Principal's Message

Dear Cook Families,

It is truly my pleasure to begin as Principal at Cook Elementary School.  I am very excited to see all our students return to school and watch them work hard and grow through new experiences and learning.   Before coming to Cook, I taught 8th-grade History in Long Beach/ Saddleback Valley for 8 years before coming to Garden Grove as an administrator in 2008 (Assistant Principal at Irvine Intermediate for 3 years, Principal at Violette Elementary for 6 years, and Principal at Parkview Elementary School for the last 8 years).  I am very active, and love being outdoors running, participating in triathlons, and have played ice hockey for most of my life.  I am an avid Kings fan and don’t care much for the local team.   I have been married for 24 years to my wife Katie and have two daughters, Whitney (20 years old and at Arizona State University) and Delaney (18 years old and at the University of Utah).    

I am excited to begin a new year with numerous opportunities for learning, exploration, and growth for all students.  I look forward to meeting all our students/ parents and continuing to build the fabulous learning community at Cook.  Please stay informed by reading our weekly announcements, visiting our Facebook/Instagram page, attending Pastries with Parents, PTO, and School Site Council meetings.  I have an “open door” policy and would love to hear any ideas, concerns, or comments from all families.  Please visit our school website at cook.ggusd.us to keep up to date on events, view our wonderful programs, and see pictures of our school activities. 

We are making class assignments on the basis of present enrollment figures and will make any necessary adjustments shortly after school begins.  We will notify you if there are changes to your child’s classroom assignments.

Our school staff is dedicated to meeting the needs of all our students.  We believe that a strong relationship between the home and school is vital to the educational success of our students.  We’d like to remind you that daily attendance is very important to student achievement, and we expect all students to be at school by 7:50 and to be ready to learn by 8:05 a.m.

For the safety of your children, please be patient during pick-up and drop-off.  The road into Cook gets extremely crowded at these times, but our wonderful staff does a great job getting cars through quickly.  Thank you in advance for listening to all staff directions and for your patience during these busy times. 

I welcome your feedback at our first Pastries with Parents meeting on August 22nd at 8:15 a.m. in our MPR.  We will review new safety procedures, Parental involvement opportunities, and give parents a chance to ask any questions.    

Please let us know if you have any questions or need any assistance.  Our school office is open from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily.  

I look forward to a great year!

Mr. Baker 

Our School

At Cook Elementary School, we are committed to equipping all of our students with the academic and personal skills for lifelong success. Our school has a long record of academic excellence and consistently outperform the state and county average on standardized state testing. In 2016, our school received the prestigious National Blue Ribbon School from the United States Department of Education. We also received the STEM Honor Roll from the CBEE Campaign for Business and Education Excellence. Alongside this award, we received the Title I Academic Achievement School and California Distinguished School Awards.  In 2018, Cook Elementary School was recognized as a California Distinguished School and named to the 2017-2018 California Honor Roll for high academic gains and student success.  Most recently, in 2022, Cook was named one of U.S. News & World Report's "Best Schools" among schools rated across California and the United States.   

Our exceptional staff, dedicated students, and engaged parents all contribute to this legacy of success at Cook Elementary School.  We offer academic and social emotional interventions to help all students succeed in addition to enrichment and extended day programs.   

Cook's dedicated PTO (Parent Teacher Organization) organizes many fundraising initiatives to provide for fun school assemblies, family events, educational field trips, and new and exciting opportunities for our scholars.  Any parent interested in joining and/or volunteering is encouraged to call our school at (714) 663-6251 or sign up using the Volunteer Link provided on our weekly ParentSquare Newsletter. 

Thank you for visiting our site and we look forward to sharing unforgettable experiences this school year!