Carmel High | The Digital Campus

The Parent Survey completed during the month of March indicates that Carmel High School is improving in areas that were identified as concerns in the 2006 edition of the survey. Specifically:

• The Math department received a 78% parent approval rating this year compared to a 62% satisfaction rating in 2006.
• The Foreign Language department (World Languages) received an 80% approval rating this year compared to a 54% satisfaction rating in 2006.
• The Counseling department received an 80% approval rating this year compared to a 62% satisfaction rating in 2006.
• All other departments, academic or elective, were at or above the 80% with many at the 90% or higher in the 2008 parent survey.
• Improving student achievement received an 82% approval rating this year compared to a 69% satisfaction rating in 2006.

There were some areas that dropped and some that remained the same:

• Teacher communication dropped slightly from an 80% parent approval rating in 2006 to a 78% satisfaction rating in 2008.
• Homework amount remained exactly the same at the 61% over both surveys.
• Parents feeling welcome at school dropped slightly from a 93% parent approval rating in 2006 to an 88% in 2006.

We will continue to work on all areas of the parent survey…both improved and those needing attention. Parent participation in the survey was noticeably lower than in 2006 (2006=255 / 2008=190) and we are not quite sure as to why. Regardless, the results for Carmel High School are very positive and we appreciate your input. Please check the high school website to view the graphs.

New for the fall of 2008 will be some changes in the requirements for juniors and seniors to continue to take fewer classes. Currently, juniors can take 6 of the 7 periods offered, and seniors 5 of the 7 periods offered. To do so, students must have a 2.0 GPA with no F grades and parent permission. Next year, juniors and seniors are eligible to be off campus under the same formula providing they have no D or F grades.  All classes taken must be at a “C” grade or higher.  In addition, all current sophomores and juniors must achieve a minimum level of performance on the STAR test to be eligible to participate in the reduced period. This agreement was worked out in cooperation with the ASB (Associated Student Body officers) and interested students. The student representatives showed great maturity and insight in dealing with this issue, and with their endorsement, I believe these new expectations will lead to greater responsibility on the part of our students, and a better understanding of earning some of the privileges available to them.

In closing, I want to thank the parents and community for the tremendous support that we receive in so many ways. We are preparing to send the graduating class of 2008 into the world and a big part of our hearts will go with them. They are an impressive class and there is no question that they will make a difference. Please join us for any remaining activities this year. I hope to see you at as many events as possible, including our next Padre Parent meeting scheduled for the evening of Thursday, May 15^th at 7:00 p.m. in the Library.

Until then….Go Padres!!!   ...Read More

We have experienced great success in local and state level competitions over the past few months, and we are proud of the academic performance of our students. I will not go over all the details in this article, as there is a comprehensive report on the Carmel High School website at www.carmelhigh.org.

A brief summary is as follows. Under the direction of CHS US History teacher Therese Strutner, CHS students swept nearly every category in the History Day competition. Under the direction of Biology teacher Colin Matheson, our students won many awards in the Monterey County Science Fair Competition. And most recently…our Robotics team came in 7^th out of 50 teams from all over the country in the State Robotics Competition in San Jose. As a result of that seed, our team was placed in the competition at UC Davis, where they ended up as the number 1 seed in the competition. They fell just short in the finals of reaching the national competition in Atlanta. This is an incredible performance for a second year Robotics team. Faculty advisors for the team include head coach Paul McFarlin, and assistants Tom Clifford and Colin Matheson.  Lastly, we are proud to announce that Carmel High School’s ASB just won the Outstanding Activities Award from the California Association of Student Leaders for their awesome student activities with Leigh Cambra as ASB Coordinator.  Check the website for details.

