Phoebe Hearst Elementary School (San Diego)
Encyclopedia
Phoebe Hearst Elementary School is a public elementary school
in the Del Cerro
area of San Diego
, California
, under the San Diego Unified School District
. It enrolls around 520 student
s in grades K-5.
, one of the founders of the modern Parent Teacher Association. The school's PTA branch grew out of the Allied Gardens branch of the PTA.
The first students were admitted in February, 1958 and the school was officially dedicated in January, 1959. The 50th anniversary of the school was marked with a celebration on May 22, 2009.
, which assigns schools a score between 200 and 1,000 points, they scored only 2 out of 10 on the "similar-schools ranking" measure, which compares institutions with similar ethnic compositions; their scores fell after the similar-schools ranking was adjusted to account for the number of students whose ethnicity was unspecified.
The school has been affected by state budget cuts, leading to shortages in basic supplies; in 2004, a local real estate company held a community fundraiser to purchase pens, pencils, markers, erasers, and scissors for the school.
In 2003, a district school board trustee criticized the school's implementation of the district zero-tolerance disciplinary policy when her nine-year old son was suspended for one day for bringing a butter knife
to school for a science experiment. A teacher reported the boy to the principal after having seen the boy showing the knife to a friend.
in 2005 over the university's plans to build faculty and student housing in the area; parents claimed that the planned 540-unit development would increase the number of cars passing through the street in front of the school to an unhandleable level.
Two of their students also write movie reviews for The San Diego Union-Tribune
. Other events supported by the school's PTA include a book fair and the Fall Fiesta, an annual carnival.
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
in the Del Cerro
Del Cerro, San Diego, California
Del Cerro is a residential neighborhood of approximately 2,300 residents in the eastern part of San Diego, California. Del Cerro borders the communities of San Carlos, Allied Gardens, College Area, Grantville, and the city of La Mesa, and is adjacent to Lake Murray and San Diego State University...
area of San Diego
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, under the San Diego Unified School District
San Diego City Schools
San Diego Unified School District is the school district of San Diego, California. It was founded in 1854...
. It enrolls around 520 student
Student
A student is a learner, or someone who attends an educational institution. In some nations, the English term is reserved for those who attend university, while a schoolchild under the age of eighteen is called a pupil in English...
s in grades K-5.
History
The school was named after Phoebe Apperson HearstPhoebe Hearst
Phoebe Apperson Hearst was an American philanthropist, feminist and suffragist. She was also the mother of William Randolph Hearst.-Biography:...
, one of the founders of the modern Parent Teacher Association. The school's PTA branch grew out of the Allied Gardens branch of the PTA.
The first students were admitted in February, 1958 and the school was officially dedicated in January, 1959. The 50th anniversary of the school was marked with a celebration on May 22, 2009.
Academic standards and discipline
Hearst Elementary was one of 11 San Diego Unified School District campuses honored for academic excellence by California Business for Academic Excellence, a group representing member businesses in the state. However, despite their relatively high score of 902 on California's Academic Performance IndexAcademic Performance Index
The Academic Performance Index is a measurement of academic performance and progress of individual schools in California, United States. It is one of the main components of the Public Schools Accountability Act passed by the California legislature in 1999...
, which assigns schools a score between 200 and 1,000 points, they scored only 2 out of 10 on the "similar-schools ranking" measure, which compares institutions with similar ethnic compositions; their scores fell after the similar-schools ranking was adjusted to account for the number of students whose ethnicity was unspecified.
The school has been affected by state budget cuts, leading to shortages in basic supplies; in 2004, a local real estate company held a community fundraiser to purchase pens, pencils, markers, erasers, and scissors for the school.
In 2003, a district school board trustee criticized the school's implementation of the district zero-tolerance disciplinary policy when her nine-year old son was suspended for one day for bringing a butter knife
Butter knife
In common usage, a butter knife may refer to any non-serrated table knife designed with a dull edge and rounded point; formal flatware patterns make a distinction between such a place knife and a butter knife...
to school for a science experiment. A teacher reported the boy to the principal after having seen the boy showing the knife to a friend.
Environment
Traffic remains a concern in the area around the school. Various measures to ameliorate the problem have been proposed, including a student valet program, which was successfully implemented at another district school; however, the principal at Hearst declined to initiate such a program out of concerns for student safety and the desire to protect students from rude parents. The school's newspaper publishes the license plate numbers of motorists who violate double-parking laws or cause other traffic issues. Parents and administrators at the school came into conflict with San Diego State UniversitySan Diego State University
San Diego State University , founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, is the largest and oldest higher education facility in the greater San Diego area , and is part of the California State University system...
in 2005 over the university's plans to build faculty and student housing in the area; parents claimed that the planned 540-unit development would increase the number of cars passing through the street in front of the school to an unhandleable level.
Extracurricular activities
The school's Inventor's Showcase is held annually; some inventions submitted in 2006 include a more humane mousetrap, a house key hiding place disguised as a bird-feeder, and a solar-powered dog door.Two of their students also write movie reviews for The San Diego Union-Tribune
The San Diego Union-Tribune
-Predecessors:The predecessor newspapers of the Union-Tribune were:* San Diego Sun, founded 1861 and merged with the Evening Tribune in 1939.* San Diego Union, founded October 10, 1868.* Evening Tribune, founded December 2, 1895.-Ownership:...
. Other events supported by the school's PTA include a book fair and the Fall Fiesta, an annual carnival.