Principal: Michelle Moore

Enrollment: 432 

Grades: K-6

Mission: The Mission of Panorama Elementary School is to prepare our students in the 21st century by providing all students with the skills, knowledge, and attitudes necessary to reach their potential and effectively function as contributing members of society within the context of a rapidly changing world.

Vision: We at Panorama Elementary will not rest until all students are provided access to learning at their instructional level so that they will achieve academic excellence in a positive, supportive, and collaborative environment. Panorama Elementary is dedicated to maximizing the social, emotional and academic achievement of each and every student in a safe and orderly environment. Panthers’ CARE (Courtesy, Achievement, and Responsibility for Everyone) reminds each Panther the importance of exuding our Panther Pride at all times. Go Panthers!

Welcome to the home of the Panorama Panthers where our school serves as the pride of its community for the past 41 years, and is one of the top two, out of 29 elementary schools in the Orange Unified School District. We serve approximately 310, Kindergarten-6^thgrade, highly motivated students who are challenged daily in a standards based, rigorous environment.

The school is proud of its neighborhood feel, where parents play an integral part in the education of their children. Stepping on to our attractive and well maintained campus, you cannot help but catch our highly contagious Panther Pride. Panorama Elementary School provides a strong academic focus for our students along with an environment that supports the building of positive behavior, social relationships, and individual responsibility. Students’ individual needs are a focus for teachers. 

A school wide language arts instructional focus on reading comprehension, including vocabulary development and writing across the curriculum, is supported by all staff members and is evident in all classrooms at Panorama Elementary School.  We believe that by focusing on comprehension and writing, children will better understand all academic areas and will be more fully able to participate in their learning. The California State Standards serve as the guide for all instruction, and all teachers focus on these standards while utilizing a variety of instructional strategies.  In order to differentiate instruction while still focusing on standards, Panorama Elementary School has developed a Panthers Excel program. Each grade level team has assessed students to gather data that allows students to receive instruction at their appropriate instructional level.  Students, who are struggling, receive instructional modifications and assistance.   High achieving students receive additional challenges and appropriate work and leadership opportunities.  Small and large group instructional strategies during Panther Excel and throughout the school day teach students to work together toward common goals.

The Panorama instructional program utilizes all curricular areas to develop skills in problem solving, critical thinking, and decision-making.  This focus on problem solving leads to Panorama’s school wide mathematics focus on improving mathematical problem solving to increase computation and comprehension of mathematical concepts. The principal fully supports the instructional focus by supporting effective teaching practices, acquiring materials and staff development that align with the school’s focus, researching effective instructional strategies, observing lessons, and problem solving to improve student academic growth.

Technology continues to be an area of emphasis and an integral piece of the instructional program used to increase academic achievement. The focus of the Panorama technology plan is to see technology as a tool for learning, rather than an end in itself.  Students have access to the use of technology for practicing skills, developing projects and researching on the Internet.  Technology and the library are closely linked at Panorama Elementary.  The students have access to over 30,000 Reading Counts quizzes to increase their reading comprehension.  Also, many library events along with celebrity readers encourage students to love reading and become lifelong learners through reading.

Panorama Elementary School focuses on the well being of the whole child, and not strictly the academic standards.  Students in grades K-4 have access to regular music instruction provided by their teachers. Students in grades 5 and 6 have instruction provided by specialists.  Also, the teachers have all been trained in a physical education program to encourage students to focus on skill development and physical well-being. Panorama is proud of its positive learning environment and focus on the social emotional health of its students. 

The motto for Panorama Elementary School is “Panthers’ CARE” (Courtesy, Achievement, Responsibility for Everyone).  The students and staff at Panorama Elementary School take Panthers’ CARE seriously. Each grade level provides instruction encompassing our Panthers’ CARE mission throughout the school.  Each teacher has established a classroom management plan which is in line with Panthers’ CARE.  These individual classroom management plans focus on positive behavior reinforcement, but they also include consequences.  Positive student efforts toward Panthers’ CARE are reinforced through our School wide PBIS – positive behavior intervention and support program. CARE tickets are consistently handed out by all staff members to recognize students for their exemplary behavior.  A referral form is utilized to help students become aware not only of their behavior, but also to identify the reason behind the behavior.  This program helps students become more self-aware and helps the staff to focus on positive behavior change.

Quarterly assemblies recognize students not only for their academic strengths, but also for their exemplary behavior.   Parents are invited to attend the assemblies and the BBQ lunch that also occurs on those days.  In addition, we award four Panther of the Year awards at the end of the year assembly for the positive character traits exhibited throughout their years of attendance at Panorama.  The Student Council also supports Panthers’ CARE through spirit days, lunchtime activities, and community projects.  Students at Panorama Elementary School look forward to being at school.  Panorama' students are well behaved, with few requiring serious disciplinary action. Students absent from school for disciplinary reasons are reflected in the school's suspension and expulsion data.

As an incentive for students to attend school daily, Perfect Attendance Awards are given out during Panther Pride Assemblies.  The few excessive tardies and absences are handled on an individual basis.  School attendance and completion are vitally important for future success.  Each day’s absence represents a loss of an average of six hours of instructional time.

Panorama Elementary School’s staff works to from a close relationship with the parents of all students. Faculty members coordinate family nights for parents and their children.  This brings important information to the parents directly from teachers. Panorama Elementary School's Site Council (SSC) is composed of staff and parents. They review the instructional program and approve additional state funding for staff development, supplemental educational materials, and instructional assistants.  The SSC meets at least quarterly and invites all interested parents to attend its meetings.

Panorama Elementary School is indeed fortunate to have a tremendously involved parent and community support base.  The Parent Teacher Association (PTA) is an integral part of the overall school program. Parent volunteers are a welcome addition to our campus.  Parents are on campus daily providing classroom help, engaging in clerical and project support, chaperoning field study trips, and participating in variety of other activities. Due to successful fundraisers, the Panorama PTA contributes directly to educational activities and students’ curriculum.  The PTA uses fund-raisers to provide support materials and supplementary enrichment programs. These include enrichment assemblies such as the Art Masters, OS Inside the Outdoors, and field trips.  In addition, PTA funds support our student incentive program and purchase library books, classroom materials, technology and much, much, more. In addition, Panorama parents coordinate annual book fairs, 6th grade Outdoor Education fundraisers, Red Ribbon Week activities, Family Fun Events, Field Day and the Carnival.  Many of these activities are planned in conjunction with Panorama Elementary School Staff.  In addition, in the spring, the Panorama Staff and parents provide a track and field experience for students culminating with the city, county, and state track meets.  They assist in the library, with vision and hearing screening and school pictures; they publish a newsletter, school directory and yearbook, etc.  Our parents and students also assist during the holiday season in putting together food items for families in need.

At Panorama we are committed to driving our community forward, where our staff, students, and families are trained in maintaining our Panther Pride and the expectation of excellence for all students. We at Panorama Elementary will not rest until all students are successfully driving down the lifelong road of success. Go Panthers!!