Dear Parent/Guardian,

What a busy summer it has been! Our school is in the process of moving to its new location at 6649 Balboa Blvd., formerly the site of West Valley School. This moves us from the west side of the Birmingham campus on Victory Blvd. to the north side on Balboa Blvd. Our new phone number is 818-654-3775.

This relocation brings us even closer to the Charter athletic fields, so Daniel Pearl students will continue to have access to all sports teams this year. For information regarding sports teams,please call Rick Prizant, Birmingham Charter Athletic Director at 818-758-5259 or the Charter main office at 818-758-5200.

Our new school site will double our current space and includes a small gymnasium/multipurpose room with a stage, a cafeteria, six courtyards and plenty of accessible parking for staff and visitors. The grounds are lovely and will give us a real sense of place.

We are also changing to a new early start calendar, so the 2010-2011 school year will start on Monday, August 16! This calendar provides special benefits to our students. During the first semester students will finish their final exams before winter vacation and during the second semester they will have three extra weeks of instruction before the critical testing period begins in late spring. The school year will end on Tuesday, June 7, 2011.

We have tentatively scheduled Wednesday, August 11, as a campus orientation day for students and their families to visit our school and take a tour of the new site. More details will come later!

Summer is the time for Senior Photos and informational brochures from White’s Studios are being mailed out to all seniors. Appointments can now be made by calling 818-752-7780 (N. Hollywood) or 818-727-2600 (Northridge).

In the coming year, we are going to strengthen our communication system to families and community members by sending out weekly messages via phone and email. Please make sure that your contact information is up-to-date and that we have an email address, if possible, to ensure that you receive all school information in a timely manner.

Finally, I have a special message for the parents of students new to Daniel Pearl Magnet High School. As a parent myself, I know that choosing a high school for your child is a big decision. With over 30 years of experience, I can assure you that our school offers a high quality academic program in a personal and nurturing atmosphere. Our staff is caring, hard-working and dedicated to ensuring that every student achieves her or his personal best. Our students are respectful and kind to one another. As a small high school, we take pride in knowing and supporting each member of our school.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to call our main office at 818-654-3775 or email me at janet.kiddoo@lausd.net

Enjoy the rest of the summer and we’ll see you in August!

Janet Kiddoo

Principal