Wednesday, October 31, 2007

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!




Tuesday, October 30, 2007

SSC ELECTIONS: TONIGHT! Tuesday, 10/30 @ 6pm

Westchester High School Site Council Parent Vote Is Tonight!

WESTCHESTER HIGH SCHOOL LIBRARY




Our Teachers, Administrators and Staff are looking forward to working with you in creating wonderful opportunities at our high school.

Come out tonight and vote for your Parent reps!

(All School Site Council meetings are open to the public.)

Sunday, October 28, 2007

EXTENDED DEADLINE through October 30th


DEADLINE EXTENDED THROUGH 10/30/2007!

Create and submit your own scholarship idea IMMEDIATELY!!!!


Go to: http://www.fastweb.com/


Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Community Service-Based Grant for Single Parent Women



Community Service-Based Grant For Single Parent Women

This grant is awarded to professional single parent women with outstanding student loan debt who contribute to their community through volunteer work. We honor women who volunteer in their community.

Student loan repayment grants are available to women who volunteer their professional talents for an average of 8 hours a month, for a period of time to be determined by the amount of their student loan debt.

We recognize that women who are in the helping or teaching professions already contribute to their communities, therefore, no further volunteer work is required to qualify.

Award Amount: Varies

Deadline: December 1, 2007


Website/Contact Info...

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Neighborhood Council Meeting: Tonight @ 6.30 pm



UTLA PRESIDENT TO PRESENT SCHOOL REFORM MODEL — A.J. Duffy, president of the United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA), will be the guest speaker at the Neighborhood Council of Westchester/ Playa del Rey Education Committee at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, October 23rd, in the Westchester Municipal Building Community Room, 7166 Manchester Ave.

Duffy will present UTLA's model for school reform and local control. UTLA has submitted a proposal to the Innovation Division of the Los Angeles Unified School District to assume control of Woodland Hills Academy, the former Parkman Middle School. The UTLA model would provide for increased funding to the school site, and, in the words of the proposal, "absolute control" over financial resources, hiring, curriculum, professional development and bell schedules.

Public schools in Westchester and Playa del Rey have been invited to submit their own reform proposal to the Innovation Division as members of the Loyola Marymount University (LMU) Family of Schools.

The board of the Neighborhood Council of Westchester/ Playa del Rey has voted to support such a proposal, provided that local schools report to the Innovation Division rather than LAUSD (Los Angeles Unified School District) Local District 3, are governed by a board with significant local community representation, and follow the best practices of successful independent charter schools, such as Palisades Charter High School.

Teachers, parents and community members are invited to attend the event and will have an opportunity to present their questions and comments to Duffy.


View entire agenda below...

Saturday, October 20, 2007

Daily Breeze: LAUSD Enrollment Down 2%

DAILY BREEZE ARTICLE...
http://www.dailybreeze.com/news/articles/10665001.html?showAll=y&c=y

LAUSD enrollment down 2%

This year's decline is attributed to fewer county births and students moving to charter campuses.By Paul ClintonStaff Writer
Los Angeles Unified's total student enrollment has continued its expected decline, dropping 2 percent from 708,461 students last year to 694,288 this year, according to figures released Thursday by the district.

Although the Harbor Area also saw declines, school board member Richard Vladovic said it wasn't as dramatic as he thought it would be.

"It's down 2 to 3 percent," Vladovic said. "We anticipated more."

About 41,000 of the students - or 6 percent of the population - are enrolled in fiscally independent charter schools.

Charter schools reduce enrollment at traditional LAUSD schools by about 1 percent per year.

District officials attribute the drop to a decline in births in Los Angeles County, which have decreased sharply since 1990 but have now stabilized.

The district saw a decline in each grade level, except for 11th and 12th grades.

Economic conditions like job availability and housing costs also contributed to the decline, officials said.

In Local District 8, Gardena High School reported the steepest decline, to 3,211 students from 3,428 a year ago. The school lost seven teachers and an assistant principal, officials said.

At Carson High School, enrollment dropped to 3,466 from 3,508, forcing Principal Ken Keener to cut two unfilled teaching positions.

The school also will lose an assistant principal, local administrator Myrna Brutti said.
About 100 additional students are attending Westchester High School this year (1,837 compared with 1,733 a year ago), which reversed a three-year decline.

