O'Farrell Community School is a California charter middle school located in beautiful, sunny, San Diego. O’Farrell Community School strives to promote excellence in education by providing all middle school level students who attend O'Farrell Community School with a single, academically enriched curriculum within a multiethnic, technology advanced, student-centered environment. It is our mission to attend to the social, intellectual, psychological, and physical needs of middle school-level youth so they will become responsible, literate, thinking, and contributing citizens.
May 2009
May is a time to prepare for the close of the current school year and plan for the next school year. The month begins with state testing and visits from Dr. Jonathan Dean, O’Farrell’s new CEO. The month ends with a spring music concert and student exhibitions, which are a traditional school events at O’Farrell.
Hiring Food Service Workers
The Food Services Department of the school district is now hiring Food Service Substitute Workers. Call (858) 627-7320 for more information.
STAR Testing May 5-8
O’Farrell completed state testing, called STAR, during the week of May 4. Over 95% of our students were tested during that time period. Students who were absent last week will participate in make-up testing on Monday, May 11 and Tuesday, May 12. Parents can expect to see test results in late August.
New O’Farrell CEO to Visit Campus May 15 and 16
Byron King is retiring from the position of Chief Educational Officer on June 30, 2009. The Board of Directors of O’Farrell Community School has selected Dr. Jonathan Dean for the position of Chief Educational Officer, beginning July 1, 2009.
Dr. has been a school site administrator for the past seven years in the Bakersfield school district. He served was the principal of Fred L. Thompson Junior High School for five years. Last year he was nominated and awarded “Kern County’s Administrator of the Year.” Under Mr. Dean’s leadership, Thompson Junior High was named as an AVID National Demonstration School.
To prepare for his new position, Dr. Dean visited with students and staff for several days in April. He will be speaking at the O’Farrell’s Mother’s Day event on Friday, May 15. Parents and community members are also invited to attend a meeting with Dr. Dean on Saturday, May 16 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. in the school library. This will be a time for Dr. Dean to meet with parents to hear about what they need from O’Farrell to create a create life for their children.
Mom’s Day
O’Farrell’s annual Mom’s Day event will be held at 12:00 p.m. on Friday, May 15. Invitations will be sent out in the mail. Moms are invited to meet with their students to attend a brief assembly in the auditorium, get their pictures taken together and participate in projects. Parents must contact the school to make reservations.
Spring Music Concert
O’Farrell’s Spring Music Concert will be held at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 21 in the auditorium. Performances will include the chorus, band and orchestra involving students from sixth seventh and eighth grades.
Student Exhibitions
Student exhibitions are a spring tradition at O’Farrell. Exhibitions provide an opportunity for students to demonstrate their learning, to reflect upon their strengths and weaknesses, and to communicate their career goals. The grade eight students will be presenting formal exhibitions during the afternoon on Wednesday, May 20 and Wednesday, May 27. Students in grades six and seven will also be presenting informal exhibitions during the same month. An exhibition is an oral presentation in front of a panel of family, community members, teachers, and students. Parents and community members are invited to serve on exhibition panels. Contact the main office for more information.
Grade Eight Promotion Ceremony Requirements
The eighth grade promotion ceremony on Monday, June 15 in the school auditorium. There will be two ceremonies at 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. Students must meet five criteria to participate in promotion activities:
- They earn at least a “D” academic grade or higher in all classes.
- They earn at least satisfactory grades or higher in citizenship in all subjects.
- They are absent less than twenty days in the school year.
- Clear all library fines and return missing library books.
- They are not suspended from May 4 through June 12, 2009.
Open Admission Period for 2009-2010 School Year
O’Farrell is now accepting applications for the 2009-2010 school year for the sixth, seventh, and eighth grades. Students currently attending O’Farrell in the sixth and seventh grades are also required to complete a letter of intent if they plan to attend O'Farrell for the 2009-2010 school year. Because O’Farrell is a charter school, we can accept students from throughout San Diego and surrounding communities. O’Farrell will be hosting a special Open House on Thursday, February 12th, at 6:00 p.m., for parents who are considering enrolling their children at O’Farrell. Everyone is welcome to attend this event so that they may meet our teachers, take a tour of our campus, and find out more about O'Farrell’s programs. Our enrollment form is available to download to get your child enrolled for the next school year. For more information, contact Candy Austin at 619-263-3009, extension 2204.
Upcoming Important Events
Upcoming events for the rest of the year are listed in our Events Calendar.
