Monday Morning Memo --- October 13, 2014
Upcoming Events:

 

MON. (10/13)  NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS!!!

                   

                        PD Day For Teachers With Dr. Nancy Frey :)

                        Please Meet At McCauliffe Middle School @ 8am

                        Presentations/Resources For The Day Can Be Downloaded Here

 

TUES. (10/14)  Leadership Council Meets & 7am In Room 500

 

                         Parent Education Night In PAC --- 7pm-8:30pm

                         Vapor Pens, E-Cigarettes, and Prescription Drugs


WED. (10/15)   PSAT @ LOS AL --- School Starts @ 10:37 For Non-Test-Takers

                         (Check Complete PSAT Bell Schedule Here)

                       

                         THINK PINK WEEK BEGINS!

 

                         CELEBRATE MY DRIVE Contest Starts!

                         Check Los Al Social Media Sites For Full Details...

                         

            Details: If we can get enough people we know to pledge to drive safely 

                         at www.CelebrateMyDrive.com and then tag our school 

                         LOS ALAMITOS HIGH, we can win a $100,000 Grant and a

                         performance by a Grammy-Winning Artist.  Spread the word please!

 

THUR. (10/16) STATE OF THE DISTRICT At Eagle's Nest @ 8:30am

 

                        Great California Shakeout During Period 4!

 

                        Los Alamitos High School's SHOW CHOIR Season Begins

                        7pm In The PAC --- Tickets Will Sell Out!!!

 

FRI. (10/17)    5-Minute Miracle SUSAN G. KOMEN Breast Cancer Fundraiser

                       @ 11am At The Start Of Period 4

 

                       Los Alamitos High School's SHOW CHOIR Season Begins

                       7pm In The PAC --- Tickets Will Sell Out!!!

 

 
ATHLETICS:  Great week for Los Al Athletics last week as we won all of our matches across every sport in League Play!  Football, Girls Volleyball & Golf, Boys Water Polo, Girls Tennis, and X-Country were all victorious as our student athletes competed in the ultra-competitive Sunset League trying to establish themselves as League Champions heading into CIF Playoffs in a month. If you haven't had a chance to catch a game so far this year, please head on out to support our Griffins as they take on schools and competitors from across the county.  Also, you've probably noticed that our sports teams are using Social Media to publicize their efforts on and of the field, and now Girls Golf has a Twitter handle so you can keep up with the latest news @LOSALGOLF
Bottom line...  #LOSALROCKSATALLSPORTS


& On The Horizon...

10/20 ----------- School Site Council @ 5pm In Room 500
10/22 ----------- Homecoming Assembly
10/24 ----------- Homecoming Dance
10/27 ----------- The Start Of Red Ribbon Week!
10/30 ----------- Comedy Improv @ 3pm & 7pm In The Black Box Theatre 

.............. Unlimited Possibilities!
PSAT Testing Is On Wednesday!
Time For Sophomores And Juniors To Think About All Of Their College Options & Goals

The PSAT is far from just "practice..."  It's a college match tool that helps students understand their aptitudes, abilities, and fit when it comes to where they'd like to continue their education after high school.

For the second year in a row, Los Alamitos High School will be administering the PSAT during the school day to ALL 10th Graders, as well as Juniors and Freshman that are interested in participating.  

The benefit for students in taking this exam is that they get exposure to the kinds of question format and rigor the SAT expects of test-takers, as well as the fact that Juniors who perform well qualify for the National Merit Scholarship Competition and represent Los Al amongst thousands of top high schoolers! 

As a parent or teacher, it benefits students if you engage them in discussion and reflection about their PSAT experience so they can add depth and context to it overall.  More than "So how do you think you scored?" if we can ask students to consider the soft skills they acquired from taking the PSAT --- grit, perseverance, adapting to pressure, problem-solving --- they'll only grow from the experience and be even more prepared their Junior and Senior years to maximize their results.

Performing one's best is always a challenge.  And there's often just as much to learn from the pursuit and process as there is from the payoff.  GOOD LUCK GRIFFINS!
Curriculum Evolution!
Teams Of English Teachers Have Been Revamping Their Unit Studies Based On New Thinking And Access To Resources...
Check out this team of English III teachers as they got together last week and re-wrote a Unit Of Study to include additional supplemental texts (fiction and non-fiction) new Culminating Tasks, revamped formative assessments, and much, much more... All in the name of rigor, depth, and 21st Century Skill Building.

Maybe it's an English thing, but re-writing curriculum is fun!  Just think about it... The chance to add, edit, and reshape the breadth, depth, and scope of what you taught before?  Who wouldn't love a chance to dig in with friends and hear all about what worked, or languished, the last time a lesson was taught to students?

