Aviara Oaks Elementary, Carlsbad - A Blue Ribbon School

From the Carlsbad Unified School District:

What does it take to be named a National Blue Ribbon School? All the latest trends and technologies? Hashtags and likes? Exciting extracurriculars?

Aviara Oaks Elementary School (AOE), Carlsbad Unified’s latest recipient of the prestigious Blue Ribbon award, indeed has all of those things. But principal Jimmy Hines says that the reasons for his school’s success are much more fundamental.

It’s the 3 R’s. “Our job is to be sure that all of our students develop reading, writing, math fluency -- all the baseline tools they need -- with a high level of competence,” said Principal Hines. “Our school aims to educate well-balanced students. They achieve. They are competent and confident learners.”

It’s also accountability to the same standards-based curriculum. The school benefits from a multitude of resources, from enrichment programs in PE, Science, Art, and Music, to intervention programs for students who need added help. All of these supplemental programs are taught in ways that faithfully reinforce the school’s relevant, standards-based curriculum. Principal Hines sends kudos to the classroom and special ed teachers, enrichment instructors, and classified staff for their true collaboration and teaming for student learning.

It’s about measured growth. The student population at AOE is diverse -- there are English learners, and students with special needs or socio-economic challenges -- so that meaningful and realistic goals must be set for each student individually. Standardized testing such as Smarter Balanced will always be there, but AOE tracks and celebrates each student’s progress from where they begin to where they end.

And it’s about relationships. Teachers, students, staff, and a supportive PTA work together to build a strong sense of community and purpose for all students. AOE’s positive school climate and culture motivates students to do their best and be their best.

Principal Hines observes that this is what it takes to be a National Blue Ribbon school. And he should know.

This press release was produced by the Carlsbad Unified School District. The views expressed here are the author’s own.