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New Herndon Loker principal highlights literacy, SEL pilots and mentorship programs
Summary
Principal Mitchell Alvarez presented Herndon Loker Elementary School's priorities and new programs, including literacy initiatives, a hydroponics garden, a peer-mentoring program, and displays of student work and field trips.
Principal Mitchell Alvarez presented an overview of Herndon Loker Elementary School at the Hillside Public School District Board meeting on Jan. 21, outlining academic goals and new programs aimed at literacy, social-emotional learning and leadership.
Alvarez said the school aligned its goals with the district and listed specific targets for the 2024–25 school year: 85% of second-graders performing at grade level benchmarks in ELA and math, a 10% increase in MGSLA scores for grades 3–6 compared with the prior year, and a target annual attendance rate of 95%. "We promote respect and acceptance to celebrate the differences that make us unique," Alvarez said of the school's mission.
Alvarez described several initiatives: a social-emotional learning pilot; a sixth-grade mentorship program called Rising Cubs that pairs sixth graders with second graders to build empathy and leadership; a peer conflict leaders program to train sixth graders to mediate fourth-grade conflicts; reading nooks for different grade bands; participation in a reading-challenge program; a hydroponics garden that produced an initial harvest; and an educational media classroom using free tools for student-created podcasts and digital projects.
Alvarez said students are also engaged in leadership via student government and described a set of incentives and rewards that aim to turn behavioral challenges into leadership opportunities. He thanked district staff and parents and noted the school is pursuing recognition trajectories including National Blue Ribbon and Lighthouse School distinctions.
Student representative Olshani Cole congratulated Leilani Ortega, a Hillside junior who won a statewide student-council position, and raised a separate student concern about overcrowded restrooms and shared learning spaces. Cole said students sometimes leave class to find open bathrooms and asked the district for suggestions; she described the issue as causing lost instructional time.
The board and superintendent recognized Alvarez's presentation and noted the district's distribution of books to families to support home libraries. Alvarez and the superintendent also thanked staff for technology and event support.
