Sierra School at Eastern: Lower School is a non-public, special education school that serves students ages 4 through 15, grades K-8. Sierra School utilizes a unique instructional model, positive behavior modification techniques, and mental health services to increase academic awareness, develop social skills and cultivate appropriate classroom behavior.  Sierra School students benefit daily from a state approved, standards aligned curriculum, highly qualified teachers and low staff to student ratios.

Sierra School at Eastern: Lower School supports students with diverse situations including, but not limited to, specific learning disabilities, emotional disturbances, autistic spectrum disorders, cognitively low functioning, and other health impairments such as ADHD.

Our students also have access to other services designed to meet their specific needs.  These services include occupational therapy, group and individual counseling, speech and language services, art therapy, independent living skills (ILS), and transition programs to name a few.

All the programs listed above, from our academic model to each of our related services, are designed and implemented with the ultimate goal of expediting our students’ transition back to their public school program and into the next least restrictive environment.

Monthly Calendar

Upcoming Events

Open House
Spelling Bee
International Day

2nd Annual Egg Drop

Sierra School at Eastern – Lower Goes “Orange for the Animals!”

On April 9, 2010, Sierra School at Eastern – Lower showed their annual support for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) by going “Orange for the Animals!” Students and staff dressed in their brightest orange clothing to demonstrate their concern for all animals in need.  To add an extra-special touch to the day, the staff of Sierra School at Eastern – Lower brought their pets to work and shared their stories.  From a tiny turtle, to two 8-pound poodles, to a four-foot tall Great Dane, students marveled at the animals and were eager to learn about how the staff acquired such amazing “friends.”

Having the animals visit the classrooms was a terrific experience for the students. Miss Xiong, classroom teacher for Classroom #9, proudly displayed her box turtle and explained to the students that it’s not only cats and dogs that make great pets!  Miss Hale, the school’s Clinical Coordinator, brought her HUGE Great Dane named Hamlet.  Many of the students had never seen a dog so big and were impressed that, even though he only had one eye, he played and did everything a normal dog would do.  Mrs. Grant, the school’s director, brought her two poodle/terrier mix puppies, Summer and Winter, and visited each classroom telling about Winter’s dramatic rescue from a local shelter.  Although Summer was very shy, Winter happily went from student to student, absorbing all the affection he missed during his time away from humans.

But what truly made the day a success was the students of Sierra School at Eastern – Lower.  After receiving a “penny-for-penny” challenge from Mrs. Grant, students from each class donated a portion of their Sierra Dollars to the local shelter where Winter was rescued.  In total, students donated $63.50 to this tremendous cause – which Mrs. Grant will match.  Thank you, Sierra School students, for showing you are never too young to be a hero to an animal in need!

For more information on the ASPCA, please visit their website at www.apsca.org.

Replanting Our Roots

On February 24, 2010, the students and staff of Sierra School at Eastern – Lower (formerly Sierra School at Edison) officially “Replanted their Roots” at their beautiful new campus located at 1150 Eastern Avenue in Sacramento, California.  With parents and visitors from various outside agencies looking on, students from each classroom planted acorns from the Edison campus to symbolize their new beginning, all while honoring the rich history Sierra School encompasses.

Preparing for the ceremony was a wonderful experience within its self.  The students participated in a “campus clean-up” day, demonstrating their pride in their new school site.  Additionally, each classroom decorated their own terracotta pot in which the acorns were eventually planted.  Finally, students decorated leaf and acorn-shaped cookies and packaged them with leaf-shaped tags, also decorated by the students, for the visitors to take home and enjoy.

The students were very involved with the ceremony, as well.  Students from Classroom #9 lead the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance and the students from Classroom #7 provided a touching performance with each student listing what they appreciated most about their new campus.  The event concluded with Katie Hancock, Regional Director for Sierra School, discussing why roots are important and how the individual students of Sierra at Eastern make the school a wonderful “garden.”  Once the ceremony was over, visitors enjoyed refreshments and took tours of the beautiful classrooms.   Overall, it was an exceptional event and all the staff and students of Sierra School at Eastern are ecstatic to have an amazing new facility in which to grow.

Cat in the Hat Day

On March 2, 2010, Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, would have turned 106 years old!  To celebrate this incredible writer and his timeless classics, Sierra School at Eastern – Lower held their third annual “Dr. Seuss Day!”

To honor Dr. Seuss, students spent the day engaged in various reading activities focusing on Dr. Seuss’ imaginative books.  For example, in one classroom students were presented the challenge of writing their own Dr. Seuss story and in another; students practiced their reading fluency by seeing who could read a Dr. Seuss tongue twister the fastest.  Laughter filled the classroom as even the teachers did their best to master the rhymes of this literary genius.  Many classrooms shared a delicious breakfast of Green Eggs and Ham and others applied their science skills and made oobleck (ooey, gooey, green oobleck) from the Dr. Seuss book Bartholomew and the Oobleck.

