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Upcoming Events:
MON. (10/1) School Site Council Meeting, 5:30pm
TUES. (10/2) STAFF MEETING, 7am
Coffee & Donuts Provided
Ribbon-Cutting For Gym, 6pm
Girls Volleyball Game Against Edison
**** PACK-THE-GYM-STYLE ****
Raffle after game: Amazon Kindle
promotion
WED. (10/3) Teaching & Learning Abounds!
Homecoming Activities Behind PAC @
Lunch
THURS (10/4) HOMECOMING ASSEMBLY, PERIOD 3
Coach Barnes Goes For 300th Win, 7pm
Against Marina High School
(Free Burritos For First 1,500 people)
Homecoming King & Queen Crowned @
Halftime Of The Football Game
FRI. (10/5) Homecoming Dance, 8 - 11pm @ LAHS
SAT (10/6) SAT Exam, 7am
(Our school has a number of exciting activities taking place this week, culminating with the first SAT of the year on Saturday... balancing student learning with school spirit will be the challenge for all of us this great week @ Los Al)
& On The Horizon...
Oct. 9 Late Start Day To Work On WASC, (AM)
UC Application Night, 7pm In PAC
Oct. 10 Leadership Council, 7am
Oct. 11 Dr. Kaplan Professional Development
Los Al Live --- Comedy Improv, 3pm & 7pm
Oct. 18 Dr. Kropp Walk-through #3
Emergency Drill Evacuation, (AM)
Oct. 19 Pupil Free Day :)
Oct. 20 Taste 4 Los Al @ Shops At Rossmoor
Nov. 15 Deadline for Fall Plan Meeting w/ Admin
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The Cupertino Doctrine:
What Happens In Cupertino, Stays In Cupertino...
Unless, of course, you publish a weekly blog for the working professionals at your school... In that case, you blab about everything. So, here goes:
Heading up to "Apple Land" for two days really helped to re-focus any leadership efforts on my behalf towards a clear vision for the future in which students create, produce, critically think, and reason all "on-demand." That is to say, technology is becoming so capable and adept that the technology itself is able to move into the background of a task --- allowing learning and application to be at the forefront of any user experience. The iPad is the clearest example of this.
(There are no pictures allowed on the Apple Campus... except this one! In the picture above, the Los Al USD leadership team that went to Cupertino snapped a photo to memorialize the occasion.) With iPads, particularly in regards to education, learners think less about the iPad itself, and more about how immersed they are in whatever app they are using. For example, when using Edmodo on the iPad students FIRST consider they are connecting with peers and teachers in real-time, and THEN might realize they are using an iPad to do so. This puts students and teachers at an interesting point in education. While it seems clear that the next generation of students will have iPads, or similar technology, at their disposal for daily learning, does this mean that every teacher needs to be as proficient with technology as the students in their class? Apple, categorically, says no. And on this trip, our very own Mr. Celestin commented in a large group that he's learned to provide fewer and fewer "rules" for his students as they use the iPad to solve problems... because they are constantly coming up with newer, better, and faster ways to do things. In fact, with technology in the classroom it's often the teacher who's the learner. And that's perfectly ok! More to come as we work towards a shared vision of technology use in the classrooms @ Los Al...
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Coach Barnes' 300th Win:
A Lesson In Process vs. Results...
Whether it happens this Thursday or not, doesn't matter. In fact, Coach Barnes never got into coaching because of its final destination. He's in it for the journey.
What win #300 symbolizes and means, then, is that the journey has been long. And that it's been fulfilling and rewarding enough to keep at it all 33 of these years.
It also says a great deal about Los Al and the environment in which we're all fortunate to work. 33 years, 300 wins, or however else one counts longevity... there's something special about Los Al and it's ability to attract and retain talented, one-of-a-kind, teachers, leaders, and mentors. Along with Coach Barnes, we all embody this together.
So as you get in your car Thursday night, and head over to the game @ Vets to celebrate this momentous occasion with thousands of students, families, and alumni spanning 33 years of hard work, keep this in mind: It's been the process, the journey, the people, and the environment that's been special to Coach Barnes.
The wins are just a byproduct.
Hope to see EVERYONE at the game!!!!
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Dr. Kropp's Walkthrough:
On Her Second Full Visit To Los Al Classrooms This Year, Teachers & Students Impress
Dr. Kropp came to Los Al Thursday afternoon, and walked core and elective classrooms throughout Periods 5 and 6.
Per usual, the teaching and learning was off the charts! As teachers worked to engage students in standards-based and relevant lessons, students reciprocated by demonstrating their mastery through critical thinking, writing, and speaking articulately with on-task responses.
And such was the case in every classroom, from English and Math, to Art and Band... bell-to-bell instruction was a constant on this walkthrough.
Thanks to everyone who emailed class plans and invitations in preparation for Dr. Kropp's walkthrough. We tried visiting everyone, and will continue to visit classrooms we've yet to be a part of at various points throughout the year.
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Sustained Silent Reading
Mr. Pazeian models how to read quietly for any onlookers... Many have forgotten this art in our digitally connected age :) |
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The Case For
In-Class Grade Posting...
English teacher, Leslie Weber, runs an extremely efficient and organized classroom. Everything a student could ever want, or need, is accessible to them in her class. Including their grade.
Ms. Weber, along with many Los Al teachers, posts student grades in a specific area of her class. And while this practice is certainly not "new" in any way, it does seem to have fallen to the wayside a bit in this age of digital gradebooks.
What's different about reporting class grades on a bulletin vs. a student accessing their individual grade online is this: perspective.
Looking at class grades allows students to know, anonymously of course, how they are doing in relation to others. This broadening of perspective is healthy and necessary, and ends up being a real-life skill students will take with them as their jobs and education become increasingly competitive in college and the workforce.
So, think about it. If you don't already post class grades for all to see, maybe it will work for you. Knowing one's grade in a class is certainly valuable... but knowing if that grade is "enough," or if it's in the middle-third, etc., might be just as important.
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Kids: And How They Model Our Affect
Surfboards abound, here stands Bart Smith.
From 6am 'til about 8:30am, he can be found wearing board shorts and flip-flops. (He's our Surf Coach, after all.) But come 2nd Period, Mr. Smith's all shirt-and-tie. Every day.
When asked if there's a particular reason he takes the time to knot a piece of cloth around his neck each morning, Mr. Smith replied, "It's just what I do..."
The truth is, it makes a difference in his classroom, as well as around campus.
One student reported that "What's cool about Mr. Smith's class is that there are all these surf trophies everywhere, right? But when you see him for that hour every day, you don't 'see' surfing. It's straight English."
Straight English, Mr. Smith?
It's so much more! Read the next article to find out where kids are taking this. |
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Magnificent Mondays: But You Have To Wear A Tie
The other day, a group of students made their way to Mr. Gates's office to inform him of an upcoming trend they were thinking about starting at Los Al: Magnificent Mondays.
It works like this, every Monday, a group of boys and girls will come to school looking "Magnificent:" a term they define as wearing a tie, sweater, vest, pleated pants, or the like...
This isn't to be confused with "Classy Thursday:" an event that takes place with students every Thursday, in which they wear Hawaiian shirts they either purchased, or borrowed from their parents' closet.
Whatever the day, and whatever the trend, it's clear how much our students are influenced by the things we say and we do.
And vice versa.
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Los Alamitos High School
3591 Cerritos Ave.
Los Alamitos, CA 90720
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