Mr. Chang's Blog

THINGS I WOULD DO IF I HAD A TIME MACHINE

2006-02-15T00:57:00.000-08:00

What would you do if you had a time machine? (As inspired by my brother's blog)

1. Invest in the stock market

2. Wow cavemen with matchsticks and baked goods

3. Prevent the invention of box cutters

4. Perform Johnny B. Goode at the Enchantment Under the Sea dance

Please add comments...

What others are thinking about our school...

2006-02-13T06:00:00.000-08:00

Second semester is already 3 weeks over and some major changes have been made. Starting today, every student will receive one of the electives of their choice. The detention policy has been slightly modified. And of course, students have been going to advisory. (Many students have already come up to me to tell me that advisory is cool.) So, this is a great time to reflect about how our students are maturing as students and leaders.

Let me start with the positives... It's great to see how so many students have focusing their energy to not messing up second semester academically. (While it's still early on, GPA's are higher than they were at this point first semester. Let's keep working hard to move the grades up!) And of course... last Friday, it was inspiring to see ASB put together such a successful school dance for their peers.

And there are even the little things. One student walked a fellow student who had to leave the school dance early through the dark from Broadway's auditorium back to our school. Another student who lost his temper during a situation stopped to relax and reflect. Even another returned a stolen item to a fellow classmate. All these little things also matter!

As many of you may have noticed, we've been getting a lot of visitors on our campus. There are a lot of people who are interested in what is going on at our school and I'm always so proud to show off our students to people who visit our campus, it's literally one of my greatest joys as a principal.

However, lately, I've also noticed some troubling trends that's giving our school a bad rap. There's been graffiti on school property, students are leaving their shirts untucked and messy, there is gum and trash all over the place (especially after lunch), couples are acting inappropriately on campus, etc.

Students... always remember that you are being watched. Parents are watching, community members are watching, other schools including Broadway Elementary are watching, LAUSD is watching.... we are constantly being judged! When visitors come to our school and hear cussing, see students making-out, notice half-eaten sandwiches on the floors, they leave thinking bad things about our students.

Always remember... it is about perception. You way people SEE you influences the way people TREAT you. Don't ever forget that. So, let's all be more conscious about how we are acting and how we are treating our school. Each of you play a vital role. Everyone DOES MATTER. When one person decides to pick up a piece of trash after lunch that does not belong to them, other people notice. When one person decides to stop before entering the classroom to fix their shirts, people notice. When one person decides to check their friends about cussing on campus, people notice. Each of you needs to think about this... what will your contribution be to our school... HOW WILL YOU MATTER?

Rising Gas Prices

2005-09-06T07:06:00.000-07:00

With rising gas prices, some people are going to the extreme...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050905/ap_on_fe_st/horse_commute

That was awesome!

2005-08-24T20:03:00.000-07:00

Once again... way to step up Animo Venice! Yesterday afternoon, nearly 150 Animo Venice parents, students, and staff arrived at LAUSD's board meeting to witness a vote of confidence for our school. The vote of 5 yes's and 1 abstain allows Animo Venice to proceed with Phase I of the construction project. The final construction will create a 2-story building, housing the eventual 560-580 students that will make up Animo Venice's 9th-12th grades.

Thanks again to all the parents who took time out of their busy schedules to come downtown on a Tuesday afternoon. Thanks to all the staff and students (Shouts out to Katherine, Jennifer,and Yazmin) who helped organize the event and called family after family. And, of course, thanks to all the students who showed that they care enough for our school to act responsibly and maturely during the entire proceeding. I am so proud of 95% of you!

(Yes, there is still that 5% of you that need to grow up soon because your actions could have ruined it all for us. Acting a fool only proves to those around you that they should not expect much from you and before you know it, your opportunities will be LONG GONE.)

Also, shout outs to Mr. Tuck, Mr. Romotsky, Ms. Martinez, Ms. Talbert, and KAYA for speaking... that is definitely not a fun experience....8)

Lastly, shout out to Dan Chang for all the hard work he put in to ensure that the board made an informed vote.

Inner Tubing Pic

2005-07-27T14:19:00.000-07:00

The river that nearly ate up Bao Wao....

Inner Tubing

2005-07-24T22:07:00.000-07:00

The ongoing epic of my dear friend, Bao Wao...
(Names have been changed to conceal identity)

In the not-so-distant past....

