Principal: Karen Merkow

Enrollment: 535

Grades: K-6

Mission:
It is the mission of Cambridge Elementary School to provide, in a partnership with students, families, and staff, a safe and nurturing environment with experiences that stimulate individual interest, promote self-esteem, foster personal growth and encourage mutual respect and individual responsibility. We are dedicated to providing for optimal student success. With commitment, cooperative attitudes and collaborative skills, we will empower our students to become life-long learners and contributing members to the diverse society of the future.

Vision:
The vision of Cambridge Elementary School is to develop our students’ skills, knowledge, abilities and character necessary to reach their personal potential. By providing rigorous standard’s based academic instruction and character building experiences, we will enable our students to function effectively as productive and contributing members of society within the context of a rapidly changing world.

A school-wide instructional focus on reading comprehension, including vocabulary development and writing across the curriculum, and improving math computation to increase conceptual understanding, is evident at Cambridge Elementary School.  The staff fully supports the instructional focus by utilizing effective teaching practices, personalized instruction, and participating in staff development and collaboration that aligns with the school’s focus.

Dear Families,

It is with great pleasure that I greet you as Cambridge Elementary School Principal.  Cambridge is a unique school located in the heart of Old Town Orange.  We have an experienced and dedicated staff that welcomes your children into their classrooms and are actively supporting the growth and excellence for each of our students.  I look forward to continuing to work with students, staff and parents to ensure that Cambridge Elementary is a school where all students achieve their best.

This year the staff and I will be identifying areas of strengths and areas that need improvement.  We will be focusing on our greatest needs and celebrating our greatest successes.  With a school wide focus on literacy, comprehension and math problem solving, we endeavor to ensure our entire student population will achieve their personal best and hold high self esteem.  Our students will be prepared to be productive citizens of the future!

We are pleased to have expanded our use of technology as an academic tool.  Each classroom teacher has a lap top computer, a digital presenter (EL MO), an LCD projector and a SMART Board, an interactive digital tool to engage and support students in their learning.  We also have two computer labs and several individual computers in each classroom.  Our library is up to date and maintains a friendly interactive environment.  We continue to expand our use of the Reading Counts! program, with which we motivate our students to read more and improve their reading comprehension.  Reading Counts! is a technologically based tool to measure students reading comprehension.

All of our academic materials are California State Standard’s based with supplemental materials used for support which are also based on California academic standards.  Additionally we utilize the Rocket Math programto strengthen the memorization of all basic math facts in primary grades and are utilizing the web-based ST Math program to supplement our math program in grades 2-5.  This is a visually conceptual based program that we’re excited to expand this year.

As a parent, you have several opportunities to receive information about our school and your child via your computer.  I hope each of you will sign up to receive our newsletter electronically by signing up at our District website.  Visit www.orangeusd.k12.ca.us.  Select Parent from the drop down menu at the site.  Sign up for OUSD listserv.  Follow the prompts to enroll in listserv.  You can also register for the Parent Portal, which gives you access to seeing your child’s attendance.  Additionally, many of our upper grade teachers have their grade books linked to the Parent Portal, so parents can quickly check their own child’s progress in learning.  You can register for this by stopping by our office to enroll.

Our school community is a welcome asset to our instructional program, whereby parents are encouraged to help in the classrooms, office or assist their own child at home.  We are pleased to have an active PTA, Booster’s Club, School Site Council and English Learner’s Advisory Council.  Please contact our school and/or your child’s teacher for opportunities to help at Cambridge.

We look forward to a stimulating and productive school year and hope that you will make every effort to be a part of your child’s success.  I am proud to be a partner in your child’s learning.