Pacific Grove Middle earns award
Students returned to campus this week
After a trying year of distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, things are starting to look up for Pacific Grove Middle School. Students returned to the campus this week and the school was recently named a 2021 California Distinguished School.
“It was a wonderful feeling,” Principal Sean Roach said. “Being one of the two schools in Monterey County to receive this award, we feel honored.”
State Superintendent Tony Thurmond made the announcement late last month, with San Benancio Middle School in the Washington Union School District being the other school in the county to earn the honor. The California Distinguished Schools Program recognizes schools that demonstrate exemplary achievements.
Roach said the achievement was a team effort that would not have been possible without the help of the faculty and staff.
“It’s everyone pulling in the same direction with our eyes on the same prize,” he said. “And it came out of the blue.”
Roach and the school’s administration were in the middle of setting up the return of students when they learned of the award. Sixth-grade students stepped on campus for the first time Tuesday while seventh and eighth graders returned Wednesday in a hybrid model.
“It went really well,” Roach said of the first day having students back on campus Tuesday. “Talk about invigorating, getting kids back on campus is absolutely the tonic we needed.”
Pacific Grove Middle School is a staff-wide equity school, according to Roach.
“We pride ourselves on teaching every single student and doing it on as much of an individualized basis as possible,” he said. “Knowing that there are groups of students that are struggling and identifying them and teaching just to them to help support their growth I think is really why we made so much headway in reducing the achievement gap. Being cognizant of students that struggle and keeping a finger on the pulse of those students is absolutely essential.”
Pacific Grove Unified School District Superintendent Ralph Porras praised the school and its staff for its achievement.
“We are very proud of Pacific Grove Middle School for their recognition as a California Distinguished School, which highlights their exceptional gains in implementing academic content and performance standards adopted by the State Board of Ed
ucation,” Porras said. “Pacific Grove Middle School’s outstanding educational programs, instructional practices and excellent social-emotional support initiatives all combine to provide all students with the opportunities to realize their potential and to guide them on their path to achieve their goals. The entire teaching and classified staff, along with the administrators, are to be commended for their creative, dedicated and inspirational work with students to provide a fantastic educational experience.”