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School Newsletter
Volume 7, No. 3 April/May 2008 5931 W. 18th
Street, Los Angeles, Ca 90035
Phone (323) 549-5900 Fax (323) 938-8737www.lacesmagnetschool.org
From the Principal’s
Desk…
Dear Parents,
Thank
you so much for your continued support and enthusiasm to provide our students
with the best educational program and opportunities for success in a safe
and nurturing yet academically
challenging environment at LACES.
We
thank you all for responding to our request for your input in enhancing our
school’s mission, vision and ESLRs (Expected Student Learning Results). After
careful discussions and dialogues with all stakeholders, following has been
approved by the School Site Council:
Mission
Los
Angeles Center for Enriched Studies provides a challenging environment
where all students pursue
academic excellence leading to productive lives in a changing world.
Vision
LACES
reflects the diversity of Los Angeles with its students coming from many socio-economic,
cultural and ethnic background. LACES provides a
challenging curriculum in a humanistic school environment offering close and
personal involvement among teachers, students and parents. Courses develop academic abilities, artistic
talents, and athletic skills.
Expected
Student Learning Results (ESLRs)
We strive to have our students:
Learn to solve problems critically and creatively
Act ethically, respectfully, and responsibly
Communicate effectively/precisely/succinctly
Embrace/encourage individuality and diversity
Support family,
school, and community
Our
counselors have begun the series of evening meetings with the parents and
students to review the students’ academic records and to plan for the selection
of classes for next year. Please come to the meeting scheduled for you and your
student. Programs (class schedules) will be mailed to you first week of August
and one day during the last week of August will be designated for your
student’s grade level to come in and address any concerns and problems
regarding the class schedule. Please remind your student of the importance of
doing their best until the very last day of instruction, as the grades in their
current will determine the academic course selection for next year. Please
refer to the enclosed information on intervention programs we have implemented
this semester for the academic support your student might need.
I
regret to inform you that recently we have had reports of controlled substance
on campus and our supervision staff members have been diligently checking the
reported areas with extreme caution. So far, we have not found the actual item
or the perpetrators with such controlled substance on campus. However, reports
are continuing to be made. I believe
that prevention is extremely important in this matter. Therefore, I will be
requesting assistance from the professionals. During the month of April and
May, we may have a K-9 unit (from the school police department) on campus
checking for any controlled substance on campus. Please don’t be alarmed but understand
that this is a precautionary and preventative measure to protect our students.
We
will continue to provide the most enriching educational experience to our students
in a safe and inviting environment.
Sincerely,
Dr. Margaret Kim, Ed.D.
Principal
From the College Center - www.lacescollegecenter.com
MaryJane London,
College Counselor
NACAC: The National Association of College Admission
Counselors will be holding their Los Angeles College Fair at the USC
Galen Center
on Sunday April 13th from 1:00 – 4:00
PM. Colleges and
Universities from all over the United States
will be in attendance. The fair is FREE,
has wonderful workshops and offers a great opportunity to meet with admissions
advisors. For more information check out
http://www.nacacnet.org/NCF.
AP (Advanced
Placement) Family Night: LACES will
be hosting our first AP Family Night on Tuesday,
April 15 at 6:30 PM in the Auditorium (note that this is before the
Friends of LACES meeting). Please attend
this informational meeting to find out details regarding the Advanced Placement
program at LACES. If you’ve ever wondered
what an AP class was, how to earn college credit while in high school or what
to expect from an AP class and teacher…then this is the opportunity to get all
the information you need. We will also
be distributing a listing of the AP courses to be offered at LACES next year
and the summer homework requirements for these courses.
SAT DATES: HEY
JUNIORS! Registration for the June SAT ends on May 6th. Registration for the June ACT ends on May 9th
. You can register online at www.collegboard.com and/or www.actstudent.org. Junior students need
to take at least one of these tests before the end of the school year.
SENIORITIS:
Don’t let the virus bug you out!
Seniors, your last semester at LACES is an important one. Your grades, character and cooperation are
still extremely important to the colleges that have accepted you and will
determine your graduation eligibility.
