AMBITIOUS
JOYFUL
LEARNING
ARCHER
OUR MISSION The Archer School for Girls is an educational community that supports and challenges young women to discover their passions and realize their true potential. • We provide a rigorous, integrated college preparatory curriculum that fosters critical thinking and intellectual curiosity. • We create and sustain a collaborative teaching and learning environment that explores and refines the ways girls learn best. • We help girls to become leaders and life-long learners, strengthening their capacity to contribute positively to their communities. • We strengthen girls’ voices in a diverse and culturally rich environment. • We embrace possibility, promote challenge-seeking and support risk-taking. • We encourage girls to develop meaningful relationships with peers and faculty rooted in honesty, respect and responsibility. • We graduate courageous, committed and ethical young women who take responsibility for their own physical, financial and emotional well-being.
Grades
6 -12
“
As a community, Archer is unbelievably nurturing while also pushing its students to be the best they can be. I am still so grateful for my time there because I believe that the good fortune I’ve had professionally can be attributed to the person that Archer helped me become. That belief in the potential of its students and the tools to get there are what make Archer so special.
- Mimi Gianopulos ’07
”
Enrollment
480
FACTS AT A GLANCE
Student/Teacher Ratio: 8:1 Average Class Size: 17 Student Life: 30+, mostly student-run and student-initiated clubs and activities Diversity: 39% students of color; Students come from 143 different elementary and secondary schools and from 91 different zip codes throughout the city. Faculty: 64 Faculty with Advanced Degrees: 73% Male Faculty: 23% Financial Assistance: 24% of students receive some form of financial assistance. Nearly $3.2 million in financial aid was awarded for the 2014-2015 school year. Memberships: National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), National Coalition of Girls’ Schools (NCGS), California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), College Entrance Examination Board, Online School for Girls, A Better Chance (ABC), The Independent School Alliance for Minority Affairs, Young Eisner Scholars
TECHNOLOGY As a 21st century school, Archer embraces the fact that our students are digital natives who use technology every day to access information and construct knowledge. This reality has fundamentally changed the nature of formal education and the role of the classroom teacher. We are dedicated to using technology as a critical component in the teaching and learning process. Through the purposeful and natural integration of digital tools, we develop more innovative and individualized learning opportunities for all students. Since the adoption of our 1 to 1 Laptop Program, we’ve seen a dramatic shift in the type of work students produce. Students now express their understanding through multiple media forms including: student-created video, photo, illustrations, and infographics as well as digital text platforms that allow students to comment and annotate on their written work. They can also tag audio notes to documents and collaborate with real-time, team-based software tools like Google Docs, Basecamp, and email. Students are able to more easily communicate with faculty and their peers as well as experts from around the world. For the last two years, a group of Middle School students have conducted programming workshops at the Los Angeles Public Library and Los Angeles Makerspace. They teach kids from throughout Los Angeles how to program in Scratch, a graphic programming language developed by MIT’s Media Lab. The students’ work was recognized by MIT when they joined MIT staff as panelists for Learning Aloud, a conference funded by the MacArthur Foundation.
Last year, several Archer sixth graders worked alongside the Fitness Department to create a video game that promoted aerobic exercise. The students created the game through skills they learned in Scratch (computer programming language). The girls installed drivers on their computers that allowed a Microsoft Kinect camera to be operated by specific code they wrote. Other groups of Middle School students tested the games.
Close to
75 of all student work is digital.
1 to 1 Laptop Program Archer students and teachers all have their own Apple MacBook, preloaded with the most up-to-date office tools and creative software.
From Walltalkers in classrooms to student access to cuttingedge software, we integrate technology into all aspects of the curriculum to enhance student learning.
STEM
At Archer, we help our students develop the determination, tenacity and confidence to take on difficult challenges. We believe that math, science, and engineering are for everyone, not just a select few. Our girls are engaged in an integrated curriculum that provides a delicate balance between cultivating scientific and mathematical literacy and encouraging innovation. Archer’s RISE, or Research in Science and Engineering Program, provides students with the opportunity to utilize cutting-edge technology in our on-site labs to design and implement original scientific study with a focus on chemistry, physics, engineering, or biology. Our annual STEM Symposium provides a forum for Archer students, as well as students from the local community, to present their independent research. Archer Middle School students have a similar opportunity at their own symposium.
