A Message From Salvador Velasco, Principal

Happy New Year

It is great to be back to school from the winter break. The Spring Semester will be the final semester for our seniors, and many activities have been planned before the June graduation ceremony.

At the end of January all of our parents will have received the “School Report Card 2008-2009.” The format of the report card, although simple, is problematic because of the information selected to be reported. In most areas, the report card shows areas that we must concentrate to improve. This report card also shows Eagle Rock achieving academically at a higher level than the average academic achievement in other LAUSD Schools. The four categories: Progress, Readiness, Learning Environment and Student groups all show good steady progress with Math being the most challenging subject and one that we must address to continue improving.

We will have a meeting or series of meetings to address the data presented in the “School Report Card.” If you have any specific questions about the information contained in the “School Report Card,” please stop by my office or call me at the main office.

A Message From Salvador Velasco, Principal

Happy Thanksgiving To All of Our Families and Friends From Eagle Rock Jr./Sr. High School

It is hard to believe that a special day was designated as a day just to give thanks. It is good that it was, otherwise, due to our busy lives, we may never take the time to be grateful for what we have. We should be appreciative every day for our health, family and friends.

At Eagle Rock Jr./Sr. High School, we are very grateful to be part of a community that prides itself in doing the right thing, despite the pressure to do what is convenient or fast. We are also thankful for devoted, supportive parents that invest time in their children to make sure they can be involved in as many beneficial activities as their children are interested in.

We are grateful for a committed staff made out of caring, motivated administrators, teachers, clerical, custodial, teacher assistant and cafeteria personnel who are always ready to help our students do their best. Working together, our goal of taking each and every one of our students to reach his or her potential is very achievable.

Furthermore, we are very thankful for a student body made up of the most respectful, courteous students that can be found anywhere in Los Angeles. Diligence, focus and perseverance are some of the traits that our students exhibit on a daily basis. Our students demonstrate great intelligence, civility and many other qualities shown on an everyday basis, and for that, we are thankful.

In short, these few words are just to say thank you for all that you do and thank you for being part of Eagle Rock Jr./Sr. High School’s family.

A Message From Salvador Velasco, Principal

Dear Parents, Friends and Families:

Eagle Rock Junior/Senior High is starting the 2009-2010 school year with a few challenges that I know we will overcome to make this 2009-2010 academic year the most successful year yet. Based on last year’s accomplishments, our continuous endeavors will be to improve on the great success of last year. Some of last year’s accomplishments were:

Class of 2009 - The Kalesians
Academic Accomplishments

• Nationally ranked in the top 5% of all public high schools in the nation. Ranked #393 of the top 1500 public high school in the U.S.A. by Newsweek Magazine.
• Academic Performance Index (API) state ranking - 717 is the second highest score in Local District 4 for both junior and senior high school.
• Local accomplishment - 476 graduates is the highest number of graduates to graduate from Eagle Rock High School ever.
• College going culture - 95.88% graduates to attend post-secondary educational institutions.
  41.68% 4-year College or university
  54.2% 2-year community colleges
• Graduation rate has improved 20% in the past four years.
• Class of 2008 had a graduation rate of 91.3%. *
• *Class of 2009 will improve their graduation rate by at least 4%-Projected graduation rate over 95% for Class of 2009.

For 2009-2010, we will improve our personalization towards our students by the creation of (SLC’s) Small Learning Communities. Also, the (IB) International Baccalaureate Program will bring about a deeper understanding of global views and higher standards in the school’s curriculum.

Last year we also had a major set back on September 15, 2009 we were notified that our API (Academic Progress Index) remained unchanged at 717. Although 717 is an excellent API score, we are not happy with this score remaining unchanged. We are re-doubling our efforts to continue to improve and regain the #1 place in our district. I look forward to working together this year for the benefit of all our students at Eagle Rock Jr. / Sr. High School.

A Message From Salvador Velasco, Principal

Dear parents and family members,

2008-2009 has come to an end too soon for me. Many projects are in progress and need to be continued through the summer and fall.

