Boy, last year went by fast!! Personally, it was full of new challenges, interesting experiences, and periodic bumps in the road, but as they say, “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger!” With the current economic crisis, we need to keep this in mind. There have been many productive discussions with all stakeholders to ensure the academic experience your children receive at Culver City Middle School (CCMS) will remain top-notch. Even though there were cuts, our team will rally to sustain the progress we have achieved over the past seven years. As a re-designated “School-to-Watch,” we will continue to shine in the four components defined by the California Department of Education – Academic Excellence, Developmental Responsiveness, Social Equity, and Organizational Structures and Processes – and build a culture of continuous improvement by analyzing student assessment data and collaborating about effective teaching practices. We are thankful to be able to continue our well-rounded arts program that allows our students to grow academically through art, music, and technology. Partnerships with our community support our efforts and truly bring us together, especially ACME, Ballona Creek Renaissance, Riordan Plumbing, and Sony.

At CCMS, we celebrate our beautiful diversity – an experience that will enrich the lives of each and every child. We promote a peaceful, tolerant culture and empower and train our students with conflict resolution opportunities and strategies through our Peer Assistance Leaders (PALS) program. Parent involvement is encouraged and welcomed – our Panther Partners raised over $20,000 last year to support our after-school programs. In addition, we have a variety of new clubs at CCMS, including our Eco-Club, which runs our recycling program and Helping Hands Club which raised over $4000 during 24-Hour “Relay Against Cancer.”

Our teachers, staff, parents, community, and students make CCMS such a special place! Thank you for your support, and all you do as we continue our progress. CCMS is beyond a doubt, a wonderful place to learn and grow. Come and visit anytime! My door is always open!