Monday Morning Memo --- March 10, 2014
Upcoming Events:

 

MON. (3/10)  PTSA Meeting @ 9am in Room 500 :)

                    Big Week For PTSA!!! Their Annual Fundraiser is Friday Night @ 

                    Glory Days. To Purchase A Ticket At Reduced Cost, Click Here!

 

                    TEACHERS... Forget Your lunch at home?  Don't Have Time 

                    To Make A Chipotle Run?  Want Lunch Delivered To You?

                    Check Out A New Service Called www.BRINGYOULUNCH.com.                       For super-cheap, you can get IN-N-OUT, Chick-Fil-A, Volcano, and                     more delivered at the start of lunch to your room!

 

TUES. (3/11) LEADERSHIP COUNCIL MEETS @ 7am In Room 500

 

                    ***Dr. Kropp Visits Los Al To Observe Teaching & Learning***

                    (Periods 1-4)

 

                STAFF "FAMILY PHOTO @ LUNCH IN THE 700 COURTYARD

 

                    Teen Driving Workshop, 7pm @ PAC

                    This Night Is Part Of PTSA's Parent Education Initiative And Is 

                    Open For Students & Parents.  Click Here For More Details!

                     

WED. (3/12)  LATE START WEDNESDAY, 1st Period @ 8:37am For Students

                    DEPARTMENT MEETINGS ACROSS CAMPUS :)

                             

THUR. (3/13) INSTRUCTIONAL NETWORKING --- Barker's "Birthday Lesson"
                    Instructional Rounds Take Place Periods 1-3, With A Large Group 
                    Debrief Taking Place @ Lunch In Ms. Currie's Room.  (Pizza 
                    Provided!)

FRI. (3/14)    WEHEARTLOSAL PTSA FUNDRAISER @ Glory Days In Seal!
                   7pm - 11pm (21 & Over).  Purchase Tickets Here!!!

  

SAT (3/15)   Mr. Arnold's SAT Prep Class Begins 

                   Room 153/154, 9am - Noon

 

THE ARTS:  
We Won!  Up at Hart High School in Santa Clarita this weekend, the beginning of Show Choir's Competition Season took place. 
 Sound FX, Axcent and Xtreme all received first place!  Soundtrax got 2nd place honors.  And xquisite notched third.  Great job everyone!  America's Favorite Show Choir is headed to Nashville later this years and they'll be ready to take on all the competition at Nationals in just a few weeks :)  #iHeartLosAl


 & On The Horizon...

3/19 ---  NO LATE START, CAHSEE TESTING FOR ALL 10TH GRADERS
3/20 ---  Thinking Maps Training
3/25 ---  8th Grade Parent Night, 7pm In PAC
3/26 ---  Staff Meeting (SBAC Training!!!!)
3/27 ---  Open House, 6:30pm  (Minimum Day For Students & Teachers)
4/2   ---  NO LATE START
4/8-9 ---  Common Core Testing, 
4/23-24 - Common Core Testing, 
 
.............. Unlimited Possibilities!
Remember, No Late Start On March 19th During CAHSEE 







 
While tweaking our school's schedule to meet the demands of the first-ever Common Core State Assessments for high-schoolers, Los Al also canceled Late Start Wednesday on March 19th to support teachers and students participating in the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE).  
 
This week, parents of ALL 10th graders will be mailed home information about their child's testing room assignment.  We use the 700 building to administer the CAHSEE, and work to match-up students with teacher proctors they currently take a class with or have a relationship with.  The test is untimed, but our experience has been that most students are completed with the exam within about 2 class periods.  
 
Los Al has one of the highest pass rates in California on the CAHSEE.  We boast a 98% pass rate in English for first-time 10th grade test-takers, and a 97% pass rate in Math for 10th graders taking the exam for the first time.  100% of students pass the CAHSEE before they graduate in June of their Senior Year.
 
Thank you to all teachers, students, and families for accommodating your schedule to help us administer this important exam.  The changes to our bell schedule and room assignments are appreciated, and we look forward to another successful year of CAHSEE testing for everyone.
How Common Core Brings Out The Collaboration In All Of Us:
With Unit Planning At The Center Of Our Common Core Readiness, Teachers Are Working Together Like Never Before
The Media Center has become one of the preferred spaces for large scale collaboration this year.  Many departments have done great work there.

Teaching can be inherently isolating.  As educators, we are tasked with teaching 150+ students 5 hours a day, and most of the time we do it from the confines of our classroom (which may or may not be located centrally to others who teach the same subject as us or interact with our same students throughout the day).  
 
