Welcome to Claremont High School Home of the Wolfpack

Now that the second semester is in full swing, I would like to highlight some of the accomplishments of our students as well as recognize the CHS student body for their strong commitment to their community during Semester 1. Prior to winter break ASB sponsored a blood drive. Over 150 students participated and 120 pints of blood were collected which assisted approximately 370 patients. Richard O’Neill’s Accounting and Business Management classes joined forces with Claremont Graduate University Drucker School of Management to distribute gifts to needy families in the local area. Prior to Thanksgiving our National Honor Society students conducted a food drive. It is great to see our students exemplify the CHS Mission Statement:…productive and invested members of the community.

For the past 18 months, the CHS staff, and selected students and parents have been working diligently to prepare for our WASC accreditation visit which will take place February 28 through March 3. The accreditation process takes place every six years. The purpose of the WASC process is to improve instruction and learning. During the past 18 months the staff has conducted a self-study to analyze our organization’s strengths and areas of growth. CHS has identified three areas of growth: close the achievement gap between our significant subgroups, enhance our instructional courses to help students acquire academic and technical skills, and create a culture that provides time for professional growth to promote student achievement. The accreditation team will be comprised of seven educators from other schools. They will read our report, visit classrooms, talk to students and parents and verify that our self-review is valid and our growth plan during the next six years is appropriate. Preparing for a WASC visit is very arduous, and I want to thank all the staff, students and parents for their efforts in preparing for this event.

I am happy to announce the accomplishments of many of our students. ASB held their Renaissance Luncheon in December. Over 1,365 students who had a GPA of at least 3.0 or an improvement of at least 0.5 in their GPA last semester qualified to attend the event. Our Speech and Debate Team, under the guidance of faculty member Dave Chamberlain, has had a great season so far. They won overall Sweepstakes at two major Southern California Invitational Tournaments and are currently ranked in the top 30 in the nation. For the first time in many years, our Girl’s Volleyball Team qualified for CIF, and our Boy’s Cross Country Team finished 4th in the state in Division 2.

Believe it or not, CHS is preparing for Fall Registration. The process began on Monday, February 8th for the graduating class of 2011. For detailed information about registration for next school year please see the article in the most recent edition of the Wolfcall titled Spring Registration Process which can be found on our website under the “PFA” tab.

I want to thank the staff, parents, and community for their time and energy in ensuring CHS students receive a world-class education that will prepare our students for the world of post-secondary education and the world of work. The first half of the school year is over, and I look forward to ensuring the CHS community remains engaged, diligent and forward-looking so we can continue to provide quality service to our students.

 

Brett O’Connor, Ed.D.
Principal