Setting&Context

by

NickSawyers

Culture&communitycontext
ThecultureatCentaurusHighSchoolisverydiverse,alongwithitsstudents.Theschooliswell
representedbyavarietyofsocioeconomicstatus,ethnicbackgroundsandreflectsthecommunity
ofLafayette.Withaverybluecollarfeeltotheschool,itsstudentsandthecommunitythey
represent,thestudentsbringthisworkethicandcultureinsidetheclassroom.
Thecultureinsidetheschoolremindsmeofmysmallhometownschoolwhereeveryoneknows
eachotherandassociateswithoneanother.ThetownofLafayetteisalsoaverytightknit
communitywhereeveryoneisgenuinelynicetooneanother.

ExistingSupport
Theexistingsupportstructurefortheschool,itsclubsandactivitiesisstrong.Startingwiththe
communitysupporttheschoolhasasystemsetupwhereparentscomeinatthestartoftheyear
andhaveameetandgreetwiththeCentaurusstaff.Parentsareencouragedtoaskquestionsor
seekclarificationinareaswheretheymightbeunfamiliar.Thissupportisreturnedwhen
volunteersareaskedforduringfundraisers,suchasanFCCLApancakebreakfast.
Parentsarealsocommonlybroughtintodiscusstheprogressoftheirchildiftheyareona504or
anIEP(Individualeducationplan).Parentsarealsoengagedthroughthankyoucardsiftheir
childhasmodeledpositivebehavioraroundtheCentauruscommunity.
VolunteersarealsoacommonaspectofthesupportsystemCentaurushasarounditsculture.
EarlyduringthesemesterIhavealreadyseenmultiplevolunteerscomeintothebuildingtogive
speeches,donatetheirtimeandresourcestoacommunityprojectordiscussapotential
scholarshipopportunityforstudents.

Demographicsofschool
CentaurusisaPreEngineeringAcademyandInternationalBaccalaureateWorldSchoolwitha
populationofjustover1,000studentsofmultiplebackgrounds.Thestudentteacherratiois
16.91thefundedheadcountis1061,Freelunch247(24.4%),Reducedlunch34(34%)the
femalestudentpopulationis485(47.9%),malepopulation528(52.1%)Caucasian642(63.4%),
Hispanic279(27.5%),Multiracial44(4.3%)92studentsareEnglishLanguagelearners
(9.1%),121areSpecialEducation(11.9%),38areon504(3.8%),152studentsareTAG(15%).
ThiscreatesacultureandcommunityofstudentswithmixedSES,ethnicbackgroundsand
individualchallengesinsideandoutoftheclassroom.Centaurusdoesanexceptionaljobof
fosteringalearningcommunitythatislargeenoughtoofferawidevarietyofcoursesand
programs,yetsmallenoughtoprovideindividualacademicguidanceandassistance.

Classroomenvironment&students
TheclassroomenvironmentandthestudentsIdecidedtodomyunitonisamixof23students
fromallclassesfromfreshmantosenior,withstudentsthathaveavarietyofextracurricular
activitiesandhobbiesoutsideoftheclassroom.Thereisagroupofstudentswhoareinvolvedin
sports,anotherwhoisheavilyinvolvedwiththeirchurch,andagroupofstudentswhoa
currentlyrecordingarapalbumandgettingreadyforconcerts.
Fortheclassbeingthe8thperiodoftheday,thestudentsarehighlyenergeticandsurprisingly
focused.Someofthiscanbecreditedtotheenergeticandlighthumoredteachingstylebrought
tothetopicsbeingpresented,aswellas,therelevanceofthetopicsbeingtaughttothestudents

everydaylives.Thestudentsseemtofeedoffthelightbannerexchangedbetweenmyself,the
cooperatingteacherandoccasionallythestudentsthemselves.

Schoolwideandclassroompolicies
Theschoolwideandclassroompoliciespertainingmanagement,safeschools,conflictresolution
andstudentswithspecialneedsstartswiththeschoolpolicyforallteachersofstudentswitha
504orIEPattendamonthlymeetingwiththatstudentsparents,counselorsandotherteachers
workingwiththatstudent.Thisteamthenreviewsthestudentsprogressandgoalsforthenext
meeting,aswellas,aplanonhowtheywillgettheirandassesstheprogress.
Teachersareencouragedtoconducttheirclassroominarespectfulmannerthatprovidesthe
opportunityforallstudentsofmultiplebackgroundsthechanceforsuccess.Thisisprovided
throughaccommodationsandmodificationsofclassroommaterial,thedeliveryofinformation
andindividualsuccesslabsforstrugglingstudents.
Centaurushasaninternalsupportsystemofcounselorsandpoliceofficersthatprovidestudents
theopportunitytoreachoutforassistanceintheacademicrealmorwithpersonalproblems.This
supportsystemisalsoavailabletoteacherswhoneedassistancewithconflictresolutionor
creatingasafecultureinsidetheclassroom.