Dear Crenshaw High Family,

Welcome to the 2010-11 school year! As we embark on our second year together, it is a joy to use our website to share news and information about Crenshaw and the Greater Crenshaw Educational Partnership. As we strive to make our vision come to fruition, communication with you is an integral part. This year, we have chosen to continue and improve focused instruction in math, literacy acquisition and the co-construction of a new school culture. We are determined to continue to work with students, parents, faculty, staff and administration and industry partners to provide a standards based, data- driven instructional program that we continuously monitor and analyze to improve and enhance student achievement.

Schoolwide and throughout our smaller learning communities ( Social Justice and the Law, Business, Management and Entrepreneurial, Media and Design, College and Career, Gifted & Teacher Training ), we have adopted the positive behavior support motto of the 3 “Be’s”, (“Be Safe, Be Respectful Be Responsible”) in an effort to embed them into the core of each focus areas. Some of the school’s and academy’s partnerships include: Starbucks, USC Rossier School of Education, Junior Achievement, Disney, Loyola Marymount University, Hollywood Reporter, Goldman-Sachs, UCLA, Los Angeles Urban League, and the Tom and Ethel Bradley Foundation.

There are many wonderful programs at CHS. We have a long history of excellence in the arts, in athletics and have increased our college going and graduation rates year-by year. Our Academic Decathlon Team, Speech and Debate Team and Robotics program provide intellectual stimulation and valuable experiences for participants, and an opportunity to compete at the highest levels with their peers across the district, the state and the nation.

Last year, we had graduates accepted to and attending many of the best schools in the country including Duke, MIT, Vanderbilt, Stanford, Spelman, Morehouse, Southern University, USC, UCLA, Berkeley, UCSD and all of the California State Universities. This is our second year with AVID, and College Summit. Both are college readiness programs for promising students that help us in our pursuit to utilize every possible avenue to forge a new model of excellence for every student. Though we face tremendous challenges with the economic crisis, we will continue to work to improve teaching and learning, in an environment where all students have the opportunity to develop and excel academically, athletically, emotionally and socially.

Have a fantastic year, and Go Cougars!