Buena Park Middle School Students Enchant During Winter Concert
Buena Park Middle School’s band and choir students filled the halls of Thanksgiving Church and thrilled family and community members with the sounds of classical music standards and holiday favorites during its “Let it Snow” Winter Concert on Dec. 8. The concert was directed by Buena Park Middle School band and choir Director Dylan Locke with help from California State University, Long Beach student-teachers Alix Aber and Kelsey Lih, who served as co-conductors for the evening. Some 250 guests were in attendance for the event.
Buena Park School District is revamping its curriculum and bolstering support through a partnership with University of California, Irvine that puts doctoral students into classrooms to observe and share feedback for improving instruction, and through its popular Math Academy, which challenges students to apply real-world scenarios to boost understanding. Now in its second year, the Math Academy focuses on small group breakout sessions and fun activity-driven lessons in grades three through five, providing individual coaching and Cognitively Guided Instruction for student-centered teaching.
Buena Park School District’s elementary school students drew thunderous cheers of applause from parents and family members for every goal, blocked shot and kick during the first-ever Superintendent’s Cup soccer tournament on Dec. 3. The Superintendent’s Cup brought together more than 160 third-, fourth- and fifth-grade students from each of the District’s five elementary schools for a multi-round soccer tournament, aimed at teaching athleticism, perseverance, teamwork and good player conduct.
Whitaker Elementary School welcomed droves of students, parents and community members onto campus for a night of tasty burgers and outdoor cinematic splendor during its Movie Night Fundraiser on Nov. 17. The event was sponsored by Whitaker’s Home School Organization and featured an In-n-Out food truck, thanks to the In-n-Out Foundation. The night brought in more than $1,800, of which 75 percent will be used to fund Whitaker School field trips, student events and support for classrooms. The other 25 percent of the proceeds will be given to a Buena Park charity.
Buena Park School District will host its inaugural Superintendent’s Cup soccer tournament from 1 to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3 to see which school reigns supreme on the soccer field. Teams consisting of students in grades three, four and five representing all five District elementary schools will compete in a series of short matches focusing on building teamwork, social-emotional intelligence and good decision making. The event will be held at the Buena Park High School stadium located at 8833 Academy Drive, Buena Park.
More than 30 Buena Park Middle School teachers have recently earned the Apple Teacher certification, recognizing their Apple applications mastery that is used to teach students about video and audio editing, giving presentations, organizing spreadsheets and more. To receive certification, teachers must gain digital badges to show their proficiency in a variety of Apple programs, which include Keynote, Pages, Numbers, Garageband and iMovie. To assist with application learning, Apple Professional Learning Coaches visit Buena Park Middle School weekly to give training to students and teachers.
Buena Park School District students and parents haunted the halls of Gilbert Elementary School dressed as princesses, police officers and pop culture icons while enjoying delectable foods, games and entertainment during the school’s Fall Festival, held on Oct. 27. Welcoming community members onto campus for an evening of fun, which raised money that will help fund future Gilbert Elementary School field trips to aquariums, local colleges and museums to boost student learning and a college-going culture.
Buena Park School District will host its biannual Gifted and Talented Education Super Saturday event to teach students about how science is using biomimicry – emulating designs found in nature – to improve objects such as planes, trains and even buildings. The event will be held at Buena Park Middle School from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Nov. 5 and will be co-hosted by the Orange County Department of Education’s “Inside the Outdoors” program. Buena Park Middle School is located at 6931 Orangethorpe Ave., Buena Park 90620.
Buena Park School District’s revamped preschool program is ensuring its youngest students thrive by using data collected from the Desired Results Development Profile (DRDP) to create personalized and focused plans that prepare students for success in kindergarten and beyond. Through DRDP data collected during the first two months of the 2022-23 school year, teachers at all preschools in the District are now providing in-depth student progress reports to track readiness, acknowledge strengths and determine if students need additional support in their learning.
Buena Park School District ‘Principal for a Day’ Welcomes Local Leaders
Buena Park School District welcomed more than a dozen city, business and community leaders onto its campuses for its “Principal for a Day” event on Oct. 18 to learn about District operations, explore academic programs and support services, and connect with students on their favorite subjects, the skills they have learned and their future goals. Among the local professionals participating in the event were Buena Park Mayor Sunny Park, Buena Park High School Counselor Maggie Gallego, and Biola University Associate Professor and English Learner Specialist Dr. Jenna Canillas.
