Back to school Summer vacation is over. School is now in session. Approximately 6000 kindergarten through 12th-grade students throughout Claremont Unified School District saw their last day of summer vacation on Tuesday and embraced the school setting on Wednesday to kick off the 2007-08 school year. “I’m really happy to be in junior high,” said Christina Boyd, a 7th grader at El Roble Intermediate School. “The beginning of the day was kind of creepy because it seemed like there were people that were staring down at me as I was walking by. It’s going to be an adjustment though. I like my teachers and I look forward to meeting new people.” The 2007-08 school year will run through June 12, 2008, with the first holiday being Veteran’s Day on November 12 of this year. With the exception of October, March and June, each month of the school year will have at least one holiday observed. CUSD has 7 elementary schools (Chaparral, Condit, Mountain View, Oakmont, Sumner-Danbury, Sycamore, Vista del Valle), El Roble Intermediate School as its lone intermediate campus, Claremont High School and San Antonio High School as its two high schools, and the Phoenix Academy-Community Day School that provides alternative education for students in grades 7-12.
El Roble Intermediate School With more than a thousand students, El Roble is the second biggest K-12 campus in CUSD. As the only intermediate school in CUSD, the campus represents a place where many Claremont students come together, regardless of which of the several CUSD elementary schools they attended before. While the campus was vibrant with activity on Wednesday, there was also a mood of calmness at the intermediate school as if the school had already been in session for a few weeks. “I think we’re off to a great start,” said Kevin Grier, principal of El Roble Intermediate School. “The kids are excited to be in school.” Katherine Hertenstein, 8th-grade English teacher and ASB advisor, also took notice of the easygoing atmosphere at the school on Wednesday, and sees the first day as an example of things to come for the anticipated school year. “The first day went smoothly—it’s been great,” Ms. Hertenstein said. “I have a great group of students this year and they all came prepared for class. I’m really excited about this school year.” There were differences in how El Roble’s 8th graders experienced their first day of school compared to the incoming 7th graders. Yet one similarity between the two groups comes in the anticipation that they have in interacting with one another during each school year. “You’re a lot more comfortable when you’re an 8th grader on the first day instead of a 7th grader because you know everyone and you’ve already been here a year,” 8th grader Joey Harris said. “Yet we’re excited to see the new 7th graders and to see what they’re like. My advice to them is to just go with the flow and do what your teachers tell you.” Seventh grader Stephen Zetterberg, who attended Sycamore Elementary School last year, is enjoying the new experience of being a junior-high student. Stephen not only is intrigued by the social aspect of El Roble but also finds excitement in the different academic structure at the intermediate level. “It’s kind of fun having 45 minutes in each class and also having a bunch of teachers instead of just one teacher,” he said. “My first day was pretty good. There were some 8th graders that were nice to me and helped me, making my day less stressful.”
San Antonio High School It was lunchtime at San Antonio High School on Wednesday as students picked up their snacks and conversed in different areas on the high school campus. Principal Steve Boyd walked around the campus chatting with students, teachers were setting up their classrooms for their next class, and the calm atmosphere that was at El Roble was also present at this school as well. Mr. Boyd’s outlook for San Antonio this year is for the school to be a place where students develop overall, not just academically. “We’re looking to create more school pride and develop other skills in our students this year—more than just their academic skills,” Mr. Boyd said. “We’ve lengthened our classes to 85-minute periods so that teachers have more time to teach and we’re going to have more project-based interactions.” Though seniors Xavier Rogers, Terrence Eddings and Cherry Watts all sat at a lunch table discussing their first day as well as other life events, the 3 students are not disconnected with the rest of the student body. With a significantly smaller student body than Claremont High School, San Antonio becomes a place of unique familiarity for its students. “Everybody knows everybody,” Terrence explained. “That’s what I like about this school so much. People are real here and they say what’s on their mind.” Cherry shared Terrence’s sentiments as to why she views San Antonio as a good fit for her this year. “I like it here,” she said. “It’s cool because people aren’t fake. That’s the main reason why I like this school.” Xavier is currently the student representative on the CUSD board. The San Antonio senior’s term started in July and runs through December and is part of what he hopes will lead to an advantage as he applies to colleges. “It’s a learning experience and something that definitely looks good on a resume,” Xavier pointed out. (story continues below)
Chaparral Elementary School At 2:25 p.m. on Wednesday, Chaparral Elementary School Principal Lori Kerns was not inside the main office. Instead, with a “Stop” sign in hand, she went out into the middle of the Chaparral Drive to direct traffic while parents picked up their children at the end of the first day of school. When she wasn’t directing traffic, she was greeting parents, asking students how their first day went, and causing both groups to smile equally as they left the elementary school campus for the day. “It’s a great day, a ripple free day,” Ms. Kerns said excitedly. “I love being here.” A similar amount of excitement was also found in 6th graders Megan Renken and Megan Scarlatelli. The two were hostesses last Thursday when the school held an orientation for new students and will both run for student council this year. “It’s an exciting day,” Megan Scarlatelli said. “I don’t get nervous but I’m usually excited about the first day of school. This is going to be my favorite year because I got the teacher I wanted and it’s also exciting having more privileges.” Along with the perks of being in the highest grade at Chaparral, Megan Renken also understands the responsibility that she and the other 6th graders have in being good examples to the younger students. “[As a 6th grader] you’re the oldest on campus,” she said. “I feel like we’re role models.”
Making friends Many students throughout the district view the first day of school as a time in which they see friends that they may have not seen since June. The reunion plays a significant role in how a student’s first day of school turns out, along with meeting new teachers, classmates and the possibility of adjusting to a new school campus. “I’m excited to come back because all my friends are here,” said Sarah Flores, 8th grader at El Roble Intermediate School. When asked how students can make new friends during the school year, Sarah offered a two-word bit of advice. “Be yourself,” she said.
—Landus Rigsby |
 
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September 8, 2007
September 8, 2007