But, at the same time, teaching is ultra-collaborative.  We are constantly seeking feedback on our instruction and lesson design.  And one need look no further than the Copy Room to hear random teachers sharing new ideas and great practices with each other.  We're wired to try new things out, and we're openly looking to borrow/steal ideas from others.
 
Thankfully, Common Core is bringing out more of this collaboration than ever before.  With everyone tasked with shifting their curriculum and instruction to incorporate deeper, more rigorous and connected tasks for students across the board, teachers are interested in learning about what everyone else is doing to modify their practices.  This has meant longer sharing sessions in Department Meetings and casual conversations across campus.  And the result is a framework for Math and English instruction that will put Los Al students at the head of the pack when it comes to college and career opportunities post-graduation.
 
That's the exciting part of doing something new.  Nobody wants to do it alone.  
 
In the coming months, you can look forward to even deeper collaboration as we reflect upon the first-round of evolved practices we've adopted to be more Common Core aligned.  Changing our nation's curriculum, instruction, and assessment methodology is not an overnight task.  But with the help of a collaborative culture and ongoing support to take risks, continue learning, and always be creative, Los Al teachers will have everything they need to deliver a national caliber educational program that is everything the Common Core was ever intended to be.
What Would School Be Without Lunchtime?
Everybody Knows, The Best Period Of The Day Is Always Lunch!
In this photograph, a group of students take a break out of their lunchtime conversation to pose for a picture. 

Everybody's favorite period of the day is lunch.  
 
Whether you stay on campus, go for a Starbucks, or walk to Volcano Burger, eating, drinking, and socializing with peers is a necessary component of going to school.  
 
At Los Al, we embrace this reality.  And we've always prided ourselves on providing students with the best outdoor environment in which to hang out and enjoy the company of each other.  It's part of why our Lunchtime Activities are unparalleled across the county, and why on any given day you can see thousands of students flocking to the quad to enjoy the sun and fun of campus.
 
We promise to keep it up.  And we're grateful to all of our Griffins who make Los Al lunchtime the best part of our day each and every week!
Week 25 2013-2014... IN THIS ISSUE:
Upcoming Events
No Late Start On March 19th For CAHSEE Testing
Common Core Brings Out The Collaboration In All Of Us...
What Would School Be Without Lunchtime
PTSA's Annual Fundraiser Is This Friday Night!!!
Teen Driving Workshop This Tuesday Night @ 7pm
 
 
PTSA's Annual Fundraiser Is This Friday At Glory Days In Seal Beach @ 7pm :)
Come Out And Hang With Los Al Teachers, Parents, Administrators, And Supporters!

  Dear Los Al:

  

  If you didn't get the chance to go to last   

  year's WEHEARTLOSAL PTSA 

  FUNDRAISER, you missed a great 

  opportunity to mingle with parents, 

  teachers, administrators, and community 

  supporters in a casual, fun, and friendly 

  environment.  

 

  With all the events that so many of us 

  attend, it's nice to sit-back and be social for 

  the sake of strengthening our relationships     and supporting all the incredible work that 

  PTSA does for our school community.  

 

So, come out to Glory Days this Friday Night and have some fun with people who love Los Al as much as you do.  They'll be food, drinks, a silent auction, and a live bidding session for some amazing (and exclusive) Los Al merchandise, access, and opportunities, including:  A LUXURY BOX @ GRADUATION, A ROW OF LOCKERS FOR YOUR CHILD & HIS/HER FRIENDS, PREMIER PARKING SPACE (SENIOR ONLY), and lots, lots more!

Is This Legal???
...Only @ Los Al!
Teen Driving Workshop This Tuesday Night @ 7pm In The PAC:
Parents And Students Are Invited To Attend This Informative Night For All
 
















 
Don't miss Tuesday's Workshop presented by the California Highway Patrol!!!

Driving a car is scary enough for adults... Can you imagine how risky driving can be for teenagers if they're not careful and use safe driving practices wherever they go? 

 

This Tuesday Night, PTSA is sponsoring a Teen Driving Workshop for students and parents to learn more about what the CHP suggests in regards to safe driving for teenagers and their families.  Both, students and parents are encouraged to attend this informative evening, and attendees will be eligible for raffling off of the following great prizes:  A FREE Parking Pass for the 2014-2015 school year, and 10 hours of ON-ROAD Training from Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy (a $790 value).

 

See you Tuesday night!



Once Your #LosAl, Your #LosAl4Life!!!
 

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Los Alamitos High School
3591 Cerritos Ave.
Los Alamitos, CA 90720   
(562) 799-4780