Mr. Philip Saxena

Nearly half the students attended Harada Elementary last year, while most of the rest went to other schools in Eastvale or neighboring Norco, Rosa Parks Principal Philip Saxena said.
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Some 600 people showed up for a parent and staff mixer last month, Saxena said.

"This community, from what I have seen so far, is just completely committed to children," said Saxena, who formerly served as principal at Parkridge School for the Arts in Corona.

Workers were putting the final touches last week on the 79,100-square foot building on Whispering Hills Drive, just west of Harrison Avenue.

All the work in the classrooms was done, but workers were still finishing a trophy case in the entry way.Saxena said the school asked students to bring trophies from any sports competitions or other contests to school with them during the first week, so the school can display them and give students a sense of connection.
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Another third-grade teacher, Randie Noell, was one of about a dozen teachers who followed Saxena from Parkridge.

"It's just thrilling to be part of a new school experience," she said."It's like moving into a brand-new, custom-built home."

Noell said she has purchased several books on the history of Rosa Parks and plans to set up a corner devoted to her.

The school's choice of a knight as a mascot has drawn some criticism.Several people who spoke at school board meetings said the "knights" were too closely associated with the Ku Klux Klan to be used for a school named after a civil rights icon.

Saxena said he and staff chose the knight as a symbol of the school's motto: Courage, determination and passion for knowledge.

Principal Philip Saxena said Wednesday he and the staff of Rosa Parks Elementary School in Eastvale were honoring the civil-rights icon's legacy by choosing a knight as the school's mascot.
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Saxena said any association between knights and the KKK, sometimes known as the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, did not occur to him or his staff when they selected the mascot for the school, which will open in July.To him, he said, a knight symbolizes the school's motto: courage, determination and passion for knowledge.

The drawing of the mascot, designed by Saxena's 18-year-old son, Andrew, shows a knight in armor holding a giant pencil instead of a sword, and a book instead of a shield.It pays tribute to Parks by demonstrating that knowledge helps a person withstand difficulty, Saxena said.

"We are upholding the ideals of Rosa Parks, who stands for quiet strength," Saxena said.

He said knights was the top choice in a vote by most of the school's nearly 40 staff members, who suggested five choices.
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Saxena spoke to nearly 100 residents at a monthly community meeting Tuesday night to give them an update on the school.Audience members asked Saxena about the school and its start time, parking and security.
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But Saxena said only one family objected directly to him, while more than 30 people have called, e-mailed or visited to give him their support.

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The principal of Rosa Parks Elementary School, Philip Saxena, was on hand to give us an update.Mr. Saxena is a very exuberant principal who takes great pride in his school.

"Many of our children are afraid of math," said Philip Saxena, principal of Parkridge.