Joaquin Miller Elementary

Joaquin Miller Elementary

Joaquin Miller Elementary School

Welcome to Joaquin Miller Elementary School! We are one of eleven elementary schools in the city of Burbank which has more than 100,000 residents and is located in the southeast end of the San Fernando Valley. Established in 1922-23 and renovated from 1997-2003, Joaquin Miller Elementary School in partnership with parents, families, students and community is committed to building a safe and caring learning environment where students’ gifts are celebrated and extended through a rigorous standards- based curriculum, and where all students recognize themselves as valuable, responsible citizens in a diverse, global society.

At our school, we serve seven hundred sixty-eight students in Grades Kindergarten through Grade 5 represented by the following ethnic heritages: 0.5% American Indian/Alaska Native, 4.9% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 3.5% Filipino, 16.9% Hispanic/Latino, 3.6% African American, and 58.5% White (not Hispanic). Thirty six percent of the student population is designated as English Language Learners. We welcome and embrace the broad cultural and ethnic diversity and feel that it is the strength of our school. We feel that our students are benefiting from this rich and varied learning environment.

Miller is a Title I school with approximately 45% of the student population qualifying for free or reduced lunches. We receive additional funding to supplement our basic core curriculum programs to help us meet the needs of our students.

Some highlights of Miller School include…

• Recognized as a California Distinguished School in 2008 and 1997 and a Title 1 Achieving School in 2004
• Student Awards to recognize academics, citizenship, great improvement, and enormous effort.
• Monthly Flag Assemblies in the Amphitheater to recognize students for PeaceBuilder principles and citizenship focus.
• Winter Holiday Program and Spring Dance Festival
• Active parent groups - PTA, Team Jaguar Booster Club, School Site Council (SSC), and English Language Advisory Committee (ELAC) who are dedicated to helping support and improve school programs.
• PTA Family Picnic in the Fall and Spring
• PTA sponsored fieldtrips and assemblies for all grade levels as well as a school-wide assemblies in the Arts
• Team Jaguar Booster Club sponsored activities such as Outdoor Science School (Grade 5), Jogathon and after-school enrichment classes which include Hip Hop Dance, Chess, Science, and Martial Arts.
• School-wide activities such as Art Day, Costume Day, Red Ribbon Week, Book Fairs, Read to Kids Day, and Pajama Day
• Award Winning school-wide Recycling Program
• Student Council open to fourth and fifth graders. Representatives are voted in by their peers.
• Miller School Chorus open to all fourth and fifth graders
• Center for Civic Education Model School for international visitors. We have delegations from all over the world visit Miller to observe lessons on civic education.
• Participation in the Getty Museum Grant which trains teachers at Miller to integrate the arts into English Language Arts.
• Participation in Artist in Residency Program where artists from the community come into the school to teach students about theater and dance.
• Student Tutoring Program with the Community Day School.
• After School Armenian language and culture program that is sponsored by the Davidian-Mariamian Education Foundation.
• Adult School offers English to families during the school day as well as in the evening.
• Partnership with the City of Burbank, including the joint usage of the Miller Park.
• Frequent visit by Jay Leno Show to tape our students on various topics of interest.

Staff, students, parents, and community members all recognize their valuable roles at Miller Elementary School. Each and every day we are living our school motto – STRIVING FOR EXCELLENCE! We are proud of our school and our students. We welcome visitors. Please contact us if you would like to arrange a tour of our distinguished school.

Sincerely,

Judy Hession, Principal