Community Profile

San Elijo Middle School staff have high expectations academically and behaviorally for all students. Staff members at SEMS team together in Professional Learning Communities to promote positive self-esteem, self-motivation, acceptance of differences and cultural diversity and a sense of responsibility in their students.

 

San Elijo Middle School is the newest middle school in a unified district of over 16,000 students.  We serve a community located in one of San Diego County's fastest growing areas.  We receive students from 5 elementary schools on the south western edge of the San Marcos School District. We opened in August of 2004 with an enrollment of approximately 950 students in grades kindergarten through eighth grade. Located in the middle of a rapidly growing housing development, a significant student enrollment increase has occurred over the last 4 years our current student population of 1602 students represents a mix of socioeconomic levels from below poverty to extremely high wealth.  Our campus of 20 acres is located in the midst of the San Elijo neighborhood and adjacent to the proposed downtown retail area. 

 

           

            The entire staff is committed to developing SEMS into a school that captures the majority of the concepts of Caught in the Middle and Taking Center Stage.  Our master schedule includes fully formed and functional villages in 6^th grade for coordination of student issues, and interdisciplinary teaming in instruction.  Village teams consist of 3 regular education teachers and a special education teacher, all of which have the same students in common.  Teachers have common planning time daily and a Structured Teacher Planning Day on Wednesdays for regular collaboration. In addition to our regular education population, we house three RSP classes at San Elijo, and those students are integrated into the population as a whole, as much as possible. 

 

Our school is committed to the belief that all students can learn.  We feel that creating cohesive and effective teams is the best practice in achieving our goals for students. There is an entrepreneurial spirit at SEMS.  Staff members believe that they can make a difference in the lives of the students they touch.  Each staff member is supported for their ideas and initiative. 

 

 

Student voice has had an important role in the creation of SEMS and today that voice continues to be heard. In the planning stages of building San Elijo Middle School students played an active role in planning the school facilities, programs and activities. Today students at SEMS are involved in the Student Council and are also represented on the School Site Council. Students, parents and teachers participate in planning many activities throughout the school year, and parents and community members are regularly involved in after school, evening, and weekend programs which provide opportunities for SEMS students to experience learning and exploration in new environments.

 

Our school motto is "I am responsible for myself."  We believe that students should do more than learn; they should learn to think.  They should not be given the answer but rather should be guided to look for, go toward the answer, discovering it for themselves.