Jefferson Elementary School is seen Thursday in Calexico. (Fernando Acosta Jr.) |
CALEXICO — With a ding, a voice and a rumble they took cover.
“Drop and cover,” a voice from Jefferson Elementary School office staff said over the school intercom.
In about two seconds the sixth-graders of Karina Montaño’s class were under their desks, ducking for cover after a rumbling of student-moved chairs.
“We have to wait for a response,” substitute teacher Ulises Cardenas said to the class.
Such was the scene all across California as 8.6 million people participated in The Great California ShakeOut, an annual statewide earthquake drill, Thursday at 10:20 a.m.
Lucio Padilla Jr., Jefferson Elementary School principal, admitted that earthquake drills have perhaps taken on new meaning for the school.
The 7.2-magnitude earthquake of April 4, 2010, inflicted between $5 million to $6 million in damages to the school and displaced about 500 of its 800 students between three school sites in 2010.
“We haven’t been a K-through-6 school since then,” Padilla said Thursday.
In 2011, the school was again moved with kindergarten and first grade being taught at Dool Elementary School and grades two through six being taught at the former adult education center trailers next to Blanche Charles Elementary School, across town from Jefferson.
“On top of all the displacements we’ve had a lot of adjustments to do,” Padilla said. “We’ve been limited in terms of library, the cafeteria last year and we’ve had to make a lot of adjustments with our computer labs.
“This year we still have classrooms that have only recently had Internet services or phone services restored as this campus hadn’t been used in about a two-year period,” he said.
“The students have been here but we’re still had to adjust with not having everything up and running,” Padilla said. “It looks like we’re about to be completely up and running as of (Wednesday) in terms of phone and Internet.”
Possibly because of these setbacks, along with construction, more delays due to damage recently found in Jefferson’s walls, Padilla said Jefferson has lost 80 students since the 2010-2011 school year.
“We think some of them have moved away as they’ve grown weary that the school hasn’t been restored,” he said. “I think the parent community has been very, very patient.
“We think there are parents that continue to be patient and I can’t say enough of our staff,” Padilla said. “They’ve been going above and beyond trying to provide the best environment possible for our students,” adding that the school, as a whole, has been very resilient.
Padilla said the school is hopeful that construction and modernization will be completed on the Jefferson campus sometime in May 2012 in order for the promotion ceremonies for the kindergarten and sixth-grade students to be held there.
“The architect was here yesterday. We went over colors, tile, carpeting and walls, so definitely that brought some excitement when you see the plans moving ahead,” Padilla said. “We definitely look forward to going back.
“I think we definitely are very prepared (in the event of another big earthquake),” Padilla said. “Now that it has happened we know that it can happen.
“We hope it doesn’t happen,” Padilla said with a laugh, “but we’re ready for it.”
Staff Writer Roman Flores can be reached at 760-337-3439 or rflores@ivpressonline.com
“Drop and cover,” a voice from Jefferson Elementary School office staff said over the school intercom.
In about two seconds the sixth-graders of Karina Montaño’s class were under their desks, ducking for cover after a rumbling of student-moved chairs.
“We have to wait for a response,” substitute teacher Ulises Cardenas said to the class.
Such was the scene all across California as 8.6 million people participated in The Great California ShakeOut, an annual statewide earthquake drill, Thursday at 10:20 a.m.
Lucio Padilla Jr., Jefferson Elementary School principal, admitted that earthquake drills have perhaps taken on new meaning for the school.
The 7.2-magnitude earthquake of April 4, 2010, inflicted between $5 million to $6 million in damages to the school and displaced about 500 of its 800 students between three school sites in 2010.
“We haven’t been a K-through-6 school since then,” Padilla said Thursday.
In 2011, the school was again moved with kindergarten and first grade being taught at Dool Elementary School and grades two through six being taught at the former adult education center trailers next to Blanche Charles Elementary School, across town from Jefferson.
“On top of all the displacements we’ve had a lot of adjustments to do,” Padilla said. “We’ve been limited in terms of library, the cafeteria last year and we’ve had to make a lot of adjustments with our computer labs.
“This year we still have classrooms that have only recently had Internet services or phone services restored as this campus hadn’t been used in about a two-year period,” he said.
“The students have been here but we’re still had to adjust with not having everything up and running,” Padilla said. “It looks like we’re about to be completely up and running as of (Wednesday) in terms of phone and Internet.”
Possibly because of these setbacks, along with construction, more delays due to damage recently found in Jefferson’s walls, Padilla said Jefferson has lost 80 students since the 2010-2011 school year.
“We think some of them have moved away as they’ve grown weary that the school hasn’t been restored,” he said. “I think the parent community has been very, very patient.
“We think there are parents that continue to be patient and I can’t say enough of our staff,” Padilla said. “They’ve been going above and beyond trying to provide the best environment possible for our students,” adding that the school, as a whole, has been very resilient.
Padilla said the school is hopeful that construction and modernization will be completed on the Jefferson campus sometime in May 2012 in order for the promotion ceremonies for the kindergarten and sixth-grade students to be held there.
“The architect was here yesterday. We went over colors, tile, carpeting and walls, so definitely that brought some excitement when you see the plans moving ahead,” Padilla said. “We definitely look forward to going back.
“I think we definitely are very prepared (in the event of another big earthquake),” Padilla said. “Now that it has happened we know that it can happen.
“We hope it doesn’t happen,” Padilla said with a laugh, “but we’re ready for it.”
Staff Writer Roman Flores can be reached at 760-337-3439 or rflores@ivpressonline.com