We are proud to announce that this year’s recipient of the Alan Griffin Award forExcellence in Teaching has been awarded to Science Department chair, Michael Guardino. This award is given annually by the Community Foundation of Monterey County, and is in recognition of instructional excellence and dedication in teaching. Those of you who know Mike know that his tireless efforts working with students are legendary. He is available before school, after school and here on most weekend days seeing students and adjusting and refining his curriculum. Our selection process involves input from all teachers on staff, and Mike was the overwhelming choice among his peers. Teachers often do not get the recognition that they deserve. Mike has been providing challenging and interesting lessons in Physics and Chemistry at all levels for many years at CHS. His students are well prepared for college, and often stop by to thank Mike for the rigor and relevance his classes provide. Well done Mike Guardino! We are proud of you.

Courses for the fall of the 2008/2009 school year are currently being selected by students. Our course catalog is on-line, and I encourage parents to read through the choices and be fully aware of the available opportunities. By signature, we know that parents see the student selections, but it is likely that most parents are not aware of the full venue of offerings. Check the catalog and contact your alpha-order counselor if you have any questions, or would like an opinion from the school about viable alternatives to courses your students have selected. New this fall will be Anatomy and Physiology, a life science course that has been taught at CHS in the past. We are still promoting AP (Advanced Placement) Technology, and encourage our tech-oriented students to look carefully at this opportunity.

Thanks to all of our parents who support the activities and events at Carmel High. Your involvement and support is critical to our success. Continue to pursue avenues to get involved, whether it is in athletics, academics, Padre Parents, Music Boosters or school-wide activities. We love to see you on campus. The year is flying by as they all seem to do. Know that we enjoy these young adults immensely, and continue to be enriched by their presence on a daily basis. I hope to see you on campus, and at as many events as you can schedule. Until then…..Go Padres!

  ...Read More

Carmel High is a school of 775 students with over 50 faculty members, situated just outside of the city limits of Carmel, California. Built in 1940, CHS is known for its lovely view of the Santa Lucia Mountains with a peek of Point Lobos and the Pacific Ocean.

The school has been extensively refurbished, largely due to the passage of two school bonds that provided upgrades to all schools within the Carmel Unified School District. The most recent bond, passed in 2005, is funding the building of a new theater and swimming pool, upgrading athletic facilities and adding permanent classrooms to replace the portables.

I am in my sixth year as principal at CHS after serving sixteen years as principal of Carmel Middle School. I am also a CHS alumnus. I am assisted by three full-time counselors and two assistant principals.

CHS has been a top performing public high school in Monterey County for several years. The API (Assessed Performance Index) from the last school year is 816. Over 95% of our students continue on to both junior college or four year colleges and universities. The average SAT scores from last year were 589 in Verbal and 615 in Math. That is considerably higher than the state average of 501 in Verbal and 519 in Math.

Carmel High offers a wide variety of Advanced Placement Courses ranging from AP Calculus and Statistics to AP Biology and Chemistry. Additional AP courses are offered in History, English, Foreign Language and Economics.

CHS is also known for its Instrumental and Choral Music programs where students have achieved state and national recognition. Several music students have received scholarships to such schools as the Berkeley School of Music in Boston, California Academy of the Arts and the University of Southern California.

We offer an outstanding range of electives, including popular classes in Dance, Photography, Graphic Design, Video Production, Industrial Arts, Fashion Design and Fine Art. Our Drama department puts on several plays every year. Vocational education is thriving too, with course offerings in Auto Shop, Wood Shop, Metal Shop, Welding and Jewelry Making.

In addition to academics and the arts, Carmel High offers over 25 competitive interscholastic teams for boys and girls to join. CHS is known for exceptional results in Track and Field, Cross Country, Swimming and Diving, Girl's Softball and Boy's Baseball, to name a few. Offerings include Girl's Field Hockey, La Crosse, Wrestling and all of the major sports typically seen in high school.

There is much to be proud of at Carmel High. As "Padres", we have a long tradition of excellence both on and off of the field. Plan to stop in and visit if the opportunity presents itself. We would love to hear from you. Until then—Go Padres!