The most visible change to our school is the Small Learning Communities conversions that will happen this summer. Our school will finally have construction that will make it possible for the school to provide services in a more departmentalized way and, thereby, in a more personalized way. The work ahead will be arduous, but we hope the end result will benefit our students with improved instruction at Eagle Rock. When the dust settles and the construction is finished, the real work begins as we learn to function under a different paradigm that calls for much more collaboration among our teachers, students, and parents.

The other big project is the installation of the football stadium lights made possible through school improvement money from Bond measures approved by voters in recent years. Our parents, football coaches, and several other key staff members have gathered almost two thousand signatures from community members and parents approving football lights for Eagle Rock Jr./Sr. High School.

The last week of May, we also asked our student body to sign a petition to show support for Eagle Rock Jr./Sr. High football stadium lights. To no one’s surprise, the student body overwelmingly showed their support for lights.

This addition to our school, I hope, will make it possible for football games and other events to take place at a later time during the day so that more parents and family members can have the opportunity to see our students compete.

The physical changes are the least of the changes taking place. The Small Learning Community style of conducting school business will emphasize personalization. The I. B. (International Baccalaureate) program will emphasize more rigor for our junior high students. The budget situation will push some of our classes to very high numbers, which in itself will create new challenges for our delivery of instruction.

To our seniors, good luck in all your future endeavors outside of ERHS. For the rest, have a great summer, and we will see you in September.

A Message From Salvador Velasco, Principal

On April 23rd Student Led Conferences brought many of our parents to Eagle Rock Jr./Sr. High interested in finding out their student’s progress. My hope is that the news you received was enlightening. It is also my hope that in reviewing the report cards and work that is being performed you received good news. If on the other hand, the grades and work performed are not what they should be, then it is very important to meet with school staff to come up with strategies for improvement. Above all, we have to remain focused on the individual class(es) that is the source of challenge for the student.

Together, the teacher, counselor, parent, and student can find success by the end of the semester. It is true, time is short with only a few weeks left of the semester, but working together, we can help all students experience success in all of their classes. This week we learned that Eagle Rock High School has been ranked among the best high schools in the nation. In fact our ranking improved from 458th from the top to 447th of the best one thousand three hundred (1,300) schools in the nation! Congratulations to all for a great job. This ranking is based on the rigorous curriculum implemented at Eagle Rock as evidenced by the number of AP (Advanced Placement) tests.

A Message From Salvador Velasco, Principal

Our three year term accreditation visit took place from February 22nd through the 24th.

Thank you very much for all of you who were able to be present to show your pride about Eagle Rock Jr./Sr. High School. The committee provided us a fifteen page report in which they made recommendations for the school to continue to improve. The school was also commended for:

• College going culture
• Positive school climate
• Increased graduation rate
• 45% of graduates go on to 4-year colleges/universities
• Implementation of Small Learning Communities
• Additional intervention programs to close the achievement gap
• Increased enrollment in AP classes
• Strong Alumni Association
• Parent and community support
• Partnership with Occidental College
• Increased support for students who are at risk of dropping out
• Increased efforts to support student attendance

From their report, we are confident the school is on the right track and that we will soon receive very positive results for our school’s accreditation. Again, thank you for your support.

A Message From Salvador Velasco, Principal

The second semester of the 2008-2009 year began on Tuesday, February 10, 2009. Our students came back to an improved school environment. Special thanks to the volunteers who showed up on Sunday, February 8, 2009. Over one hundred volunteers from the Kaballah center and 92 students descended on Eagle Rock to help clean up the Rock. Twenty-one trees were added to provide shade for our students. An additional twenty-one trees were placed in containers to beautify areas that are concrete or asphalt. Over one hundred doors and many other areas were painted to give the Rock a nice clean look. The horticulture area also had much work done and now has additional space for students to learn. A big sign was added for Gear Up and a beautiful mural was painted on the second floor. Overall, our campus benefited greatly from the efforts of all the volunteers, students, teachers, parents, administrators, and staff that showed up to help. Thank you, thank you to all of you that had the time to help.

