Kendale
Elementary is located in suburban Miami and is part
of the fourth largest school system in the country.
Founded in 1969, the school is situated on eight acres
in a middle-class, predominantly Hispanic community.
The school currently serves PreKindergarten through
5th grade children and has an enrollment of about 550
students. The proximity of the school to nearby Baptist
Hospital and Miami-Dade Community College has resulted
in working parents from the hospital requesting their
children attend Kendale Elementary. As a consequence,
almost 30% of the students attending Kendale do not
reside in the community, but are attending by their
parents’ choice. Additionally, Kendale has a full-time
self-contained Gifted program called Quest, which results
in many students from outside the school boundaries
attending the school. The ethnicity of children at Kendale
is: 22% White, 67% Hispanic, 5% Asian, 3% Black and
3% Multi-ethnic. Approximately 15% have limited English
proficiency (ELL); 15% are Special Education students
(SPED); and 38% are economically disadvantaged (free/reduced
lunch status). Kendale Elementary has a staff of 91
full and part-time employees, including 42 instructional
classroom and resource teachers. Before and after school
care services are provided for more than 225 students
of working parents. Our community partner, Baptist Hospital
provides transportation for their employees’ children
to attend the Baptist Child Care Facility after school.
The
Kendale family is committed to providing education in
a caring, nurturing atmosphere. Through the hard work
and support of our students, staff, parents, and community,
the school has been the recipient of numerous awards
acknowledging its many achievements, including the Blue
Ribbon School of Excellence 1996-1997, the Florida Governor’s
Sterling Award 2003 (the first school in the county
to be recognized), the Intel/Scholastic’s 21st Century
School of Distinction Award 2004 (one of only 20 schools
recognized nationwide), and the Blue Ribbon Lighthouse
School Award 2004 (one of 23 in the nation recognized
that year). During the years of 2005 – 2007, Kendale
participated in the International Center for Leadership
in Education’s Successful Practices Network and was
recognized as a Model School. In 2007, Kendale Elementary
was recognized by the Florida Department of Education
with the Five Star School Award. This recognition of
excellence for exemplary parental and community involvement
was a testament to all of its stakeholders.
The
many prestigious awards that Kendale has earned exemplify
the school’s quest for continuous improvement and the
result of the school family’s commitment to providing
the best possible educational experiences for those
who attend the school. The school’s focus is on continued
high academic expectations and fostering excellence
in all that it strives to do. The staff has achieved
close cooperation between the home and school which
is essential to providing quality education. The involvement
of the entire school community cultivates a harmonious
and productive learning environment.
Mr.
Narciso Alvarez :