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Upcoming Events:
MON. (9/30) INSTRUCTIONAL NETWORKING @ LOS AL (Round 1)
Kathy Currie Is Leading 20+ Teachers On An Instructional
Round Observation & Debrief In Ashlee Baker's Class.
The Topic: Common Core Skills In A Science Setting
TUES. (10/1) Dr. Kropp Walkthrough @ Los Al, Periods 1-4
Superintendent Kropp Is Stopping By To Observe Classroom
Instruction All Over Los Al. Keep Up The Great Work!
PSAT Registration Lunch For English 10 Teachers, Room 305
WED. (10/2) Drama's First Show Of The Year --- THE DINING ROOM
10/2 - 10/4 In The Black Box Theatre --- $7 @ 7pm
***Department Meetings For Teachers Wednesday Morning***
THUR. (10/3)
Drama's First Show Of The Year --- THE DINING ROOM
10/2 - 10/4 In The Black Box Theatre --- $7 @ 7pm
FRI. (10/4) LOSAL4LIFE AWARDS CEREMONY @ LUNCH!!!
TEACHER LUNCH ON THE LAWN @ LUNCH!!!
Bring A Lawn Chair And Some Colleagues & Enjoy Free Pizza!
Special LOS AL LEGEND To Be Awarded LosAl4Life Card :)
SAT. (10/5) Huge SAT Administration @ Los Al --- 1,000+ Students
10/14 -- 6-12 Staff Development Day @ Los Al
10/15 -- Fall Plans Due For All Teachers
10/16 -- PSAT On Campus, Reverse Modified Bell Schedule
Unlimited Possibilities...
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Crol Jago's Back @ Los Al:
And She Explores The Difference Between Productive Struggle & Destructive Frustration
 Carol Jago gave Los Al English teachers tools and strategies they can use in their class tomorrow! Thank you for an amazing Professional Development :) Carol Jago's been lauded enough in these Monday Morning Memos that it's a better use of space and words to share her ideas than to rave about them. (Consider the sharing, though, the highest form of praise if you will...)
As teachers hung on to every morsel of Jago's interactive presentation on Wednesday, they realized that they were being put in the same classroom conditions Jago was advocating for all students --- that is, the class was challenging, engaging, and promoted the ideals of productive struggle as the antithesis of any destructive frustration that can take over a student and make them uncomfortable and unable to participate in the entire process of learning. So would more motivation or greater stamina be enough to push the faltering reader through the cold close reading obstacles? The focus in the Common Core State Standards on the virtues of "struggling with text" suggests it should. But the reality of reading a text that is too hard without any help is that it often results, not in productive struggle, but in destructive frustration. Such a reading experience does not generate a gist or a vague initial understanding that can be the basis for self-directed questioning and clarification. It generates a lack of understanding or a misunderstanding, and the longer one reads it the more confused one gets. Cold close reading too often results in an accumulation of misdirection - in a reinforcement of the message that reading is about pronouncing the words correctly, which the practice of close reading is precisely intended to counter. And here's an example of the close reading / warm reading phenomenon Jago modeled with a piece of visual text (that's right, text is not just words anymore... all media can be analyzed and requires most of the same critical thinking skills used to explicate literature). First, "read" (or look at) the picture below... Don't "google" it! Just soak it in... 
Make sense to you? Do you "get it?" If I asked you what the artist was likely trying to communicate, and how they created this, would you know?
You probably wouldn't be able to do much with this piece of visual text without being "warmed" to it... That is, given some background that enables you to do the kind of critical thinking you've already been trained with.
Now, watch this video, and then go back and interact with the art... Makes a difference doesn't it? Being "warmed" to text can just take a few minutes, but it leads to a much deeper understanding overall.
So, thank you Ms. Jago! You more than proved that in the era of Common Core, as we add depth and complexity to everything we teach, it's important not to make things difficult for students just for the sake of being difficult. There's a balance between the pursuit and the payoff, and warm reading is a perfect strategy that values both of these aspects of learning. |
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Photo Essay:
Join-A-Club Week & College Day
It's all about the conversation... College Day @ Los Al fostered tons of great conversations about universities from across the globe. The two most featured colleges on people's shirts and sweaters: CSULB and HARVARD. Literally thousands of students participated in Club Week, At Los Al, we truly believe in Activities and connectedness as a part of student success! Here's the Harry Potter Club! With more than 65 sign-ups on Day One, this club was one of the busiest there was! This is Griffin Gaming. Check out the old school Duck Hunt controller. If that doesn't make you want to sign-up, what will?
So whether you're promoting college like. Dr. Gates (left), or supporting the Star Trek club like Evan (right), this last week of student and staff activities at Los Al was truly a blast for everyone to participate in.
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No More Bullying!
Two New Student-Led Initiatives Address Bullying From The Inside Out
 The One In Two Project is a reference to the statistic that one in two girls in high school experience some form of bullying in their lives.
Bullying is unacceptable. And though you'd be hard-pressed to find someone that disagrees with this rationale, bullying still exists at tons of high schools across the United States. At Los Al, we have a strong tradition of bullying-prevention programs that work to solve issues between students in ways that are peaceful, respectful, and meaningful. In 2013, students can still request Peer Mediation through the Student Services office, and now they can also be a part of some student-led initiatives as well: The One In Two Project, and Everyone Is Someone.
 Launched on September 25th by Los Al Sophomores, The One In Two Project aims to outfit teenage girls with tools, resources, and a support network for issues of self-esteem or bullying. They're a student-run club that's looking to make a difference at Los Al, and they already have 100 members and a very active Instagram account.
