PRIDE in education

Jose Paul Corona

Patrick Wilkinson never thought he’d live to see the day that his

10-year-old son Cody would be excited about getting a brand new

reference book.

“He was all excited about getting a dictionary,” Wilkinson said in

amazement.

Wilkinson has the staff at Spring View Middle School to thank for

his son’s excitement and new dictionary.

Cody was just one of about 50 students who went through Spring

View Middle School’s PRIDE Academy last week. PRIDE stands for

Perseverance, Responsibility, Integrity, Determinations and

Excellence. The academy is an offshoot of the PRIDE program developed

four years ago, which recognizes students for citizenship and

academic achievement. The academy, which was added last year, is a

three-day program that gives incoming “at-risk” students, who might

be a little nervous about attending their first day of middle school,

a preview of what’s in store for them.

The goal of the orientation program is to enhance self-esteem,

develop social and communication skills and improve student’s study

and time management skills, said Joseph A. Santos, Spring View

assistant principal.

Spring View staff and students from the Pear Assistance Leadership

program participate in the academy. Each incoming student is assigned

an older student who will act as their mentor throughout the year. By

partnering students, school administrators hope to make the

transition into middle school easier for students who they hope will

take a more active role in their education, Santos said.

“Our hope is that they’ll become leaders,” he added.

Santos spearheaded the program after attending the conference for

the California League of Middle Schools. The education group

discussed a similar program and Santos thought that it could work

well at Spring View.

“It has been a really great program,” Principal Cameron Malotte

said.

Students start off the school year with less first-day jitters, he

said. By the time they’ve finished the academy they have friends and

they know the names of their teachers and school administrators,

Santos said.

Incoming Spring View Middle School student Jeffrey Shenett, 10,

didn’t have to be talked into attending the program.

“I wanted to come,” he said.

Jeffrey’s father Dusty got a letter in the mail and asked his son

if he wanted to be a part of the program. He was surprised by his

son’s response.

“He’s been excited the whole time,” he said.

Fellow parents feel the program is a good way of encouraging

children to attend school.

“I think it’s excellent,” Wilkinson said.

Carmen Bynum’s 10-year-old son Andrew didn’t want the program to

end, she said.

“He wanted it to last five days,” she said.