The school has fallen from its peak of 2,369 in 2004-05, because fewer students filter in from other, more-crowded schools.

To boost attendance, Local District 3 administrators implemented an open-enrollment policy
that allows any student in the LAUSD attendance boundary to attend the school.


Friday, October 19, 2007

PANCAKE BREAKFAST: Saturday, 10/21 @ WHS

JOIN PARENTS, STUDENTS, FACULTY AND FRIENDS FOR THE BOOSTER CLUB'S ANNUAL:


PANCAKE BREAKFAST




WESTCHESTER HIGH SCHOOL
7.30-11

PLEASE COME OUT AND SUPPORT YOUR FAVORITE CLUBS ON CAMPUS.

$4 OF THE $5 ARE DONATED TO THE CLUB/GROUP YOU PURCHASED YOUR TICKET FROM. $1 GOES TO THE BOOSTER CLUB

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

UPDATES

1. WHS lost 250K. Why? Not enough 'Meal Ticket' applications were submitted. PLEASE take the time to complete and submit your meal ticket applications even if your child is not going to use them or you feel your family does not qualify.


2. WHS School Site Council Information meeting is being held Wednesday October 17th at 6:00 pm in the school library. IT IS VITAL for ALL parents to attend this meeting. This council is responsible for governing the entire school!!! Let YOUR voice be heard!!


3. Orville Wright College week is this week!! Come out and support our school and students prepare for college.


4. Orville Wright's PSAT testing is Wednesday October 17th from 8:00 am to 10:45 pm. We need POWWOW parents go help facilitate (Proctor) this test.


5. Orville Wright Back To School Night is Thursday October 18th at 6:00 pm. POWWOW will be on campus welcoming families and registering parents.


6. POWWOW is selling Pancake Breakfast Tickets.This is our very first fund raising effort. We are asking all parents and friends of POWWOW to purchase 2 tickets from the WHS Parents Center as we endeavor to raise enough money to purchase a copy machine and other office equipment. (Only tickets purchased from the Parent Center will go towards POWWOW.)


7. POWWOW is encouraging ALL parents to drop in and visit YOUR child's class this month!! WHS parents are to check in at the parent center. Those random, surprise visits do wonders in encouraging our children to always be on their BEST behavior.


Thank you so much for your time and consideration. I hope to see or hear from you soon.Have a
terrific day!!

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Daily Breeze: LAUSD will get more bond money

DAILY BREEZE ARTICLE
http://www.dailybreeze.com/news/articles/10569601.html

LAUSD will get more bond money

Measure by L.A. legislator changes formula to free funding.
By Rick Orlov, Staff Writer

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed into law a measure designed to provide up to
$640 million to Los Angeles schools from a voter-approved bond.

The governor Sunday signed Assembly Bill 1014, authored by Assemblywoman Karen Bass, D-Los Angeles, designed to fill a loophole in Proposition 1D, a school-construction measure approved last November as part of Schwarzenegger's package of bonds aimed at improving California's infrastructure.

A provision in the measure, however, would have placed severe limits on the ability of Los Angeles Unified - the largest school district in the state - from getting its fair share of the funds.

Bass' measure changed the formula for funding from looking at new-student growth to considering traditionally overcrowded school districts, such as LAUSD.

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, school board President Monica Garcia and Superintendent
David Brewer III issued a joint statement praising the governor and Bass.

"With the stroke of the governor's pen, the children in Los Angeles' public schools will receive their fair share of statewide funding to help build the safe, clean and new schools they deserve," the statement read.

"Assembly Bill 1014 will help put an end to the decades-old struggle against overcrowding in our schools and send a message to the 200,000 kids in Los Angeles who go to school in temporary classrooms each day that we will no longer shortchange their education."

Monday, October 15, 2007

Daily News: De facto LAUSD breakup

Daily News Article...
http://www.dailynews.com/opinions/ci_7178278


De facto LAUSD breakup

If it works, it doesn't matter what it's called
10/14/2007 05:13:51 PM PDT

LOS Angeles Unified School District Superintendent David Brewer's plan to create a separate district for low-performing schools and to target middle schools for reform is an acknowledgment that something drastic needs to be done to improve education.

