ABOUT CALAHAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Calahan Elementary embraces the challenge to develop successful programs that reflect the leadership, skill, and talent of our stakeholders, while meeting the unique needs of our diverse student body and educational community. Calahan is a school that combines the expertise of its staff with the resources of the District in order to educate our students based on their demonstrated needs, in conjunction with creating innovative, research-based educational programs aligned with the California State Content Standards and the newly-approved Common Core State Standards.

Calahan Elementary seeks to provide the resources necessary to prepare our students for the demands of the 21st Century. Calahan utilizes the flexibility of the categorical block grant according to the needs of our students, and under the oversight of the District and our School Governing Council, which represents the interests of all stakeholders.

The majority of Calahan students matriculate to Alfred B. Nobel Charter Middle School, Northridge Middle School, and Holmes Middle School. Calahan is in the high school attendance area for Cleveland High School, Northridge Academy High School, and Granada Hills Charter High School. Calahan Elementary has 26 classrooms, an expansive library, a newly renovated computer lab, a covered amphitheater, a large grass field framed with jacaranda trees, a vegetable garden and chicken coop, a covered outdoor eating area, a cafeteria, and an auditorium. The Friendship Garden is a beautiful location adjacent to the amphitheater where students gather to socialize or read in the shade. There are murals adorning many walls on campus. Regularly scheduled campus beautification days help maintain the gardens and trees. Calahan has been fortunate to be the recipient of many neighborhood grants that have been used to create a welcoming environment in which the students can learn and play.

Calahan Elementary has identified five critical components to educate students for success in the future.

• to develop deep content knowledge and the adaptability to apply this knowledge across disciplines.
• information, media, and technology skills that respond to new needs and interests.  
• life and career skills with connections to the community and the world, including dispositions and attitudes such as personal initiative, self-  direction, leadership, and collaboration.
• to gain an appreciation for the arts, and their crucial role in creating well-rounded citizens.
• learning and innovation skills, including creative and critical thinking, problem solving, and decision-making.                                                 

AN EDUCATED PERSON IN THE 21ST CENTURY

An educated person in the 21st century must be prepared to think critically, make informed decisions, collaborate effectively with others, and be involved in experiences that lead to meaningful, flexible, and adaptable learning. To be successful in this rapidly evolving globally-oriented society, students must add to the basics of fundamental academic skills the need to:

♦ Evaluate and use information rather than simply memorizing facts. They must develop competencies in critical thinking, collaborative work habits, and problem solving strategies, and technology skills. Flexibility and the ability to adapt will be essential in the outlook of students stepping into their future.

♦ Build a deeper understanding of the logic and processes of science and the humanities that will enhance students’ ability to make informed decisions about the environmental, medical, and ethical issues they will face as responsible citizens.
♦ Appreciate and participate in the arts, discovering the joy and personal power in artistic expression. Such practice is recognized to help develop and sustain curiosity, wonder, and creativity—all essential to developing the mental agility and willingness to adapt in the face of rapidly changing situations. Understanding the arts also leads to increased knowledge about the world and its people, enabling them to appreciate the richness and vibrancy of other countries and cultures.
♦ Experience civics-oriented projects that develop the personal values and practices associated with more vibrant democratic participation. It is essential that students develop and experience a sense of agency and responsibility for making their world a better place through personal action in their own communities and beyond.

♦ Develop positive social-emotional skills that are paramount to building and maintain healthy, satisfying personal relationships and successful workplace relationships. Learn and work autonomously in order to independently advance themselves by continuing their education and developing new skills on a lifelong basis.