Archer was named a 2014 Lemelson-MIT Excite Award recipient and finalist for a 2014–2015 InvenTeam grant, which provides funding to high school students, teachers, and mentors to invent technological solutions to real-world problems.
Three Archer teams placed as National Finalists in the Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge. One group of students researched the extent of the Los Angeles River trash problem and constructed a model to replicate the current Los Angeles River. The girls then created a modified net design which proved to be more effective when tested against the method currently being used.
This year, Archer is pleased to announce the opening of The Saban IDEAlab and the addition of the latest tools for digital prototyping, manufacturing and engineering education. Archer’s program in Integrated Design & Engineering Arts creates hands-on learning opportunities for students of all grade levels through dedicated engineering classes and enrichment activities across math, science, and the humanities. The Saban IDEAlab offers more than 1,200 square feet of workshop and instructional space specifically designed to engage girls in engineering and design activities. The workshop includes a full complement of tools and supplies to support students in creating their visions from basic craft and model-making to advanced projects including CNC fabrication, robotics, and physical computing. The new lab also features a 75 kilowatt laser cutter, a large-format vinyl cutter, a 3-axis CNC gantry mill, and a dual-extruder 3-D Printer to provide educational opportunities using the latest technologies in digital prototyping. The Saban IDEAlab was made possible through a generous donation from the Cheryl Saban Self-Worth Foundation for Women & Girls, a challenge grant from Edward E. Ford Foundation, and sustaining gifts from numerous Archer parents and supporters.
The Saban IDEAlab features offers advanced digital tools: • • • •
3-D Printer 3-D CNC Router Laser Cutter Vinyl Cutter
and industrial-quality machine tools including: • Variable-Speed Band Saw • Oscillating Edge Sander • Variable-Speed Drill Press • High-speed Metal Cutoff Saw • Compound Miter Saw • Rollaway Table Saw
Members of Archer’s Theatre Program were selected by the American High School Festival to perform at the International Edinburgh Festival. The nomination came after being recognized by the Drama Teachers’ Association of Southern California for successful productions throughout the year.
Photo: “The Who’s Tommy,” last year’s Upper School Musical
Coming Up: Jesus Christ Superstar Upper School Musical November 14 & 15, 2014 You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown Middle School Musical May 15 & 16, 2015
PERFORMING & VISUAL ARTS
At Archer, we inspire our students to find their voices and use their passions while building the skills they need to succeed in any field in the 21st century. Students can participate in a variety of programs, including: choir, orchestra, an a capella group, dance, musicals and plays, ceramics, photography, drawing and painting, film, and The Eastern Star Gallery at Archer. Recent Recognition: Several Archer students participated in the Tenth Annual Southern Section CAIS Honor Music Festival. Audrey Koh’17 was concert master of the orchestra for the second year in a row and was selected to perform a solo. At this year’s California regional Scholastic Art Awards, several Archer students received top honors. Olivia Kohn ’15 won two gold keys in photography and several Archer girls won silver keys in the art category.
Archer’s Institute for Film and Video Literacy is a program dedicated to empowering young girls to become future filmmakers. Each year, as part of the program, students get the rare opportunity to screen their films at a student-led film festival and learn from high-level industry professionals at a series of panel discussions.
Maia Barnett
Western Washington University
CLASS OF 2014 College Matriculation
Barnard College (2) Boston College Boston University (3) Chapman University (2) Clarkson University Emmanuel College Georgetown University (2) Harvard College (2) Haverford College Indiana University at Bloomington Lewis & Clark College (2) Loyola Marymount University (2) New York University (7) Oberlin College (2) Otis College of Art and Design Pitzer College (2) Reed College Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Stanford University (4) Syracuse University The George Washington University (2) The University of Tampa University of California at Berkeley (2) University of California at Davis
Courtney Urbancsik Stanford University
Nelli Bryzgalova
Otis College of Art & Design
University of California at Santa Barbara University of Chicago (2) University of Colorado at Boulder University of Hawaii at Manoa University of New South Wales University of Puget Sound University of Richmond University of Southern California (4) University of Wisconsin, Madison Washington University in St. Louis (2) Western Washington University Whitman College Yale University
Gloria Ryoo
Haverford College
Clio Koller
University of Chicago
Marisa London Yale University
Emma Lapin
Washington University in St. Louis
Erin Lassner
Oberlin College
Archer graduates are accepted to some of the most prestigious colleges and universities throughout the nation and the world. The Class of 2014 included 64 seniors who were accepted to 187 colleges and universities.