Everyone Is Someone is a 12-state effort, co-founded by Los Al Senior Katie Bradley, that seeks to bring light to the danger of hurtful words and language as it relates to teenagers and schools. Already endorsed by local congressman Alan Lowenthal, Everyone Is Someone provides students with models of positive self-imagery, and seeks to grow its membership to include students from all 50 states. Be on the lookout for their upcoming Social Media Campaign soon!
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State Of The District, 2013-2014:
Dr. Kropp Shares Priority Goals For Everyone In Attendance
On Wednesday, September 25th, Superintendent Dr. Sherry Kropp hosted Los Alamitos' Annual STATE OF THE DISTRICT evening at the LAHS Performing Arts Center. The audience of more than 200 parents and community supporters was wowed by Dr. Kropp's vision of Los Al's future.
We live, work, and go to school in a fantastic community. And even though we all know and appreciate this reality, nights like the STATE OF THE DISTRICT presentation serve to remind us how stellar our schools, teachers, and district leaders really are.
 The night began with Dr. Kropp summarizing what the current state of the district is: #1 elementary schools in Orange County, top 1% of high schools in America, highest college enrollment rate in Orange County, and so much more. Then, the evening's presentation moved towards the district's current goals, and set the vision for each school and student moving forward over the coming years.
 Assistant Superintendents Dr. Mark Johnson and Dr. Andrew Pulver (pictured greeting attendees to the right) continued the State Of The District Presentation by highlighting academic ahievement goals as well as the communication pathways we use when supporting students, teachers, parents, and community members. Deputy Superintendent Patricia Meyer set the course for how our financial resources and school facilities will continue to serve our students responsibly well into the future. All told, the night was a tremendous success. Hundreds of parents got first-hand information on the goals, vision, resources, and processes Los Al Unified will use to shape the course of student progress in 2013-2014 and beyond. And if you weren't there, don't worry... A downloadable slideshow of the evening's presentation will be available on the district website soon!
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THANK YOU FACULTY CLUB:
Our Day Of Fall Planning Was Productive & Delicious!
Mr. Courtemarche and Mr. Torres grill up a feast as part of Faculty Club's annual Fall Planning BBQ! Thanks to Ms. Williams, Ms. Fox, Ms. Loggins, and Ms. Lundblad for organizing and planning the entire event !!!
If you're a new teacher to Los Al, you're probably asking yourself this, "Do they always barbecue like this?"
The short answer is "No." We also have pancake breakfasts in the winter, surf & turf by the pool, and Ameci's pizza flows around this place like water on most any Friday.
We are, indeed, fortunate that our Faculty Club takes care of us at the most opportune times of the year. Friday was a perfect example of this. With school starting to settle in, and Fall Planning documents distributed to be filled out, bbq's like the one we had last Friday are a helpful way to come together in the midst of all the hard work we do in classrooms and spend a meaningful half-hour together. (Being able to do it outside on a beautiful day makes it that much better!)
So, come to school hungry on days when we feast. It's part of our culture to value our teachers... And nothing says love like a late-Summer BBQ :)
P.S. SPEAKING OF FOOD... TEACHER LUNCH ON THE LAWN
WILL BE HELD THIS FRIDAY BEHIND THE P.A.C
FREE PIZZA FOR ALL STAFF WILL BE PROVIDED!!!
COME WATCH SOME LUCKY LOSAL4LIFE STUDENTS SPIN THE GRIFFIN PRIZE WHEEL FOR GREAT REWARDS!
(SPECIAL LOS AL LEGEND TO BE HONORED AS WELL!!!)
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There's More Than One Right Answer...
On Math, On Pepsi, And On Finding The Perfect Spaghetti Sauce! (Just read the artcicle... trust me.)
Once upon a time, we took tests with paper and pen. Back then, it was all about having the right answer. Now, we take tests on computers. And in the age of Common Core, it's all about having the right answerS (plural).
On last Wednesday's Late Start Day, the Math Department collaborated to include Common Core-like questions as part of this year's assessments for students. In subject-alike teams, math teachers re-worked problems to be aligned with the skills requisite for students to be successful in the 21st century. One of these skills was valuing that there are often MANY RIGHT ANSWERS when solving a problem.
 Conversations like the one pictured to the left between our Algebra II team here at Los Al quickly revealed that our current slate of assessments formulates questions with only one right answer far too often. Math teachers know that in order to solve the types of problems presented in the modern workplace, students need to feel comfortable and adept at solving problems with multiple right answers.
This is precisely what Howard Moskowitz found out 30 years ago when he revolutionized the food industry. As the story goes, Moskowitz was commissioned by Pepsi in the 80's to create Diet Pepsi using aspartame instead of sugar. He couldn't nail the recipe and make a drink that everyone liked, so Pepsi quickly fired him from the project. In reflecting on the data, Moskowitz began to believe that he went about solving the Diet Pepsi problem all wrong. He tried to make the perfect Pepsi, and what he should have done was make the perfect Pepsis (plural).
 Moskowitz got another shot at the food industry, and was hired by Prego to gain ground on Ragu (who was dominating the spaghetti sauce industry in the early 90's). Armed with his rationale that "there is no perfect spaghetti sauce, only perfect spaghetti sauces," Moskowitz created more than 45 recipes for Prego and tested them out. He was right! Different people like different things, and there is no single right answer to the spaghetti sauce dilemma. There are many answers, and the best strategy for Prego was to create many flavors. Needless to say, they now dominate the pasta sauce industry. (Although other companies quickly caught on and this is why we see entire supermarket aisles of spaghetti sauce varieties today!)
Back to math... it sounds simple, but it's actually a tremendous shift to highlight multiple solutions to a single problem. With some solid practice in Algebra and Geometry, students will be well-equipped for higher level math and solving even more complicated problems while acknowledging that there are multiple ways to get a solution that works.
And for more information on Howard Moskowitz and the great Spaghetti Sauce Solution of the 1990's, enjoy the video below!
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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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