Students at Renaissance Academy Charter High School continued to study at off-campus locations this week while a Community Council sub-committee publicly addressed community concerns about the school. During the council’s RA sub-committee meeting Monday night, RA student Grace Willen presented some elements of the ‘Code of Community Conduct’ written by the school’s ‘ad hoc’ student council. Willen, a junior, is editor-in-chief of the Renaissance Report, the school’s newspaper. The sub-committee, initially formed during the Palisades Community Council meeting September 23, agreed Monday to have Willen as a permanent student representative, according to Kurt Toppel, the council’s vice chairman who heads the sub-committee. Among the eight rules listed in the ‘Code of Community Conduct’ are ‘We will not use basketballs and skateboards around the Alma Real building’ and ‘We will not drive to the Alma Real campus.’ RA’s main campus is located in the 881 Alma Real commercial/professional building. According to the school’s ‘two strikes’ transportation policy, no students are allowed to drive to school; if caught driving, a student receives a warning, and a second offense means automatic expulsion. Scott Adler, RA board member, parent and contractor, said that there are ‘probably a handful of people’ driving to school, and if students are caught, he’s confident the policy will be enacted. Meanwhile, the school has hired a consultant to make a traffic evaluation, with data due to be presented at the next RA sub-committee meeting October 11, according to Toppel. Another sub-committee member, RA assistant principal Jon Palarz, said he will be monitoring the day-to-day management of the school. On Monday, freshman classes were held in the Alma Real building, while sophomores and juniors traveled to the Marina del Rey Hotel and Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel. The school’s Web site (www.rahigh.org) suggested that some class locations for that day would include the Palisades library as well as the YMCA conference room, but Palarz said no classes were held at the library this week. ‘Our students will be utilizing the library for research with the supervision of a teacher during library hours.’ He added that while the school had scheduled use of the YMCA conference room, ‘we haven’t had to use it.’ RA’s principal Paul McGlothlin used the school’s Web site to inform students and families about the reasons for continuing to hold the majority of classes off-campus. ‘Our Fire/Life Safety upgrade at Alma Real was completed last week and we are having a follow-up inspection tomorrow, Monday, October 4,’ McGlothlin wrote. ‘During this inspection, our occupancy will be limited.’ The school applied Monday for ‘E’ occupancy (allowing for educational use), a change of use from office to charter school, which would allow seven classrooms on the ground level, and increase classrooms from four to eight on the terrace level, for a total of 332 students. ‘In order for the school to exist in the building at all, we have to achieve ‘E’ occupancy,’ Adler told the Post Tuesday. RA board president and parent Bill Bryan said, ‘We’re at a standstill. We have met all of the standards [for ‘E’ occupancy], but the landlord [Greg Schem] has communicated that he opposes the change of use.’ Acknowledging that L.A.’s Department of Building and Safety is dealing with ‘a very difficult situation,’ Bryan said, ‘In our situation, not doing anything is highly detrimental.’ Tuesday, RA’s documentary and dramatic film production class met at ‘The Apple Store’ in Santa Monica, while other students attended classes at the Alma Real campus and neighboring facilities within walking distance. Wednesday was the first day this week that all of the students remained in the Palisades area for classes, held mainly at Alma Real, as well as the Methodist Church and Mort’s Oak Room. ‘Most of our students are remarkably resilient,’ Palarz said. Yet, he acknowledged that ‘some students feel their best in a situation that’s predictable,’ so the varying temporary classroom locations have ‘made them feel a little ill at ease.’ In her first letter to readers last week, Renaissance Report editor Willen wrote, ‘Here at RA, city politics with LAUSD and the Palisades community have been directing the course of our education.’ Palarz agreed that the students ‘are learning outside the classroom about traits of overcoming some adversity and sticking together. It’s a lesson in community politics.’ Code of Community Conduct By Renaissance Academy Ad Hoc Student Council, September 30, 2004 1. We will stop loitering along sidewalks and other walkways. 2. We will not go into the park playground at all. 3. We will cease using profanity. 4. We will not use basketballs and skateboards around the Alma Real building. 5. We accept the school’s zero tolerance policy toward all cigarette smoking and any other illegal substance use. 6. We commit ourselves to regular park clean-up and community service to assist in preserving and improving the beauty of the neighborhood. 7. We will not drive to the Alma Real campus. 8. We will accept discipline for infractions on these items. Future Expectations 1. We hope that Palisadians will get to know the students of Renaissance Academy. 2. We are planning to start a ‘Big Buddy’ program between our student body and some of the younger children at neighboring schools. 3. We would like to invite Palisadians into our school open houses and other events to improve the community’s perception of our school. Questions for the Community 1. Will the Council work to eliminate the harassment of students by community members? 2. Will the Council work with community leaders to allow reasonable access to the village at lunch? A much larger group of Palisades High School students have access to the village at lunch, so why shouldn’t we?
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