COLLEGE LIST Our graduates are accepted to some of the finest colleges and universities across the country and the world. The list below reflects admission and matriculation for the last five graduating classes. Academy of Art University Albright College Allegheny College American University Amherst College Arizona State University Art Center College of Design Azusa Pacific University Babson College Bard College Barnard College Bates College Beloit College Bennington College Bentley University Boston College Boston University Bowie State University Brandeis University Brown University Bryn Mawr College Bucknell University California College of the Arts California Lutheran University California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo California State University, Chico California State University, Fullerton California State University, Long Beach California State University, Los Angeles California State University, Monterey Bay California State University, Northridge California State University, San Marcos Carleton College Carnegie Mellon University Case Western Reserve University Cazenovia College Chapman University Claremont McKenna College Clark University Clarkson University Colby College College of Charleston College of William and Mary Colorado College
Colorado State University Columbia College Chicago Columbia University Connecticut College Cornell University Dartmouth College Denison University DePaul University Dickinson College Dominican University of California Drew University Drexel University Duke University Duquesne University Earlham College Eckerd College Elon University Emerson College Emmanuel College Emory University Fairleigh Dickinson University Fashion Institute of Technology Fisher College Florida International University Florida State University Fordham University Franklin and Marshall College Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering Furman University George Mason University Georgetown University Gettysburg College Goucher College Green Mountain College Grinnell College Guilford College Hamilton College Hampshire College Hampton University Harvard University Harvey Mudd College Haverford College Hawaii Pacific University High Point University Hofstra University Howard University Humboldt State University Indiana University at Bloomington Ithaca College
Jacksonville University Johns Hopkins University Kenyon College Lafayette College Laguna College of Art and Design Lake Forest College Lawrence University Lehigh University Lewis & Clark College Linfield College Long Island University, Brooklyn Louisiana State University Loyola Marymount University Loyola University Chicago Loyola University New Orleans Lynchburg College Macalester College Manhattanville College Marist College Maryland Institute College of Art Marymount Manhattan College Massachusetts College of Art and Design Massachusetts Institute of Technology McGill University Michigan State University Mills College Milwaukee School of Engineering Mount Holyoke College Mount St. Mary’s College Muhlenberg College NCAA Eligibility Center New York University North Carolina State University Northeastern University Northwestern University Oberlin College Occidental College Ohio University Ohio Wesleyan University Ontario College of Art & Design Oregon State University Otis College of Art and Design Otterbein University Pace University, New York City Parsons The New School for Design Pennsylvania State University World Campus
Pennsylvania State University, University Park Pepperdine University Philadelphia University Pitzer College Point Loma Nazarene University Pomona College Pratt Institute Prescott College Princeton University Purchase College State University of New York Purdue University Randolph College Reed College Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Rhode Island School of Design Rhodes College Rice University Rochester Institute of Technology Rollins College Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey at Newark Saint Mary’s College of California San Diego State University San Francisco Art Institute San Francisco State University San Jose State University Santa Clara University Santa Monica College Sarah Lawrence College Savannah College of Art and Design School of the Art Institute of Chicago School of the Museum of Fine Arts School of Visual Arts Scripps College Seattle University Seton Hall University Sewanee: The University of the South Skidmore College Smith College Sonoma State University Southern Methodist University Spelman College St. John’s College St. John’s University, Queens Campus St. Lawrence University
278
Colleges & Universities The members of Archer’s last six senior classes were accepted to 278 colleges and universities across the United States and abroad.