Stay focused and organized. Get
your assignments in on time. What can
parents do? Parents should be alert to changes in a student's schedule (does
he/she suddenly have a lot more free time?) and study habits (is he/she not
studying as intensely as he/she used to?).
A little nudging may be all that's needed.
KUDOS!: Congratulations
to Michelle Nii and Michelle Meyers for becoming National Merit Finalists. The students in the Senior class have been
receiving many letters of acceptances from outstanding colleges and
universities across the nation. Their
decisions will be printed in the June newsletter.
College Acceptances:
The Seniors will be receiving their college acceptance letters in March
and April. All seniors will then need to
notify the college they plan to attend by May
1st (the national deadline). Seniors, please bring me copies of
your acceptance letters in order that I could post your star on the College
Center door. Good luck!
Summer: What
is your child doing this summer? There
are a large number of summer programs available for students of all ages at
universities and colleges in California
and around the United States. These academic enrichment summer programs
range from a week to six-weeks and their costs vary. Our website site is being updated weekly and
includes hundreds of opportunities. Please check it out at www.LacesCollegeCenter.com. Don’t forget that Santa
Monica College and
West Los Angeles
College, as well as other community
colleges offer FREE classes to K-12 students throughout the year. Also, UCLA has many summer programs and class
offerings through both the general university and the Extension Office (for
grades 7-12).
Attention Junior
Parents: Now is the time to volunteer to help with
this year’s graduation and awards ceremony.
If you are interested in helping plan and assist in this year’s events,
please contact Mrs. London in the College Center. This
is a great opportunity to find out how the whole graduation process is
organized for
Important
Dates in April/May 2008
Academic Pentathlon April 5
(@ Bolsa Grande High School)
PD Day (1:29
Dismissal) April 8
Dance
Performance April 11 7 p.m.
Campus Beautification April 12 9 a.m.
LPO
Mtg April
12 8:30 a.m.
BPO Mtg April 14 6:30 p.m.
Cal
Camp April 17 - 19
CEAC Mtg April 15 4 p.m.
AP
Family Night April
15 6:30 p.m.
FOL Mtg April 15 7 p.m.
KPO
Mtg April
17 6:30 p.m.
PD Day (1:29
Dismissal) April 22
SDM
Mtg April
22 3:15 p.m.
SSC Mtg April 23 3:15 p.m.
International Faire May 21 LUNCH
AP Exams May
5 – 16
CST Tests May 15 – 23
LPO
Mtg May
17 8:30 a.m.
BPO
Mtg May
19 6:30 p.m.
FOL Mtg May 20 7:00 p.m.
CEAC Mtg May 20 4:00 p.m.
Memorial Day (School Closed) May 26
SDM Mtg May 27 3:15 p.m.
SSC Mtg May 28 3:15 p.m.
Choir Performance May 29 7:30 p.m.
For questions regarding calendar, please
contact Mrs. Carol Lockett,
Assistant Principal.
Update on Staff
1. Two teachers have left us this
semester: Mr. Tucker has accepted a History Coach’s position at Local District
4. Mr. Turner has moved to Arizona. We wish them well.
2. We certainly are fortunate to have
Mr. Anthony Clark (a former LACES student) join us as the long-term substitute
for Mr. Turner’s position.
3.
Ms. Rachel Klimke has joined as a long-term substitute for Mr. Tucker’s
history classes. She certainly brings a high level of energy and depth in
knowledge in the subject matter.
4. Mrs. Katherine O’Brien Rusin has
joined us as the Writing Center Director. She works very closely with the English
Department focusing on the writing skills. 5. Mrs. Gabriela Solorzano has joined us
as the Parent Community Liaison. She will assist in our continued efforts to
improve parent-teacher communication.
News
from the Counseling Office
Counselors have begun the
evening meetings with the parents and students to review students’ records and
to plan for next year. Please make every effort to come to the designated
meeting for your student.
