Los Altos High School

Freshmen and transfer students receive extra support and attention at the beginning of the school year to help them get ready for their first year at LAHS. Here is what you can expect. 

Orientation - a 3-4 hour orientation is held for all new incoming students (frosh and transfers) about a week before school starts. The goal of the orientation is to allow new students to meet others, learn the layout of the campus, and start getting familiar with LAHS. They will get their student ID, have lunch, and find their lockers.  They will receive their course schedule and school books so please remember to bring a backpack or bag to carry everything home. 

 

Students who miss the orientation due to a previous commitment will need to pick up their schedule on the first morning of school before the first period. They can get their books from the Textbook Room before or after school during the first few days of school. 

Jumpstart Mentors - Associated Student Body (ASB) or Student Council Leadership (SCL) students who have volunteered to be a mentor to freshmen throughout the year. Each Jumpstart Mentor is assigned a small group of 10-20 frosh that they meet at Orientation and connect with sporadically throughout the school year. Frosh can reach out to their Jumpstart Mentors as much or as little as they want. Transfer students who would like a Jumpstart Mentor can request one. 

New Parent Coffee - hosted by the MVLA Educational Foundation in the first few weeks of school. This provides an opportunity for new parents to meet other new parents and to hear about LAHS from our wonderful LAHS administrators and PTSA board about the school and ways to get involved. 

Class Schedules and Textbooks - each grade is assigned a timeslot to pick up class schedules and textbooks in the week prior to the first day of school. LAHS will communicate the schedule and/book pick-up information to all students over the summer via email / ParentSquare, and the dates will be posted on the school website. If a student cannot attend their grade’s timeslot, they will need to arrive early on the first day of classes to pick up their schedule from tables set up in the quad.

Campus Map - LAHS is a large campus, and it can be very helpful for new students especially to find their classrooms in advance of the first day of school so they know where to go for each class. If a student cannot get to campus to do this, here is a map of campus that shows all classrooms and administrative offices. 

https://lahs.mvla.net/documents/About-Us/Campus-Map--Directions/LAHS_CampusMap_22-23_BASIC.pdf (will be updated after campus construction project is complete.) 

First Day of School  - What To Bring - classes on the first day of school tend to provide an introduction to the course and expectations, though some classes will dive right in with learning. Students should bring their computer, something to write with, and a notebook or loose-leaf paper so they can take notes on suggested classroom supplies, important information about the class, and anything else the teacher might cover. Textbooks that you picked up at orientation are meant to be kept at home.  Each teacher has textbooks for classroom use.

Bell Schedule - LAHS has several different bell schedules to accommodate the various events that might occur over the course of the school year, but most weeks follow a regular pattern of all classes on Mondays (schedule A), odd periods on Tuesdays and Thursdays (schedule B), and even periods on Wednesdays and Fridays (schedule C). The exact times for each bell schedule can be found here.  Keep an eye out on the Principal’s weekly message ‘Words from Wynne’ calendar which will announce any special schedules. 

Lockers - Regular Lockers - freshmen are automatically assigned a locker that they can use to store textbooks, notebooks, and anything else they don’t want to carry from class to class. Students from other grades can request a locker a week or two into the school year, but there is no guarantee they will receive one. 

PE Lockers - each student who takes PE will be assigned a locker to use. They will need to bring a padlock so they can keep their books/Chromebook secure during class. 

Food - Brunch - most of the bell schedules include a 10-minute break during the morning for a snack. The school provides a grab-and-go option that might include fresh fruit, yogurt, a bagel, or other breakfast types of foods. These are available free of charge to all students thanks to new California legislation. 

Lunch - students who want to get lunch from school have 3 options: 

Cafeteria - salads and hot lunches. Available at no charge to students. 

Pizza Cart - two options available each day (1 meat-based and 1 vegetarian) plus fruit and milk. Available at no charge to students. 

Students can also go off-campus for lunch.