TK/K Registration for the 2023-2024 School Year

TK/Kindergarten Online Enrollment Begins February 8th To Pre-Enroll for the 2023-2024 school year, please visit the district website home page HERE  After pre-enrolling online, bring the following documents to the Paine office. Please call 714.663.…
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100th Day of School!

The 100th day of school is an exciting day for teachers, staff, and students. Paine Elementary School celebrated “100 days smarter” with various math concepts and writing prompts using the number 100. Some students decorated shirts for the occasion,…
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Paine Celebrates the Lunar New Year!

Paine’s community ended the week with a spectacular Lunar New Year celebration! Paine was thrilled to welcome La Quinta High School students, who entertained the crowd with a lion dance and a performance by the traditional dance team. Some of these s…
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DASH Robots at Paine!

Paine is now a proud owner of 10 DASH robots. They were first introduced to Mrs. Selga's 4th grade class just before Winter break and will be getting around to all classrooms soon. Students ran a program of coding blocks to direct their robots throug…
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Red Ribbon Week is October 24-28

Celebrate Life: Live Drug-Free! Red Ribbon week is this week. Paine is celebrating and encouraging our students to live a drug-free life. Watch for upcoming pictures of our fun week. Days are as follows: Monday Oct. 24th - Go Red for Red Ribbon Wee…
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Science Is Fun!!

Third graders getting a close look at how fun science is.

Principal's Message

Principal's Message

A Message from the Principal… Mrs. Charise Santana

Welcome back to the 2022-2023 school year! As your new principal, I am so excited to serve the Thomas Paine community. I've been in elementary education for about 27 years with the last 15 years here in Garden Grove Unified. Outside of school, I have been married for 16 years and have two adult children. We have a 26 year old daughter in law enforcement and a 21 year old son in the Army.  Some of my hobbies include cooking, baking, and wine tasting.


In the last three years, students, families, and our staff have experienced a number of challenges due to the pandemic. However, we have endured, learned some humility, kindness, and resilience as a result. We are all eager to return to some sense of normalcy. 

This year we will continue to focus on our District's Strategic Plan: Academic Skills + Personal Skills = Lifelong Success! Our academic program is rigorous, engaging, and aligned to state standards. Our amazing teachers use research-based strategies to develop student's critical thinking skills, including the meaningful use of technology in instruction, learning how to collaborate, and helping students develop scholarly habits and motivation. As a staff, we are committed to 21st Century learning to best prepare students for a successful future. In these challenging times, it is also a priority at Paine to support the social emotional well-being of our student and families. This year, additional resources have been allocated to support students with recovering from challenges and trauma. I am happy to welcome the ASPIRE team to Paine. ASPIRE is a system of care for GGUSD students, families, and staff that promotes, supports and enhances the social-emotional wellbeing for all in order to foster a positive learning climate with a focus on mental health.

 

 

Our School

Paine Elementary was named 2018 California Distinguished School for being a model school with successful practices that other school leaders hope to replicate. Here at Paine, we are proud to provide a positive and supportive culture for our approximately 500 scholars. 

Paine's extracurricular programs provides many exciting opportunities for students, including: 

  • Our robust choral and instrumental program brings out the inner musician in each student. Students learn to read music as they execute a plethora of heartfelt performances throughout the year.
  • Boys & Girls Club boosts student achievement and involvement each day after school until 6 P.M. Enrolled scholars build social skills as they form unforgettable friendships through exciting activities. Staff members also ensure that students fulfill the Power Hour, known as a time dedicated to completing homework. 
  • Intervention in the fall and spring is a two-week long course that reviews in-class material in unique ways. Educators review materials through games, activities, exercises, and traditional teaching. Scholars with the need to review material are accommodated, placing them on a path of academic success.

Teachers use cutting-edge instructional strategies and integrate 21st century technology into daily instruction. Our school also has a 1:1 computer to student ratio and students engage with innovative technology tools as part of the common curriculum.

Our highly involved PTO coordinates yearly events and quality assemblies. Paine offers many opportunities for parents to engage in their child’s education through online resources to help with homework support as well as family technology nights, PTO, and parent education classes. Parents may come and get involved by visiting our office or joining us at our fun events.

We are excited to bring in a new school year of academic accomplishments and emotional well-being. For questions or comments, feel free to visit us at our office.