It was supposed to be a lazy day down the Kern River with good friends, nice sun, cold drinks. My good friend, Bao Wao, prepared for his journey down the 'mighty' Kern by filling his cooler with 9 'cold ones', putting on his new forest-green Oakley sunglasses, inflating his "River Rat" inner-tube, strapping on his sandals & life-vest, and prepared mentally for a relaxing day. The bus took us up the river to the dropping-off point approximately 10 minutes from camp. From there, the plan was to coast down the river to our campus site, a 30-minute journey of bliss and gratification.

Daddy Foster, Pattyballer and I hopped into the river first with our inner-tubes, followed by other excited patrons. Bao Wao took alittle bit longer to get into the 'Rio Grande' for reasons that I'm still unclear about but I would hypothesize it had something to do with his inability to stay afloat. Anyhow, Bao Wao was soon out-of-sight from me, Daddy Foster, and Pattyballer. I opened up my cooler and started sharing brew with those around me, popping open a few cans myself. The river was swifter than last year, with a few tricky rapids, but nothing that would increase one's heart rate one bit.

The 30 minutes passed quickly and as we approached our camp sight, we started paddling towards the edge of the river in preparation to disembark. Daddy Foster jumped out first, Pattyballer and I soon followed, but there was no signs of Bao Wao. We climbed out of the water with all our possessions, dragged them up a small incline, and checked up the river for our dear friend. Not seeing anything, I just figured he must have gotten up further up the river so I started following Daddy Foster towards our camp site. All of a sudden, I heard Pattyballer yell and a crowd of people (fathers, mothers, frightened children) pointing at a certain individual, still floating in the middle of the river, towards the point of no return. It was Bao Wao, unsure where he was, trying desperately trying to figure out Pattyballer's instructions. He realized then that the lazy river of his mind was actually a furious monster waiting to gooble up another life.

"Paddle towards the side! Use your arms! Hurry!" screamed Pattyballer. I dropped my equipment, ran down the side of the river, and witnessed in amazement as Bao Wao flailed his arm in an useless attempt to move towards the side of the river. A couple of humanitarians, also watching this whole fiasco, grabbed a rope and followed me and Pattyballer down the side of the river. Our vision of the river was soon obstructed by trees and nasty bushes. "Bao Wao! Bao Wao! Where are you???" No response. "Bao Wao! Where the f*** are you?" we screamed with increasing nerviousness. Still no response. "Bao Wao!!!" Finally... we hear his voice from behind some brush. The amigos took their rope and stormed through the bushes, cutting themselves as they scrambled to find Bao Wao. Pattyballer and I waited in anticipation. Soon enough, Bao Wao emerged from the brush, holding on to the rope... wide-eyed and silent. Pattyballer and I commenced into a worried and tense laughter. We stared at Bao Wao, still holding on to that rope, scraped up on his face, arms, chest, legs, and feet. His hand was numb as a result of a grabbing to some sort of possibly poisonous plant, desperately clutching for his life. He was without his inner-tube, his sunglasses, his sandals, and his cooler and NINE 'COLD ONES'. I asked, "Where's the beer?" He did not respond. I asked, "Where's the inner-tube?" He did not respond again. "Where's your....???" He had lost all his material possessions in his battle against the 'mighty' Kern, but escaped with his life and most importantly, a new-found wisdom about his opponent.

Mi viaje al Oaxaca

2005-07-18T00:13:00.000-07:00

Here's my stab at espanol-

Fui a Oaxaca por dos semanas para aprender espanol y relajar. Vivimos en la casa de una familia en El Centrol. Diario Patty y yo ibamos a la escuela por 4 horas. Despues de la escuela, comiamos en el zocolo y pasabamos tiempo en la ciudad. Nosotros ibamos de compras, mirabamos peliculas, tomabamos bebidas, conociamos amigos, y paseabamos en los mercados. Era bueno viajar lejos de California por algunas semanas. Patty y yo amamos Oaxaca. Asombrosamente, vi a ex-estudiante. El vive en Oaxaca ahora con su tio. Desafortunadamente, era hora de regresar a la casa y mi trabjao.

El mas grande Al Pastor en el mundo.

Thefts & Tagging

2005-06-17T06:37:00.000-07:00

To Students of Ánimo Venice Charter High School:

As many of you know, there has been a series of unfortunate thefts and taggings at our school. Computers have been stolen from Mr. Carr’s, Mr. Bear’s, and Mr. Hsu’s classrooms. Graffiti has been found in the bathrooms, on the ramps, on the outdoor tables, and throughout the classrooms. Because of the actions of a few students, the rest of the school is now paying a price with restrictions on computer usage, limited access to restrooms, and a feeling of frustration. It is aggravating to know that a few select students are ruining the privileges of the rest of the student body.

