Dreams Come True for Aldama Elementary Principal

By Lola H., Isabella R., Sydney A., and Evelyn S. 

One of the first things one sees when walking into the waiting room of Aldama Elementary School on Avenue 50 is the college flags. Ms. Paula Cordoba, the school’s principal, put those college flags on the wall for all to see. Ms. Cordoba wants the kids to realize that this school is here to prepare them for college. 

Ms. Cordoba has been the principal at Aldama since just last year. Her dream was to have more technology at the school. “We are very excited this year because we are bringing a computer teacher, someone who can teach our students how to type on the computer, also open a Word document, and create a Powerpoint,” she said. “All of this knowledge is very much necessary to be prepared for college, high school, and middle school.” 

The school is partnering this year with ComputerWiseKids. Through the PTA, they have raised funds to start the school through the process, and the school will continue to subsidize the program. Ms. Cordoba says the next step is to update the computers to see if the computers are working or not.

The next step then is to move more equipment into the classrooms. When asked if she thought she needs more equipment, she replied her dream would be to have a SmartBoard, an interactive bulletin board. “I feel children would be more engaged with the lesson if they can demonstrate their understanding on the Smartboard,” she said. 

Born in Argentina, Ms. Cordoba came to Los Angeles when she was 15 years old. She went to high school and had to learn English. The first words she learned were “cat,” “dog” and “hello.” She still has an accent. 

She seemed to tear up when two of the bi-lingual junior journalists starting asking her questions in Spanish, especially when she was talking about her parents. She said her parents were the best teachers because they would help her out when she needed help. Learning a second language was very hard at the beginning but, as she says, “It’s just another way of facing your fears and moving forward and being challenged.” 

Keep on dreaming, Ms. Cordoba!

To get to know her better, she happily answered some questions about herself, including these two: 

What’s your favorite animal?

Ms. Cordoba: I enjoy birds—the singing of birds. I remember my grandparents had canaries in their backyard. I also like dogs—big dogs.

What is your favorite color and why?

Ms. Cordoba: I love the color green because it represents nature. I enjoy plants, nature, gardening when I get a chance. It brings a lot of peace.  

Lola H., Isabella R., Sydney A., and Evelyn S, aged 8 to 10 years old, are enrolled in the Radical Radishes Children's Writing Camp in Mount Washington run by Nina Zippay, an at-large representative of the Arroyo Seco Neighborhood Council.