Although all the activities were engaging and fun, the favorite of the day was when the Cat in the Hat himself showed up in the classrooms and read his favorite book to the students.  He even shared a snack with the students (please see the recipe below.).  By the end of the day, the students of Sierra School at Eastern – Lower, came to appreciate, on a greater level, the wonder of Dr. Seuss and the joy his books have brought to young and old throughout the world.  Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!

Cat in the Hat Treat

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:

• Vanilla Wafer or Ritz Cracker
• Gummy Lifesaver Candies (preferably red)
• Vanilla Frosting

Preparation:
Start out by placing the wafer cookie on the table; place a thick glob of frosting in the center of it. Place a gummy Lifesaver (preferably red) on the frosting. Place another glob of frosting on the gummy Lifesaver; place another Lifesaver on the frosting. Continue this until your treat looks like the red and white striped cat-In-The-Hat hat.

Annual Snow Trek

On January 25, 2010, Sierra School at Eastern – Lower students once again took to the road and made their annual trek to the snow.  Emigrant Gap was the perfect location for a day of outdoor fun and exercise!  For many of the students, this was their first experience playing in the snow and what a wonderful time they had!  

Before leaving on their adventure, however, the students learned about the properties of snow, the various types of snow i.e., sleet, flurries, rime, hail, and slush and studied the geometric makeup of individual snowflakes.  They also learned what temperature is required in order for rain to turn to snow and how cold it has to be for snow to remain on the ground.  And, to round out their adventure, Classroom #9 made “edible snowflakes” for Snack Shack using flour tortillas, cinnamon and powdered sugar.  For the students at Sierra School at Eastern – Lower, visiting the snow was an exciting, delicious, and very educational adventure!

Chicken Soup

They say that chicken soup is good for the soul, but it also made for an excellent hands-on learning experience for the students of Sierra School at Eastern – Lower!  Students from Classroom #7, with the assistance of their teacher, Miss Erickson, made some delicious homemade chicken soup and learned a multitude of valuable life skills along the way.

First, the students chose which ingredients they would like in their soup.  Many suggestions were made and, after much discussion over nutritional value, each pupil chose their favorite.  Next, the students went to the grocery store and selected their own item to be contributed to the soup.  During this community-based instructional activity, students learned how to select the freshest ingredients for the best value.  The next morning, the students returned to school eager to prepare their items, each learning how to thoroughly clean and properly handle both vegetables and poultry items.  Safety was a key skill as students sliced and diced their way to a delicious and nutritious lunch!

Finally, after a morning a simmering in the pot, the students ate their hearty soup, being sure to save enough to share with the rest of the school.

Staff Feature

Hello.  My name is Cynthia (Cyndi) Hale and I’m a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) and the new Clinical Coordinator at Sierra School at Edison!  I’m really excited to be a part of the program and am looking forward to all the adventures and opportunities for growth my new position will bring.

Previously, I’ve worked with group home and foster children in community programs, as well as women and children who were victims of domestic violence!  I graduated from California State University with my Bachelor’s in Psychology in 1996 and my Master’s in Marriage, Family & Child Counseling in 2002.  I also completed an American Sign Language Interpreting program at American River College in 2007 and enjoy working with the Deaf population, as well.  I grew up in the Sacramento region and have never wanted to leave – I love it!  I’m the proud owner of a 1 1/2 –year-old Great Dane named Hamlet and two cats that have surprisingly put the dog in his place. I love to ski in the winter and travel whenever I get the chance.

In closing, I would like to thank everyone for the opportunity to work at Sierra School at Edison – it’s a pleasure to be here!  I’m eager and motivated to learn more about working in the educational setting and appreciate the warm welcome more than I can say.

Student Feature

Rozco Barraza-Gutierrez is a student at Sierra School at Edison and he is also an Aztec Dancer.  Rozco began dancing when he was 8 years old.  He is now almost 12 years old and has been performing with the same troupe for all these years.  Rozco’s group performs anywhere from 3 – 4 times each month for many types of occasion.  Some examples include: birthday parties, holidays, retirement parties, parades, but especially weddings.  He is the fifth generation in his family to be trained in this style of dance and practices approximately 4 hours per week.

Rozco states that dancing positively impacts his education because it helps him keep his mind focused and assists him in making good choices.  It also teaches him about ancient history and Rozco affirms he has learned a lot about his culture through his dance.  Some interesting facts include the following:

• The symbol of Aztec dancing is the bird which represents their kupulua (ka-pute-lee), or their group. 
• The dances themselves always represent something from nature:  the movement of the earth, fire, water, or wind.
• The uniforms they wear includes many pieces:  the headdress (which includes real bird feathers), the chest plate, and ankle and wrist bands.  The uniform represents an ancient Aztec warrior.
• The dancers also learn to sing in Spanish and Nahuatl.