This is not the school I want… This is not the school most of us want. Animo Venice needs to be a place where every student can be trusted and where every individual plays a role in ensuring that our school’s property is kept clean and safe. Our school’s money should NOT be used to replace stolen or damaged property, but to buy new things for all of us to share.

That brings me to the most important topic of all… How do we create a place where everyone takes responsibility for our school? I believe the answer lies within each individual student. An individual must first have the desire to be part of this family, they must want to belong. Those that have stolen from our school and those that have damaged our school’s property must obviously feel that this is not home. No one steals from themselves and no one steals from people they care about. It is obvious that an individual who steals a lap top computer filled with their peer’s technology project cares not about how their actions affect the people around them. It is obvious that an individual who tags all over walls and tables cares not about damaging and destroying the material items that we all share.

To those students who have been guilty of such actions, you must reflect about whether or not this is where you want to belong. If you do want to belong, why is it that you feel the need to ruin it for the rest of us? For those that are not guilty but have knowledge of such incidents, ask yourself if you want these types of incidents to continue. If not, what is your role in preventing these things from happening?

I think part of the answer lies in the issue of “telling on each other.” Everyone talks how they don’t want to “snitch,” about how it is a code of honor. However, in my opinion, I find those that believe that way to be exactly the opposite… dishonorable and weak. It takes guts to stand out for the right thing. It is not easy to face a peer and say that they are messing up and I am not going to let you ruin it for everyone else. When that one person finally steps up and says enough is enough, so will another and another and another. Sooner than later, we will have a school of individuals who are unwilling to tolerate acts of dishonesty and stupidity from their peers.

Just the other day, I witnessed two students reprimand one of their peers for their immature actions in his classroom. He was sent out to the office because of his continual childishness and lack of respect. The two students had the guts to say to him what the rest of us feel… that stupid actions are going to get you nowhere. If the rest of us have that same spirit, that same “Ánimo,” things can change quickly and dramatically.

As we grow as a school, it is going to take everyone one of us to make a difference. We can no longer just stand around and hope things change. We must take ownership and responsibility… that is what being a leader is all about… and that is what “Ánimo” is all about.

So therefore, please think about it… I would like everyone write their opinions down and either place your ideas on your blog or e-mail it to Mr. Chang or Mr. Hsu. If you have any information that you would like to share with us, please do so.

Compton High Graduation

2005-06-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

What an exciting day... Yesterday, I attended Compton High School's Class of 2005's graduation. I had taught so many of those students as freshmen and it was exhilirating to see so many of them finally graduate and on their way to 4-year universities. It reminds me why I got into this job in the first place.

However, throughout the afternoon, I kept thinking about our students at Animo Venice. Will I also see them all graduate 3 years from now? What is it going to take to see each and everyone reach that final destination?

2005-04-17T18:16:00.000-07:00

Check out this story I found on YAHOO

Apparently, this male chimp named Charlie that lives in this South African zoo is picking up cigarettes thrown to him by visitors and smoking them. He even hides the cigarettes when zoo staff approaches him.

There's a morale to this story but I'll keep it to myself for now.

"Monkey see... Monkey do..."

Sushi

2005-04-15T23:45:00.000-07:00

So tonight, a few friends came over to the Westside for dinner. Being exhausted, I didn't want to drive too far so I found this small Japanese restaurant on the Internet that happened to be down the street from my place. It was literally only a 2-3 minute drive.

So, when we got there and got seated.... I was shocked to discover who was sitting next to us.

Kevin Nash, Dallas Diamond Page, and Stone Cold Steve Austin!

They were grubbing on sushi and were masterful with the chopsticks. I even overheard Steve Austin ask the waitress, "Is this toro?" LOL!

I must admit that I was pathetically giddy... I even bought them a beer and shook their hands before we left. And of course, I called all the buddies to tell them who we just met....

A Cool Friday

2005-04-15T18:03:00.000-07:00

What a cool Friday at school...

Mr. Steve Barr spoke to all the students in Mr. Carr's class.

Students presented their biography Powerpoint presentations in Ms. Cutler's class.

Jeremy Jacquot, UCLA senior, guest-spoke about his research experiences in Ms. Long's class.

Students completed their community websites in Mr. Hsu's class.

