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RCSD Corner: News From the Redwood City School District
North Star Academy Named a 2012 National Blue Ribbon School
North Star eighth-graders Raúl, Daniel, Nicole and Jessica
When eighth-grader Daniel S. first attended North Star Academy
in sixth grade, it was a challenge.
“It was a lot harder than my other school at first,” said Daniel,
“but in seventh grade I started figuring it out.” Today, Daniel is
excelling in school and credits the school’s emphasis on enrichment for his
academic achievement. Daniel explained that North Star offers enrichment
classes on a wide range of topics, such as sports or drama, that are not
directly related to school subjects.
“Taking enrichment classes relaxes my mind and helps me to do better in
school,” he said.
Daniel’s classmates, Raúl, Jessica and Nicole, agree that North Star is a
place where students work hard but get a lot of support from teachers and
the opportunity to pursue many interests through enrichment classes or
participation in after-school sports programs.
“North Star is a good school,” said Nicole. “You have a lot of homework
and it is challenging, but you learn a lot!”
North Star’s curricula and programs are designed to meet the unique needs
of students identified as gifted and high achieving. The school serves about
540 students in third through eighth grade and was recently named a 2012
National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education.
North Star uses an instructional strategy called differentiated instruction
to teach state standards and offers a third- through eighth-grade enrichment
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program. Teachers pre-assess students and use the information to determine
the best way to teach state standards, depending on the degree of the students’
mastery. The teachers then use the assessment to “compact” the curriculum,
creating time at the end of the day for students to participate in an enrichment
class of their choice. Enrichment classes have included Shakespeare drama
performances, bookmaking, quilt making, multimedia presentations, chess,
the study of art masters, origami, word games, model making, stock market
analysis, science fiction studies, how to prevent global warming, ecology,
participation in musicals and plays, and a host of other classes.
“Our school prides itself on instilling a love of learning not only in our
students but also our teachers,” said former North Star Principal Wendy
Kelly, who was instrumental in completing the extensive application process
involved in winning the 2012 National Blue Ribbon Award. “Students who
are allowed choice in their class programming feel that their voices are
more valued, which supports their emotional well-being as participants in a
learning community.”
North Star was one of only 17 public and private schools in the state of
California to be awarded a National Blue Ribbon Award in 2012. The U.S.
Department of Education has bestowed this annual award to about 7,000
schools in the U.S. since 1982, when the program began. The program
recognizes those schools exhibiting the highest level of student achievement
or that have made exemplary progress toward bridging the achievement gap.
North Star was also designated a California Distinguished School in 2010.
In the 2011–12 school year, the school earned an API score of 990 out of a
total of 1,000, making it the highest-performing school in San Mateo County.
“I’m proud that North Star’s students’ and staff’s accomplishments are
being recognized by the Blue Ribbon Committee,” said Parent Club President
Zeke Mead. “I’ve enjoyed watching kids ask questions and work together to
discover the answers in an environment that facilitates their needs.”
Current North Star Principal Leslie Crane, former Principal Wendy Kelly
and North Star fourth-grade teacher Karen Gaffney will travel to the White
House in Washington, D.C., to accept the award in November.
According to the U.S. Department of Education website, the National
Blue Ribbon Schools Program recognizes public and private elementary,
middle and high schools where students perform at very high levels or where
significant improvements are being made in students’ levels of academic
achievement. To be eligible for the prestigious nomination, schools must be
in the 85th percentile or above on statewide tests or count among the top 10
percent of schools serving a largely socioeconomically disadvantaged student
body showing consistent improvement over the past five years.
All second- through seventh-grade students who live within the boundaries
of the Redwood City School District may apply to attend North Star. This
year, the application period is earlier than in the past, and all applications are
due by 4 p.m. on Jan. 9, 2013. Applications and information on the application
process are available on the school’s website, www.rcsdk8.net/northstar, or by
calling the school office at 650-482-5973.
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