Brewer says that this is a step toward improving the LAUSD by empowering this new mini-district of the 44 worst-performing schools to be more flexible and to have the autonomy to tailor solutions to meet the students' needs. In addition he will create "personalized learning environments" at all of the district's 92 middle schools, which he said have been long neglected.

It seems the de facto breakup of the country's second-largest school district, begun with the mayor's breaking up two school clusters, is accelerating.

No one, of course, would call it such. That word carries too much political baggage.

"It's our way to try to create more smallness out of largeness," one district official said.

Whatever. But it doesn't matter what words people use to describe this important decentralizing of the power of the LAUSD. All that matters is the principles of breakup - such as empowering schools, the principals and the communities to take charge of their schools and educational needs, and not cede them to the vast and often uncaring LAUSD bureaucracy.

When it comes to schools, smaller is always better. It's what district secessionists have been saying for years.

Still, what counts is that this carving out of special districts be more than just a public-relations stunt. There's a real danger of ghettoizing the special district full of low-performing schools once they've been removed from the rest of the district.

If this breaku- er, reform effort, has a chance of succeeding, it needs more than just a separation. It needs sustained commitment to the ideals of smaller, more autonomous and innovative schools.


Sunday, October 14, 2007

Meet the Press (10/14/07) feat. Bill Cosby



NBC's Tim Russert interviewed Bill Cosby and his co-author, Alvin F. Poussaint, on the release of their new book entitled, Come On People: One the Path from Victims to Victors.


Watch the complete, hour-long show (available through Saturday, 10/27 at 11.59pm) below:



Read more about the book here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21279731/



Friday, October 12, 2007

COLLEGE FAIR THIS WEEKEND: Saturday, 10/13 from 9-12

PLEASE BE SURE TO ATTEND AND LEARN VALUABLE INFORMATION. THIS IS THE 1ST FREE COLLEGE RECRUITING FAIR AND WORKSHOP SERIES. LET'S MAKE IT A HUGE SUCCESS!

CONSORTIUM OF AREA HIGH SCHOOLS TO CONDUCT FREE COLLEGE RECRUITING FAIR AND WORKSHOP SERIES

West Los Angeles College-Saturday, October 13, 2007-9am -12 noon


Objective is to increase applications to colleges and to demystify the college application process(Los Angeles, Ca-August 29, 2007)

A consortium comprised of local area high schools in the Los Angeles area (including Venice and Culver City) have joined forces to promote their first “Westside College Fair” college recruitment and workshop series arriving just in time for the college application season.

Presented by the Los Angeles Unified Local District 3, Culver City Unified and the Star Prep Academy with support from West Los Angeles College, this FREE one day event will be held on the campus of West Los Angeles College on Saturday, October 13 from 9am to 12 noon. With representation from over 80 colleges and universities across the country, college test preparation companies and financial aid and college scholarship representatives, both parents and students will have the ability to do ‘one stop college shopping’ in one location.

Participating colleges who will be sending representatives include colleges from the California State and University of California college systems as well as West Los Angeles and several other community colleges.

Representatives from both public and private colleges from both within and out of the state of California will be represented and representatives will also be present to distribute admissions materials and answer questions about their college admissions process.

The Westside College Fair will have something for everyone and is geared towards both middle school and high school students as well as parents.

An added feature of the fair will be a series of “hands-on” comprehensive college preparation workshops including topics such as “Show me the Money: College Financial Aid Tips”, “Preparing for the SAT/ACT”, “Middle School 411-The Right Steps to College”, and “Interviews and College Essays” as well as a host of other informative workshops designed to demystify the college application process.

Representatives will also be on hand to assist students in completing online applications to California State University and University of California colleges. The workshop series presented will feature the latest methods and information and will be relevant to both the novice or more experienced students and parents.

The Westside College Fair is sponsored by Crenshaw High School, Culver City High School, Dorsey High School, Hamilton High School, Los Angeles High School, LACES, Star Prep Academy, Venice High School, University High School and Westchester High School.

#

Thursday, October 11, 2007

A Taste of Soul: A Huge Success!


Because of each of you - "A Taste Of Soul" POWWOW Parent Meeting and Teacher/Parent Appreciation was a HUGE success!!!
Some reports of the event estimate there were close to 100 in attendance!!!
Parents, teachers, Administrators, School Staff and even the media enjoyed an evening of information sharing, appreciation and "A Taste Of Soul."


