principal's message
LACHSA
September 7, 2017
These past three weeks have been busy and especially with our visual arts department as you will discover throughout this month's communication.

On August 17th, we welcomed 559 students to the 2017-2018 school year (click here to see the breakdown of enrollment by grade and department). On August 30th, all LACHSA students attended a school-wide assembly focused on our school-wide expectations and to celebrate our school's successes. Students and parents are encouraged to review the 2017-2018 Community Handbook available on the LACHSA website.

 
By now all students and parents should have access to the AERIES Portal. The AERIES Portal is the place to check students' grades, progress reports, and assignments. Tom Torlakson, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, recently reminded school leaders and administrators to communicate to students and their families the importance of developing good attendance habits. There is a correlation between good attendance in school and good attendance in the workplace. Take a moment to read the Key Concepts and Core Messages on attendance. If parents or students need codes to create or reset their password for the AERIES Portal, here is what you must do:
  1. Send an email to LACHSA_registration@lacoe.edu
  2. Provide your students' name, date of birth, and grade.
  3. Provide your name (parent or student name) in the email.
Joining our LACHSA staff this year are Gavin Williams who teaches Advanced Placement U.S. History and Advanced Placement Government and Economics; Myriam Van Zeebroeck who teaches four levels of French; Joann Cho who teaches U.S. History; and Ryan Rodriguez who is substituting this semester for Sarah Davisson for Advanced Placement Biology and assisting with the Chemistry classes. We welcome Drew McClellan as the Program Specialist for Cinematic Arts and Visual Arts. Mr. McClellan is a Howard University graduate (English major) with a Master of Fine Arts from USC in filmmaking where he was also a graduate teaching assistant. Mr. McClellan will work closely with the two visual arts co-chairs, Liz Young and Barry Markowitz, to provide support to the visual arts department, as needed, and to enhance collaboration between departments. 


Our 2017-2018 school-wide professional development goals for staff will focus on supporting all students, collaborating between departments, the health and wellness of students and reflecting upon our implementation of our 2015 Self-Study WASC Visiting Committee Report prepared for our continued accreditation by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). In preparation of the WASC Mid-Cycle Progress Visit by the visiting WASC team members on November 6-7, 2017, the LACHSA staff have been meeting in committees since 2016-2017 to review the WASC action plan and to assess our progress in meeting our goals outlined in the action plan. A summary of the school's progress will be shared at the October 30th Parent Council meeting or sooner.   

The Arts Back- to-School PowerPoint presentations last month may be reviewed here: Cinematic Arts, Dance, Music, Musical Theatre, Theatre, Visual Arts. We extend a heartfelt thank you to all the parents who volunteered their time to assist in providing refreshments and in selling LACHSA attire at the arts presentations. We also thank music parent Alejandro Lopez, an Arts High Foundation (AHF) Board member, who created the AHF PowerPoint and who presented as well as the AHF board members who presented - Kate Beyda (dance), Anne Jacoby (theatre), Vivian Rescalvo (visual arts), and Angela Alvarado Rosa (cinematic arts). 

Celebrations at LACHSA --- Niche.com is the largest website for researching public and private K-12 school in the U.S.  In August, LACHSA was recognized as a 2018 Best School in America by Niche who rated LACHSA the number one public arts school in the nation based upon a variety of factors - e.g., test scores, student-teacher ratio, reviews from students and parents.    
 
LACHSA 2017 Advanced Placement results exceeded the state and global results with 66% of our students passing the AP exams compared with 62% of students statewide and 60% of students globally. A huge shout out to Giovanni Boskovich who teaches AP English Literature and Composition with 88% of the students passing the AP exam and to Sarah Davisson who teaches AP Biology with 87% of the students passing the AP exam. 
 
LACHSA 10th grade visual arts students are giant community contributors. Isabel Peinado with her team of LACHSA students Antonina Mintcheva, Matea Carlin, Ian Gonzalez, Emilia Huizar, Hope Mothersbaugh, Chaitlin Park and Ezra Savage created a beautiful mural to pay homage to sixteen influential women. Their Women Empowerment Mural was dedicated and presented to the community on Saturday, August 26th.  Assistant Principal Lisa Sherman-Colt and Visual Arts Co-Chair Barry Markowitz joined several community leaders at the unveiling (click here to see a video of the unveiling). Mr. Markowitz, on reflecting about the mural project, said, "I look for the deeper question. When you persevere and expand your knowledge through practice, you create the possibility beyond the image itself. Through sustained practice you can absorb the spirit and nature of the subject you are creating."


Isabel and her team put in more than 1,000 hours to create the Women Empowerment Mural for the community and as a project for her to earn the Girl Scout Gold Award. Isabel's mother Judith Plasencia-Peinado said, "Through the images she painted of many women, Isabel wanted to draw attention to the empowerment of little girls to know that they can choose any career they want; to bring back arts education into the community; and to remind everyone that we are a country of immigrants, and that's what makes us beautiful like the 16 women in her mural." 
 