For questions regarding the
counseling issues, please contact Mrs. Marion Wong, Assistant Principal
ATTENDANCE UPDATE
The implementation of the policy to inform parents/guardians
of their child’s three or more absences during grading periods has been met
with mostly favorable comments. Our
intention is to ensure that parents/guardians have a periodic view of their
child’s attendance.
We appreciate the notes explaining absences on the day a
student returns. We know that most of the absences are due to illness, doctor’s
visits, or sports events and are easily explained But, we also use this periodic report to
identify students who may need additional guidance or counseling on Attendance
matters. We are continuing to look at
our program and will inform you if we decide on any changes.
For any uncleared absence by noon of
the following day, a recorded message is being sent out to all parents. Please
verify the absence and send a note to clear the absence if you hear the
message. For questions regarding attendance, please contact Mr. Michael Hammond,
Assistant Principal
SCHOOL SAFETY
The video
traffic enforcement in front of school is continuing both
before and after school. The Los Angeles
Dept. of Transportation has been sending officers to our
school to address unsafe and negligent practices occurring
daily on 18th and nearby streets.
When the
officers arrive, they will videotape the
violation and the owner of the vehicle will receive a citation in the
mail. There are no warnings, or
allowances for drivers to move their vehicles.
Please don’t find yourself receiving an expensive ticket when you could
have just as easily parked legally to drop off or pick up your child. We recommend arranging a pick-up location
around the block or on one of the nearby cross streets for the older student. The officers will in particular be looking
for cars stopped on the south “eastbound” side of 18th Street to drop-off or pick-up
students. Also parking in red zones will
generate a ticket. Please be aware that it is illegal to drop-off or
pick-up a student while stopped at a Stop Sign.
Even though some parents will be ticketed, for which we are very sorry, this enhanced enforcement is done for the
safety of all the children. Please drive
and park responsibly. Remember, your
children see what you do and an impression is made.
All students need to take the school bus or be picked up by 3:30 p.m. unless they are participating in an after school
activity under supervision of a school staff. We have had reports of incidents
around school after school hours and we certainly do not want any one of our
students to be involved in them.
LACES will
conduct its Spring Emergency Drill on Thursday, April 10th. This time it
will be a full earthquake drill complete with full school evacuation and
establishing of Command Station, Request and Reunion Gates (notice on the
letter and map you will receive, that the locations have switched), Search and
Rescue, and a First Aid station. Parents are invited to come to the
Request Gate to "pick-up" their children as if this was a true
emergency. The Request Gate will now be located nearer the front of the
school at the gate between the Language Arts and Science buildings behind the
Faculty Parking lot. Students will be retrieved from the Assembly area
and brought to the Reunion Gate at the north end of the Science building where
they will be transferred to their parents. We take this drill seriously
and expect our students will as well.
For questions regarding school safety, please contact Mr. Joseph Zell,
Assistant Principal
Update on
Winter Sports
LACES had a great winter season with several teams making it into the city
playoffs. Unfortunately both Boy's and Girl's Basketball lost in the
first round of CIF competition. They were both very intense and close
games. For the spring season, you can find a full calendar of sports on the
LACES website. Spring teams are Baseball, Softball, Boy's Tennis,
Volleyball, and Golf. Students in the Web Development class have done a
beautiful job of transferring my schedule onto the general and sports
calendars. Please come out to watch our teams even if you don't have a
student playing. They would greatly appreciate the support.
For
the Spring Sports Schedule, please visit our school website - www.lacesmagnetschool.org
AP
2008 Exam Schedule
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Week 1
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Morning (8:00 A.M. – 12:00 PM)
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Afternoon – (12:00 P.M. – 4:30
PM)
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May 5
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Government and Politics: United
States
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French Language
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May 6
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Computer Science A**
Computer Science AB**
Spanish Language **
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Statistics
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May 7
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Calculus AB **
Calculus BC **
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May 8
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English Literature
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Japanese Language and Culture**
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May 9
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United States History
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Studio Art (portfolios due)
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Week 2
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Morning (8:00 A.M. – 12:00
PM)
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Afternoon – (12:00 P.M. – 4:30
PM)
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2:00 P.M.
