New River Elementary changes to Core
MARC BUCKHOUT ~ MANAGING EDITOR ~ 6/23/2010

Tricia Graham believes in the saying actions speak louder than words.
The New River Elementary principal was resolute in her desire to bring the Core Knowledge Curriculum to her school.
“It was something I have wanted to do for years,” said Graham, who will begin her eight year at the helm in August. “Many well regarded charters have been using it for quite a while. I started doing research and then decided I’d inundate my staff with information about it. Along with staff we talked to the parents. We wanted to try and get as many stake holders as possible involved.”
When Deer Valley Unified School District voters defeated the 10 percent budget override in March, leaving the school, at 48827 N. Black Canyon Hwy., without the funding to convert, Graham and staff decided they wouldn’t take no for an answer.
With an extensive fund raising drive that included a Kiss a Pig Contest the school managed to raise more than $2,200 toward bringing the program to the campus.
“Yes, it’s true,” Graham said. “I wanted it for the school so bad that I kissed a pig.”
While her staff didn’t have to kiss the swine they have gone through extensive training to be ready to convert to the system for the 2010-2011 school year.
The Core Knowledge Sequence provides students the opportunity to learn content grade by grade so that knowledge, language, and skills will build cumulatively from year to year. Enrolled students receive a broad base of knowledge in science, basic principles of government, important events in history, essential concepts in math, widely known masterpieces of art and music, and a rich vocabulary necessary for higher levels of learning.
Bev Thomas, a veteran teacher of 15 years at the school, said she was sold on the system almost immediately.
“I didn’t know what it was at all, but we took a trip to another campus that uses it this past fall and also listened to a presentation,” she said. “It seemed to fit with everything our campus stands for. Through core knowledge it gets kids to a level playing field.”
During the staff’s trip to a Core Knowledge school Thomas said she was struck by the coordinated effort among teachers.
“The first grade classrooms were all working on the same information at the same time,” she said. “With this program there’s more unity of planning across campus. As a teacher we’re going to come into a school year and be able to have an assumption that all our students have the same core of knowledge.”
Graham said at the youngest level the emphasis is on story telling.
“There is a lot of work with Aesop Fables, nursery rhymes, and a lot more history, both World and American. Knowledge builds upon knowledge. Reading comprehension is at its highest when kids have a background knowledge of what they’re reading about.”
The New River principal said that the extra curricular classes such as art and music also will be coordinated with material inline with the time frame being taught in the student’s home room class.
“When we went on our tour we had full reign of the school,” Thomas said. “The kids loved what they were doing. After seeing it all, our staff bought in. We’ve talked to the parents and they are very excited. The fact that we were able to raise the money to bring this to the school proves that.”
New River will be one of three schools in the Deer Valley Unified School District moving to Core Knowledge next school year. That fact is creating a buzz.
“I’ve heard from parents outside the area that are interested in bringing their kids to New River because of what we’re bringing to the school,” Thomas said. “The state of education today, shows that people want different things for their kids. There are so many different options. Parenting isn’t easy. They need to stay informed.”
While New River Elementary has consistently had enrollment of approximately 350 students for the last three years Graham said she sees that number growing because of the new curriculum.
“We hope to be trendsetters,” she said. “We want to fulfill the needs of our students. We have the ability to add one teacher per grade level if the demand necessitates it on our campus.”
For information on Core Knowledge go to coreknowledge.org.
The 2010-2011 school year starts Aug. 16.