Hello LACHSA Family,

I hope this newsletter finds you and your loved ones healthy and safe. Please review the following important information. 

RETURN TO SCHOOL UPDATE

All of us in the community are eager to return to a time when students will sit in classes, be coached by their arts teachers, and enjoy each others’ company. Unfortunately, that may still be some time from now. With the safety of students and staff utmost in our planning, we have outlined plans that feature a phased return to campus based on prevailing factors at the time. We will begin instruction as planned on August 12, with all courses taking place online in the distance learning model.  As I write this, Governor Newsom has outlined clear guidelines for re-opening schools, foremost of which is the requirement that the county must be off the state’s monitoring list for fourteen consecutive days; otherwise, schools will provide rigorous distance learning until notified of a change in policy. Los Angeles County is not off the monitoring list, so all public schools in the county, including LACHSA, will begin the year with all classes online, and campus closed.

All students needing it will be provided with the technology for accessing classes before school begins. All of LACHSA’s regular supports and services will continue to be available, including academic and mental health counseling, special education compliance and support, teacher office hours, and more.

At such time that the local situation improves and we are assured of the safety of our campus, we will implement a phased-in return to campus, first as a hybrid of distance and in-person learning, then eventually a return to our regular program. Along the way, we will follow the guidelines presented by county and state Departments of Health and LACOE. Finally, all reopening plans must be approved by LACOE’s Board of Education, further ensuring a safe return.

This has been an agonizing experience for all of us. While we all agree that in-person learning is the most powerful model, we are confident we can provide rigorous and engaging instruction in the online environment. When the school closed on March 13, our staff pulled together and converted to the online model with only two days of lost instruction--a remarkable achievement that highlights how serious we are about educating our students. As classes resume on August 12, our dedication to meaningful learning and arts education will be on display. Thank you all for your ongoing and unwavering support of LACHSA.  

SAVE THESE DATES 

Please watch your email for more details on these coming events!

 

Registration for All Students

July 27, 28 & 29, 2020

This new, online process will take the place of our traditional in-person registration. No more need to wait in lines!  (If an in-person exchange of documents in necessary, we will let you know.)

LACHSA ASB/Leadership “Instagram Kickoff”

August 3, 2020

Interact with your ASB/Leadership Representatives and get updates on upcoming events online. (Instagram account  not  required)

*TENTATIVE* Optional In-person   New Student   Orientation  

August 4, 5 & 6, 2020

Save the date for this potential opportunity for new students to visit campus in groups of five at a time ( Optional if approved).

August 7, 2020 -  New Student   Orientation  - Online Webinar (Mandatory)

This online Zoom Webinar is the perfect opportunity for new students to learn about LACHSA culture, policies, meet fellow new students, faculty, upperclassmen and more!

SUPPORT FOR NEW STUDENTS

We are looking forward to meeting you and welcoming you to the LACHSA family. We have plenty of "getting acquainted" activities planned!

If you are in need of technical support to be ready for the school year, whether its the need for a laptop computer, Wi-Fi access or both, we want to ensure that your technology needs are ready for the start of school. Please contact Dr. Tina Vartanian ( [email protected] ) with the following information by Monday, July 20th: 

NAME, GRADE, BIRTHDAY, PARENT & STUDENT EMAILS

 

If you are a student with an IEP, please contact Dr. Vartanian ( [email protected] ) to ensure that the planning and teaching within the IEP is seamless. LACHSA’s Special Education Team is looking forward to working with you and your family.

ONLINE SAFETY, SOCIAL MEDIA AND CYBERBULLYING

During these times the LACHSA community is using social media now more than ever to stay connected. For most this is a positive forum for communication and to share our great work. We are in a climate where we are learning to be better allies and more understanding of each other. Unfortunately some are weaponizing social media and bullying others through public forums, private messages, burn accounts, and more. This creates more division when we instead have the opportunity to build community.

At LACHSA we take a stand for civility, peace and being the model for how we may use our online presence for building connection and understanding. If you find that an online posting is turning into harassment or cyberbullying:

COFFEE WITH THE PRINCIPAL: COMING SOON!

LACHSA families old and new are welcome to join us for an upcoming Coffee with the Principal!

For those new to our community, Coffee with the Principal is usually an in-person opportunity to socialize, have coffee and pastries, and listen in on the latest school updates from yours truly. Unfortunately, due to COVID, we cannot meet in person, but will instead host an online webinar and q&a forum.

We hope you can join us when the date is announced. In the meantime, be sure to keep an eye on your emails and get your coffee ready to brew!

ADVISORY CLASSES

Last year, we piloted our first ever Advisory course for all 9th and 10th grade students. While in previous years most LACHSA students had a study hall period, it was time that wasn’t always utilized for students’ maximum benefit. Advisory still allowed sufficient free time to study, but also helped us to meet with all students in a grade level, complete mandatory tasks, testing, surveys, and other important requirements, while protecting academic time from these interruptions. Our goal has always been to scale the class up to include all students, and this year we will see that happen. Advisory will be a pass/fail course that confers 5 credits in a year. Through the year and over the summer, we have fine-tuned and developed a curriculum tailored to each grade level. Here is a brief introduction from the soon-to-be published syllabus:

“The Advisory course is designed to provide a variety of supports for students, from orientation to the LACHSA culture, college readiness preparation, time management and study skills, personal development, and more. Students will participate in lessons, discussions, and projects that will engage them in their own preparation for school, college, and career goals. Naviance, the college preparation software initiated by the district, will be utilized for students to begin the college portfolio from exploration activities to writing personal statements for university applications. Additional curricula will be adapted from the Wildwood School Advisory model and other sources, with each grade level having a unique curriculum to better prepare students for the college/conservatory selection and application process. This course will also provide time for essential grade-level meetings/assemblies and student study time, while protecting vital instructional minutes in the academic day.” 

REIMAGINING LACHSA.NET

We are excited to announce our latest project: rebranding and updating the LACHSA.net website! Our current focus is providing a visually pleasing platform while retaining all the must-have functionality important to our site visitors. You may experience minimal downtime later in the month, but our team is working on making important information available in case that happens, so be sure to visit social media and check your emails for the latest info!

A SPECIAL THANKS TO LACHSA ASB

"LACHSA’s Associated Student Body and school Leadership is much more than a class—it is LACHSA. Our student leaders perform important and challenging tasks that shape and influence our school culture. Holiday celebrations, dances, and fundraisers all build community among our students and staff, and these activities are part of the school’s DNA. But equally important is the input, feedback, and guidance these young leaders provide us at the administrative level. When a challenging topic arises, one of my first thoughts is, “What do the students think?” and ASB is there to share the “pulse” of the student body and provide thoughtful ideas for all of us to think about. This year’s ASB has had to demonstrate real leadership through a crisis, and have never wavered. I salute all of 2019-20 Leadership students, officers, and teacher Emily Rogers for their long hours and dedicated service to LACHSA. They’ve set a high bar for the years to come." - John Lawler

From 2019-2020 ASB President Kamila Boga: "Being a part of leadership has molded me into a more confident, driven, and resilient person. It’s given me the opportunity to work with creative, ambitious students from every grade and department. Guiding them and watching their ideas develop was one of the highlights of my senior year. Improving LACHSA was a unique and challenging task, but one that I am grateful to have worked at for three years. To the class of 2020, thank you for continuing to create. Thank you for not letting disappoints defeat you. We’ve inspired so many with our resilience and spirit,

and we’re just getting started.