WHS Representatives included:
Anita Barner (Principal)
Cynthia Hill (Asst. Principal)
Dechele Byrd (Assistance Principal)
Mr. Glenn Mitchell (Dean and Biology Instructor)

The aforementioned updated parents of the 4x4 schedule, Small Learning Communities, student intervention programs, positive discipline, truancy and tardy policies, Williams book distribution and results, and so much more!

Mr. Cooper and Mrs. Billie Silvey (Healthy Start)
Dr. Salazar (Instructor)
Mr. Wright (Instructor)
Our Librarian
Terry Marcellus (Booster Club Pres.)
Robin Adams (Academic Booster Club President)
Patrick Ingram (Plant Manager)
...and a host of informed, engaged parents!!


OWMS Representatives included:
Ingrid Lemeaux (PTSA President)
...and several OWM parents!!!


LMU Representative included:
Mr. Drew Furedi of the LMU family of Schools who addressed our parents regarding the family of schools and the upcoming vote on Autonomy.


LD3 Represenative included:
Mrs. Cheryl Newman of local district 3 (Parent Ombudsperson) who shared vital information about School Site Council Information meeting and the upcoming elections at Westchester High.


ALL parents and Teachers received Certificates Of Appreciation for their commitment and dedication to working together in improving our schools and educating our children.

POWWOW parents who have volunteered in any capacity received coffee mugs filled with chocolates!!

Our administrators (Mr. Rochelle and Mrs. Barner) received eloborate gift baskets for their support of POWWOW. We would not have been able to achieve the success we have if our administrators did not support us.


Mr. Cooper (Healthy Start) and Mr. Clark/Ingram (Plant Managers) also received eloborate gift baskets for being so accommodating, supportive and responsive to all the special needs of POWWOW during our formative stages!!!


AND...There was soooooo much food!!!


The array of dishes included...
Collard and mustard greens, black-eyed-peas, hot water cornbread, chicken (fried and baked), potato salad, coleslaw, sweet potatoes, macaroni and cheese, lemon cakes, pound cake, chocolate cakes, soda, water, even egg rolls, salami and salads!!!


Plan for next month's meeting (Wednesday November 14, 2007 at 6:30 pm). S
taff, administrators, teachers, counselors and parents are planning another INFORMATIVE and eventful meeting.


YOU do not want to miss what we have planned for next month!
Thank each of you again and again for your support and attendance and I look forward to seeing you soon.

Tuesday, October 9, 2007

PROBATION DEPARTMENT ON CAMPUS

PLEASE BE SURE TO ATTEND "MANDATORY MEETING" AT HAMILTON HIGH SCHOOL ON THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25TH FROM 7-9PM. SEE DETAILS AND ADDRESS BELOW.





October 9, 2007


Dear Parent/Guardian:

The County of Los Angeles Probation Department, in partnership with the Hamilton High School Administrators, request your presence at a MANDATORY MEETING at Hamilton High School (In the Cafeteria) located at 2955 S. Robertson Blvd. Los Angeles, California 90034 on Thursday, October 25, 2007 from 7:00 to 9:00 P.M.

We plan to discuss the role of the probation officer on campus, proactive solutions that result with increased campus safety, strategies to assist students with a positive and productive learning experience, and most of all any of your concerns.

There are several resources available for students at the school site and through the Probation Department as well. We want to ensure that your son/daughter receives the maximum benefit from the available resources.

We look forward to your presence on Thursday, October 25th, 2007. If you have questions, feel free to contact Deputy Probation Officer Darrin Deckard at (310) 365-3064 or Supervising Deputy Probation Officer Bertelle Berry at (323) 298-3554.




Sincerely,



Stan Ricketts
County of Los Angeles Probation Department
Director, School-Based Programs Cluster 2

Monday, October 8, 2007

Parent & Teacher Appreciation Night: Wednesday, 10/10


We hope everyone can come out and support our Parents and Teachers!

When: Wednesday, October 10th at 6.30 pm

Where: Westchester High School

Because: We appreciate our Parents and Teachers!

Bring: Food contribution to add to the table