O'Farrell Community School

The O'Farrell Charter Schools is a network of college-preparatory charter schools in the Skyline-Encanto area in San Diego, Southern California. Often defined as schools within a school, O'Farrell operates under and charters an elementary (K-5), middle (6-8), high (9-12) and online (6-12) school. The school opened its doors in the San Diego Unified School District in 1959 with its name chosen in 1957 as Mabel E. O'Farrell Junior High. It was voted to become a charter school in 1994. President Bill Clinton made a visit to San Diego in 1995 to sign the "Goals 2000" education bill and to visit O'Farrell because it was a charter. It was also mentioned in Hillary Clinton's book It Takes a Village. It has a code of conduct of how to become a good citizen called ''The Falcon Way'', of Focus, Attitude, Leadership, Citizenship, Organization, and Non-Violence, that is indoctrinated per student. Instead of being called principal, faculty and students refer to the educational leader as the ''Chief Educational Officer'' (CEO). The large conspicuous mural in front of the school on the side of the Theatre was a tribute to a faculty member by the nickname "Animal" who died. The mural was painted by students.

For 2006-2007, the school academic progress place it with an Academic Performance Index of 710 base with 720 growth, where 800 is the California state goal. The school boasted itself as being #1 in API compared to other surrounding schools in its November 2007 edition of its newsletter. For October 2005, the demographic makeup of the student body consisted of 36% Hispanic, 31% Black, 24% Filipino, 3%White.

Hillary Clinton also mentions the O'Farrell way extending beyond these rules that also includes the graduation requirement of time for community service. However, the graduation requirement actually fits under ''The O'Farrell Standard'' which is just an award and recognition issued for those who have essentially accomplished (1) good academic performance, (2) portfolio compilation, (3) presentation of the portfolio, (4) 12 hours of community service equally distributed at home, work, school; (5) good citizenship ''The O'Farrell Way'' all of which were mentioned in the school's charter proposal.

Alma mater

Hail O'Farrell this is our home
Hearts be ever true
Loyalty and honor sing
The gold and royal blue
Soaring far above it all
This is our family
Forever here, forever one
Falcons ever free

Family organization and designations

The school originally used a social structure called ''Educational Families''. The faculty of the family taught interdisciplinary subjects. For example, one teacher taught history in combination of biology while another teacher taught Spanish in combination of dance. The family structure was introduced in the 1990s and more connected to newer branded O'Farrell Community School than older O'Farrell Junior High School.

It was organized in such a way one set of families serve the 6th grade then another set of families serve both 7 and 8 grade students simultaneously, especially the main and usually class of the day is called homebase or homeroom. Associated close with the letters are a name of a broad theme for example: I for Inspirations; E for Exceeders; F for Fantastics; D for Discovery; A for Achievers.

In later years, the school designated its families as Family 1, Family 2, ..., Family 6 with newer names such as "Great Force" for Family 5 and "Horizon Explorers" for Family 6.

Schools within a school

O'Farrell is divided into four of their current western academies as we know them today,

* The O'Farrell Elementary School
* The O'Farrell Charter Middle School
* The O'Farrell Charter High School
* Ingenuity Charter School

In the mid-to-early 2010s, "''Ingenuity Charter School, Blended Learning Independent Study Program''" was added as an official O'Farrell charter school. Students will attend in person at the two Ingenuity rooms located on the middle school campus, only on two weekdays of the student's choice, the rest being done independently and online.

Ingenuity, the middle school and the elementary are on the "same campus", the campus being called by the organization's former name, The O'Farrell Charter School campus. The O'Farrell Charter High School is located on a different campus and different address. (6150) The elementary school's main opening is located on the intersecting street. (61^st St)

Each school has a principal and vice principal and has a separate program, teachers, and bell schedules. In the late 2000's, a new school was added for independent, mostly online classes called Ingenuity Charter. In 2020, O'Farrell Charter High was ranked the #3 high school in San Diego by U.S. News & World Report.

Awards

AVID National Demonstration School by AVID

National Excellence in Urban Education Award by the National Center for Urban School Transformation (NCUST)

Best High Schools in America by U.S. News & World Report, 2018, 2019, 2020.

Notable alumni

*Rosalie Hamlin known for 1960 song, " Angel Baby"
*Tom Waits claimed to have attended this school and remembered it as an all-black school in a 1973 interview.
*Shirley Horton, California assemblywoman and former mayor of Chula Vista

References

External links

Photograph of the Mural (top left image)

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Schools in San Diego
Charter K-12 schools in California
Educational institutions established in 1959
1959 establishments in California