This incredible mural is located at 2800 E. 4th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90033, on the side of Ray and Roy's Market (between Evergreen Park and Roosevelt High School).  Many thanks to LACHSA parents Richelle and Jose Huizar for their support of this project.  More information about this project can be found at on KPCC and NBC .

Visual arts 12th grade student Annabel Boardman [pictured left] is one of seven female artists in a collection of landscape and portrait photography by David Benjamin Sherry appearing in the September issue of Andy Warhol's Interview magazine - Berlin. Two of her art pieces appear in one of the portraits.  [pictured below right] .

Through October 27th, go see Visual Arts Co-Chair Liz Young's current installation at the Fellows of Contemporary Art Gallery, 970 North Broadway, Suite 208, Los Angeles, CA. 
 
Robert Vargas, LACHSA alumni, is attracting much attention as he paints the world's largest mural. Check out the details in this LA Times article. 
 

The LACHSA staff are a dedicated group of educators who work tirelessly to engage our students. Here are recent accolades to our teachers:  

  • Anthony Feith aka Boomer, Visual Arts Class of 2019 attended a summer arts residency program at the University of Pennsylvania as well as the San Francisco Art Institute. Boomer's artistry flourished at both summer programs in part because of his LACHSA's classes in art history, experimental film, and drawing.  In the words of Susan Winget (Boomer's mom),  "Barry Markowitz is the lynch pin of the visual arts program for most of the kids and parents...he has the power to excite the kids' intellect and eyes."  
  • Savannah Carrillo, Theatre Class of 2017, recently wrote, "Hey Mr. Boskovich! I just wanted to say thank you for the discussion we would have in class.  I just started my first couple days in college and already I'm engaging in class debates, opinions, and topics.  So thank you for the atmosphere you created in your class, that gave me confidence to voice my views, that I can now carry with me at George Mason University."  
  • Oliva Feldman, Theatre Class of 2017 recognized Tuffet Shemlzle, LACHSA theatre instructor, as having played an exceptional role in shaping her educational experience and helping her to realize her goals -- "Tuffet is the most supportive person I know.  Her passion to not just teach art, but reach every single student in her class is inspiring. She makes a consistent effort not just to be a stellar resource in the class but also outside. Her leadership is strict and respectful, but also compassionate. She checks in on her students and our outside lives consistently and cares about what is happening to us as people, not just as students, because she knows that impacts our school performance.  I have never met a woman of whom I both respect and admire as a role model, and also feel as close to and comfortable with as a confidante.  She continuously inspires me and supports my dreams and always reminds me no matter how many set backs I have, she will always be there to help me throughout.  She goes above and beyond every day and I am so incredibly lucky to have known her."  

Upcoming Events at LACHSA
Grade Level Parent Meetings in the LOFT on Tuesday, September 19th at 5pm for 9th grade parents and at 6pm for 10th grade parents. 
 
4.5 week grading window open for parents and students to view the Parent and Student Portal on September 23rd.
 
Grade Level Parent Meetings in the LOFT on Tuesday, September 26th at 5pm for 11th grade parents and 6pm for 12th grade parents.
 
On September 29th at 8 am in the LOFT, dance parent Patti Goodenberger will present a financial aid college workshop to parents. More information is forthcoming. 
 
On October 11th at LACHSA, the PSAT will be administered to all 10th and 11th grade students. A field trip to area universities and colleges is planned for all 9th grade students.  The 12th grade students will attend their LACHSA classes. All arts classes will meet in the afternoon.
 
More than 100 universities, colleges, and conservatories will participate in LACHSA's annual College Fair on the afternoon of October 27th hosted by the Parent Council.  Three workshops are planned in the LOFT between 1:30pm and 4pm: How to Select Your College (for 9th and 10th graders), The Application Process & Essays (11th and 12th graders), and Financial Aid Forms - FAFSA (12th graders).
 
Reminders: 
  • Office Hours for Tutoring and Academic Support: Every Monday and Tuesday from 12:35pm to 1:00pm and on Wednesday from 7:30am - 8am. 
  • Our 2017-2018 nurse is Shelley Miller who is available for students from 7:30am to 4pm, Mondays through Thursday. Please take a moment to become familiar with California Education Code 33308.5 to learn more about the administering of medications in California public schools.
  • Revised 2017-2018 LACHSA policy on excused absences due to illness: If a student has been absent due to illness nine (9) or more times in a semester, a medical note is required to excuse any additional absences due to illness. See CA Education Code 60901 regarding chronic absences.  
  • Please check LACHSA's calendar, available on our website, for performances, exhibitions, testing dates, and other schedule updates.
 
Until next time....

Lizarraga Signature



Mitzi Lizarraga
Principal
UPCOMING AT LACHSA:
Events subject to change. Always refer to lachsa.net for up-to-date information.