'Flash Mob' Serenades Retiring Principal - Sierra Madre, CA Patch
My two daughters (1st grade and 7th grade) go to this school.
Before becoming the Principal 6 years ago, Ms. Bluemel was the school's music teacher. As Principal, her continued emphasis on performing arts (in a time when budget cuts have impacted everything) has had a very positive impact on the richness of the educational experience at the school. Her love of music, love for the students, and love of her job has been reflected back every day by how well loved she is by students, teachers, and parents.
The school's standardized test scores have continued to climb every year. Nearly 90% of the middle school students (6th-8th grade) had a 3.0 GPA or better this year. 4 years ago, approximately 40 middle school students elected to participate in the music/dance/drama program. This year, participation was over 150 students - about 50% of them.
This is a public school, and is a fantastic example of the impact community involvement, good teachers, and good leadership can have on the quality of early education.
