School Profile 2020-2021
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2020-2021 School Profile CEEB School Code: 053378 200 North Michillinda Avenue, Sierra Madre, CA 91024 - www.alvernoheightsacademy.org (P) (626) 355-3463 - (F) (626) 355-3153 ACADEMIC PERSONNEL Julia Fanara, M.A., M.Ed., Head of School, (e: [email protected]) Sara McCarthy '05, M.Ed., Assistant Head of School, (e: [email protected]) Mission Statement Melissa Royal, M.Ed., Director of College Counseling, (e: [email protected]) Lisa Primero-Solano, M.Ed., Dean of Students, (e: [email protected]) To Empower Each Young Woman to Be Exactly the ABOUT ALVERNO Person She Wants to Be. Alverno Heights Academy (formerly Alverno High School) is an independent, progressive, Catholic college- preparatory day school for young women in grades 9-12. Founded in 1960 by the Sisters of St. Francis, Alverno has been sponsored by the Immaculate Heart Community since 1978. Beginning with the 2020-2021 school year, Alverno added a co-ed transitional kindergarten (TK) - 8th grade program, creating a lower school and upper school under the name Alverno Heights Academy. Both campuses are located on the historic 13-acre Barlow estate in Sierra Madre, California (with a population of 11,000). 100% ACCREDITATION & AFFILIATION College Acceptance A six year term of accreditation was awarded in March 2013 by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). In February 2020, our school participated in a WASC campus review to renew our accreditation; however, due to COVID-19 impacts, our accreditation term has been preliminary extended to June 2021. Alverno also holds affiliations with the following organizations : California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS) National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) Western Catholic Education Association (WCEA) National Catholic Education Association (NCEA) 12:1 National Coalition of Girls' Schools (NCGS) Student-Teacher Ratio National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) The College Board STUDENT BODY Asian/Pacific Islander 11% 6 Sports Class of 2024 24 Students Multi-Racial CIF Sports including 26% Class of 2023 42 Students Cross Country, Volleyball, Class of 2022 40 Students White Basketball, Soccer, Softball, 22% Class of 2021 38 Students and Track & Field African-American 0 10 20 30 40 50 2% Catholic Protestant Muslim Hispanic/Latino Declined to State 39% 100+ 0 25 50 75 100 125 Campus leadership positions Alverno Heights Academy values and admits qualified students across a wide range of faiths, cultures, socio- economic backgrounds, and learning styles. Our admission process is selective, with each student required to pass the HSPT or ISEE exam, interview, provide a self-evaluation, transcript, and academic references. We enroll approximately 145 students and there are currently 38 students in the Senior Class of 2021. Our students come from 75 feeder schools from Los Angeles County and the San Fernando and San Gabriel Valleys. We host 8 international students from China, 1 from South Korea, and 1 from Mexico. Approximately 65% of our student 10,000+ body receives some form of financial aid, and 27% of our students will be the first in their family to go off to Community service hours college. We celebrate diversity, and are proud that our campus community is made up of 78% students of color. Alverno Heights Academy School Profile THE FACULTY The upper school includes 18 teaching faculty and 100% of our faculty either hold a B.A. or B.S. Degree and/or Graduation a teaching credential; 95% hold advanced degrees or certifications. Requirements SIGNATURE PROGRAMS English: 40 Units Theology: 40 Units Math: 30 Units STEM THE ARTS Social Studies: 30 Units At Alverno Heights Academy, we believe every single Alverno is home to a breadth of talented artists who student can benefit from a strong foundation in STEM. express themselves with as much creativity as possible in Science: 30 Units The primary objective of this program at Alverno is to the classroom. Our Visual Arts courses focus on art history, World Languages: 20 Units equip and prepare students for the demands of these art critique, and the development of a personal aesthetic. Visual/Performing Arts: 10 Units growing fields beyond the classroom. Alverno girls are no Students are encouraged to create innovative and distinct strangers to independent research in science. Whether pieces of work that represent their personal design Physical Education: 10 Units in the classroom, as part of our Honors Independent aesthetics and creativity. Performing Art stages two Electives: 30 Units* Research in Science class, or doing science projects with performances each year, a play in the fall and a musical in Caltech mentors such as SEAL (Solar Energy Activity the spring, and includes ComedySportz. Through our Enrichment: 40 Units** Laboratory), iGEM (Synthetic Biology Research), Pulsar courses and productions, our students develop multiple Total: 280 Units Search Collaboratory (Astrophysics Research), Summer skills including critical analysis and character development Research at Caltech, the Community