St. Olaf College Stanford University Suffolk University Swarthmore College Sweet Briar College Syracuse University Temple University Texas Christian University The Art Institute of California, Los Angeles The College of Wooster The Evergreen State College The George Washington University The Hague University The Ohio State University The University of Arizona The University of Georgia The University of Iowa The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill The University of Tampa Trinity College Trinity College, Dublin Trinity University Tufts University Tulane University Union College University of British Columbia University of California, Berkeley University of California, Davis University of California, Irvine University of California, Los Angeles University of California, Merced University of California, Riverside University of California, San Diego University of California, Santa Barbara University of California, Santa Cruz University of Chicago University of Colorado at Boulder University of Connecticut University of Delaware University of Denver University of Edinburgh University of Evansville University of Glasgow University of Hawaii at Manoa University of Houston University of Kansas University of Maine
ACCREDITATION Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS)
University of Maryland University of Massachusetts, Amherst University of Miami University of Michigan University of Minnesota, Twin Cities University of New Hampshire University of New South Wales University of North Carolina at Asheville University of Oregon University of Pennsylvania University of Pittsburgh University of Portland University of Puget Sound University of Redlands University of Rhode Island University of Richmond University of Rochester University of San Diego University of San Francisco University of Southern California University of St. Andrews University of the Pacific University of Toronto University of Vermont University of Washington University of Washington, Bothell University of Wisconsin, Madison Vanderbilt University Vassar College Villanova University Virginia Commonwealth University Wagner College Wake Forest University Warren Wilson College Washington University in St. Louis Wellesley College Wesleyan University West Virginia University Western Washington University Wheaton College Whitman College Whittier College Willamette University Worcester Polytechnic Institute Yale University
100 of our graduates are accepted to a four year college or university
ATHLETICS Athletics is more than just a game at Archer. Our athletes take to the field, court, and pool to compete in a variety of sports, discovering leadership skills while enjoying the camaraderie of team play. We are dedicated to helping our girls strengthen bonds, learn healthy competition, and foster inner strength and resilience as they participate. Archer athletes participate in cross country, tennis, equestrian, beach volleyball, basketball, volleyball, soccer, softball, swimming, and track and field.
Archer’s Varsity Soccer Team made Archer history and won the league championship. The team also set a school record with 15 wins and advanced to the CIF Final Four with no goals scored against the team during league play. To keep up-to-date with the Panthers, visit facebook.com/archerathletics.
UPPER SCHOOL TEAMS • Upper School teams competed in the Liberty League (CIF-SS, multiple sports), IEL (Equestrian) and IBVL (Beach Volleyball) • Varsity teams won 77% of their games in Liberty League play • Soccer won the league championship, set a school record with 15 wins and advanced to the CIF Final Four • Softball was 12-4 and took first place in the Liberty League • Beach Volleyball was one of 28 teams out of 80 to qualify for the IBVL playoffs • Swimming and Track Teams both placed a record number of athletes in the league finals • Diving, in its first year at Archer, qualified an athlete for CIF • Equestrian finished 4th out of 90 schools in the International Equestrian League • 20 athletes were named All-League, six All-CIF and one (Maia Barnett ’14) was voted the league’s Most Valuable Player
MIDDLE SCHOOL TEAMS • Middle School teams competed in the 20-school Pacific Basin League (PBL) • Middle School teams had their best overall season to date • The Swimming team won 1st place for the 3rd consecutive year • The Cross Country team finished in 2nd place • The Basketball team finished in 2nd place
Maia Barnett ’14 became the first athlete from Archer to receive a full basketball scholarship. She is currently attending Western Washington University. While at Archer, she developed a stellar multi-sport athletics career participating in volleyball, track, and basketball.
50
of students participate in Athletics
and half of those students participate in multiple sports
Historic Landmark The Archer campus was built in 1931 by famed California architect William Mooser III and is listed as a Los Angeles cultural and historic monument.
Archer Forward Our campus preservation and improvement plan will secure our mission for future generations of girls. Learn more at www.archerforward.org
In 2003, Archer was recognized with a Los Angeles Conservancy Preservation Award for converting the Eastern Star Home into an outstanding private educational institution.
OUR CAMPUS Our eight-acre historic landmark campus evokes the charm of a bygone era with graceful archways, peaceful courtyards, and elaborately hand-painted ceilings. The intimate campus invites contemplation and exploration - whether by curling up with a book in front of the fireplace in our 6,000-square-foot library or finding the perfect study spot in our courtyard. The campus reflects Archer’s warmth and openness. For Archer girls, it is a home away from home. Archer is a modern school in a historic setting. Archer girls thrive in a building which has always been used for women. Constructed in 1931 and designed by the famed California architect William Mooser III, our campus was originally used as a home for women of the Order of the Eastern Star.
