NEWSLETTER - Palos Verdes High School

PVHS
NEWSLETTER
The transition from intermediate to high school is often a stressful time for teenagers.
Stories of bullies harassing freshman students or mean girls teasing the “newbies” on
campus can evoke fear and anxiety in the most confident young person. This year, Palos
Verdes High School decided to take the proactive approach in creating a safe, comfortable
and inviting atmosphere for the incoming freshman class. PVHS initiated two
separate programs designed to create a welcoming and stress-free freshman experience.
Both Link Crew and Freshman Retreat sought to bring freshman into a supportive
environment, orient them to the new campus and set high expectations moving forward.
Welcome Environment
PVHS goes the
distance to make
all Freshmen feel at home
Link Crew is a nation-wide freshman transition program in nearly 2,000 schools across
the USA, Canada and Thailand. The program was established to help promote a positive
transition to high school and offer support throughout the first year. The PVHS Link
Crew program is led by Allyson Klabe, special education and math teacher. Klabe
matched small groups of freshman students with one or two specially trained junior and
senior students. These successful upperclassmen are known as “Link Leaders” and they
pass along positive attitudes and traditions to the freshman. The program began with
a powerful Freshman Orientation, which was voluntarily attended by over 85% of the
PVHS freshman class. Link Leaders will continue to work with their freshman groups
throughout the year in an effort to create a support system for all freshmen during their
entire first year at PVHS.
LINK CREW
FRESHMAN RETREAT
CHALLENGE DAY
The first annual PVHS Freshman Retreat gave students the opportunity to get to know
their counselors, administrators and student body leaders. Motivational speaker, Scott
Greenburg, addressed the students and stressed strategies for success in high school.
Substance abuse counselor, Dirk Eldredge, and Associate Principal, Brent Kuykendall
also addressed the freshman class and emphasized the importance of making good
decisions throughout their high school experience. Palos Verdes High School is committed
to creating and maintaining a safe and secure environment for all of their students.
2011-2012
Issue 2

AROUND
CAMPUS
How does the block schedule work Does it really make that much of a difference These are questions
that the faculty and administration of PVHS feel are important that 8th grade students ask before they
make their choice of high school. While unique to PVPUSD, the PVHS is not the only school to use a block
schedule. When used effectively, the block schedule enhances instruction, provides students with more opportunities
for teacher interaction and better prepares students for the rigors of college classes.
So how does the block help In
subjects like science, the block is
the teacher’s best friend. Laboratory
science classes (required for
admission to universities) require
students to perform laboratory experiments
that demonstrate certain
scientific concepts. The longer
periods of the block schedule
allow science teachers to introduce
a concept through a lecture
or demonstration with the class,
lead the students in independent
practice of this concept and
check that all students have fully
grasped what is needed before
moving on. Students then perform
laboratory experiments that
reinforce the concepts learned.
This all takes place in one class
period allowing teachers to significantly
vary their instructional
methods and to reinforce important
concepts in a multiple learning
modalities.
THE BLOCK
Students attend 3 block
periods per day that last
114 minutes and alternate
between A and B
days. Over any two week
period, students attend
class for the same number
of minutes in each
period as on a traditional
bell schedule.
A major difference between
PVHS and Peninsula High
School is the block schedule.
While it is agreed that
both schedules have their
benefits, it is hard to grasp
the possibilities of the block
schedule until one has experienced
it firsthand. With
three 114 minute block periods
per day, PVHS teachers
are able to use a number of
strategies to convey content
knowledge to their students.
English teachers and students
state that the block schedule actually
forces the teacher to vary
his or her instructional methods
more often than on a traditional
schedule. Lectures can be broken
up into three 15-minute sections,
with reinforcing activities
in between instead of an unbroken
45-minute lecture, followed
by less than ten minutes of getting
started on the homework.
The change in activities keeps
students and teachers engaged
and allow teachers to check for
each student’s understanding of
the subject matter. PVHS standardized
test scores support this
claim, with over 90% of students
scoring proficient or advanced in
English and Biology in 2011.
Visit our website for a four year
summary of PVHS standardized
test scores.

