by George J Elbaum

Idyllwild School has an enrollment of 358 pupils in grades K-8. Pupils from this school come from families with a rising mobility rate – up from 11% to 22% family mobility. Approximately 38% of the pupils are in families receiving Aid to Families with Dependent Children that are eligible for free/reduced lunches.  Student population is 14% Hispanic, 2% Black, 81% Caucasian and 3% other, some of whom have recently arrived from foreign countries while others have never left their neighborhood.

The school provides the basic core curriculum and physical education plus enrichment classes such as vocal and instrumental music, an artist in residency program and drama.  After-school activities include intra-mural games, inter-district sports, science Olympiad, academic pentathlon and after-school tutoring and homework help.   Additional activities open to pupils include spelling bee, young author’s creative writing publication, various community contests (posters and essays), environmental education programs, career day and leadership programs.

My presentation to 30 students of 8th grade English now reading Ann Frank was organized by teacher Kristen Ross and arranged by Sadie Simon of the JFCS Holocaust Center.