Vision

Banyan Elementary School creates, through our students, a society that allows for responsibility, justice, and fairness.  It provides all citizens with opportunities to become cooperative and successful participants in a world of diverse cultures, while pursuing excellence.

Mission

It is the mission of Banyan Elementary School to develop each child’s academic, social, physical, and emotional potential in a wholesome, supportive environment so as to create lifelong learners and contributing citizens in a multicultural and changing world. 

Core Values

Excellence

We highlight each student’s potential to achieve their highest academic, social and emotional success.

Responsibility

As we stand in loco parentis, we have an obligation to our students to provide the best possible educational services in an environment that is safe, secure and nurturing.

Justice

We will provide an environment based on equity, fairness and merited reward.

Fairness

All stakeholders are treated justly and in a courteous manner to ensure that all points of view are taken into consideration.

Citizenship

We are aware of the diverse cultures of all of our students and so we provide opportunities for them that ensures their educational success.

Banyan Elementary School is located at 3060 S.W. 85^th Avenue on four acres in an urban area of southwest Miami-Dade County.  The administration and staff at this school have high expectations for student achievement.  We firmly believe that all students can and will achieve for we are about the business of educating children well.  The school is composed of 29 individual classrooms, a POD that allows for two open area classrooms, and a cafetorium.  All of these classrooms are located in seven open air buildings that are 49 years old.  The media center, the newest building, was constructed less than 20 years ago.  The school has received a new roof on the open air buildings, interior/ exterior paint, perimeter fencing and security screens.  This will provide students and other stakeholders with a secure and attractive academic environment.

Banyan Elementary School serves 400 students from the surrounding neighborhood, including standard curriculum students (61 percent), Exceptional Student Education (ESE) including Gifted students (36 percent), English as a Second Language (ESOL) students (28 percent), and economically disadvantaged students (63 percent).  Additionally, Banyan Elementary School services four Pre-Kindergarten Exceptional Education students and two role model students.  The majority of the students enrolled at Banyan Elementary are from the surrounding neighborhood.  However, self-contained Exceptional Education students are bused to school.  When students complete grade 5, they are registered at Rockway Middle, Glades Middle or West Miami Middle Schools.  The ethnic/racial make-up of the student population is 90 percent Hispanic and 10 percent Other.  Student attendance at Banyan Elementary ranked 25^th out of 203 elementary schools in the district at the end of the 2004-2005 school year.  We aspire to continue to improve upon this attendance rate during 2005-2006.  Currently, the student-teacher ratio is 1:22 in the primary grades and 1:26 in the intermediate grades in the Basic Education Program, but is considerably lower when the inclusion teachers, and paraprofessionals are factored-in.  The student-teacher ratio in the Exceptional Education Program, excluding the Gifted Program, is 1:9  and considerably lower when the paraprofessionals are included.  The COMER School Development Program’s Student Services Team processes all phases of support (i.e. health care, shelter, food, dental care, utilities) that affect the students’ growth and academic success.  Psych Solutions, a local mental health facility, provides the Emotionally Handicapped students with counseling, services in addition to those services addressed by the students’ Individual Educational Plans.

Banyan Elementary School staff enjoys a collaborative system of leadership that includes representatives from all stakeholders on its primary decision-making group, the Educational Excellence School Advisory Council.  Banyan’s teachers serve on one of three committees: Academic, Social Climate, or Staff Development/Technology to ensure that all needs of the school are addressed.  Committees in the school provide the technical support, professional and personal growth opportunities that stakeholders need in order to make informed decisions.  Innovation is encouraged and new ideas are given every opportunity to succeed.

 Banyan Elementary School, one of the newest Title 1 schools in the District, provides an eclectic approach to guarantee quality educational experiences for its students.  In facilitating this approach, input from all stakeholders is considered an essential part of program improvement.  This on-going communication between the school’s leadership team and the stakeholders enables staff to provide educational programs that are tailored to students’ needs.  In addition, students and families are also provided access to social services and governmental resources, if the need arises.  An after-school Academic Excellence Program provides additional support and enrichment to academically talented students in the areas of mathematics, science and critical thinking.  The gifted student population’s need for a differentiated curriculum is addressed through the school’s gifted resource center.  All of these activities include student services, parent services, and interactive parent/student services.  As a result of collaborate efforts between school and community, Banyan Elementary earned the distinction of being an A+ School with a Provisional status in Annual Yearly Progress under the NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND ACT.