Protest

2005-03-16T00:20:00.000-08:00

This whole thing about protest really got me thinking...

I believe that students have a right to voice their opininon. But the big challenge is to determine what is the most effective method of protest and what methods are just ineffective.

I think there are always important questions to consider about the action of protesting.

What greater goals did one hope to accomplish in their protest?
What are the consequences if the protest are ineffective?

Never giving up!

2005-03-10T23:02:00.000-08:00

Despite all the hard work, the patience, the desire... I have failed as a leader to create a school community which respects and cares for each other like a family. I wish I could just snap my fingers like a genie and make everyone get along but obviously I can't. While I sometimes get frustrated and tired, I know that giving up is not an option.

We must continue to persist... to try to build that ideal school where every individual takes the time and effort to listen to each other, to truly understand each other's viewpoints, and sometimes, to "agree to disagree." I think as leaders, all of us (teachers, students, parents, administrators) must agree to never allow misunderstandings get in the way of our ultimate goal of seeing each of our students graduate and move on to a 4-year university. To do that... it's going to take not only hard work from each individual but the willingness to help each other down the difficult road ahead.

What I saw very clearly today is a group of extremely passionate young adults. While our Animo Venice students still have much maturing to do, they are a passionate bunch who stand up for their beliefs and who stand up for each other. I think the students experienced an important lesson in leadership: it takes an unique individual who is willing to take the responsibility for the well-being of others. (I commend Kaya, Val, Tiler, and Alicia today for being the brave ones to take on that responsibility.) While many of you may have disagreed with what they have to say, you must recognize the fact that it takes guts to stand in front of 140 pairs of eyes and share your deepest convictions. For that, each of them will always have my utmost respect and support.

I hope each Animo Venice student reflects about what happened this week. I commend students for standing up for their beliefs. I commend students for having the maturity to talk things through with each other despite their anger. I commend students for displaying the strength of character. I commend students for caring about each other enough to say sorry when necessary. I commend students for taking a risk to get hurt emotionally. And I commend students for their willingness to try again.

I wish that each of us learn to appreciate the unique school that we have. We truly have a diverse group of individuals that have so much to learn from each other... we better learn not to "rip each other's heads off" before that happens.

Lastly, I don't regret what happened today. I learned what a special place Animo Venice is, that despite the pains, we are truly growing like a family. I can guarantee that in a few years, we will truly learn what it means to have "each others' back."

Bubba

2005-03-03T19:58:00.000-08:00

For those that haven't read this story....

A 22-lb. lobster named Bubba, pulled from the waters off Nantucket, MA and shipped to a Pittsburgh fish market, has passed away after being shipped to the zoo. Bubba died in a quarantine area of the zoo's aquarium.

A group calling itself "People For Eating Tasty Animals" reportedly offered $350 ($15 per lb.) for the lobster.

I vote for Bubba to be prepared with ginger and scallions. That's always the best way to cook this crustacean. Yummy!

Associated Press

A Leader

2005-02-09T22:10:00.000-08:00

A leader is a person who does not only have a vision but has a plan to fulfill his/her vision. A leader must be able to inspire and/or motivate others to work towards that vision and work beyond their normal capacity to reach desired goals. Of course, leaders can have either a positive or negative impact on society. For example, Martin Luther King was a leader but so was Adolf Hitler. In our immediate community, a teacher can be a leader but so can the local drug boss. I truly believe not most people want to be a leader in one fashion or another. However, the type of leadership one would like to display is ultimately what is up for discussion.

I take the responsibility of being a leader very seriously. I desire to be a model for the students at Animo Venice and I hope to share my leadership tenets to each and every student. I think it starts with compassion.... and the sense that we are all responsible for each other, a truly a very Buddhist ideal. I can truly say that each student matters... that I possess a sense of responsiblity in seeing each of our teenagers grow up to be a decent human being, to be a responsible citizen, to be an educated individual who has the tools to impact the world around them. As the Dalai Lami stated, "Today, more than ever before, life must be characterized by a sense of universal responsibility, nation to nation and human to human."

Student Recruiting

2005-02-05T22:58:00.000-08:00

It's time to start recruiting students for next school year. Check out these flyers... we got 5000 of them printed for only $200. What a killer deal!

www.wetinkprinting.com

I tried to use a picture with our boys but in every picture I have of our male students, they are always trying to look hard. I keep telling them, "JUST SMILE FOR PETE'S SAKE!"

