Ponderosa Elementary School (South San Francisco)
Encyclopedia
Ponderosa Elementary School is a K–5 elementary school
located in South San Francisco
, California
. It is part of the South San Francisco Unified School District
.
. Ponderosa Elementary was chosen by the Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA) as one of the first schools in the nation to participate in the aircraft sound retrofit
program, in order to reduce interior sound levels at the school from aircraft
overflights. The FAA in concert with San Francisco International Airport and the city of South Francisco retained Earth Metrics Inc. to conduct a detailed computer simulation
anslysis of alternative strategies for soundproofing certain areas of the school. The study recommended specific sound insulation techniques, and post-project sound monitoring indicated a significant reduction in classroom
sound levels.
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
located in South San Francisco
South San Francisco, California
South San Francisco is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States, located on the San Francisco Peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. It is part of the South San Francisco Unified School District
South San Francisco Unified School District
The South San Francisco Unified School District is a school district in northern San Mateo County, California, serving the cities of South San Francisco, a small portion of San Bruno, and the Serramonte district of Daly City.- Schools :...
.
History
Ponderosa was founded in 1962 and had a Kindergarten to sixth Grade school. In the late 1980s they dropped sixth grade because of the new middle schools that were founded.Aircraft sound
The Ponderosa Elementary School lies within the acoustical impact zone of San Francisco International AirportSan Francisco International Airport
San Francisco International Airport is a major international airport located south of downtown San Francisco, California, United States, near the cities of Millbrae and San Bruno in unincorporated San Mateo County. It is often referred to as SFO...
. Ponderosa Elementary was chosen by the Federal Aviation Administration
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
(FAA) as one of the first schools in the nation to participate in the aircraft sound retrofit
Noise mitigation
Noise mitigation is a set of strategies to reduce noise pollution. The main areas of noise mitigation or abatement are: transportation noise control, architectural design, and occupational noise control...
program, in order to reduce interior sound levels at the school from aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
overflights. The FAA in concert with San Francisco International Airport and the city of South Francisco retained Earth Metrics Inc. to conduct a detailed computer simulation
Computer simulation
A computer simulation, a computer model, or a computational model is a computer program, or network of computers, that attempts to simulate an abstract model of a particular system...
anslysis of alternative strategies for soundproofing certain areas of the school. The study recommended specific sound insulation techniques, and post-project sound monitoring indicated a significant reduction in classroom
Classroom
A classroom is a room in which teaching or learning activities can take place. Classrooms are found in educational institutions of all kinds, including public and private schools, corporations, and religious and humanitarian organizations...
sound levels.
Campus features
Ponderosa's features include:- Library
- 20 classrooms
- Softball/Baseball field
- 3 Basketball Courts (5 hoops)
- 3 Dodgeball Courts
- 3 Kickball Fields
- Sand area
- 2 Playgrounds
- Multi-Purpose Room (cafeteria, assemblies)
Ponderosa's Vision Statement
The purpose of Ponderosa School is to enable children to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary for lifelong learning and to educate them to become confident, capable and responsible citizens, contributing to society.Demographics
- 263 Students
Hispanic Caucasian Filipino Asian African American Pacific Islander Other 34.5% 29.1% 17.1% 8.6% 5.7% 3.4% 1.5%
School schedule
- Regular schedule
First Bell (warning) Second Bell (announcements and Pledge Pledge of AllegianceThe Pledge of Allegiance of the United States is an expression of loyalty to the federal flag and the republic of the United States of America, originally composed by Christian Socialist Francis Bellamy in 1892 and formally adopted by Congress as the pledge in 1942...
)Recess for K-3 grades Recess for 4-5 Grades Lunch Recess for K-3 Grades Lunch Recess for 4-5 Grades End of Day 8:28 8:30 10:00-10:20 10:30-10:50 11:20-12:00 12:25-1:05 2:30 (1:30 Early Release) - On Minimum Days (end 12:50) there is only 1 recess and lunch is held inside classroom.