Grades: Kindergarten through 5

Nestled in the hills of the residential community of Mission Viejo, Bathgate Elementary School’s unique design centers on an open stage that allows for the integration of student activities with the natural surroundings of the area. Fanning out from this stage area are 34 classrooms that house 715 students, all open to an expansive park area that is jointly used by the community and school. The facility also includes an extensive collection of library books, 2 computer labs including a mobile computer lab with 22 laptops and a large multi-purpose room with an indoor stage.

The school is named after Patricia and William Bathgate, whose family originally came from rural San Juan Capistrano. Bathgate has benefited from the ideals of the family, whose goal was to provide students with a model for community service and support of the educational process.

Bathgate is unique in that its teachers were carefully selected for their expertise not only in being able to provide basic skills to students but also in supporting these core academic skills through collaborative efforts between the community and teachers. Staff members take pride in improving their professional skills by attending numerous in services and workshops through Capistrano Unifier’s Professional Development Academy (PDA) and by pursuing advanced level university degrees. Their collaborative spirit is evident as teachers articulate within as well as across grade levels to provide a comprehensive program that challenges all students.

Instruction at Bathgate focuses on meeting the individual needs of students. Curriculum decisions are made based on data from various assessments, the district’s Capistrano Objective for Reaching Excellence (CORE) and state standards. Bathgate students continue to excel academically and surpass nationwide norms as well as district averages on the SAT 9 and other norm referenced assessments. Bathgate teachers both emphasize academics and support the belief that the resilient child is effective in work, play and relationships, possesses healthy expectancies and a positive outlook, possesses self-esteem and internal locus of control, maintains self-discipline, and has developed problem-solving and critical-thinking skills.

Bathgate actively participates in the nationwide “Character Counts!” program, which nurtures character development, good citizenship and responsibility, and lays a solid foundation by teaching children right from wrong and how to be positive role models.

The Bathgate campus is the social center of the community. The majority of families walk their children to and from school and linger to catch-up on school and community news in the shade of the many trees that fill the campus. After-school programs allow children to remain on campus to play or attend enrichment classes.

Bathgate Elementary offers many exciting experiences for children through the collaborative spirit of an innovative staff, involved parents and broad-based community support. At Bathgate, we realize that opening the “gate” to a child’s talent and imagination will help students meet their academic success and realize their potential as future leaders.

School Highlights:

• Exemplary teaching methods
• Standards-based instructional program
• Active parent involvement in PTA and education
• Ongoing staff development
• Accelerated Academic Achievement program (AAA/GATE) clusters in grades 3-5
• Reduced class sizes in K-2
• Numerous opportunities for parent involvement
• Accelerated Reader: A computerized reading comprehension program
• YMCA child care
• Lunch sports program
• Kid’s Factory after-school program subsidized by the City of Mission Viejo
• Storytelling Club
• In-class art program funded by the PTA and the site
• Internet access in all classrooms
• Both an upper and primary PC Computer Lab and mobile classroom PC computer lab with 22 laptops
• “Character Counts!” character education program
• During and After School intervention classes for students requiring additional support in reading and math
• 5th grade: Outdoor Science Camp
• Noontime sports program

Other Links:

• Visit our School Web site
• View the School Accountability Report Card