Setting students on a path of integrity toward success

Photo Courtesy: Sarah Sanchez
Ronald Reagan Elementary School

By K.P. Sander

Eastvale – Ronald Reagan Elementary opened its doors on July 6, as “Wranglers” for Tracks A, C and D started off the new school year in style.

With a few first-day jitters behind them, the newest member of the Corona-Norco Unified School District’s family is up and running with aplomb, and students and teachers alike are enjoying their beautiful new surroundings.

Principal Susan Helms, who has been a CNUSD principal for the past ten years, is proud to be guiding the District’s 50^th school to success.

“It is extremely exciting and an honor to be here,” says Helms.  “We are here to provide a stellar education for our students, first and foremost.”

Helms also praises the stellar staff that she is surrounded by.

“Our school community from an employee perspective is wonderful, and the culture we are creating is off to such a positive start.”

Reagan started the school year with 1,250 students (which include all four tracks – B Track started Aug. 3).  Helms says the majority of their  population came from a boundary restructuring that mostly affected Barton Elementary, which was over capacity at its peak with 1,800 students.  Reagan also has 46 teachers on staff, utilizing 41 state-of-the-art classrooms.

Photo Courtesy: K.P. Sander

Photo Courtesy: K.P. Sander. 2nd Grade teacher, Erin Monroe, and 6th Grade teacher, Daniel Monroe – a husband and wife team committed to excellence at Ronald Reagan Elementary.

2^nd Grade teacher, Erin Monroe – who previously taught at Barton Elementary – has a simple, but effective, philosophy for her students:  “Always try your best!”

“We are working on character development,” says Erin.  “Students are constantly reminded to be responsible citizens filled with integrity, who are aware of others.”

There is a motto posted in Erin’s classroom, encouraging students to keep that positive behavior at the forefront of their days:  “We are Reagan Wranglers!  We ride with PRIDE – Positive – Resilience – Integrity – Determined – Encouraging.  Blazing a trail to success!  Yeehaw!” She doesn’t hesitate to give out “Brag Tags” as a reinforcement of those positive behaviors.

Erin enjoys working with the DOJO app, a communication tool that keeps her in sync with parents at a moment’s notice.  Through broadcast or individual messages, parents are aware of assignments, behaviors and events that help improve the partnership for student success.  Students know that this technology provides their parents with instantaneous updates, which helps with accountability.

Erin’s husband, and fellow Reagan teacher, Daniel Monroe, has a similar philosophy for his 6^th Grade students – teaching not only academics, but skills to set them up for successes that will carry them through life.  “Progress, not perfection,” is the journey he wants his students on.

“The first day of school was so exciting,” says Daniel.  “The energy was contagious and it is great to be with such a positive staff creating this new culture.  We are a team here – everybody is seeking the same Wrangler Pride.”

While the peer-to-peer accountability and being kind and supportive of each other also drives Daniel’s teaching values, the focus for these 6^th Graders is CCR:  College/Career Readiness.  By instilling a yes-you-can attitude into students now, it helps stop the excuses for why they can’t later.

“I feel my role as a facilitator is to ask students what they would choose to do when nobody is watching,” says Daniel.

He says it is all about accountability with these students, who are amazingly well-organized with their super-binders – with a place for everything, and everything in its place; just another tool for success that helps to stop the excuses.

“Ronald Reagan said, ‘America is too great for small dreams,’ says Helms.  “I feel the same way about Reagan Elementary.  We are too great for small dreams; we have lofty goals and want our students to have every opportunity possible.”

With such dedicated leadership and philosophies for success, these Wranglers are indeed lucky to be studying at Ronald Reagan Elementary.

Reagan Elementary is located at 8300 Fieldmaster St., in the southwest corner of Eastvale.  They can be reached at (951) 736-7737.  The official opening will be held on Fri., Aug. 28, with a ribbon cutting ceremony and festivities.