CHALLENGE Day ‘11
Be The Change
When PVHS started talking about hosting Challenge Day over a year and
a half ago, it was difficult to gauge the effect it would have on our
campus. When it finally came to PVHS this fall, we knew instantly that
Challenge Day would be a part of the PVHS culture for many years to
come. Students and staff alike stated that Challenge Day was amazing,
incredible, draining and “the most powerful experience I have ever had.”
While the goals of Challenge Day were to heighten students’ awareness
as to how their actions affect others, the full outcomes of Challenge Day
are yet to be seen. At the very least, Challenge Day was successful in
bringing 100 students and 25 adults closer together for three days and
spreading that message to the other 1,750 students at PVHS.
So what exactly was Challenge Day Those who experienced the program
firsthand report that there was a lot of dancing, hugging, crying and getting
to know each other. In total, more than 300 students, from all walks of life
participated in Challenge Day. 75 adults took part and came from all three
PVPUSD middle schools, Peninsula and Redondo High Schools in addition
to PVHS staff. Students that participated in Challenge Day learned of their
peers’ feelings and had a chance to reflect on their own actions. The theme
of Challenge Day was “Be the Change” - asking students to “notice, choose
and act” upon the everyday interactions they see at school.
Of the 300 students that participated in Challenge Day, 50 students will
be selected to participate in the Be the Change leadership group, tasked
with making the lessons of Challenge Day a part of the PVHS culture.
It is important that Challenge Day does not become a passing fad or
brief assembly, but rather a cornerstone of PVHS. Students are already
trying to sign up for next year’s Challenge Day and PVHS is committed to
keeping this powerful program in place.
Did You Know…
PVHS students have been accepted
to every Ivy League
and UC school
all PVHS fall athletic teams
made it to CIF playoffs
6 senior members of the
PVHS Girls Volleyball team
have committed to play in college
next year
we send the fifth highest
number of students to USC in
the country
WASC surveys show that
99% of students feel safe on
campus and 87% report that
they enjoy coming to school
everyday
98% of PVHS students passed
the Math and 99% passed the
English section of the CAH-
SEE on their first attempt
2011-2012
Issue 2

AROUND
CAMPUS
Fall Sports Results
Play or Spectate,
PVHS is the place to be!
Girls’ Volleyball
3rd Place Bay League
1st Round CIF
Girls’ Golf
1st Place Ocean League
CIF Semifinals
Girls’ Tennis
2nd Place Bay League
CIF Quarterfinals
Girls’ Cross Country
2nd Place Bay League
CIF Champions
State Champions
Boys’ Cross Country
1st Place Bay League
CIF Champions
State Champions
Football
1st Place Bay League
1st Round CIF
SEA KING ART FESTIVAL
On November 5, the PVHS Art Department
held the inaugural Sea
King Art Festival. More than 300
people attended this special day,
which was designed to highlight
the various course offerings in the
arts at PVHS. The festival started
with an artistic walk through, displaying
students’ designs in sculpture,
ceramics, drawing and painting,
as well as digital photography
and animation. The festival then
featured PVHS performing arts,
including the choreo dance team,
are able to learn on a daily basis.
People that attended the festival
were able to make pots in ceramics,
see a surf board shaped
in sculpture, view the Live from
205 set and control room, learn
a dance move in choreo and sing
in the PVHS choir room. The Sea
King Art Festival not only showed
the great variety that we have
in our arts programs, but also
gave PVHS teachers a chance to
show the community the great
work they do with their students
the musical theatre program and every day. PVHS would like
drama. The orchestra, jazz band
and choir were also featured during
the festival. After the performances,
the PVHS art teachers
opened up their classrooms to
showcase what their students
to thank Kathleen Mastan for
coordinating the day, as well
as the PVHS Booster Club and
PTSA for their continued financial
support to make the PVHS arts
programs possible.
Boys’ Water Polo
1st Place Bay League
CIF Semifinals
PVHS NEWSLETTER
We publish this newsletter four times
throughout the school year. For more
information about our school, please
visit our website at pvhigh.com.
Principal: Nick Stephany, Ed.D.
Editor: Diane Miller
Designer: Paula Irish
600 Cloyden Road
Palos Verdes Estates, CA 90274 |
310-378-8471