A showcase, not a competition: ‘Exploring NUSD Secondary School Options Night’

--- Published on January 29th 2016 ---
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Stepping to the microphone to address dozens of families, Natomas High School Principal Yuri Penermon began by telling them what the event — “Exploring Secondary School Options Night” – was not.

It’s not a competition, he said. It’s not about which school is best. It’s about learning what unique programs each secondary school offers and deciding which campus best suits your child’s individual needs.”

“Each school in our district offers great programs,” he said.

All parents of elementary and middle school students were invited, but the showcase Thursday (Jan. 28) was designed particularly for 5th and 8th graders who are trying to decide which middle or high school campus to attend next year.

One-by-one, principals from each secondary school took turns at the microphone, providing a five-minute rundown of their academic and other options, such as band, music, drama, tutoring, sports or after-school programs. The goal was to showcase what makes their school special.

Penermon touted Natomas High’s approval as a prestigious AP Capstone Diploma School, meaning it will offer a nationally renowned diploma program next year enabling students to earn college credits while acquiring critical thinking and analytical skills valued by America’s top colleges and universities. He also pointed to the Nighthawks’ Engineering Pathway and its development of a Health Pathway enabling students to qualify for certification as Emergency Medical Technicians upon graduation.

Inderkum Principal Dan Motherspaw noted the Tigers’ existing International Baccalaureate program, which begins with the Middle Years Programme for freshmen and sophomores, who can enroll as juniors into the IB Diploma Programme, climaxing with diploma distinction that can lead to college or university privileges ranging from guaranteed admission to entering postsecondary education as sophomores, depending upon the institution. Motherspaw also touted Inderkum’s California Early College Academy Program (CECA), enabling high school students to take college classes at American River College.

Among middle schools, Natomas Middle School cited its IB Middle Years Programme – a partnership with Inderkum – that offers rigorous academic courses, promotes 21st century analytical thinking skills, and fosters community involvement by requiring students to participate in service learning. Natomas Gateways Middle School noted its robotics program and its one-to-one IT program that assigns a Chromebook to every student for use at school and home. Leroy Greene Academy, the district’s only dependent charter school, pointed out that its students can attend from 6th grade through high school graduation. The campus offers academic pathways in Visual Arts/Technology and Business/Marketing.

Parents interviewed afterward said they appreciated the showcase and learned from it.

“It did answer a lot of the questions I had,” said Claudia Madrid, mother of a 5th-grader.

Wendy Blocker said her daughter is a 7th-grader, so she isn’t yet selecting a high school. Nonetheless, the information was very helpful, Blocker said, adding said that she was particularly interested in hearing about Leroy Greene Academy because she had lost track of it since its closure for renovation and reopening as a dependent charter school several years ago.

“I love how every school is represented,” said Tina Goode. “It shows how close-knit we are as a district.”