Welcome to Cerritos School!
Welcome back, Cheetahs! After a year at the interim campus we are excited to be back at our new home! Cerritos School looks fantastic! We now have upgraded electrical, plumbing, roofing, lighting, air conditioning/heating, security, and more! All of the classrooms look great, and thanks to our wonderful PTA we also have a brand new tile wall in the center of our campus. We are very excited to share our new commemorative tile wall with our community. The Cerritos School PTA worked tirelessly to ensure that this project was completed in time for our Ribbon Cutting Ceremony last May. Over 200 tiles were painted and placed on the new commemorative tile wall that represent current and former students as well as many from adults, past and present, who have so generously given their time, talents, and resources to help thousands of students fulfill their dreams. Many thanks to our PTA for their role in making this dream a reality!
At Cerritos our mission is to assist students in acquiring the skills needed to be successful, life-long learners, prepared to accept responsibilities and challenges of our culturally diverse society. Cerritos staff members focus on providing our Cheetahs with the highest caliber learning experience in a caring and nurturing environment so that students feel valued and respected. Our dedicated staff is committed to upholding these expectations by being proactive in addressing student needs and concerns. We will have a weekly focus on developing positive character traits and good citizenship in the classroom, on the playground, at lunch, and at our Flag Ceremonies. At Cerritos School we take bullying very seriously; so much so that we've developed a policy in this area. To read our Anti-Bullying/Anti-Harassment Policy, please click here. Our sixth graders will participate in the Cypress Police Department’s P.A.C.E. (Positive Action through Character Education) Program. Our goal at Cerritos School is to create a school community where all students, parents, and staff feel connected!
We desire that all of our students develop and maintain a love for learning! This year we will continue to target the areas of Mathematics and Reading/Language Arts, with a specific emphasis on reading comprehension and writing strategies. We are implementing a new writing program called “Write from the Beginning” that will provide our students with the necessary skills to become proficient writers. Along with placing a strong emphasis on the California State Content Standards, we will continue to implement and refine strategies that engage all students in every lesson throughout the entire school day such as Think, Turn, Talk, responding chorally and by using individual response tools, such as whiteboards. We will continue to use and refine all components of Explicit Direct Instruction and to ensure that all students are being taught curricula that aligns with the California Content Standards.
All students benefit when they come to school every day and arrive on time. Regular attendance and punctuality teach students work habits that are necessary for their entire education and work careers. At Cerritos School we place a strong emphasis on getting students to school on time each day. We acknowledge, reward, and reinforce good attendance. In classrooms, group points and class points are awarded when all students arrive to school on time. Students are recognized with Perfect Attendance Awards at our Awards Assemblies as an added incentive to make it to school every day.
We are truly grateful for all of the residents of our community for continuing to value and support education as we look forward with anticipation to a wonderful educational experience with all of our Cerritos Cheetahs in 2012-13!
About Cerritos School
Cerritos School is in the Savanna School District which encompasses parts of the cities of Anaheim, Buena Park, Cypress and Stanton. Approximately 470 students attend Cerritos School. The staff at Cerritos School is composed of 18 regular education teachers, 4 special day class teachers, a special education resource teacher and speech therapist, as well as psychologist, counselor, and nursing services. All of the teachers at Cerritos School are fully credentialed by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.
Support services at the school include clerical, custodial and maintenance, and special funded school based coordinated program and special education classroom instructional assistants. Student support is also maintained through the Student Intervention Team, a group of teachers who meet to help parents and other teachers with students who may not be progressing academically, socially, or behaviorally.
Cerritos staff members attend inservices and workshops on a regular basis to keep current on exemplary teaching strategies, new curricula, and methods to best assist students in meeting grade-level standards. Cerritos School's strong academic program ensures that the state and district standards are taught in a comprehensive manner. Students participate in a variety of assessments including District benchmark assessments; teacher and publisher assessments; as well as the State Testing and Reporting (STAR) program which includes the California Standards Test, Physical Fitness Testing for fifth grade students, and the California English Language Development Test (CELDT) for second-language learners.
The Cypress Police Department provides the PACE (Positive Action through Character Education) program for sixth grade students, emphasizing character education and drug abuse resistance.