Monday Morning Memo --- September 29, 2014
Upcoming Events:

 

MON. (9/29)   College Visits All Week (Seniors Should Sign Up Accordingly)

                       Monday:  Boise State University  (Access Link Through Naviance)

                       

                       For College Questions/Scheduling Contact [email protected]

 

TUES. (9/30)  Teaching & Learning Abound!

                       
                       College Visits Planned:  Georgia Institute of TechnologyFashion 

WED. (10/1)   LATE START WEDNESDAY  (Check Full Schedule Here)

                       Department Meetings / School Starts At 8:37am For Students

 

                       Emergency Rescue Training w/ Mr. Vlasic & Officer Brandt

                       8:45am - 12:15pm In Room 500

 

                       Join-A-Club Week At Lunch ---  Encourage Your Students To 

                       Stay Connected & Get Involved With Clubs That Interest Them

 

                       College Visits Planned:  Texas Christian UniversityUniversity of 

                       California, Los Angeles,


THUR. (10/2)  EVACUATION DRILL --- 2nd Period

                       Please Evacuate To Your Class' Destination When Prompted

 

                       College Visits Planned:  University of California, Santa Barbara

 

                       Join-A-Club Week At Lunch ---  Encourage Your Students To 

                       Stay Connected & Get Involved With Clubs That Interest Them

 

                       Los Al Drama Presents "TROUBLE AT THE TALENT SHOW"

                       A Mystery Dinner Experience @ 6:30pm In Room 500

                     

FRI. (10/3)      Join-A-Club Week At Lunch ---  Encourage Your Students To 

                       Stay Connected & Get Involved With Clubs That Interest Them

 

                       College Visits Planned: University of Nevada, Las Vegas
                       Johns Hopkins University

 

                       Los Al Drama Presents "TROUBLE AT THE TALENT SHOW"

                       A Mystery Dinner Experience @ 6:30pm In Room 500

 

                       STUDENT ROOTER BUS FOR FOOTBALL GAME @ NARBONNE

                       $10 Gets You A Ride, Dinner, And Entry Into The Game

                       #BESTSTUDENTSECTIONINTHECOUNTRY 

 

 

ATHLETICS:  Los Al XC did great at the Sunset League Preview last week with Girls winning it all!  This week, make sure you support Girls Golf & Girls Tennis On Tuesday, as well as Boys Water Polo.  On Wednesday, Girls Volleyball opens up League play against Newport Harbor at Home.  Golf & Tennis compete again on Thursday, while JV Football is Home @ John Barnes Field. Of course, the week ends with a HUGE game as Varsity Football takes on City Section Finalists Narbonne on the Road. We need everyone to drive up to that game and support our student athletes as they try and go undefeated into League Play next week.  #LOSALROCKSATALLSPORTS


& On The Horizon...

10/4 --------------  Yom Kippur
10/14 ------------   Parent Ed Night (E-Cigarettes) @ Los Al, 7pm-8:30pm In PAC
10/16-10/18 ----   Choir Show, 7pm In PAC

.............. Unlimited Possibilities!
Gradual Release Still Means Teachers Are Close By: 
As We Get Ready For Our Day With Dr. Nancy Frey On October 13th, Teachers Are Developing Their Own GRR Best Practices...
Ms. Bratcher leans over to a help a student during the "You Do" portion of her class.

"I Do, We Do, You Do."  It's the basic framework for good teaching overall.  From Math class to P.E. class, to the Arts and Humanities, modeling and then trying something new (while getting feedback from someone who is proficient in the task every step of the way) is essential to the core of knowledge acquisition.

Fortunately for Los Al, Dr. Nancy Frey who authored of the Gradual Release Framework (a book we all read as a staff in 2012) is on her way to work with 6-12 teachers on October 13th for a Full Day Training.  That means we'll get the chance to further our practice and contextualize elements of the framework to the work we all do inside classrooms all over campus.

