If you have an article or web link that should be included here, please give or email it to a site council member.

The purpose of the Third Grade Bike Safety program is to teach and provide practice in:

• Safe biking and walking skills, like looking left, right, left before
  entering a street;

• Following basic rules of the road, like using signals and yielding to other road users who have the right of way at driveways and intersections; and
  
  

Addison Elementary School
650 Addison Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94301
Telephone: (650) 322-5935 FAX: (650) 322-3306

History

Addison was founded in 1925 on land originally intended for a high school. The original building was two stories with wings at either end. The two wings still exist: rooms 1, 2, 3, 8, and 9. These are the oldest existing elementary school classrooms in the district. The central structure, declared unsafe in an earthquake, was replaced by the courtyard rooms in 1968.

School Statistics

The arches of Addison welcome everyone, leading us to learning as we grow. These words from our school song describe our commitment to developing a strong learning community for all children.

• Addison is primarily a neighborhood school with approximately 450 students in grades kindergarten through five, including students from East Palo Alto and elsewhere in the district.
• Class size in grades 1-3 is maintained at 20 or below.

Curriculum and Philosophy

We are a community of teachers, children, and parents working together to create a rich, stimulating learning environment for each child. We want children to feel a sense of belonging to the whole school community, as well as to the classroom. Our weekly assemblies allow us to recognize accomplishments and share information.

During Heritage Week, children study cultures from around the world in K-5 cross-age groups. Each child has a buddy in another grade, and children also mix into cross-age groups at lunch and on the playground. Our teachers create child-centered classrooms where children work collaboratively as well as independently. Children share core experiences and have the opportunity to build on these foundations in directions that meet their specific needs and interests. Parents are also a visible presence in the classroom, guiding students in small-group activities, preparing materials, and providing one-on-one tutoring, and participating in PTA, Site Council and other decision-making bodies.

District Curriculum information

Addison Elementary School SINGLE PLAN FOR STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT (School Improvement Plan) 2007-2008

Test Scores

Addison School STAR (Standardized Testing and Reporting) test scores are available at the California Department of Education site.

After School Programs

Addison actively serves our community. After-school child care is provided on-site to many of our families by the Palo Alto Community Child Care (PACCC) program. On-site after-school activities are offered by private institutions, including foreign language and art. Community and neighborhood associations also use the facilities. The playground is filled with organized sports and informal play, both after school and during the weekends.

Budget

Palo Alto Unified School District relies heavily on local income sources, primarily property taxes, building leases and interest income, to fund 80% of its programs. State and federal resources provide additional funds. Budgets are allotted to the schools for instructional programs and for general operating expenses.

Welcome to the Addison Library

Developing life-long readers and effective and responsible information seekers

The Addison library welcomes students, staff, and parents to use its print and electronic resources. Students come to the library once a week for formal lessons and borrowing but are welcome any time to browse, borrow, read, and conduct research. The library instructional program supports literacy in a variety of ways and promotes a rich multi-leveled resource collection that is current and entertaining. Students use both electronic and print resources to complete research assigments. Parent volunteers are essential partners who help run the library program and raise funds for library materials. Please contact the Addison librarian if you would like to become a part of this dedicated team.

• Search the Addison Online Catalog to find resources in the library collection. Go to the Online Database tab to search World Book Encyclopedia or SIRS Discoverer, a magazine and information database designed for elementary school students. Please see the Addison librarian for password information. Go to the Search Engines tab to search filtered search engines for kids: Yahooligans, KidsClick, Ask For Kids.
• Jordan Middle School Research Links
• PAUSD Curriculum Links
• American Library Association's Great Web Sites for Kids.
• Palo Alto Children's Library has outstanding Online Resources available to library patrons. Check out their events page and their summer reading program.
• East Palo Alto Library
• Santa Clara County Library
• Redwood City Library

"The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go." Dr. Seuss

Reading for pleasure is one of life's pure and simple joys. Reading for pleasure has the extra added benefit of being good for you as study after study shows a strong positive correlation between time spent reading for pleasure and academic achievement. Guiding children towards choosing enjoyable and interesting books to read either on their own or with another person is a fun and exciting process. The following books and web sites contain a multitude of book lists organized in a variety of ways. Some web sites allow readers to search lists using specific criteria.

Books:

• The Read Aloud Handbook 2006-2007 Updated by Jim Trelease
• The New York Times Parent's Guide to the Best Books for Children 3rd Edition by Eden Ross Lipson
• How to Get Your Child to Love Reading: For Ravenous and Reluctant Readers Alike by Esme Raji Codell
• Valerie and Walter's Best Books for Children A Lively Opinionated Guide by Valerie Lewis and Walter Mayes

Web Sites:

• Palo Alto Children's Library Kid's Pages Book Reviews
• Series and Sequels published by the Mid-Continent Public Library
• What's Next ? published by Kent District Library
• Trelease on Reading
• On-Lion for Kids New York Public Library Reading Lists
• National Education Association Top 100 Books Kids' List & Teacher's List
• KidsReads.com
• Book Adventure.com Read books and take quizzes.
• Award Winners: Newbery (American Writing) Caldecott (American Illustration) California Young Reader, Coretta Scott King (Multicultural)
• Children's Literature.com
• CCBC Books Lists (Cooperative Children's Book Center University of Wisconsin School of Education)
• California Department of Education Recommended Literature Search
• A World of Difference Institute Recommended Multicultural & Anti-bias Books for Children
• Weapons of Mass Instruction: Anti-War Books for Young People

Last Updated 2007

Pictures from previous Coloma field trips

Addison staff and parents feel that how we treat ourselves and one another is one of the important things we need to learn about as we grow. In keeping with our school vision of helping children become caring, tolerant, and responsible individuals, the* LifeSkills *program was developed. Each month we focus on a specific character trait, such as responsibility, respect, and acceptance. From activities at Monday morning assemblies, to classroom projects, to home discussions, to parent-led cooperative games on the playground, children learn important skills that help them in school and beyond.

One of our big events is STONE SOUP, which is kid-driven and directed by parent volunteers. Encourage your kids to participate!

If you are interested in helping support this program you can:

• Practice, discuss, and model the traits each month with your children to reinforce what they are learning.
• Read books at home that reflect these skills and traits.
• We'd love to hear your suggestions and ideas, and welcome your participation on a regular or occasional basis.
• If you'd like to volunteer, or if you have any questions or want to talk about LifeSkills, please freel free to contact any of Addison's four LifeSkills Parent Coordinators: Joyce Mitchell and Erika Erickson.

Some of the programs available to Addison students:

• Spectra Art: All grades. Art specialists come into the classroom to share art projects with the children, using different materials and ideas.
• Noon Science: Children learn something new every week with experiments in many areas such as chemistry, vision, and biology.

Passport to California

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