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Upcoming Events:
MON. (9/9) P.E.A.C.E. Week --- Lunchtime Activities All Week :)
Click Here For The PEACE WEEK SCHEDULE
PTSA Meeting, Room 500 @ 9am
Girls Volleyball In Finals Of MOLTEN CLASSIC
vs. Lakewood @ Lakewood, 6:30pm
TUES. (9/10) TEACHING & LEARNING ABOUND!
GRIFFIN LAB OPENS!!!
***Send Students To The Media Center For After School
Help On Homework, Quizzes, And Tests***
College Information Night, 7pm in PAC
WED. (9/11) LATE START DAY --- 1st Period Starts @ 8:37am
STAFF MEETING @ 7:30am in Room 500.
Coffee & Pastries Provided :)
THUR. (9/12) OPTIONAL ASSEMBLY DURING PERIODS 3/4 IN GYM
9th & 10th Grade Option For 3rd Period
11th & 12th Grade Option For 4th Period
ALSO...
CSF (California Scholarship Federation) applications are
available in the COUNSELING OFFICE and are due no
later than FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2013.
***Students must submit an application and eligibility
is based on grades and courses from the prior
semester. Seniors who are members for four
semesters are eligible for Gold Seal Bearer status at
graduation.***
FRI. (9/13) The Next 7 Football Games Are Away...
WE NEED TO TRAVEL WELL!!!!
Yom Kippur Begins @ Sundown
SAT. (9/14) The First Saturday School Of The Year Is Offered
Help Students Get Off The "Loss Of Activities List Today!"
Contact Dr. Gates, igates@losal.org, for info/questions
ATHLETICS: Be on the lookout for incredibly talented teams in all of our Fall Sports --- Football, X-Country, Girls Volleball, Girls Tennis, Boys Water Polo,Girls Golf, and Ice Hockey.
9/18 --- BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT
9/25 --- State Of The District w/ Dr. Kropp, 7pm in PAC
9/25 --- Carol Jago Professional Development ALL DAY for English
Teachers, Room 500
9/27 --- Minimum Day, Fall Planning
Unlimited Possibilities...
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Late Start Wednesdays Are Finally Here, And The Collaboration Is Invaluable! 
Pictured above, Ms. Loggins (left) and Ms. Gallagher (right) discuss the details of a Common Core math problem as their department reserved one of our Computer Labs to take the new Smarter Balanced Assessment together last Wednesday morning.
Built-in collaboration time.
Even though we decided to add it to our schedule last Spring, and then designed multiple bell schedules to support it, many of us spent the Summer thinking, "How is this actually going to work out?" After Week 1 of spending an hour on Wednesdays together, the answer seems pretty clear: Perfect!
From the Math Department's shared experience of taking the SBAC practice test together, to the English Department's training on Schoology and turnitin.com (both tools teachers and students will be using en masse this year), teachers from Departments all across campus created opportunities to learn and grow with colleagues last Wednesday.
This Wednesday, we'll come back together for a Staff Meeting that will further review our Emergency Procedures, and then segue into a discussion about our API Score and how we will continue to ignite unlimited possibilities for each and every one of our students... with a twist :)
And on future Wednesday's we'll have time to work together, across departments, independently, and in whatever other fashion best suits your professional goals and needs.
Our time to collaborate is built in to our schedule now. We value it as a structure. And there's no telling how much just one hour will impact our practice and focus our growth on classroom teaching and learning.
See you on Wednesday @ 7:30am in Room 500!
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At Los Al, "Going To The Game" Is About More Than Just Athletics...
Sports Are A Part Of Our Culture, And So Is Showing Your Support :)
These students know how important it is to cheer ALL NIGHT LONG for the Griffins as their friends and classmates compete on the field...
 The game takes precedence, of course, when you're sitting in the stands. And with swarming defense like this, it's easy to get excited about the plays on the gridiron...
 At every Los Al game, there are various student groups and programs representing in full force their unwavering support of our Griffins. From Cheer and Song to Band and Dance, students at Los Al support each other in all of their academic, athletic, and artistic activities.
 Head Baseball Coach Matt Nuez (left) brought his son with him to Friday's game, while Mr. Arnold (right, middle) brought some furry friends. In all seriousness, it's a family affair when it comes to Los Al Athletics. Teachers and coaches can often be found with significant others and loved ones taking in a good ball game.
It's all about our students, though. And it always will be. Nothing says that more than ASB leading a crowd of over 1,000 Griffins in one of the biggest "Rollercoasters" ever caught on film.
Go Los Al!
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Griffin Lab Starts This Tuesday!