Rozco also admits that, although it is hard work and learning the steps isn’t always easy, he never wants to miss practice.  When asked if he’d rather stay home and watch TV, Rozco replied, “No, it’s like family.  The make it fun to go by always baking cakes and by planning special trips.  There are a lot of kids my age.  There are even kids in diapers!”   It certainly sounds like this young man has found a way to mix his learning time with his “fun” time and make it all work for good.  Congratulations, Rozco!

Responsibility Clubs Resume - Bigger and Better than Ever!

Student Government, Auto Club, Art Club, Lawn and Garden Care Club, Yearbook Club, and Sports League make up the list of Responsibility Clubs offered at Sierra School at Edison.  After taking the summer off, the clubs resumed this fall with higher participation levels than ever before!
Responsibility Clubs provide Sierra at Edison students a great opportunity to learn new skills in an area of personal interest while getting to meet and socialize with students outside their own classroom.  Students can belong to a maximum of two clubs at one time and must be on green or blue level in order to attend the bi-monthly meetings.  All clubs are interactive and designed and planned to accommodate the needs of our specialized population.
Responsibility Clubs also build a sense of community within the student body.  Student Government, for example, is responsible for planning our monthly "BIG EVENT" while the Art Club might be responsible for providing the decorations.  The two clubs work together to accomplish one goal, which provides limitless -- and priceless! -- opportunities for the students to learn and grow.
Overall, the Sierra School at Edison Responsibility Clubs provide Sierra student a chance to participate in enriching activities while joyfully exploring their own personal strengths and preferences.  A win-win situation for everyone involved!

Project Help!

Select students at Sierra School at Edison participate in a unique group titled "PROJECT HELP!"  This group, which is advised and led by Sierra School at Edison's Mental Health team, is a specialized activity in which students learn the intrinsic value of helping another person or group of people.  For example, students offer assistance to the campus classrooms by offering to straighten their rooms or make copies for the teacher.  They assist in the front office by organizing, cleaning, and occasional plant watering.  But the most important aspect of this group is that they receive NO EXTRINSIT REWARDS FOR THEIR SERVICES!  No Sierra Dollars, no bonus points, no free time.  In fact, the only reward these students receive is the best kind of all…..the warmth you feel in your heart after you've done something kind for someone else.

Community Based Instruction Trip to Chevy’s Mexican Restaurant – A Delicious Way to Learn!

The students at Sierra School at Edison took a terrific, education-filled, community-based instruction field trip to Chevy’s Mexican Restaurant on September 30, 2009.  Fifteen students attended the trip accompanied by their teaching staff.  While at the restaurant, students learned the “ins and outs” of how this type of business works.  For example, they learned about making reservations, how patrons are seated, how the wait staff takes orders and how the kitchen fills those requests.  One of the highlights of the trip was that the students were allowed to cook their own lunch!  First, they made their own flour tortillas and then constructed their own individual bean and cheese burrito. 
While the students ate their lunch, they enjoyed the beautiful view of the Sacramento River and visited with their classmates.  The trip was a wonderful experience for all involved and many of the students have expressed in interest in learning more about the restaurant business.  See – learning IS fun (and if you’re lucky – it can sometimes even be delicious!)

Sierra Schools Regional Newsletter

Please check out our latest edition of California Connection our Regional Newsletter covering all the Sierra Schools.

Moving Day!

Sierra School at Edison is thrilled to announce its upcoming move to our beautiful new campus located at 1150 Eastern Avenue, Sacramento, California  95864.  Sierra at Edison students will

spend their first day in their new classrooms on January 4, 2010.  In addition to the move, Sierra at Edison will also change its name to Sierra School at Eastern -Lower. Staff and students alike are looking forward to this exciting change in venue.

The facility is a well-designed and solidly constructed school site that has large well-lit classrooms, perfect for student learning.  Fresh pain, new flooring, hand-crafted student cubicles, and upgraded computers make them a teacher’s dream come true.  Along with offering spacious classrooms, this new campus also hosts a large multi-purpose room, an on-site playground, and ample parking for school vans and visitors.  Surrounded by parks, the facility is a perfect place for students to spend their days learning and practicing their social skills.

One of the most exciting aspects of the transition to the new campus is that Sierra Edison will share the facility with our high school program Sierra School at Eastern – Upper.  Although the programs will remain completely separate, we look forward to the benefits that Peer Tutoring and Student Mentoring programs will bring to each program.  Sierra School at Eastern – Lower will continue to provide the same related services they currently offer at Sierra at Edison.

If you would like to schedule a tour of our new campus, please feel free t contact me, Theresa Grant, Director of Sierra School at Edison at (916) 488-5455.  I would enjoy walking you through the campus and sharing with you our new educational facility.

School Accountability Report Cards

Sierra School is pleased to announce that our School Accountability Report Cards (SARC) are available for review.  Sierra School has made their SARC available to you in two different formats: 1) you may review the document via the link below or 2) you may request a paper copy by contacting your school office.

Sierra School at Edison 2008-2009 SARC