Principal’s Message

Welcome to Centinela Elementary School, where student achievement is our number one priority. Students at Centinela have made yet another huge jump in academic growth in an effort to attain an Academic Performance Index (API) of 800. Some students continue to receive individualized instruction to move from one performance level to the next. Teachers continue to work feverishly to ensure that students receive standards-based and differentiated, or individualized, instruction. Additional services are also provided for students to develop good moral character and citizenship.

Starting a new year gives us the opportunity to revamp plans, apply research-based instructional strategies, and implement creative ideas. here is a special sense of accomplishment that comes in the schoolwide planning and implementation phases that are dedicated to improving student performance. Whether one’s responsibility is administrating, supervising, teaching, preparing lunches, maintaining the buildings, or managing the office, there is always room for improvement—and the staff is encouraged to strive to find new ways to do a good job, better.

We are proud of what we have achieved at Centinela. Centinela Elementary is one of four Distinguished Schools in the Inglewood Unified School District. It is our goal to create a strong learning environment that is child-centered, curriculum-driven, and standards based. It is our hope that with a focused and nurturing staff, “no child will be left behind” in our quest to pursue academic excellence.

Please come and visit! We welcome new parents and volunteers.

Lorna Martin,

PRINCIPAL

Major Achievements

• Teachers engaged in continual staff development with focus groups on increasing student achievement, improving student discipline, enhancing campus safety, and incorporating a technology center and a library media program.
• Students have biweekly visits to the library and are encouraged to read grade-level-appropriate materials. They also receive one-on-one assistance in selecting materials and in researching the reference materials to complete projects and reports.
• Our school participated in the Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) program. Through the RIF program students are able to select three new books to add to their home library.
• Students are also given the opportunity to demonstrate newly acquired reading/comprehension skills by creating poems and making posters and artwork.
• We hosted the Scholastic Book Fair and Read Across America programs to promote literacy.
• We integrated technology across the curriculum in the classroom and in the computer lab. Teachers used technology to create lesson plans and to interpret assessment data. In the upper grades, the teachers used PowerPoint software and projectors to present lessons. Students used computers to complete homework assignments. We were excited to receive a technology grant to purchase laptop computers for school business use.
• We are using a comprehensive, standards-based curriculum that is selected by the district and aligned directly with California State Content Standards.
• We increased the number of support programs for students. Programs such as afterschool tutoring, afterschool intervention, intersession, and the ASES program are provided for students whose state standardized test results designated them as performing Below Basic or Far Below Basic.
• We have formed a data team of six teachers, the school’s administrative team, and one district staff member. The team’s responsibilities include collecting student data from district-administered tests, classroom mid-year and end-of-year tests, weekly lesson assessments, and California Standards Tests (CST) results; examining the data to identify targeted learners for intervention programs and determining the need for professional growth among teachers.
• We conducted parent workshops, increased PTA membership, recruited parents to use our parents center to improve their students’ academic performance, and created new programs that promote parent literacy and English language development skills.
• Last year, eight teachers enrolled and received their Master’s Degree.