This is precisely what all English teachers at Los Al have been blissfully engaged in for the past two years.  With Common Core Standards being implemented in classrooms, the Department took it upon themselves to come together and touch-up lessons so that they properly prepared students for the kind of skills they'll need to be successful in college and career as the next generation of scholars and leaders in the country.

The product teachers are coming up with is remarkable.  With greater attention to skills like constructing an argument and close reading, our students will leave Los Al better thinkers, writers, and communicators than ever before.

It's the collaboration that makes this possible.  And it's the cohesion of our Department structures at Los Al that support peer-to-peer partnerships like these :)
You Sank My (Chemistry) Battleship!!!
No More Memorizing... These Students Play Games To Remember The Periodic Chart :)
In this photo, students are engaged in a round of Chemistry Battleship as they lay out beakers, molecules, and test tubes across a Chart Of The Elements and try to find them on their opponent's terrain by calling out the periodicity of atoms.

Cramming isn't learning.  It's a way to get bits of information into one's brain for a very short period of time.  It may help slightly on a vocabulary test to cram the night before, but it certainly isn't how human beings learn new words.  In fact, cramming doesn't help anyone learn much of anything.

Enter 21st Century Learning.  In Ms. Helm's class, she takes the need for cramming out of the equation for students in her Chemistry class by immersing them in the content and creating new experiences for her students as they learn by proxy.  This is exactly what's going on during Chemistry Battleship --- students can't help but to learn periodicity as they strive to win in a one-on-one game against their peer for prizes like 5 extra credit points, candy, and more.

The need for cramming is no longer.  With engaging ways of layering content into the student experience, learning can be deeper and longer-lasting than ever before.
Week 8, 2014-2015... IN THIS ISSUE:
Upcoming Events
PSAT Testing Is On Wednesday
Evacuation Drills Are Important
National Merit Scholarship Semi-Finalists!
State Of The District
LAEF After-School Classes
Ms. Ball On The Jumbo On Screen!
Mr. Carthew Gets His Hands Dirty
State Of The District
 

 Los Al's National Champion Show Choir Kicks Off The        2014 - 2015 Season This Week With Their Broadway Show!
Tickets Will Sell Out So Reserve Yours Today...

#LOSALROCKSATALLARTS

Ms. Ball On The Jumbo Screen!
How One Teacher's Courage Inspired A Stadium Of Thousands... 
For those of you that don't know, Ms. Ball is one of the biggest USC fans and supporters of all time.  She hasn't missed a football game in 20 years.  And last weekend, she experienced something at The Coliseum she never had before...

As October sets and National Breast Cancer Awareness Month takes hold on America, many parts of our culture look to bring attention to the thousands of people impacted by Breast Cancer throughout the country. One particularly visible way awareness is brought about is through the color-branding of PINK, and the fact that many athletes across various sports wear pink towels, gloves, and other gear to show their support for those affected by Breast Cancer.

So, at last week's USC game (yes, the game they lost to Arizona State on a last-second Hail Mary play to the endzone), the Coliseum Announcer asked fans to stand if they or someone they love has been affected by cancer.  Like so many others throughout the country, Ms. Ball stood up.  And it just so happened that her Victory-Finger Pose caught the attention of a stadium camera man who broadcast the feed to the Jumbotron at the top of the stands.

Wait... here's the best part.  In true Los Al fashion, we had several alumni sitting in the stands as well enjoying the game.  When they saw Ms. Ball's image on the giant screen, they immediately recognized her, snapped a picture of it on their phone, and emailed it to her @losal.org address for her to have as a memory of the event.

In the end, it's an incredible picture with an incredible story behind it.  And the fact that it's Pink Week here at Los Al makes it all the more poignant and relevant for everyone in our learning community.
Getting His Hands Dirty...
For Mr. Carthew, There's Really No Other Way To Teach Ceramics Than Always In A Smock
In this picture, Mr. Carthew helps a student by giving her specific feedback on a bowl she's making for their current unit project.  Both appear to be deep in conversation.

Mr. Carthew takes ceramics pretty seriously.  His students do too.  Each and every day, he direct instructs, allows for independent practice, and collaborates with his students to provide immediate feedback on their success and growth areas.  By the time Los Al students finish their coursework, they all end up accomplished ceramists. And everyone knows they owe much of it to the man in the smock who brings his A-Game every day!
Vapor Pens, E-Cigarettes, & Prescription Drugs: 
What Parents Need To Know


This Is A Sneak Peak Inside One Of Our Newest Classes At Los Al...
It's Called VOCAL PRODUCTION, And The Students Enrolled Are Aspiring Singers & Songwriters With Big, Huge Dreams!


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