School Synopsis
Meadow Park Elementary opened in the fall of 1987 as a kindergarten through sixth grade neighborhood school in southwest Woodbridge. The unique design of our building accommodates classrooms and activity areas in each of the four wings.
The opening words to Meadow Park’s mission statement, along with caricatures of happy learners, greet you as you enter our school.. "Meadow Park School . . . A happy place where all children learn and apply basic skills, think critically and creatively, and live together with a sense of personal pride as they develop essential life skills for the future." We pride ourselves on being an academic and social community of learners as we exchange ideas, articulate with, and integrate our programs with adjacent South Lake Middle School and onsite Orange County Department of Education Special Schools classes.
Meadow Park was originally constructed with the intent to house special education students within an integrated site. From the beginning, our specially equipped wing has been leased by OCDE. Our four OCDE classrooms provide programs and services for students who manifest a range of severe language and behavior disorders, which may include severe physical and medical disabilities. Our collaboration with these classrooms pairs general education students with Special Schools students, within both the general education and special education classrooms, as well as on the playground. This partnership promotes greater understanding, appreciation and acceptance of one another.
Collaboration continues as we fully integrate all students within our neighborhood in regular education classrooms. We firmly believe in providing the least restrictive environment for all learners. It is our goal to insure that appropriate and meaningful instruction occurs for all students, while guiding each student toward achieving their personal best.
Meadow Park students bring a wide range of cultures, ethnicities, and backgrounds to our school. We are fortunate to have eleven ethnic and language groups represented in our population. Our professional, middle class community places a high priority on education, and supports our school in a myriad of ways. Our programs are continually expanded and enhanced due to the extraordinary efforts of our parent volunteer network. Financial support through fund-raising and donations of time and money enable us to continue our pursuit of expertise. Within our classrooms and in our workroom, parents are an ever present source of support. Working with students, completing clerical tasks, organizing events, chairing committees, and working together as a team with staff to provide the best possible learning experience for all children is a top priority for our parents.
A powerful sense of professional community is a hallmark of our school. We pride ourselves on being adult learners. We have developed a collaborative work culture and established norms along with ways to monitor and remain accountable for those norms. As a result, we work to respect diversity, be active listeners, offer the best of ourselves to others, remain honest, and have fun. This collaborative work culture provides the foundation for our universally embraced belief in participatory management. We empower staff, parents, and students to become a vital part of the decision making processes, resulting in our extraordinary feeling of school-wide ownership and cooperation.
It is our mission to prepare all students to succeed in a changing world by becoming effective communicators, innovative problem solvers, capable individuals, and responsible members of society. We follow the California Standards and IUSD Expectations for core learning. These expectations define by grade level and specifically in each curricular area, what students should know, understand, and be able to do by the time they leave our school. These living documents reflect our commitment to student success and drive our exemplary program.
Throughout our second decade many long range plans, programs, and policies are already established. Most of these remain in a state of constant modification, revision, and enhancement. By utilizing the most current research and resources, we are committed to providing the best possible education for every learner. As we look to the future, we also feel compelled to address the challenge of uplifting the public’s image of public education. By continuing to encourage the community to be involved with our school and communicating frequently and accurately, our successes and accomplishments will become common knowledge. States a parent, "I think of the quality of our teachers, staff, and volunteers. The school is so warm, comfortable, and safe. I know my child is not only learning the 3 Rs, but also growing in her self-esteem and learning how to be successful out in the real world." Exemplary public education deserves to be acknowledged. We will work to insure that the message of excellence our parents receive will continue to spread and the program we provide will continue to deserve this acknowledgement. In 1998 we became a California Distinguished School, which honors some of the state's most exemplary public schools. In 1999 we became a National Blue Ribbon School, which celebrates many of America's most successful schools. Both programs strive to promote and support the improvement of education.
"We believe in the bond that exists within our school family of students, staff, and parents, which allows all of us the opportunity to grow and develop together. Our ultimate goal is to unlock within each child the ability to apply his or her thoughts and ideas in a responsible way that builds a better future for us all." This is our vision.