Our Statement About Santiago to the Board
Good evening President Swartz, Trustees, Dr. Fish and other distinguished guests. My name is Linda Kelly. I am the 2008-2009 President of the PTA at Santiago Elementary School, and I am here tonight representing the Santiago PTA.
We understand that Santiago is one of several schools in the district being studied by the Facility Advisory Committee as a candidate for closure and would like to take this opportunity to present to you some of the unique qualities and characteristics of our school.
Santiago teachers are the core of our school, and they take pride in teaching here. An amazing 89% of our teachers have been with us for at least 10 years, and 44% of our teachers have been at our school for more than 20 years.
Santiago places a high value on technological proficiency, and those skills which will help our students in the workforce. Our computer lab was one of the first to implement the OS10 operating system, which is now a district standard. We teach PowerPoint in 2nd Grade and Excel in 5th Grade, and the proficiency of our students does not go unnoticed by the schools they attend after Santiago. Our computer lab assistant has heard from middle school teachers who were extremely impressed with the technological skills our students have brought to their new schools.
Another key strength of our school is the commitment of our Santiago parents. In the last school year, our parents dedicated over 18,600 volunteer hours, supporting our school and providing programs that make our school unique in the district.
That’s about 43 hours of parent participation per student.
One such program that wouldn’t exist without the dedication of our school parents is our annual production of The Nutcracker. This endeavor, which has been a Santiago tradition for 16 years, involved over 80 student performers this year, including the student chorus, dancers and actors. Parents contributed over 1620 hours of volunteer time this year working with the students, which is a testament to the value parents place on the enrichment of children through the performing arts.
Over the years, the Nutcracker performance and the PTA have financed improvements to our highly functional MPR, which is equipped with stage, curtains, sound system, multi-media, and schoolwide broadcast system to each of the classrooms.
Santiago’s dedication to enhancing our children’s education through the arts continues with our ArtsConnect Program, in collaboration with the Orange County Performing Arts Center. Santiago is the only school in the District to provide this incredible program, which integrates the arts into curriculum and instruction and includes teacher professional development sessions and hands-on student activities led by Professional Teaching Artists. ArtsConnect demonstrates the positive impact the arts have on education, including academic achievement, social development and motivation for learning.
The Performing Arts Center has invested in Santiago with this long-term program that is 100% funded via grant money. It would be a disappointment to both the Santiago community and to OCPAC to see this program terminated before its completion.
Santiago is proud of its diversity, offering programs that meet the needs of a wide range of students in the community. We have the Special Day Program, the district autism program, the TALK program for speech and language delays. We also cater to the needs of parents in the community, offering the opportunity for them to use our dedicated computer lab to increase their workforce skills with the aid of our computer lab assistant.
A ringing endorsement for the high esteem the community places on our school can be seen in the number of families who have used the “School Choice” option to have their children attend Santiago instead of their home school. This year, 87 students at Santiago are choiced in. Their families considered everything Santiago had to offer and made the decision to further their children’s education at our school.
Maybe the factor that draws people to our secluded school in the woods is just that – its peaceful location, off the main roads and away from traffic. Maybe it’s the incredible staff of teachers who, once members of the Santiago family, don’t leave. Maybe it’s the amazing dedication of our Santiago parents who give so much of their time to enhance the school experience for all our students. Maybe it’s our focus on technology and the arts or our desire to open up learning opportunities to all who desire them.
Whatever the reasons are, it is clear that our school is the heart of our community, taking in wonderful staff, parents and opportunities and sending out children who are confident, well-rounded and prepared for the next step in their academic journey.
We urge you to consider the incredible merits and unique character of Santiago when evaluating schools for closure.
Thank you for your time.