PARENT COMMUNITY At Archer, we know that a positive partnership between school and home is key to your daughter’s success. All parents are automatically members of the Archer Parent Association (APA). There are a variety of ways to get involved and volunteer. In addition to social activities with parents and families, Archer also provides extensive educational opportunities for parents about topics relevant to them and their daughters.
CURRICULUM
With 145 courses, Archer’s curriculum seeks to challenge and inspire. Students are expected to develop strong critical thinking skills and an appreciation for the importance of an intellectual life. While the immediate goal is a strong foundation for success in college, an Archer education gives students the skills to make sound and reasoned decisions in their academic, professional, and personal lives. Archer provides an innovative yet structured curriculum that explicitly teaches collaboration, character, communication, problem-solving, and critical thinking through an integrated approach to learning. Knowledge and skills are anchored in enduring understandings to prepare students for the challenges of the 21st century and to thrive in an increasingly connected and global world. The curriculum affords students active learning opportunities to construct knowledge and derive meaning. Department demonstrations of learning guide curriculum development and instruction around student outcomes for each discipline. To view course descriptions, go to www.archer.org and click on programs.
96
of the Class of 2015 has taken Calculus in their junior or senior year.
77
4
of juniors and seniors currently take an AP course.
All Archer sixth graders are exposed to the languages taught at the school by participating in our
language rotation. It includes Spanish, French, Chinese, and Technology (language of computer coding).
Last spring, 94 Archer Upper School and Middle School students were formally recognized for their national language exam performance, including an impressive seven gold medals, 22 silver medals, and 19 bronze medals.
Last year, Archer was proud to host a group of students from St. Catherine’s School in Melbourne, Australia as part of a new academic exchange program. In April, five Australian students spent three weeks experiencing Archer’s innovative classes and inclusive culture. In June, five Archer girls traveled to Australia to get a taste of an all-girls’ education in another country. Archer’s student-run online newspaper, The Oracle, won eighth place out of 266 publications in the National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA) Best of Show contest for small school websites.
COMMUNITY SERVICE “Community service is really important at Archer and it makes me feel more connected and aware of the outside community.” - Abby Gore, ’18
On May 22, 2014, Archer students participated in the Global School Girl March at the Los Angeles Federal Building. Students around the world marched for the 273 Nigerian school girls who were kidnapped earlier in the year.
We help girls become life-long learners, strengthening their capacity to contribute positively to their communities. Through classroom and grade level activities, as well as individual community service requirements, our girls learn the importance of engaging in their community and giving back. Archer students participate in a variety of organizations and causes, including Brentwood Green, Operation Gratitude, and AIDS Walk LA. During the 2013-2014 school year, Archer students volunteered more than 6,250 hours. Additionally, students participate in oncampus goods and fundraising drives for Westside Food Bank, My Friend’s Place, UNICEF, Keep a Child Alive, and St. John’s.
2013 - 2014 Causes • Brentwood Green • Save the Coral Tree Campaign • Operation Gratitude • AIDS Walk LA • MEND • Adopt-a-Family • #BringBackOurGirls • Westside Food Bank • My Friend’s Place • UNICEF • Keep a Child Alive • Greater West Hollywood Food Coalition • Daybreak Women’s Shelter
Archer Alumnae carry this sense of community service with them after graduation and are currently serving local nonprofits such as Communities in Schools Los Angeles, Starlight Children’s Foundation, First Star, Project 180, Free Arts for Abused Children, Readers Plus, and Special Olympics World Games LA 2015. They have also worked at the Asian American Justice Center, GOOD, the National Prison Project of the ACLU, Centrum, New York City Economic Development Corporation, Teach for America, Lights Camera Cure, Duke Engage Tucson, and Generation Citizen.
The goal of Archer’s community service program is to inspire students to become empathetic, impactful leaders in the local and global community.
11725 Sunset Boulevard | Los Angeles, CA 90049 (310) 873-7000 | www.archer.org