As always, we're lucky to have such access to incredible minds like Carol Jago, Nancy Frey, and others these last few years.  Can't wait to see how far we go as a result of this meaningful professional development!
How To Save A Life:
In Health Classes Campuswide, Mr. Contreras Teaches CPR Along With Valuable Life Lessons On Wellness And Safety
The best part about this picture is something you can't see... In the background, as students are practicing their CPR technique, the song "Stayin' Alive" by the Bee Gess is playing to guide their chest pumps.  This isn't meant as a joke either, the song "Stayin' Alive" is recorded at 104 Beats Per Minute, and CPR chest compressions are recommended in the 100-120 times per minute range.

Learning by doing is a strategy applied by all teachers at Los Al at various points in their curriculum.  In Health Class, it makes a lot of sense for students to be giving time and space to apply their learning in real-life situations so as to keep them healthy and safe if/when a precarious situation might arise.  Way to go Mr. Contreras!!!
Want To Develop Your Students' Character & Grit?
Check Out This Grant Opportunity From Angela Duckworth Herself!!!
If you click THIS LINK right now, it will take you to the Grant Application Page for Angela Duckworth's Character Lab --- a Non-Profit Education Partnership seeking to develop students' non-cognitive skills as a way to enhance their learning.

According to their website, Character Lab is "looking for the best new ideas from teachers across the country." (Keep reading below...)

You know what it would take to grow character strengths and skills in your classroom - it's time everyone else did, too. We want to help bring your promising ideas to life, as well as help you test their impact. A class-wide detective game to promote curiosity? An investigation unit about color and form in nature to help promote their appreciation of beauty? An open mic stand up night to teach about humor? A peer-mediation project to promote forgiveness? We'll help you evaluate the impact, and then we'll help spread the word.

 

They're awarding $10,000 to the teachers who bring the most innovative ideas they have for cultivating character strengths and skills with 5-12th grade students. They'll also give you the support and guidance to make your idea a reality. 

 

Your idea must be designed to develop any one of the 24 character strengths classified in Christopher Peterson and Martin Seligman's landmark publication, "Character Strengths and Virtues."


The 24 Strengths --- Active citizenship, Appreciation of beauty, Bravery, Creativity, Curiosity, Fairness, Forgiveness, Gratitude, Hope, Humility, Humor, Integrity, Kindness, Leadership, Love, Love of learning, Open-mindedness, Perspective, Persistence, Prudence, Self control, Social intelligence, Spirituality, Vitality 

 

Don't forget... Click THIS LINK to be taken to the Grant Application Page today! 

Week 6, 2014-2015... IN THIS ISSUE:
Upcoming Events
Teachers On The Move...
How To Save A Life... CPR In Health Classes
Grant Opportunity For Character Development In Students
Student Representative(s) To The Board
Step Right Up... LOSAL4LIFE Is Back In Town!
 
 
Student Representative(s) To The Board:
For The First Time Ever, The Responsibility Goes To Two Students At Once
Roshni Pole (left) and Kelly McCone (right) are this year's Student Representatives To The Board Of Education... So far, they're both doing an incredible job!

For two Los Alamitos Seniors, the 21st Century skill of collaboration comes somewhat naturally.  As Roshni Pole and Kelly McCone are both representing the student body during Board Reports this year, the act of working together is an ongoing responsibility that both students are relishing. 

For those of who watch the televised Board Meetings every other Tuesday night, or attend them in person, we certainly know what a wonderful job these two are doing.  Fresh ideas, incredible presentations, all done through the lens of a high schooler provide a wonderful backdrop for much of the vision-setting work that takes place during Board Meetings.

Thank you Roshni & Kelly!  You're redefining the role of Student Representative, all while emobdying everything our school and district believe in every step of the way!
Step Right Up & Spin The Wheel Because LOSAL4LIFE Is Back In Town:
Under The Leadership Of Mr. Lopour, LosAl4Life Begins Its 2nd Year On Campus

The best part of LosAl4Life is that EVERYBODY has a chance to win and be recognized.  Just model the very best of what it means to be a "Griffin" in your 4th Period class, and see if your teacher nominates you and highlights your efforts.
With LosAl4Life, everyone's a "Cool Kid."  (Click above for some examples...)



Congratulations Goes To Dr. Coriaty's 1st Period English I Class!
They Are Among This Year's First S.W.A.G. Recipients With 
100% Attendance & No Tardies For 10 Days In A Row :)


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