End of the Year at Paul Revere

It is difficult to believe, but I have reached the end of my first year at Paul Revere Charter Middle School. My first year has seen many changes throughout the school and community. Revere continues to face each challenge one day at a time. Our teachers do their very best under extremely difficult circumstances. Students move forward with their studies and try to achieve their very best in all their subjects. I am especially proud of my first 6^th grade class at Revere. They continually surprise me with their positive attitudes and growth, both in height and mind. Congratulations to my first 8^th grade culminating class at Revere. They definitely look ready for high school. I hope they prepare themselves well for an exciting and outstanding future learning experience. My 7^th graders are ready to take over the Quad. They see themselves as the future leaders at Revere, and I think they will be great.

 

I would like to take this opportunity to thank my teachers, staff, and administration for their support and advise. My special “thanks” to Mr. Shibata, Mr. Hastings, Mr. Haker, Mr. Meritt, and Mrs. Honda for their constant professionalism and sense of humor. In addition, I would like to extend my thanks to the excellent parent leadership groups: PTSA/P.R.I.D.E. and the Revere Charter Council. Without your hard work and loyalty to the students and staff at Revere we could never hope to accomplish so much in one year. The Teacher Appreciation Week was wonderful, and could not have come at a more opportune time. Teachers and staff received the Teacher Stars with excitement and pleasure. The luncheon was delicious. “Thank you” goes to a wonderful, caring parent organization.

 

I would also like to extend a very special “Thank you” to all Revere’s teachers and staff members. Everyone has worked to make our school a terrific place of learning for our students. Many schools are not as fortunate to have faculty and staff so devoted to the education and  the achievement of students. Paul Revere Middle School is a place of pride and knowledge, because of all your efforts. See you next semester.

 

 

April Issues

The month of April presents the administration, staff, and community with many unique challenges. Foremost on our minds are the proposed budget cuts, reduction in force (RIF) and the direct effects these issues have for Revere students. The faculty have demonstrated their professionalism by not involving students in their concerns about the District budgetary issues. However we will need all the support and cooperation from our community in order to impress on the Board of Education the importance of a stable, unburdened educational environment. PTSA/PRIDE have issued, in an e-blast, a form letter for all parents of Revere students. The letter should be printed, signed and mailed (or faxed) to Board members. This will demonstrate our community’s unity in preserving our wonderful teachers, and the rights we have been officially designated under our Charter Document. The current proposals by Superintendent Cortines are extremely drastic involving the following:

·         an increase in class size to 39.50 to 1 (in elementary – 24 students to 1 school-wide)This directly impacts the number of teachers per school.

·         the elimination of class size reduction in 8^th grade

·         an increase of 150 students per counselor

·         an increase of 250 students school-wide to retain 5 administrators (including the principal)

·         a 50% reduction in force at the Central and Local Districts

·         a decrease in custodial and other classified staff.

These are issues, we as a community, need to address with the Board. I feel it is vitally important that the entire Complex of elementary schools and Revere Middle School unite as one voice to the Board, in order to present our complaints with some of these proposals that directly impact our collective student body. More importantly, the Complex must present in an informed argument with data-driven proof that achievement by students is directly affected by good teaching and class size.

 

A community meeting is being arranged, by Complex principals,  after the spring break to address these concerns, and discuss actions needed to address our issues to the Board and Mr. Cortines. The Complex plans to invite members of the Board of Education and some District officials to answer questions at this meeting. Hopefully they will attend. The actual vote on Mr. Cortines’ proposals has been postponed for two weeks, therefore the letters from PTSA/PRIDE should be sent a.s.a.p. Now that the facts are clearly stated, and innuendoes and rumors no longer muddy the waters, it is time to send a united protest to protect our terrific teachers and staff, and the structures that support our high-achieving complex.

 

 

Events for the Spring

The spring semester is well underway at Paul Revere Charter Middle School. The Northern Trust Open ended on Sunday, February 22, and our largest fundraiser was a huge success! I would like to send out a special “Thank you and good work!” to all the volunteers who worked the parking during that extremely busy week. Excellent work Mr. Ken Haker and Company! Moreover, a tremendous “Thank you” should be extended to all of our parents and students for their cooperation and patience mornings and afternoons, during drop-off and pick-up times. YOU ROCK!

 

We are looking forward to performances of CATS this weekend. It is always a pleasure to watch talented, hard-working students from Revere perform for friends, family and the community. Evening performances will be held on Friday, February 27 and Saturday, February 28 at 7:00 p.m. in the auditorium. I hope everyone plans to attend.

 

On Saturday, March 7 P.R.I.D.E. has scheduled the E-Waste Recycling Event at 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Bring your old computers, printers, monitors, TV’s, cell phones, fax machines and print cartridges for recycling. All proceeds from this event will benefit Revere students, and our environment. If everything goes as planned, another exciting event may take place on this day. We are planning an important technological communication change on our campus. I am hoping that everything will be prepared for this presentation on March 7. There will be more notice closer to the date for this event. Please participate in recycling.

