Address:
101 North Bermont Ave.
Lafayette Elementary School provides a rich academic program in a culturally diverse environment. Students benefit from individualized opportunities made possible by a comprehensive Gifted and Talented focus program. This program is designed to provide personalized instruction for identified gifted students and advanced programming for academically talented students. A full-time Gifted and Talented Coordinator works directly with students, teachers and parents to design educational experiences based upon identified strengths and talents. The staff is committed to providing differentiated instruction to meet the needs of all students, including second language learners and children with special needs. A character education program, class meetings, Peace Place and leadership groups for students foster a positive school climate. Preschool classes, Full-Day Kindergarten, and the School Age Childcare (SAC) program offer additional options to families at our school. Lafayette Elementary is a nurturing neighborhood school and a diverse, inclusive and exciting place to learn.
Lafayette Elementary School serves a wonderfully diverse population, providing a unique multicultural learning environment. We offer authentic academic opportunities, a strong sense of community, and a feeling of belonging for each child.
Highlights include:
- Strong BVSD standards-based curriculum, assessment and reporting.
- Staff members who are recognized with grants and professional awards for outstanding achievements.
- School-wide focus on talented and gifted education which offers educational and experiential enrichment, challenges, and competitions for all students.
- Research based reading, writing, and math instruction.
- Exceptional extracurricular opportunities.
Our school-wide focus on Gifted and Talented programming provides support for identified gifted students through differentiated instruction in the classrooms, flexible skill grouping, curriculum compacting, and acceleration. Enrichment opportunities are available for all students in the visual and performing arts, and through clubs, competitions, and interest groups.
Several special programs support students with unique learning needs at Lafayette Elementary School. In addition to a special education resource program for children with learning disabilities, our multi-intensive program supports children with multiple physical and educational needs. All of these programs are supported by highly trained specialists including a school psychologist, a speech language therapist, an occupational therapist, and a physical therapist and skilled para educators. Both programs work through a school-wide inclusion model to support students with special needs in meeting their Individualized Education Plans (IEP) goals.
Additionally, we offer a preschool program and support for students who are leaning English. We offer academic and behavior intervention (RtI – Response to Intervention) opportunities for all students who would benefit from these reinforcements. The extra support and services we wrap around students helps them achieve at their highest potential. Lafayette offers school-aged childcare (SAC) for K-5 students needing after-school supervision.
The Lafayette PTA (Parent Teacher Association) is comprised of parents and teachers who work to improve our school by promoting volunteerism, fundraising for materials and supplies for teachers, and parent/family involvement in the school community. The SAC (School Accountability Committee) consists of parents and staff members engaged in the process of analyzing school equity, achievement, and climate data to set goals for continuous improvement. We have parent members on the district accountability committee, special education advocacy groups, and district parent council.
Special Programs and Opportunities
Lafayette Elementary School has many ongoing activities to enrich learning. Some of these programs include: Cougar Choir with concerts, Talent Show or Musical performance, Basketball club, Fitness Club, Climbing Wall, Instrumental Music, Grade Level Learning Fairs, All Culture’s Festival, Destination Imagination, Spelling Bee, Lego Club, Chess Club, National Geographic Bee, Drama Club, Shakespeare Plays, Student Council, T.E.A.M.S (Technology and Engineering to Enhance Science and Math), GAMES (Girls at the Museum Exploring Science), school newspaper, fifth grade Outdoor Education at Calwood, Spanish classes, Cougar Pride Awards, Safety Patrol and Green Team.
Lafayette Elementary is a Green Star School which means we partner with Eco-Cycle to promote Zero Waste through increased recycling, the implementation of composting, and special waste reduction activities. Our Garden to Table program works in collaboration with the Growe Foundation to provide students with the knowledge and skills that lead them to make healthy and environmentally sustainable lifestyles choices. We do this by offering a hands-on model that brings teachers, parents, students, and communities together through growing food, learning about nutrition, and preparing and eating fresh meals. Lafayette Elementary promotes good nutrition, physical fitness and healthy life styles for all students. We are grateful to all members of our caring community for supporting such an exceptional school.
High quality staff that is able to differentiate
instruction to meet the needs of all students
Strong sense of school pride and
positive morale among staff, students, and families
Talented and Gifted focus
school
Character education and leadership enhance strong
academic programs.
Green Star School with a Garden to Table
program
Free extracurricular activities including clubs,
competitions, choir, sports, TEAMS, Project
YES, Student Council, Safety Patrol
and Green Team for students
Parents and PTA are active members of our school
community
The mission of Lafayette Elementary is to foster academic and social development of our students through a challenging and engaging curriculum, differentiated instruction, and on-going communication between parents, staff members, and students. We empower our students to be logical problem solvers, compassionate decision makers, and responsible citizens. Our commitment to high quality instruction nurtures the curiosity within and creates a community of learners who are capable of independent thinking.
All of our school goals focus on students achieving at
their highest potential, allowing them to feel success, build confidence, and
feel connected to our school community. We continually reflect on
student performance in all content areas, our teaching practices, and our school
systems, so that all students exceed our goals. We base our goals each year on
an extensive review of student achievement to determine celebrations and next
steps in the areas of achievement, academic growth, academic growth gaps and
climate. Our PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention and Support) system and
extra-curricular programming enhances our strong academic curriculum every
year.
Please visit SAC page for our full Unified Improvement Plan (UIP) and
one page summaries of key instructional strategies for previous schools years
and the current school year. This information is located under the SAC (School
Accountability Committee) tab.