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School Profile
| | Forest Ranch School, located in the mountain community that shares its name, is about 16 miles northeast of Chico on the edge of pine, fir, and cedar forests along Highway 32. The current school site is relatively young, built in 1993, but follows a succession of five schoolhouses starting in 1878. One only has to share a cup of coffee with Mr. John Nopel, one of Chico’s longest residents and former Asst. Superintendent of Chico Unified School District, to understand the role that history plays in the deep connection between Forest Ranch and its school.
Fredrick Christopher Nopel, John’s grandfather, one of Forest Ranch’s earliest settlers and involved in lumber industry that was central to the growth of the area, exemplifies the spirit of the community. From the first makeshift school built lower in the canyon, to the next, held in a converted barn, each succeeding school building grew larger and more suitable to the quality education that the community was determined to provide. Today, the beautiful school site is comprised of well-planned buildings and spacious grounds that are welcoming, conducive to learning and a source of pride for the entire community.
Currently, Forest Ranch serves about fifty-four students. The enrollment fluctuates with the ebb and flow of housing and development in the area and the teachers remain flexible in their accommodation of students at varying grade levels. The classes are all combination grades and family groupings are a positive outcome of the changing student population. Strong parent involvement and participation is characteristic of the school and parents can be seen contributing in a variety of ways all day long. An active PTA meets twice each month and supports the schools activities and needs for equipment and supplies. It is evident, that every parent possesses the strong desire to do whatever is necessary to maintain their school and support their children’s education.
A comprehensive program of standards-based instruction and curricular support ensures that each child’s educational needs are addressed. Forest Ranch has an excellent library facility and a computer lab that has been recently upgraded. Two instructional aides, a library clerk, a health aide, yard supervisor and office manager all offer valuable, additional adult guidance and interaction. In general, the environment is positive, calm, and focused on learning. The consistent improvement in standardized test scores speaks to the growth in individual achievement and overall progress of Forest Ranch students and their school.
The "Forest Ranch School Mission", Community Value Statements, and Learner Goals represent the school's direction and can be summed up by our mission statement:
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| | Our First Priority is... TO NURTURE EACH CHILD'S UNIQUENESS, SELF CONCEPT AND LOVE OF LEARNING. Our Mission is... TO CREATE A SAFE, COMMUNITY SCHOOL WHICH STARTS EACH CHILD ON THE ROAD TO BECOMING A CARING, LITERATE, RESPONSIBLE, AND PARTICIPATING MEMBER OF OUR DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY | |
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