This past week featured our first-semester final exams.  I want to extend my deepest appreciation to all faculty and staff for their celebration of learning and for sustaining a school culture of seriousness of purpose.  I also wish to acknowledge the service of CSF students who helped lead afternoon study sessions for eager students.  A defining characteristic of LACHSA is its supportive rather than competitive student culture, one where students take pride in the success of all students.  Our CSF embodies this spirit.  Most importantly, however I wish to congratulate all of our students for the dedication to their own success and their perseverance through this difficult week. 

At the conclusion of exams Friday, I had the opportunity to visit West Hollywood's legendary Troubadour night club.  You may know that the Troubadour featured such greats as Elton John, James Taylor, and Tom Waits early in their careers.  This night club continues to be a destination for cutting-edge musical performers on the rise and Friday night's concert was no exception.   

The featured musical acts this past Friday have a real LACHSA connection.  In fact, the performers are  all current LACHSA students!

The packed house, comprising many current and former LACHSA students, family and friends, was treated to a night of original music highlighting contemporary sounds of passionate performers eager to share their music.  I want to congratulate all of these students, our modern-day troubadours for their fresh and exciting performances that were in many ways the perfect celebration for a week of intense academic study. Fun musicological fact: troubadours were Medieval era poets and musicians who traveled what is now Western Europe.   

For me, this evening was an inspirational one.  Not only had our students immersed themselves in their studies all week, but they had simultaneously managed to book these gigs, cultivate an audience, produce materials (CDs and press information), and perform with a high degree of musicianship at the end of a long week.  These performers would gladly have performed many more hours that night had the all-ages hours been extended.  I encourage everyone to check out Hazel (Ivan Pyzow, Angelica Garcia, Lukas Frank) and Einstein's Dirty Secret (Jeremy Corren, Phoebe Bridgers, Andrew Wells, Zach Bilson, and Lukas Frank).  Their future is bright.   

Although the focus of our school's work is what happens within our walls, the real measure of LACHSA's success is what happens beyond them.  The extent to which our students succeed in college, on stages and in galleries, the degree to which our alumni shape the worlds of academia and the arts is how LACHSA will continue to define itself as an important institution. 

To see our students on stage at the Troubadour, independent of their teachers, exhibiting poise, passion, and professionalism allows us to take pride in their work. 
 

George Simpson

Principal

An Important Message from Assistant Principal, Lisa Sherman-Colt 

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At the same time that we are bringing closure to our first semester, we are in preparations for the beginning of our final semester of the 2010-2011 school year.  This is a wonderful time to reflect upon our student's successes and also contemplate areas that could use some improvement.  It is always beneficial to make some friendly reminders to our families.  The following announcements will help your child navigate their second semester at the campus of LACHSA and Cal State University a bit more smoothly.

Attendance

If your student is absent from school, an absence form needs to be completed and submitted within three days of the absence. An automated phone call is sent to each and every home on a daily basis if an absence is recorded.

Please check the parent portal for up to date information.  Many of you have questions or concerns about our official attendance record on the parent portal. 

Please e-mail lsherman-colt@lachsa.net to resolve these concerns.

Internet Access at LACHSA

  We are requesting that all LACHSA students attain a NIS account.  This account provides the student with an individual username and password to access the internet. Please stop by the main office to pick up the simple step-by-step directions. 

  STUDENTS SHOULD NOT SHARE THEIR PASSWORDS!

 Once students have secured a password they must not share these with anyone.  Anyone sharing their password may have their access privileges revoked.

Student-Owned Computers and Downloading of Illegal Materials:

Many students bring their personal laptops to LACHSA.   It has come to our attention that a number of student-owned laptop computers have been identified with illegal materials that have been             downloaded from the internet while at LACHSA using network servers LACHSA shares with CSULA.  The individual students have been identified by their unique username and password.  The film and recording industry is "cracking down" on this by issuing fines to the offenders.              

The internet is a wonderful tool and one that is used daily.  We would like to stress the importance to our students that downloading certain materials--namely movies and music from certain sites can be illegal. If one is sited as having downloaded these items they can suffer serious consequences including heavy fines.  Students who engage in this illegal activity at school and are identified will be held accountable.   

As artists, we all realize the incredible dedication it takes to pursue and create brilliant work.  This work is not free and the artists creating this work deserve compensation.

We are asking you to have a family conversation regarding the above three concerns. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me by email: lsherman-colt@lachsa.net

Sincerely,

Lisa Sherman-Colt

Assistant Principal