Parkmead Elementary

Located in Walnut Creek, the Parkmead Elementary School first opened its doors in 1948 in an area where agriculture was moving out to make way for suburban growth. It is now a fast 10-minute walk from a busy downtown area that has developed into the San Francisco East Bay region’s culturally rich center. The centralized location of the school provides an excellent base for exploring the Bay Area, the nature museum of the city, many living history sites and the main performing arts center of the region, all of which are extensively used by the school. Due to poor enrollment the governing board decided to close the school in 1985. In 1989 Parkmead, with 324 students, was reopened. Parkmead School has grown to its present enrollment of about 450 TK-5 students in the years since it reopened. The sprawling campus comprises four classroom wings, an administrative wing and an active child-care centre. The campus also contains play equipment and 4 acres of lawn and fields that are used during non-school hours not only by the students but also by professional community sports teams and neighborhood families.

Parkmead Elementary School and Community’s goal is to empower kids to thrive in an ever-changing world by cultivating a learning atmosphere that fosters discovery, innovation, imagination, leadership and character. Based on this goal and ongoing analysis of the strengths and needs of our school, they developed the following three strategies that direct our school site plan: 

Strategy 1: They will meet the needs of all students through the introduction of a differentiated and demanding learning program in which curiosity, exploration, innovation and teamwork are central, while cultivating active, lifelong learners. 

Strategy 2: Through reliable, concise and organized communications the Parkmead School Group can recognize the Parkmead Strategic Plan and the school guidelines. The group of Parkmead School must be an involved and supportive collaborator for the implementation of new and enhanced communication processes.

Strategy 3: They must have a healthy, non-threatening atmosphere in which diversity is valued by the Parkmead community and meaningful, fundamental lifelong values displayed.

To accomplish this, they will provide our students with the following: A rigorous learning curriculum by emphasizing basic skills and fundamentals, while promoting critical thinking and research skills.

1. High standards and requirements about student learning and teacher preparation 
2. An integrated, structured program
3. Students academic opportunities to succeed and to be rewarded for success 
4. An environment which stimulates and fosters a lifelong learning enjoyment 
5. Chances for teaching and modeling positive instructions and their related life skills