Del Aire students, principal present school snapshot and new student-led programs to Wiseburn board

Principal Jesse Loops presented a Del Aire Elementary school update to the Wiseburn Unified School District Board on March 20, outlining enrollment, staff counts and this year’s student engagement initiatives.

Del Aire currently enrolls 610 students across 30 classrooms plus three bungalows, Loops said. The school employs 68 Wiseburn staff members (31 certificated and 37 classified) and uses more than 30 additional contracted classified staff. Programs on campus include a music program, a Nihao language program and a Rite at School program that share bungalow space.

The update focused on a district and site push to increase student engagement to support both academic and social-emotional outcomes. "If we’re looking to engage, empower and elevate, we have to engage first," Loops told the board.

Student council officers described new and expanded student-led activities. "Thanks to the PCA’s generous financial support, we’ve changed how we use source slips," student council president Liam Wilson said. Wilson explained the school will open a source store twice a month so all students can spend earned slips on items, instead of awarding slips through a raffle.

Vice president Kiana Lee described Monday morning assemblies that include student participation and said the school is launching a student-produced paper this spring. "We’re working with Ms. Pitlock to produce the paper three times a year," Lee said, adding it will feature school events, student articles and community sections. Kara Hubbard, student council secretary, said the council runs spirit days, assemblies and will help staff the student store and a new Friendship Club, operated in partnership with the Friendship Foundation.

On academics, Loops said the site is using Eureka Math Squared districtwide and has added regular, coach-led math supports and professional development. The school is conducting one-to-one coaching with the district math specialist, Holly Compton, and is running a number-sense routine with consultant Berkeley Everett of the UCLA Math Project. Loops invited the board to a Math Night on March 26.

Loops also described reading interventions (two intervention teachers assigned to small-group instruction), the Capturing Kids’ Hearts practices supported by the counselor, and monthly DEI lessons produced by Dr. Ingram and the counseling team. She highlighted new campus safety cameras, saying 47 high-resolution cameras are installed and are already used in incident follow-ups.

Upcoming site events listed to the board included a Math Night (March 26), a district read-in day (noted on the slide for March 20), and a book fair March 31–April 4. Loops said pilot site activities such as Monday assemblies, the student paper and Friendship Club are at various stages of rollout.

Board members praised the students’ presentation. “You not only represented your school, you represent other students in the district,” a board member said after the students’ remarks. Several trustees asked that they be added to the student paper distribution list.

The presentation closed with the board thanking the students and principal for the report and inviting continued updates as initiatives mature.