 

Our 8^th graders will start to feel the change in seasons during the month of March. They will also experience the apprehension and excitement of impending Culmination exercises. Please remind your 8^th grader that Culmination is not until June. They have many other events including California State Standards and Reporting Tests, in May, in addition to preparing them for the high school experience. Anchor their thoughts to the tasks at hand. Exciting, challenging times are ahead for teachers, staff, administrators, students and their families, and the Revere community.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spring Semester Time at Revere

I cannot believe the fall semester is at a close. Personally I feel completely at home at Paul Revere, even though I have only been here for one semester. The students, staff, and parents have made my transition to Revere an extremely pleasant and memorable experience. My time here has far exceeded my expectations. I could not be happier. The administrative staff is collaborating with faculty and office staff on planning special programs for our students. Teachers are working together to further the focus of “Continuous Improvement” Technology based programs are being introduced in an effort to support and increase student achievement. The new spring 2009 semester is about to commence. Monday, February 9 is the first day of the new semester. Classes, for some students, may change, but overall schedules should stay the same. Spring is an excellent time for students and their parents to re-evaluate their progress in school. Students need to determine whether or not they are meeting the goals they set for themselves at the beginning of the school year. Are they seizing every opportunity to improve and progress in all their classes? In addition, students need to strive for the very best on the up-coming California Standards Tests (CST) in May. I would like to thank all our parent volunteers for their diligence, time, resources, and generosity. Your support and assistance has benefited students and staff on our campus. I appreciate all your efforts, and look forward to a wonderful spring filled with exciting, educational events.

 

 

 

Welcome Back to Paul Revere Charter Middle School 2009!

Welcome back everyone! I hope your holidays were enjoyable and the New Year celebration happy. 2009 offers many new challenges for our students, staff, and community. The District is suffering through some major changes and financial difficulties. The administration and staff will do our best to keep classes, offices, and facilities moving forward at Revere.

 

The facility has gone through some noticeable changes over the vacation. The new front gate and fence offers more security and safety for our students. The gate is locked at 8:05 A.M. and visitors must enter through the main office door. Sign-ins and yellow visitor tags will be given in the main office. The next change is not really noticeable at first glance. Our marquee at the front of school is now wired for the digital cabinet we purchased last month. Unfortunately it will take a little longer than first planned for us to receive the digital cabinet. I am hoping for a big lighting celebration the early part of March. Floors and ceilings in classrooms have been repaired, and the room for a new boiler located in the gym is being prepared.

 

A special “thank you” goes to the Pacific Palisades Garden Club for their generous donation to Mr. Herrera’s Horticulture/Floriculture programs. We really appreciate the interest expressed by Revere’s surrounding community organizations. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our parents for their generous donations to our school. Through the community’s generosity and caring students at Revere gain significant opportunities and experiences.

 

Our 8^th graders will be taking the “Explore” examination on Wednesday, January 21, 2009. The “Explore” examination is given as a preparation test for the college entrance ACT exam given in high school. I hope students plan on having a good night’s sleep, and a healthy breakfast prior to taking the exam. I wish our 8^th graders success on the test.

 

It is a very exciting time throughout the nation and Paul Revere Middle School. I hope everyone plans to attend our parent organization meetings through PTSA and P.R.I.D.E., charter council meetings, and parent seminars.  Please check the calendar for dates and times. Let’s look forward to important events and challenges in 2009.

 

 

 

Happy Holidays - 11-21-08

The holidays are quickly upon us this time of year. Our parent tours for new incoming Revere students and families are continuing on a monthly basis. We had “Preview Night” on Wednesday, November 19 at 7:00 P.M. in the auditorium. On Thursday, November 20 at 9:00 P.M. is our monthly parent tour of Revere. Thanksgiving is next week and students, staff, and parents are planning their 4-day weekend with family and friends. The Paul Revere family wishes everyone a healthy, happy, safe Thanksgiving!

 

We have many exciting events on the calendar next month. Our music department has planned concerts for December 10 and 11 that will highlight the talents and exceptional abilities of our students. On Wednesday, December 17 all 8^th graders will participate in the new “Explore” test, a preliminary version of the ACT used for college entrance. This test will not count on students’ grades at Revere, but will offer them the excellent opportunity to practice for college entrance exams in the future. The test is offered free to all L.A.U.S.D. 8^th grade students. Results will be shared at a later date. I wish everyone “good luck” on the test. Friday, December 19 is a minimum day, dismissal at 12:23 P.M.

 

All my best wishes for a wonderful holiday season to everyone in the Revere Community!

 

 

November 10 - 14

I hope all parents received the announcement for the PRIDE/PTSA meeting on Wednesday, November 12 at 8:00 A.M. in the Town Hall. Mr. Hastings will present the new discipline policy, and represent me at the meeting. Principals from our feeder elementary schools will be on campus that afternoon observing some of our Math classes. We are proud to “show-off” our excellent students, teachers, and staff to our neighboring schools. In addition, that Wednesday night, at 7:00 P.M., I will be at Palisades Elementary School with a host of Revere teachers and students, to discuss the many social attributes and academic programs Paul Revere Middle School can offer their children. I look forward to an excellent presentation by members of the Revere student body and staff.

 

 

A Very Busy Week, 11-3 to 11-7

What a busy week at Paul Revere Middle School. On Election Day, Tuesday, November 4, while people from the community were arriving at our campus to vote the “lights went out!” literally. The entire neighborhood lost electricity. Even the traffic lights were out! Under these extreme circumstances our community, parents, students, teachers, and staff were terrific! Parents were patient and careful dropping off their children for school. Students went directly to their classes and got down to work. Teachers presented lessons without interruption, totally in a darkened room. Staff and administration directed traffic on the busy street without incident. That’s what I call “TEAMWORK!” Congratulations to all Revere Patriots!  

 

 

New - Principal's Post

Welcome to the new principal’s post.  This page will be updated frequently by the principal to deliver any important information and announcements.  The page will be fully operational by Friday, November 7^th.  Hopefully you will visit often, or subscribe to this blog for updated school news.