Livermore High School

 

Livermore High School has a long tradition of providing quality education for the students of the Livermore area. This year is especially significant for us as it marks our 125th year anniversary. The LHS family of students, parents, teachers, staff, administrators and community members is resolute in its commitment to educating our individual students while strengthening the close-knit community ties that make Livermore a welcoming and supportive place to live. Enjoying this proud history in the Livermore Valley, LHS has held on to programs and practices that have proven to serve our students well. At the same time, we continuously research innovative methods and develop partnerships to help prepare our increasingly diverse student population for postsecondary education and the social, economic and technological demands of life in the 21st century. We are one of the few high schools in Alameda County that has always had an active agriculture program. For the past 50 years we have also been in the unique position of having two Department of Energy research laboratories in our community as partners in bringing cutting-edge math, engineering and science concepts to our classrooms. With the goal of serving the needs of all our students, our top priority has been improving student achievement. A visit to our campus on a typical school day would reveal students working out math problems in groups or using whiteboards. Students are also are exposed to using technology for everyday learning using Google Chromebooks or iPads. One could also see students conducting physics experiments from the top of a stairwell, listening to guest speakers from business and technical leaders, reciting poetry in the amphitheater, repairing automobiles or playing soccer out on the fields. Standing in the center of the quad, you would be treated to beautiful sounds floating from the open windows of the school’s music building and savory scents of dishes being prepared in our culinary classes. A visit to classrooms would reveal students and teachers engrossed in science experiments; using 3-D printers to build models; taking part in video production, floriculture projects, and computer-aided design. This rich assortment of courses is a reflection of our commitment to ensure all students find a bridge to academic engagement and personal success. Our highly qualified teachers implement instructional strategies that support the California Common Core State Standards and include intensive standards-based skills instruction and targeted intervention and remediation. The school year consists of three trimesters that are 12 weeks in duration. The daily schedule (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday) involves a five-period day in which classes are 70 minutes in length. Wednesday is a shorter day with classes that are 55 minutes long. This allows 70 minutes at the end of the day on Wednesdays for teacher collaboration. We believe the trimester system provides our students more course opportunities, the ability to meet with their instructors on a daily basis, better use of instructional time, and provides an opportunity for teacher collaboration. We believe common pacing and common assessments that align to the Common Core State Standards will lead to increased student achievement. As we move forward, we will continue to build the inclusive culture of support required to move students to mastery of 21st century skills of communication, collaboration, critical thinking, creativity and citizenship. Our students will have a lifelong love of learning and will actively engage in becoming socially responsible within their communities.