Program Overview

Family, Achievement, Motivation, Excellence

Overview

Centrally located off of highway 580 between Castro Valley, San Leandro, and Oakland, this program provides instruction for 240 Kindergarten through the 8th grade students. A rigorous academic program structured around the California Content standards is implemented using the most up-to-date teaching methods and strategies. There is significant emphasis on project based and multilingual/multicultural learning. All students receive weekly language enrichment in Arabic and spend time in our modern computer lab. Unit studies provide ample opportunities for hands-on and cooperative learning.  The small campus enables teachers to tailor instruction to individual needs so that no child is left behind. We strive to create a family atmosphere where every child’s unique character is recognized and honored.

Our Students

FAME students come from diverse socioeconomic, ethnic and linguistic backgrounds. On any given day an observer may hear students speaking in Arabic, Punjabi, Hindi, French, or Spanish. Many students are recent immigrants to the Bay Area and speak little or no English. Our students have a broad range of academic abilities, interests and talents. Because many of our student’s religions are in conflict with the traditional school system, we have established an innovative schedule that includes an extended school day on Monday through Thursday and a half-day on Friday. FAME’s emphasis on multicultural and multilingual learning and on breaking down cultural barriers enables us to blend this diverse group of students and their parents into one successful educational community.

Our Facilities

Our San Leandro campus is centrally located for easy access to students throughout Alameda County. Housed on the grounds of a local church, San Leandro students have likened their experience here to a family; small enough so everyone knows each other, yet large enough to provide a quality educational experience. San Leandro boasts new portable classrooms, a modern computer lab, and a gym for school gatherings and after school activities.

Our Program

The innovative educational plan of FAME @ San Leandro synthesizes four distinct program goals:

  • Rigorous Academic Preparation
  • Bilingualism and Multi-cultural Literacy
  • 21st Century Technological Literacy
  • Independent, self directed learning

In order to meet these goals we combine several progressive instructional methods and ideologies into an overall rigorous standards-based program that prepares students to succeed in a diverse, multicultural world. Highlights of our program include:

  1. Foreign Language Enrichment: Students receive enrichment classes in Arabic at every grade level. The focus of the foreign language program is to reinforce the home language of students, and to expose student to new languages and cultures.
  2. Academic Discovery Lab: Students spend time in our high tech computer lab which offers opportunities to personalize learning by enabling students to pursue educational interests or to accelerate in specific areas of learning depending on their English language fluency.
  3. Project Based Learning: From the White House to our schoolhouse, there is agreement that students must be taught to construct complex understandings, to become independent thinkers, problem solvers, and develop self-efficacy. Standards-based project learning is a systematic teaching method that engages students in learning through extended inquiry process. Students learn through the process rather than by the product.
  4. Integrated Technology Education: Technology is integrated into core content courses and teachers and students alike use technology in daily instruction and learning. Students learn to apply technological solutions by preparing multi-media presentations or project management tools to their school work.
  5. Student Advisement and Mentoring: Positive and supportive interaction between students and teachers is essential to ensuring the success of all students. FAME strongly believes that cooperative learning, an understanding and appreciation for each person’s uniqueness, and celebrating each young person’s strengths and importance to self and others is the cornerstone of developing life long learners and productive members of society. We have established a system of mentoring of staff and peer support that provides guidance to all students so that none slip through the cracks.
  6. Parental Involvement: FAME understands that parents play an essential role in the education and development of every child. We are committed to integrating parents in every aspect of school planning and governance. In addition to having opportunities to participate in the Parent Teacher Organization and School Site Council, parents are asked to contribute at least 20 hours per year of volunteer work at the school site.

 

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