LOWER LAKE, Calif. – Last week David De Arcos, the chairman for Carlé's Western Association of Schools and Colleges accreditation committee, visited our school for the first time.

De Arcos and two others will be coming for our formal accreditation evaluation March 7 through 9, 2016.

“To focus on learning, the previous team came March 22 to 24, 2010, for the same reason, basically to evaluate and validate the integrity of the Carlé school program,” he said. We will be looking at all aspects of the school community. The school will be going through its self study and our team will be looking over the results of that study. Part of the visit will include talking to students, parents and staff as well as the superintendent and the Konocti School Board.”

He added, “A key part of the decision will include how many years of accreditation, with six years being ideal with a one- or two-day review on year three. After the third day of the visit we will give an oral report. The school will receive a draft copy of our final evaluation, and our recommendations will go on to the state. In terms of my background, I am a retired educator of 32 years who started as a teacher then on to administration at McClellan High School as a principal and this school shares a lot of similarities. The purpose of this first visit is to meet student and staff and get everything set up for next spring.”

On Oct. 30, the second grading period will be ending and students will find out their grades at what is the one third point of the school year.

Carlé would like to congratulate Angela Acosta and Martin Ceja on receiving student of the week.

The end of the second grade period is also the end of our student art mug contest, sponsored by the media classes and student based enterprise. We made many beautiful mugs with students helping students to produce them.

The many media designers are currently creating unique and individualized bookmarks for every person on the Carlé campus.

The students also decided to make sure all those attending Blue Heron would be receiving thoughtful gifts as well.

The end of the grading period also brings sustainability awards with the new report cards. We observed that some of our students did really well one grading period but then often would struggle to achieve the same level or higher the next grading period.

The media classes and staff created and promote “sustainability awards,” where students are rewarded a series of free items from our business if they hold their levels or better them each time after the first grade period. Once again students sit down with students to make special gifts after the end of each grading period.

The Sharp program will be returning to Carlé High School on Nov. 3 and 4. The program will be gender separated and there will be a male and female instructor.

The targeted age for the program is 12 to 18 and the purpose of the program is to teach teens about healthy and unhealthy relationships.

The program is actually an acronym it stands for “Sexual Health and Adolescent Risk Prevention.” The program targets continuation schools and “at risk kids” to try and help them.

Jonathan Killops and Julian Robey will be teaching the program. The program is two hours a day, and whoever attends will be receive credit.

Carol Ellis and the Vallejo high school class of 1964 have donated many jackets and warm clothes to the students at Carlé because of the Valley fire and overall need in our community. Carlé High School thanks them for their thoughtfulness and generous donations.

Doyle Conatser is a student at Carlé Continuation High School in Lower Lake, Calif.