CALIFORNIA SCHOOLS TO WATCH

Highly evolved student learning communities, have transitioned into collaborative teams that employ critical thinking skills to address curriculum and real-world problems. Teams journey through classroom gallery walks, observing and analyzing the outcomes of each team learning to reflect and recognize growth.

All students participate in Project Lead the Way classes with seventh graders enrolled in Medical Detectives and eighth graders exploring design and modeling/robotics and automation. Students may also participate in Math and Engineering Science Achievement (MESA) and Science Olympiad.

Teachers have created multiple projects that span multiple subject areas to provide students with a holistic understanding of the content.

Fairmont offers a wide variety of activities that give students appreciation of diverse cultures such as: Live Like a Champion Day, Science Day, Author’s Day, and a Tribute to Stars and Stripes sing along for veterans from students’ families.

Leadership students study The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens and are required to do ten hours of community service per trimester.

Journalism students build and maintain the school website, publish a bi-monthly publication of the Spartan Scope school newspaper, and produce the annual Yearbook.

On weekly minimum days, teachers collaborate in a variety of PLCs to design and evaluate units; create rigorous and standards-based curriculasing-along; evaluate effective instructional methods; and evaluate student work.

Supported by frequent formal and informal assessments, students needing extra support receive help through first-period intervention, lunchtime tutorials, open-door homework centers, and rectification. Lunch tutorial is required for any student failing a core content area at the six-week mark.

Expectations are clear for all students with Daily Objectives posted in classrooms including interactive notebook “lightbulb” pages, essential guiding questions for units, and Common Core content notebooks in all core subjects.

Based on parent surveys, parent forums are offered on: social media safety, True Colors, Powerschool, motivation to succeed, PBIS, Common Core Standards, and high school/college readiness.

With student empowerment as a focus, students have opportunities for leadership in: peer mentorship, reading buddies, Friends of Rachel Club, and Chain Links program. In addition, eighth-grade students work to research careers of interest, and interview professionals from those fields in the community.