A Message From The Principal
Welcome to Whittier High Schools website!
As the first alumni principal of Whittier High School, I am proud to introduce you to our school! Please check out our entire website to get a good picture of our student body, our school programs, our activities and services, and our school personnel.
As a faculty and staff, we are committed to the ongoing process of school improvement. We are very proud of our students academic success over the past several years, including an increase of over 230 points in our API (Academic Performance Index) scores, 99% of our graduates passing the CAHSEE each year, significant percentage increase of our students prepared to enter a four-year university or college, last years seniors receiving close to a million dollars of scholarships to attend the colleges of their choice, and the highest percentage graduation rate in our schools history.
We are continuing to develop and implement new programs and instructional approaches for our students. Our teachers are diligently working together, developing and improving common assessments, and analyzing student learning data to increase utilization of the most effective teaching strategies. We have developed a block schedule that has embedded a mandatory tutorial time for every period to support those students, who despite our efforts, continue to struggle. WHS is the recipient of a 21st Century grant of $250,000 every year for five years to provide tutoring and enrichment programs, before and after school, that will support and augment our ongoing programs and services. We have also developed a new Cardinal Advanced Placement Program (CAPP) where we invite 6th 8th grade students from our partner middle schools to work along side our AP students and teachers in after school enrichment courses. This program extends throughout the students high school experience, providing academic support and opportunities for those students who are dedicated to achieve the highest level of academic success.
WHS is also very proud of our school spirit and our positive school culture. Whittier High School teachers and staff are committed to building positive relationships with our students and our WHS families. We are committed to providing a safe and secure environment for students, where they are encouraged to participate in a wide variety of leadership and extracurricular opportunities. We have 22 successful athletic teams, over 30 clubs and organizations, an excellent Band and Cheer team, an outstanding Drama and Dance program, Senator / Link Crew of over 150 upper class student mentors, and an ASB (Associated Student Body) team that provides amazing school leadership on our campus. We know that students who are actively involved in high school are more academically successful and have greater love and appreciation for their high school education.
Whittier High Schools campus is second to none. We have an Olympic size pool, a beautiful Auditorium with a seating capacity of 2,500, an enormous Library with increasing state of the art technical capabilities, a Bob Chandler Sports Complex with a triple court gymnasium, a small Black Box Theatre, as well as completely re-modernized classrooms and cafeteria. Whittier High School is an historical landmark in the city of Whittier and we are proud of our rich history and the legacy of success of our students.
We realize that Whittier High School is an important part of the Whittier community. Our students are involved in numerous community programs, including food drives, gift baskets to needy families, volunteer jobs, art and music performances, as well as participation in the Whittier Chamber of Commerce. We have built a close relationship with Whittier College and Rio Hondo Community College, whereby our students benefit from a variety of enrichment opportunities. We also have a very active and successful Alumni Association that provides financial support that greatly benefits our school facilities and our students. We greatly appreciate the support from our community. We invite you to come to our school, see our programs, and enjoy the good things are students are doing!
Please feel free to contact my office at (562) 698 8121 extension 2000, if you have any questions or need assistance.
Sincerely,
Lori Eshilian
