Dear Students, Parents and Community Members:

 

It is an honor and privilege to have the opportunity to serve approximately 1500 students on a daily basis here at South, and to do so alongside over 100 of the most talented and professional staff members that I’ve ever known. Our staff is committed to the perpetual growth and learning that is characteristic of outstanding schools throughout the district. We believe that every one of our students is valuable and talented and has much to offer the world. We hope to play a significant role in helping all of our students become caring, productive and dependable members of our society.

 

There are many exciting things happening here at South. This past year we were one of three schools in the Anaheim Union High School District to exceed all of our Academic Performance Index (API) targets. API is the measurement system used by the state of California to hold schools accountable for continued growth and improvement. Each year the state identifies “targets” for each school, as well as for each subgroup within each school. A subgroup is any group that has 100 or more students. For instance, here at South we have several subgroups including our Latino students, socio-economically disadvantaged students, English Learner students, and our students with learning disabilities. We are proud to announce that not only did our overall, school wide API score improve by 12 points this year, but we exceeded the targets set by the state for each of our subgroups as well! This is a testament the hard work of our students, their families and our staff.

 

Our school plan here at South details the many programs and services that we offer our students. These services can be summarized into four main categories. Our four areas of focus for the 2008-2009 school year are:

 

1) Systematic Academic and Social Emotional Interventions for our students

2) Focused Collaboration and ongoing learning and growth for our staff members

3) School Wide Literacy Focus

4) Improved Parent and Community Involvement

 

These four focus areas capture the essence of what we are about here at South Jr. High School. It is our goal to see that every student that promotes from South Jr. High School has the skills and knowledge to demonstrate proficiency in all core academic areas and be successful in high school and, eventually, college or the career path of their choice. We strive to systematically respond to students who struggle and we work to acknowledge and reward those that demonstrate academic excellence and outstanding moral character.

 

The success of our students is dependent upon our collective efforts as educators, family members, and community supporters. Our students need meaningful connections with caring adults and I hope to be one of many that enrich the lives of our students.

 

I’m looking forward to a wonderful school year!

 

Go Eagles!

 

Sincerely,

Mr. Esperanza

Principal