September 16, 2009

Dear Lawndale High Families,

With the dust of our new school year settling, I am writing to introduce myself as your new principal, and to update our families about some of the upcoming events related to our campus and school community.

  I am joining the students and staff after serving for four years as the principal of La Canada High School in the San Gabriel Valley. Prior to that I served as the principal of Sunny Hills High School in Fullerton for four years. I am excited to be a Cardinal and strongly believe in the value of success for students and the need for our school to support the students in their quest for a future with no limits. Our campus is seeing the completion of the Emergency Repair Program (ERP) work that brought critical updates to our infrastructure including heating, plumbing electrical and other safety items, and will be moving on to address similar needs at our sister school Hawthorne High in the near future. 

The campus community enjoyed many accolades last year, the most outstanding of which was the naming of Lawndale as a California Distinguished School. This year we look to continue this tradition of success for our students as we complete our Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) Self Study and Accreditation processes. These important milestones ensure that our students have an education and diploma that will serve them well as they pursue dreams and aspirations into college and careers beyond LHS.

  Our first full campus activity will take place next week on Tuesday the 22^nd as we host our annual Back to School Night. This event will begin at 6PM in our Gymnasium, and will allow parents a chance to visit students’ classrooms, see the recent work completed on campus including our new cafeteria, and even sample a bit of the new menu offerings available to students. I have included a schedule guide with this letter that I encourage you to complete with your student before Back to School Night. I hope that every family will attend this opportunity to witness the success and strengths of Lawndale High School.

  Finally, we offer a warm welcome to our new 9^th grade students and their families, along with a hearty welcome back to our returning students and families. Please take the opportunity to join us for the many events, athletic contests, PTSA meetings and other important activities to become an active member of the Lawndale High School community.

 GO CARDINALS!

Dr. Damon Dragos

Principal