Cross Streets: Barrington & Gateway
Tel: (310) 943-5444
Fax: (310) 231-3399
Tour & Admissions Coordinator
www.newwestcharter.org/
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OPEN HOUSES
Held at Santa Monica High School in Barnum Hall, not New West, because it is a larger venue. Parking is available at the Civic Center. 601 Pico Boulevard Santa Monica, CA 90405
Parents or legal guardians must attend an open house to apply. No one else may substitute for parents/legal guardians. Students are encouraged to attend but are not required. No RSVP required for open houses. Enrollment packages are available only at the open house.
January 26, Saturday, 2013 10:00AM
February 28, Thursday, 2013 6:00PM
March 14, Thursday, 2013 6:00PM
Application Deadline: Friday, March 21st 2013 by 4pm
All applications must be submitted before the application deadline. Late applications are put at the bottom of the wait list on a first come first served basis.
Verification Period: Tuesday, April 2nd 2013 - Friday, April 5th 2013
All applications must be submitted before the application deadline. Late applications are put at the bottom of the wait list on a first come first served basis.
Verification Period: Tuesday, April 2nd 2013 - Friday, April 5th 2013
Parents/guardians must come to NWC Pico location to verify their application submission and receive their lottery numbers. The Pico location is at 11625 Pico Blvd. Staff will be available from 7:30am – 4pm Tuesday-Friday.
Admission Lottery: Thursday, April 11th 2013 @ 2:00pm
If the number of applications exceeds the available space, then a public lottery determines admission priority. Attendance at the lottery is welcomed but not a requirement. The lottery will be held at New West. Lottery results are posted on our website and school campus within 48 hours of the lottery.
If the number of applications exceeds the available space, then a public lottery determines admission priority. Attendance at the lottery is welcomed but not a requirement. The lottery will be held at New West. Lottery results are posted on our website and school campus within 48 hours of the lottery.
Notification of Admission Status: Tuesday, April 16th, 2013
An admission letter and enrollment packet is mailed to admitted students.
An admission letter and enrollment packet is mailed to admitted students.
Enrollment Deadline: Friday, May 3rd, 2013, by 4pm
Admitted students must return the completed enrollment packet and it’s required documents to the school office. If the enrollment forms are not returned by the deadline, then admission for that student is forfeited and an admission notice is mailed to the next student on the waiting list.
Admitted students must return the completed enrollment packet and it’s required documents to the school office. If the enrollment forms are not returned by the deadline, then admission for that student is forfeited and an admission notice is mailed to the next student on the waiting list.
Students Admitted from Waiting List: June through July, 2013
Students on the waitlist are notified by phone if a space becomes available starting in June. They have 5 business days from the date of 1st contact to return the enrollment packet and all required documents. If the enrollment packet is not returned within 5 business days, then admission for that student is forfeited and an admission letter and enrollment pack is sent to the next student on the waiting list.
Students on the waitlist are notified by phone if a space becomes available starting in June. They have 5 business days from the date of 1st contact to return the enrollment packet and all required documents. If the enrollment packet is not returned within 5 business days, then admission for that student is forfeited and an admission letter and enrollment pack is sent to the next student on the waiting list.
2010-2011 School Data
Total Enrollment: 341
Student-Teacher Ratio: 24:1
API: 930 (913, 887, and 867 in 2010, 2009, and 2008, respectively)
API Rank: 10 (1-10 with higher being better; 10=highest 10% of all schools in a state)
Diversity rank: 10/10 (10=very diverse)
CST 2012 (data from LA Times; unconfirmed because not in LAUSD data site):
- English-Language Arts - 90%
- Mathematics - 80%
- Science - not available
- History/Social Science - not available
I went to new west charter to give them the Intent to Enroll form earlier this week. Immediately ignored by the two front desk employees that noticed me I was unimpressed. Finally one asked if she could help so I gave her the form. I was not impressed with what I was able to see, however I did not have a tour of the whole place yet. From my short time there I am not sure yet that I'll attend a tour.
ReplyDeleteI went to the open house with my son and even though we weren't sure about the school because of its size and location, we are excited enough to complete the somewhat elaborate application (copies of report cards, CST scores, and a letter of recommendation) and see what happens.
ReplyDeleteThe teachers seem energetic and unencumbered. People overall seem to have a real get-up-and-go attitude; they find a way to make things happen, not immediately get hung up. I've talked with a handful of current students who pretty much glow about their school.
Anyone may apply and entrance is strictly by lottery. However, they do say that because the curriculum is rigorous and that that should be a consideration when choosing whether or not to apply. But don't take my word on this, read for yourself:
http://www.newwestcharter.org/adm/ed_philosophy.html
Their API is 913, which is higher than LACES (884), Revere (852), & Palms (847). They only school that I know of that is higher is Portola's magnet school, which unofficially hit 1,000 of 1,000 (it's a highly gifted only magnet).
Best advice I've gotten (both for me to consider and my son to take to heart): "Look around at the kids. Do they look like kids you (or your child) would want to be friends with?" When you put everything aside, could he/she be truly happy here?
Good luck!
Maybe it was that one-in-a-million mistake, BUT…
ReplyDeleteIf you are waitlisted, be sure to return the postcard indicating that you still wish to remain on the list. I highly recommend going a step further and getting confirmation of receipt and following up with a phone call!! I'll tell you why. I immediately mailed the card back and thought I was done. I called back weeks later to see where we moved up to and they had removed my son from the wait list. I received conflicting information from the office, first saying that the card was received and then 2 more calls saying that it had definitely NOT been received so he lost his spot. It's still a mystery about what happened but thank goodness he got into his top choice instead.
Even though it's a postcard, maybe you can get extra protection (confirmation of receipt, etc.) at the post office so you'll have proof.
Two of my children have attended New West, and my two younger children will be attending New West as well. As of Fall 2012 they will be moving to a nearby, larger site and are opening a High School.
ReplyDeleteI highly recommend New West.
In case you've heard that something happened with New West and it's charter renewal with LAUSD:
ReplyDeletehttp://articles.latimes.com/2007/may/23/local/me-charters23
New West's school year continues and is authorized by the state Board of Education, where it will seek renewal.
Basically, with its more extensive admission process, which includes report cards, test scores, two confidential evaluations from a teacher and school administrator, and additional documents for students performing below grade level, LAUSD ruled that the request for scores and other info "could improperly screen out low-achieving students." Admissions is based on strict lottery, from the pool of applications.
You'll see that when you start applying to public middle schools, you are usually not asked for many of these documents until after acceptance. New West asks for it up front and many elementary schools offices don't appreciate having to provide all of these records and letters for you if it's just for the application.
Nonetheless, the overall feel is that New West is a great place to be and is desirable.
Pros: small school, dynamic faculty and families, can-do attitude,
Cons: small school, lack of on-campus sports fields