Science Academy at while being introduced to the history of performance. *Electives include advanced study in science, Caltech; students have numerous opportunities to Musicians find a home at Alverno in Alverno Singers or our math, world language, social studies, explore their scientific interests in class. Instrumental/Musical Theatre Ensemble. English, and visual/performing arts. **Enrichment is a breadth of courses in the arts, GOVERNMENT FAITH & SERVICE science, math, humanities, and physical education. In a time when communities and corporations are Alverno welcomes all students—no matter what A complete list of course offerings calling for ethical, intelligent, and creative leaders, faith tradition. Our Campus Ministry and Christian may be found at Alverno believes treating each woman as a leader is Service programs provide students the opportunity alvernoheightsacademy.org. more important than ever. Through a unique student to experience their faith through prayer, liturgy, government program, modeled after the U.S. retreats, and a strong community service program government, students experience leadership through that includes local, national, and international collaboration and engagement. This model gives partnerships. By the time a young woman graduates students the opportunity to impact change through from Alverno, she has contributed at least 140 hours bill and resolution writing, constitutional review, and of service to the local community; however, the everyday decision making. Using their voices and Grading Scale majority of Alverno students complete far more. leadership skills, our young women are helping to build The grading scale goes from "A" to Alverno’s legacy today as they prepare to have a Young women leave Alverno with a strong sense of "F" with standard plus (+) and meaningful impact on the world tomorrow. compassion, spirit and the desire to make the world a better place. minus (-) designations. A student’s grade point average CURRICULUM (GPA) is calculated weighted and Alverno’s rigorous college preparatory prepares our young women for admission into the most selective unweighted on the transcript colleges and universities around the country. Our curriculum requires students to take 7 academic courses using a 4.0 scale. We expect (including one Theology course) each semester during their four years of study and complete 280 credits to students to be competitive with receive a diploma. Alverno’s graduation requirements meet or exceed the University of California minimum themselves, not with each other; subject requirements (A-G list) for freshman admission. Currently, more than 60 of our classes are UC- and therefore, we do not rank certified. As an affiliate member of FuelEd, Acellus, and Brigham Young University, Alverno offers students a students. Advanced Placement number of courses not available on campus, ranging from AP Psychology to Japanese. and Honors are weighted with an All courses required for graduation must be passed with a grade of “C-” or better. Students who receive less extra 1 point bump. Passing than a C- in a core subject must repeat the subject through summer school to make up the equivalent units in grades are A through C-. an approved course. If a student earns a “D” or “F”, that grade will remain on the transcript. When a student Grading scale: completes summer school or another credit recovery option, that grade will be included on the transcript in A=4, A-=3.7, the semester in which it was earned. A repeated course’s new grade is then calculated into the overall GPA. B+=3.3, B=3.0, B-=2.7, C+=2.3, C=2.0, C-=1.7, The 2020-2021 curriculum is exclusively college preparatory, including 9 honors courses, and 18 Advanced Placement courses. Students are limited to taking a total of 4 Honors or AP courses in an academic year. In D+=1.3, D=1.0, D-=0.7, addition, all departments emphasize extensive writing, public speaking, analytical reading, active class F=0. participation, and mastery of technology. Alverno Heights Academy School Profile 20-21 HONORS COURSES 48.5% 51.5% Honors courses are available to students in subjects where Advanced Placement course options are not available. They are subject to admission/pre-requisite requirements and department approval. These include: 51% Algebra II/Trigonometry Physics Spanish II English 9 Pre-Calculus Spanish III Percentage of students Geometry Research in Science World Literature enrolled in an AP or Honors course for the 2020-2021 20-21 ADVANCED PLACEMENT COURSES school year Advanced Placement (AP) course options are offered to students in 10th-12th grades. All students must sit for the AP exam in May. They are subject to admission/pre-requisite requirements and department approval. These include: Biology English Literature Studio Art: Drawing Calculus AB Environmental Science Studio Art: 2-D Design 3 Courses Calculus BC Macroeconomics (FuelEd) U.S. Government & Politics Average number of AP/Honors Chemistry (Johns Hopkins) Microeconomics (FuelEd) U.S. History courses taken by AP/Honors Comparative Government & Mandarin (One Schoolhouse) World History Politics Psychology (Acellus) students per year.