PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
Welcome to Monte Vista Elementary School! We are a K-6 elementary school located in La Crescenta, California, part of the Glendale Unified School District. In 2000, we became a California Distinguished School! The staff, students, and parents are very proud of Monte Vista and its accomplishments. Students are the most important part of this school, and all of our efforts are directed at making Monte Vista an outstanding school for them.
Monte Vista's population has increased to 670 students this year from 651 in the 01-02 school year! We have 28 regular education teachers, one Special Day Class teacher, and one Special Education Resource Specialist.
We strive to create a warm, safe, and nurturing learning environment for each child. Our classified staff and certificated teachers are truly outstanding. They are dedicated and hard-working individuals who bring the best skills to Monte Vista, so that all the needs of our children are met.
Our school is special because of the high level of support from parents and the community. Together with the school staff, many exciting activities and projects are planned each year. Parents are involved at Monte Vista in many capacities, including PTA, Foundation, School Site Council, and in the classroom. Parents are encouraged to be a part of their child's educational process because we know it can benefit everyone!
A fine example of students, teachers, and parents working together has been our quest to receive the Governor's Reading Award. For the past three years, we have captured the $5,000 award money from the state of California. Students had to read and log their pages read, while their parent had to verify with signatures. Each year, we have submitted over 2,300,000 pages read.
Past school-wide projects include the purchase of 31 iMACs ... one for each classroom. A laser printer was also acquired for each classroom. API Award money was used to make this contribution. With this new equipment, teachers were able to complete their Standards-Based Student Achievement Reports electronically.
The school environment is beautiful. Plants and flowers adorn the school and walkways. On beautification days, we replant and enhance the present environment, pulling weeds, replacing plants, and planting shrubs and trees. As a matter of fact, Monte Vista was awarded an Environmental Education award from the Los Angeles Arboretum in 2000, and the Community Enhancement Award from the Montrose/Verdugo Chamber of Commerce in 2001. In 2002, we received a special award from the La Crescenta Chamber of Commerce.
Monte Vista's Leadership and Literacy Teams, together with parent representatives on our School Site Council, work together on the Monte Vista 2005 school plan. This process is a part of the Glendale Unified School District's strategic planning process and will continue over the next three years.
Monte Vista, along with other schools in the District, received air conditioning with monies from the Measure K Bond passed in Glendale -- we thank you for the comfort!! In '99-'00, the electronic networking infrastructure plan was completed. Now we can access the internet in every classroom and use e-mail to pass along important school information.
Monte Vista is a safe and stimulating place for students to learn. I invite you to read on and get to know more about our school, students, teachers, parents, and community.
--Sharon Popolo, Principal
Mrs. Sharon Popolo has been the principal of Monte Vista for five years. Prior to coming to Monte Vista, Mrs. Popolo was Assistant Principal at John Muir Elementary and Horace Mann Elementary schools in southern Glendale. Before deciding to enter into administration, Mrs. Popolo served as a District Teacher Specialist and a classroom teacher for 27 years. The first seven years of Mrs. Popolo's teaching career were spent in Pennsylvania, where she taught kindergarten, 3rd, and 4th grades.
Mrs. Popolo is married to Salvatore, and they have three sons, Mark, Todd, and Brian. All of her "boys" are successful. Mark is an agricultural architect, Todd is a computer programmer, and Brian is in marketing.
The thing that Mrs. Popolo likes most about Monte Vista is "the way the school community comes together to support the children! The staff is supportive of one another and we accomplish everything together. This staff is a team!"
Mrs. Popolo is a football fan, but sorry USC and UCLA fans, she roots for Penn State and the Steelers! She also loves baseball, basketball, and hockey. The Dodgers, the Pirates, the Lakers, the Kings, as well as the Penguins are among her favorites. She can also be found gardening, reading, and doing her favorite thing ... shopping! Last year, Lily, her West Highland Terrier, came into her life and now there is a shrine to Lily in Mrs. P's office! Mac has been added to the family to keep Lily company. He is a Westie too! When in the car, you'll find Mrs. Popolo's radio tuned to K-Earth 101 because, after all, she is a child of the '60s!
Send your comments, questions, and suggestions to MonteVista@juno.com.
Copyright © 2000, Monte Vista Elementary School, Updated -
2002
Webmaster - Julianne Bach