguished School application:

"Intelligence plus character- that is the goal of true education." 

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Today is Blue Day… all students, staff and many parents, donning their Laurelwood blue, stand around a ring of student council officers holding American flags… everyone recites the Pledge of Allegiance… the sound echoes throughout the entire neighborhood… energy, excitement and pride fill the air… everyone awaits the monthly announcement of the Life Skills award winners from each class and the mixed grade-level Turkey Trot relay race that is to take place immediately following the winner’s photo shoot.   Our students cheer each other on as if their classmate winning is theirs as well… now it is time for the extra fifteen minutes recess each student earned this month for displaying good character.  All teachers are on the playground participating in the fun activities with their students’… smiles and rosy cheeks abound.

We arrive each day knowing that there are high expectations set for every community member, no matter who you are or what you bring with you.  Developing the whole child, intelligence plus character, is our role in this community.  Students are expected to achieve academic excellence while also developing lifelong learning standards and they embrace this challenge with smiles on their faces and the anticipation and excitement of learning new things daily.  Staff is dedicated to creating a positive atmosphere where respect, responsibility and wise decision making are at the core of our beliefs and what we teach.  We believe in the development of student independence, a positive self-concept, problem solving skills and a sense of community.   Everyone who steps foot on our campus immediately identifies the collaborative effort among students, staff and community.  We believe in fostering and maintaining mutual respect, trust and acceptance of our diverse population.

Laurelwood is a full-inclusion K-5 elementary school consisting of 584 students with 43% of our population identified as Asian, 38 % white, 12% Hispanic or Latino, 3% African American and 2% as Filipino.  Our students live in middle-class, relatively affluent, single-family dwellings, apartment complexes or an older trailer park.  The number of English Language learners has more than doubled from 14% in 2000 to 30% in 2007, and more than half of our staff, including the principal, is new since 1998.  Through all this change we have maintained our commitment to academic excellence with our test scores the highest of any traditional elementary school in our district.  Our API score has remained above 800 since 1999; last spring we scored an impressive 883. 

          As the Blue Day school day continues, our students are busy learning many new concepts both in the classroom and beyond… some have brought their musical instruments to school, many will go to Olympiad Math Club or Nutcracker rehearsal at lunch recess and others will attend a Soar to Success class after the school day is done.  At Laurelwood our energy, excitement and pride are evident as we strive each and every day to develop the whole child…Intelligence plus character!

Here’s to a fabulous year!

Sincerely,

Lori Paolinetti, Principal