Students, volunteers and staff spotlighted as 'LAE is the place to be' at Los Alamitos board meeting

Board President Marlys Davidson opened the Los Alamitos Unified School District Board of Education meeting and introduced a student program from Los Alamitos Elementary, where Principal Jenny Padilla and fifth-grade ambassadors presented school programs and student achievements.

Padilla described classroom practices and supports, saying LAE uses manipulatives, multimodal communicators and reflection tools so teachers can ‘‘see where their students are at and make any adjustments that they need.’’ Students Lily and Abigail detailed the school’s recognition systems — ‘‘work cards’’ for helpful behavior and the principal’s award given to a small number of students each semester — and explained how those systems feed into positive incentives and school culture.

Abigail described the school’s makerspace: ‘‘Makerspace is very important to LE students. In makerspace, we do a lot of fun things, make amazing projects, and learn new skills we can use anywhere,’’ she said, and gave a student example of learning to sew and making mini pillows.

Padilla also outlined wellness supports and student leadership. Lily said the wellness space ‘‘is a great place to regulate and stay calm’’ and praised staff who run it. Padilla described the ambassador program for fifth graders, which helps lead the weekly flag ceremony and produces a weekly video called Tiger Tales.

The principal noted several schoolwide initiatives: ‘‘1 school, 1 book’’ to unite students around a single title; a LEAF grant-funded ‘‘positive play and conflict resolution through basketball’’ program meant to teach conflict-resolution skills during yard games; and a BRAIN program (Building Respect for Autism INclusion) pairing 24 big buddies with 24 little buddies.

Padilla thanked parent groups and volunteers for fundraising and event support, noting the PTA and Friends exceeded a fundraising goal of $80,000 this year without contracting with outside vendors: ‘‘Everything you see is the blood, sweat, and tears, and hours of our families,’’ she said.

The board presented volunteer Claudia Chadick with a ‘‘Hero of the Heart’’ award for ongoing support in the makerspace and book shelving; Chadick accepted and thanked the school. The board recessed briefly for photos and to gather students and staff onstage.

Procedural note: the board had adopted the agenda earlier in the meeting by voice vote; the chair announced the motion carried 4–0.