The second semester will bring a tremendous amount of physical changes as our school moves to Small Learning Communities configuration. In the spring of 2007, ERHS was given a District mandate to create Small Learning Communities for our 3000 students. ERHS has used this as an oportunity to develop creative and engaging curricular options, increased opportunities for teachers to meet and collaborate regarding student needs and instruction, and provide a more personalized learning environment for our students. Teachers were provided professional development on the criteria, characteristics, and requirements of SLCs. By June 2007, six teacher-developed and written proposals were submitted for the restructuring of ERHS, and by September 2007, all were approved by the LAUSD SLC Committee.

Each SLC has a lead teacher and an assigned administrator. Each lead is provided an additional prep period to organize and work with their SLC. The Junior High and Freshman Academy were opened in the fall of 2007. The four themed 10th through 12th grade SLCs began with the 10th grade in the fall of 2008. Our 3,100 student school will be subdivided into a Junior High School Academy for 7th & 8th grade students with about 600 students, a Freshmen Academy for 9th grade students with 600 students - 4 teams of 150, an academy for leadership and public service, grades 10 through 12 (450 students), a Design and Technology Academy, for grades 10-12, (450 students), environmental Science and Awareness Academy, grades 10 through 12, (450 students). By the end of March 2009, 9th grade through 11th grade students will be asked to select the Small Learning Community that best fits their interests in order of preference.

A Message From Salvador Velasco, Principal

Eagle Rock’s statewide ranking is 6! This means we are in the top half of all secondary schools in the state of California with a 2007 API Base score of 708. We have much to celebrate and of which to be proud. Our goal is to score at or above the statewide performance target of 800, and thus earn a 10 in this category. We are well on our way to meeting this goal.

On the same note, our Similar Schools Rank is 6. This ranking is calculated as the state compares our scores to those of schools with some of the same features as Eagle Rock Junior/Senior High School (i.e. demographics, parent educational level, socio-economic status, etc.). In essence, many of our eagles are performing at very high levels when compared to students in similar schools.

This will be a year of recommitting ourselves to the Eagle Rock tradition of excellence, and ensuring every student at the “Rock” experiences a rich, rigorous curriculum. We want you to look beyond simple test scores, to actually achieve the skills and mastery to enthusiastically pursue your future. You are the engineers, writers, doctors, teachers, musicians, scientists, and artists of the future. We are here to provide you the opportunities to absorb knowledge, sharpen your skills, and build confidence through positive interactions, expectations and emotional support. We want to clearly delineate, using the California Content Standards, what you need to know and be able to do at every grade level, in every class, to work towards your ambitions.

Here’s to a great 2008-09 school year, Eagles!

A Message From Salvador Velasco, Principal

On Friday, February 29th a rewards dance was held to celebrate student achievement. The actual name of the dance was Sadie Hawkins Dance. More than one thousand students’ achievement of 3.0 GPA or above was celebrated with free entrance to this dance. Over five hundred students took advantage of the free entrance and the dance was a great success.

The following morning, Saturday, March 1st, 2008, our varsity basketball team participated in the city invitational championship at the Sports Arena. There was great anticipation for this game because it marked the first time in Eagle Rock history that the Varsity basketball team had made it to the city championship game. Coach Ron Kato and Tim Park had taken the team that had been described as “the little team that could” into the championship game. The game was played against University, a talented, relentless team that scored some fast points and went into the fourth quarter with a considerable lead. Eagle Rock came back with fast offense but time ran out. Final result: Eagle Rock runner up team in the city invitational division. Once again, an Eagle Rock team that wasn’t given much of a chance had proven that with hard work and perseverance, you can reach any goals you set your mind to. Congratulations to the coaches and basketball team for your fantastic results this season.