Danny Trejo

2005-01-29T20:15:00.000-08:00

Animo Venice had the unique opportunity to have Danny Trejo as a guest speaker this past Thursday and I've gotta say that he absolutely nailed his speech. The climax of his speech was an important lesson that I hope the students really take away: "The good things in life only come from direct result of doing nice things for other people without expecting anything in return."
So, next week, the goal for each person at our school is to try exactly that: do something nice for someone else without expecting anything in return.

Oh... I've also point one more thing out. Danny gave us in the audience a big "ah-ha" moment was when he asked a very simple question. "What are the 3 deadliest words in the English language?" Can you guess what they are?

"Where you from?"

Amazing...

2005-01-23T01:48:00.000-08:00

Our student recruiting for the next school year just took a giant leap forward. Here's an email I received recently:

My name is olalekan shittu from Nigeria Lagos.
I want you to grant my son who is named ***** Shittu.
Please send us all what we need to do for the processing.

WOW!

Drama

2005-01-20T01:59:00.000-08:00

A typical high school day's drama: (and one reason why I love and hate this job....)

Sally Jane is hanging out with her friends, getting the latest "chisma" (gossip) about everyone at school. Bubba tell her that Dolly, Sally Jane's best friend, is mad at her. Bubba proceeds to tell Sally Jane that Dolly has been talking smack about her and wants to throw down after school.

Sally Jane can not understand where this is all coming from BUT, of course, believes everything Bubba has to say. To get back at Dolly, Sally Jane starts spreading rumors about Dolly's love life. She tells Billy Bob that Dolly likes to kiss other people's boyfriends for giggles.

Billy Bob, not the sharpest tool in the shed, runs to Dolly and tells her everything he has just heard. Dolly gets furious.....

Sounds familiar??? Of course it does.
This silliness continues over and over because no matter how many times students get screwed listening to gossip, they keep coming back for more. It's like getting runned over again and again and again and again....

For those that identify with either Sally Jane or Dolly, please learn from this story and grow up!

Souplanation

2005-01-14T06:45:00.001-08:00

Again, another good time at yesterday evening's social night. Shout out to all the students, parents, and family members that attended.... thanks for taking the time out to have dinner with the Animo Venice family.

To the students... stop bothering Mr. Herrera and I about "not having free dress!"
Deal with it! 8)

Student Grades

2005-01-06T18:10:00.000-08:00

I am really worried about the current grades of Animo Venice students.

Here is the hard data:

At the end of the 1st quarter, the number of students with a GPA of 3.0 and over- 42, the number of students with GPA between 2.0 and 3.0- 55, and the number of students with a GPA under 2.0- 47.

However, CURRENTLY, the number of students with a GPA of 3.0 and over- 29, the number of students with GPA between 2.0 and 3.0- 51, and the number of students with a GPA under 2.0- 64.

The average GPA has gone down from a 2.42 to a 2.18 in the matter of two weeks.

These numbers are especially discouraging for your parents, your teachers, Mr. Herrera, and I. We all want to see each of you be DAMN successful. Personally, I dream all the time about seeing each of you graduating from Animo Venice and going on to the college and/or careers of your dreams. (Yes... I know that is pretty sad but it's true!)

We were so proud of how all of you were performing at the end of the first quarter. I was going around, bragging to everyone I know about your academic achievements and how it can only improve. Then, I found out about the bad news.... the grades dropped! (It's like how you totally want something or how you totally are expecting to see one thing.... BUT the opposite happens. It leaves an deflating feeling inside followed by a sense of frustration. Well... that's how I'm feeling.)

This cannot happen ever again. So, to all of you as students.... PLEASE tell us (your parents, teachers, administrators) what it is going to take to get your grades up before the end of the semester. There are exactly 16 more days before semester finals arrive. After semester finals are over, the grades are set and they are permanent forever. THAT MEANS THEY CANNOT EVER BE CHANGED! EVER.... EVER... EVER!!!

So, we have little time to waste. If you personally need to make up some work or study harder, then NOW IS THE TIME! If you need extra help, ask for it now. If you have any suggestions, please share them with us now.

Next Friday, I'll post an update on the grades. Hopefully, grades will have gone up!

Hit & Run

2005-01-06T17:35:00.000-08:00

Yo... I can't believe that someone pulled a hit-and-run on our beautiful Animo Venice school bus.

However, I've gotta say that Mr. Herrera was pretty impressive under pressure. He literally jumped into his "Batmobile," flew out of the school parking lot, chased down that criminal, and copied down the exact license plate number.

Props to you Mr. H!