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May 12
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Biology
Music Theory
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Physics B
Physics C Mechanics
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Physics C (Elect. And Mag.)
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May 13
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Environmental Science
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Psychology
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May 14
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English Language
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Art History
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May 15
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World History
Macroeconomics
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Microeconomics
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May 16
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Spanish Literature
Human Geography
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* Please note that afternoon AP exams will end at
approximately 4:30 PM. Students will have access to late school
buses on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays during testing or will need to
arrange for transportation home.
Special
Thanks…..
We’d like to thank Mr. Rutschman,
our leadership sponsor and the Leadership class for organizing the Campus
Beautification on April 12 and always working diligently to provide fun
activities and enriching opportunities for all students. We appreciate Mr.
Vriesman, our math department chairperson and all math teachers for instituting
the study group session on Monday and Thursday afternoons. We thank Dr. Draper,
our English department chairperson, all English teachers and Mrs. Katherine
O’Brien Rusin for starting the LACES Writing Center. Mr. Macias and the Peer Helpers, you have been
outstanding in providing the support that our students deserve to be
successful. We thank you very much! We thank Mr. Macias and the Peer Tutors for
the consistent academic support for many students. Ms. Costanzo and Mr. Ronkin,
we thank you for providing the challenging and enriching 6th Grade
English curriculum to all 6th graders with nurturing approach with
the just right amount of intervention for some. We are proud of the Middle
School Academic Pentathlon Team and Mr. Robinson, the Coach for the outstanding
performance on April 5 at Bolsa Grande High
School in Garden
Grove. Our very first Aca Penta team did a great
job! We thank our testing coordinator, Mrs. Topkis for always being on top of everything
when it comes to testing. Your thorough preparation certainly helps our
students perform their best. We look forward to another successful CST testing.
We thank Mrs. London, our College Counselor for the excellent support for the
seniors and consistent support with the AP program. AP Family Night (4/15) is
an outstanding event! And of course, as
always, we thank all of our teachers and staff for your dedication, excellent
instruction in each class and collaboration and cooperation in providing only
the best for our students!
THANK YOU!
Intervention
Programs Spring 2008
Late
Buses are available for intervention program participants. Students must obtain
a “Late Bus Pass” from their instructors.
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Program
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Contact
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Participants
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Location
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Days
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Tutoring by Leadership Students
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Mr. Rutschman
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Open to ALL STUDENTS
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Library
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Tuesday
Lunch
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Tutoring by Leadership Students
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Mr. Rutschman
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Open to ALL STUDENTS
(Must apply and be approved
prior to participating)
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Covered Lunch Area
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Tue-Fri
Period 7
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Math Study Group
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Mr. Vriesman
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Open to ALL STUDENTS
(Must form a study group on
their own with three or more members)
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Cafeteria
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Mon & Thu
3:15 – 5:15 p.m.
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6th Grade Literacy Support
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Ms. Costanzo
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Teacher/Counselor Referral
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Room 229
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Period 4
Lunch
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STEP (Striving Toward Educational Progress) Program
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Mrs. Carr
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Teacher/Counselor Referral
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Various Locations
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Mon & Wed
3:15 – 5:15 p.m.
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Peer Tutoring
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Mr. Macias
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Teacher/Counselor Referral
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Room 234
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Mon & Wed
3:15 – 5:15 p.m.
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Writing Center
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Dr. Draper
Mrs. Rusin
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English Teacher Referral
(with specific assignments
and guidelines)
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Room 223
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To be scheduled
individually
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Thank
you LACES Parent Organizations…..
We
thank Friends of LACES, Black Parent Organization, Latino Parent Organization,
Korean Parent Organization, Compensatory Education Advisory Council for your
active involvement in enhancing our instruction, safety, and extracurricular
activities. Your insightful input, generous donations and dedication with
numerous volunteer hours at LACES have been tremendously helpful. These parent
organization meetings are open to all LACES parents and provide excellent
opportunities for obtaining current information relating to instruction and for
networking with other parents to share common concerns and to find resolutions
collaboratively.
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