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Are You A Left-Brain or Right-Brain Teacher??? Are Your Students Left-Brain or Right-Brain Learners???
We often don't consider what side of the brain tends to dominate our teaching or learning practice. But the truth is, knowing your own strengths and/or your students' preferences, can help make the process of teaching and learning even more effective for everyone involved.
Here's a quiz to test out your cognitive style...
Remember, right-brainers lean towards the Arts and some of their teaching practices are identified as incorporating videos and music, role playing, and assigning group projects.
Left-brainers, on the other hand, have a penchant for logic and order. When they teach, they use timelines, direct instruction, and research projects as sound go-to strategies.
Which are you?
Choose the one sentence that is more true. Do not leave any blanks.
- A ) It's fun to take risks.
B ) I have fun without taking risks. - A ) I look for new ways to do old jobs.
B ) When one way works well, I don't change it. - A ) I begin many jobs that I never finish.
B ) I finish a job before starting a new one. - A ) I'm not very imaginative in my work.
B ) I use my imagination in everything I do. - A ) I can analyze what is going to happen next.
B ) I can sense what is going to happen next. - A ) I try to find the one best way to solve a problem.
B ) I try to find different answers to problems. - A ) My thinking is like pictures going through my head.
B ) My thinking is like words going through my head. - A ) I agree with new ideas before other people do.
B ) I question new ideas more than other people do. - A ) Other people don't understand how I organize things.
B ) Other people think I organize well. - A ) I have good self-discipline.
B ) I usually act on my feelings.
To Score:
- Give yourself one point for each time you answered "A" for questions: 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9.
- Give yourself one point for each time you answered "B" for questions: 4 ,5, 6, 10.
- Add all points. Totals imply:
0-2: strong left brain
3-4: moderate left brain
5: middle brain
6-7: moderate right brain
8-10: strong right brain
Why not incorporate a new "neurological teaching method" into your classes this Fall? If you're a left-brain teacher, try something different. If you usually employ right-brain practices, switch it up a little and see what happens.
Chances are, you'll differentiate your instruction and reach more students as a result :)
Happy teaching!
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Yes, This Student Is Throwing A Paper Plane In Class...
And No, It's Not Against The Rules!
The best part of walking into Mr. Whitcomb's class last week wasn't all the planes flying through the air... it was the giant first-step towards building a collaborative learning environment the students were in the midst of participating in.
Leave it to Seniors taking Econ to pave the way for meaningful collaboation amongst peers at Los Alamitos High School.
In Mr. Whitcomb's class, working in "teams" is essential for student success. So, from the very first project, students are asked to work together to better learn the benefits and perils of getting things done in a group.
It's an important lesson, especially in the context of Economics, for anybody to learn. Working in teams can be powerful. Working on bad teams can be a nightmare.
The paper planes enter the mix because the first project is a paper plane design competition in which groups of 4 are given the same materials, resources, and access to information as everyone else, and the goal is to "land" as many paper planes into a trash can as possible in 5 minutes. Invariably, the groups don't perform the same, and it's up to each member to debrief the experience and extrapolate what what went well about the process and what could have gone a little bit better.
It's a nice set-up for a year's worth of collaboration.
When teachers and students focus on "how" we learn, it often makes "what" we learn even that more poignant.
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"The Best College In America Does Not Exist."
--- by Danny Licht
With College Information Night This Tuesday For Seniors & Families, A 17-year-old from Los Angeles Has Some Advice...
Excerpted from an August 2nd Huffington Post article, this perspective on the college admissions process rings true for many Seniors and their families this time of year.
"The Best College in America does not exist. It's a myth. It would be too easy. Sure, it might be Stanford, as Forbes insists, but Forbes is only guessing. Consider the primary sources -- then ask yourself, not Forbes. Forbes doesn't know the best college for you. Google doesn't know. U.S. News & World Report (is that even a real thing?) doesn't know. When you come across posts with titles like this one, remember that you're a person, and that I'm a different person, and that the answer lies only with you. And, yes, I do realize that that makes the process hard, and complicated, and maybe even annoying. But it also makes it interesting. When we do it thoroughly, we emerge knowing ourselves better..."
---------- Danny Licht, 2013
To read the article being cited here in its entirety, please click here...
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How About 1,000 Followers On Twitter???
Or Maybe 1,000 Subscribers On YouTube???
From now on, if you need a picture from any of these
Monday Morning Memos, Just find us on FLICKR
The pics there are high quality, easy to access,
and always downloadable.
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Los Alamitos High School
3591 Cerritos Ave.
Los Alamitos, CA 90720
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