Frank C. Havens Elementary School

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Frank C. Havens Elementary School
School type public elementary
Established 1908
District Piedmont Unified School District
Grades K-5
Principal Tery Susman
Students 493
Location 1800 Oakland Ave.
Piedmont, CA 94611
Information (510) 594-2680
Website Official school site

Frank C. Havens Elementary, commonly referred to as Havens, is one the three elementary schools in Piedmont, California. It is part of the Piedmont Unified School District.

Contents

[edit] History

Havens School was built in 1908 as Piedmont Elementary School. This photo was taken from Bonita Avenue.
Havens School was built in 1908 as Piedmont Elementary School. This photo was taken from Bonita Avenue.

The school was first built in 1908, a year after the establishment of Piedmont as a city. The city's first elementary school, it went by the name the Piedmont (Bonita Avenue) School. The name was changed and the building was entirely rebuilt in the 1950s.[1]

The plot of land on which the school was built was donated by Frank C. Havens.[2] The school was named after Havens, an important figure in the history of Piedmont. Havens headed was in charge of the Realty Syndicate, which subdivided 13,000 acres of East Bay property. He acquired a five-year lease on the Piedmont Springs Park and began a major restoration. A block from the school are tennis courts; before the courts were built, Havens built an art gallery in the same location. Along with Francis Marion Smith, Havens encouraged the development of pre-Piedmont into a city.

[edit] Demographics

[edit] Socioeconomics

Piedmont children attend the elementary closest to their home. A block away from Highland Avenue and the center of the city, Havens is the closest to "upper Piedmont," and Havens families are the most affluent. [3] Zero percent of the student body participates in free or reduced-price lunch programs, compared to the state average of 51 percent.[4]

[edit] Race and ethnicity

Racially, the student population is mainly white (72 percent) and Asian (14 percent).[4]

Racial makeup of Havens School versus the state average, as of the 2005-2006 school year
Racial makeup of Havens School versus the state average, as of the 2005-2006 school year

Five percent of students are English learners. Languages spoken at home include the following.[4]

non-English language home language of English learners
Cantonese 46 percent
Mandarin 19 percent
German 8 percent
French 8 percent
Gujarati 8 percent
Ukrainian 4 percent
Dutch 4 percent
Farsi (Persian) 4 percent
Students currently study in portable classrooms, as the school faces construction for earthquake retrofitting.
Students currently study in portable classrooms, as the school faces construction for earthquake retrofitting.

[edit] Construction

In 2006, voters authorized the Piedmont City Unified School District to issue up to $56 million in bonds to improve Piedmont public school buildings so as to reduce dangers from earthquakes, to meet state and federal seismic safety standards.[5] Havens was determined to be unsafe and has been undergoing retrofitting. Some students attend their classes in portable classrooms, which have taken up the concrete playground, limiting the space for recess and physical education. Fourth- and fifth-grade students now use the city's nearby tennis courts for P.E.[6] The portables are expected to be in use for at least two years.[7]

Havens Schoolmates, run by the Piedmont Recreation Department, offers after-school childcare of Havens students.
Havens Schoolmates, run by the Piedmont Recreation Department, offers after-school childcare of Havens students.

[edit] Academics

Ninety-seven percent of teachers are fully credentialed. The average number of years teaching is 15. The ratio of number of students to number of paraprofessional staff is 16:1.[4]

The website greatschools.net, which reviews schools for their quality and collects statistics and feedback, gave Havens a 10 out of 10 for test scores.[8]

In 2005, the school's API score rose 20 points, from 916 to 936. The state average API score in 2005 was a 709.[9]

[edit] After-school activities

Havens Schoolmates is a before- and after-school program run by the Piedmont Recreation Department. Located on the school's campus, children of working parents remain at Schoolmates until their parents pick them up. The Recreation Department run by the city of Piedmont, and it is not run by Piedmont Unified School District.

Other after-school activities include chess, Mad Science, flute, violin, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, and Camp Fire Girls.[10]

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ Frank C. Havens Elementary School. Historical Photo Archive. City of Piedmont. Retrieved on February 28, 2007.
  2. ^ A Brief History of the City of Piedmont. City of Piedmont. Retrieved on February 28, 2007.
  3. ^ About Piedmont Schools. Berkeley Parents Network (September 2006). Retrieved on February 28, 2007.
  4. ^ a b c d Teachers/Students. GreatSchools.net. Retrieved on March 3, 2007.
  5. ^ Measure E: School Seismic Risk Reduction Safety and Access Program Measure Piedmont Unified School District. SmartVoter.org. Retrieved on March 3, 2007.
  6. ^ Susman, Teresa (2006). Note from the Principal. Havens Elementary School. Retrieved on February 28, 2007.
  7. ^ Davis, Linda. "Net gain for Havens Elementary students", Contra Costa Times, September 2006. Retrieved on February 28, 2007.
  8. ^ Test Score Ratings. GreatSchools.net. Retrieved on February 28, 2007.
  9. ^ School Academic Performance Index Chart. 2005 Accountability Progress Report. California Department of Education. Retrieved on March 3, 2007.
  10. ^ Afterschool Activities. Havens Elementary School. Retrieved on February 28, 2007.
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