On Sunday, March the 2nd, an incredible 78 students finished the grueling marathon of 26.2 mile run that was accomplished by great effort and determination, congratulations to Dr. Johnson and all those that set out to test themselves beyond the usual limits.

On Saturday, March 8, a great event took place at the Eagle Rock football field. For the first time in the history of Eagle Rock we were treated to pee-wee ball. 7th and 8th grade girls faced each other in a football game for the pride of their grade. The game was a great display of sportsmanship and athleticism. At the end of the game, the eight graders had won, two touchdowns to one.

Immediately following the pee-wee ball the traditional Dust Bowl took place. The Senior girls met the Junior girls in the football game that would decide bragging rights for the victorious grade. Entertainment was provided by provocatively dressed boy cheerleaders that showed off great dance routines and legs to the crowd and each other. The Junior girls won by 12 points, two touchdowns, to zero for seniors. Senior and Junior cheer leading squads were equally good, so that contest was a tie.

These are just four of the activities that took place this month at Eagle Rock. Instruction, testing, and academic improvement are always our priorities. There are however many more activities going on at our school at all times. Get involved, share these activities with your students. The more activities you participate in, the more memorable the Junior High and High School experience will be.

Principal's Message

Eagle Rock’s statewide ranking is 6! This means we are in the top half of all secondary schools in the state of California with a 2006 API Base score of 707. We have much to celebrate and of which to be proud. Our goal is to score at or above the statewide performance target of 800, and thus earn a 10 in this category. We are well on our way to meeting this goal.

On the same note, our Similar Schools Rank is 6. This ranking is calculated as the state compares our scores to those of schools with some of the same features as Eagle Rock Junior/Senior High School (i.e. demographics, parent educational level, socio-economic status, etc.). In essence, many of our eagles are performing at very high levels when compared to students in similar schools.

This will be a year of recommitting ourselves to the Eagle Rock tradition of excellence, and ensuring every student at the “Rock” experiences a rich, rigorous curriculum. We want you to look beyond simple test scores, to actually achieve the skills and mastery to enthusiastically pursue your future. You are the engineers, writers, doctors, teachers, musicians, scientists, and artists of the future. We are here to provide you the opportunities to absorb knowledge, sharpen your skills, and build confidence through positive interactions, expectations and emotional support. We want to clearly delineate, using the California Content Standards, what you need to know and be able to do at every grade level, in every class, to work towards your ambitions.

Here’s to a great 2007-08 school year, Eagles!

A Message From Salvador Velasco, Principal

Greetings from the Rock!

The 2007-2008 academic year is hardly more than a month old and it is already time to check on grades. The fifth week progress report is a good indicator of students’ academic progress. If you have any concerns after reviewing these grades, please contact the teachers or your child’s counselor.

A very important meeting took place on October 12, 2007 at Eagle Rock Jr./Sr. High School. District officials arrived at our campus to begin plans for the school’s conversion into Small Learning Communities (SLC’s). The District will provide 1.9 mil- lion dollars for modifications to our campus that will make it possible for contiguous space, classes from an SLC to be close together in one area of the campus.

On that same day we had our homecoming game, which brought to our campus a great number of Alumni. Attendance at our homecoming by our Alumni is a great tradition that is a source of pride for all who get involved. Besides sharing their time, the alumni association is very, very generous when the school’s needs are brought to their attention. That’s in addition to the more than forty thousand dollars in scholarships provided to our graduating students each year.

On that same day, our Varsity football team won 49 to 34, breaking a school record of eighteen straight wins set by the 1956- 1957 team. Many of the 1956-1957 team members were with us to witness this achievement fifty years later. The game was attended by over one thousand five hundred people; it was played under rented lights which cost over seven thousand dollars per game. I’ve contacted our district to provide permanent lights which cost about six hundred and fifty thousand dollars. At this point the request from the district is for us to raise ten percent ($65,000) to begin the process and the district will look for funds for the other ninety percent. Soon we will set up meetings with the community to inform and get input as to the benefits of having permanent football stadium lights at Eagle Rock Jr./Sr. High School.