Last year we were honored to be chosen as a California Distinguished School.  This honor confirms what I have seen going on at Cooper since I began here as the assistant principal last year.  There are three groups that make Cooper the outstanding school that it is.  They are the staff, the students and the dedicated Cooper families who work together to make this school so very special.

When I speak of the staff I am talking about teachers, office and support staff.  Each person is professional, knowledgeable and passionate in what they do.  They work diligently here at Cooper to insure that each student is successful academically as well as becoming a responsible and respectful  member of society who has the desire for life long learning. The teachers have high academic expectations for their students and themselves.  They work collaboratively with their colleagues to find new ways to improve their practice to help all students.  Technology is  one of the strategies that is used at Cooper to help engage students and prepare them for the future. All classrooms have computers, document cameras, and digital projectors.  We also have a computer lab that is used by many of the teachers weekly. Cooper teachers care about their students and each other and this is felt in every classroom.

The second group is the student body. We have a growing ethnically diverse population of students and it is inspirational to see these children learning and playing together.  The students here are extremely hard-working and conscientious. As we begin this second trimester we are implementing a school wide program, Character Counts which emphasizes six pillars of good character.  They are trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship. This will be implemented through our weekly assemblies.  The student council is back in action this year with an emphasis on “serving others.”  So far they have had a Fish drive which brought in barrels and barrels of food for needy people.  Next week, in conjunction with one of our Girl Scout troops, they are having a two day coat drive.  They also are sponsoring school wide spirit activities throughout the year.

Lastly, the third group who help make Cooper the special place that it is are the Cooper families who work tirelessly in so many ways. We have parents coordinating after school enrichment club, odyssey of the mind teams and who have organized red ribbon week for students.  This year we have a parent who brought back Magic by the Book, a reading incentive program and we have approximately 120 students involved in reading books in various genres.  We also have a parent who has organized and brought back movie night as a fun family activity here at Cooper. We could not have had the successful and wonderful book faire that we had last month without the help of our parents. Our PTO has already completed a successful triathlon and candle fundraiser as well as two family dinner nights at local restaurants.  In December we are looking forward to Santa Shop which is always a big hit with the students. In these difficult financial times in our schools we rely more and more on the support of our families not just for the extras but the necessities as well.  Their efforts are so greatly appreciated.

This has been a great first trimester for me as principal and I have enjoyed every day of it. I am getting to know all the students and families and I look forward to meeting more of you in the coming year.

Thank you,

Kelyne Campbell-Townsend
Principal, Cooper Elementary School