A LETTER FROM OUR PRINCIPAL...

Dear PFC Families,

As the year moves quickly along, I wanted to take an opportunity to thank you for your tremendous contributions of time, talents, and funds.  I am continually impressed with the passion, and priority that the CHS community places on education. Thank you for your generosity and support this year.  The departments are deeply appreciative of the equipment, materials, and supplies that supplement the instructional program, providing opportunities for inquiry based learning that is critical to engage our students as they gain mastery of the Common Core State Standards.  Your contributions have allowed many staff members to attend conferences, and receive needed professional development in areas that are new, and complex.  Specifically, many of the AP tests are in the process of being updated, and more closely aligned with the CCSS, so your contributions allow us to send teachers to the appropriate summer training sessions.  We eagerly anticipate the laptop carts that will further enable students and teachers to embed technology in student learning, a key component preparing students to be career and college ready.  In April, the 11th graders will take the first Smarter Balanced Assessment, a combination of classroom activities, and online assessments, so the laptop carts will allow us to prepare students for the assessments, as well as for the instructional components outlined in the district technology plan, Forward Learning. Our students will soon be taking a practice online test, and so can you! (Log-on as a guest at  https://login3.cloud1.tds.airast.org/student/V84/Pages/LoginShell.aspx?c=California_PT).  As part of the Forward Learning Plan, our 2015-2016 9th grade students will launch into a 1:1 student : computer learning environment.  So another thank you for helping us prepare for that launch by providing the means for staff and students to increase technology integration this year.

Also, thank you for your input on upgrading our facilities.  This year we have repainted the gym interior, and the gym entrance.  The entrance floor will be replaced soon; an alumni has volunteered to provide a coyote mural; and the replacing of the bleachers project has begun.  At the PFC meeting I indicated that the bleachers would be replaced this summer, however, that is not correct.  This is a yearlong project that includes architectural drawings, city and state approval, etc.  We have begun the process, and anticipate a July 2016 installation. 

Thank you to the volunteers who are planning and facilitating the annual PAEC Gala, April 25, featuring JASON ALEXANDER, premiering his new, one-man show, Other People's Stories.  This exciting event will not only be a fundraiser, but also a celebration of the performing arts in LVUSD and the community.  Thank you for purchasing tickets to this event - they are going fast! -  and for your donations to the PAEC Beacon of the Arts Fund.  I could not be more proud to be a part of this community.

I have only touched upon a few of the areas that the PFC supports and contributes to making CHS a success.  Thank you for all that you do, especially for making education a priority and modeling what individuals can do to contribute to the greater good.  I look forward to seeing you at school, and at the Gala!  You're the best!

Sincerely, 

Mrs. Foss

CJ Foss

Calabasas Principal

818 222-7177ext. 221

UPCOMING SAT BOOTCAMP AT CHS:

Catalyst Test Prep is BACK with their SAT BootCamp in preparation for the March 14th SAT! The BootCamp will be held at Calabasas High School on Saturday, March 7th from 9:00am to 1:00pm and Sunday, March 8th from 9:00am to 1:00pm.  Catalyst's BootCamp is a great way to learn all the necessary strategies to find hidden clues to the best answers, write a great essay in 25 minutes, and learn to avoid the most common "trip-ups" for test-takers.  Cost is only $175 in advance -- no walk-ins can be accommodated.  For more information and sign-up please contact Catalyst Test Prep at www.CatalystPrep.com.  
 

SENIORS! Local Scholarship Opportunity: The Thomas Paine Merit Scholarship, presented by the Woodland Hills Republican Women Federated, is a non-partisan, non-gender, student scholarship open to a graduating senior from high school in the local area.  There are no political-affiliation requirements and award is based on scholastic achievement, extra-curricular activities and honors and constructive thought demonstrated in an essay.  The essay, not to exceed 500 words, must be on the following topic: "What does American Exceptionalism mean to you?" Final due date is March 15th.  For more information, please go to http://www.whrwf.org and click on Scholarship or contact Robin Lutsky in the College and Career Center at rlutsky@lvusd.org.