Dear SLA families, faculty, and staff,

Thank you for your continued patience, grace, and resilience—and to the many folks who have reached out offering their kind words and support. Due to ongoing emergency conditions, which are expected to continue through the weekend, and due to the volume of SLA families currently displaced from their homes, we have made the decision to cancel school tomorrow, Friday, January 10. The safety and wellbeing of our community is our highest priority, and while evacuation warnings have been lifted in the immediate vicinity of our campus, air quality in Hollywood is still dangerous and the highly volatile situation on the ground could change at any time.

As we head into the weekend, please remember the forecast calls for high winds and the past several days have taught us that conditions near the fires can change rapidly. As of now, we fully intend to resume regularly scheduled classes starting Monday. We are also planning for every contingency, and will be prepared for remote learning should the need arise.

To our seniors who may be navigating deadlines in the college application process: please be on the lookout for an email from Mr. Poch, who will be making himself available via Zoom. Please also know that colleges and universities understand our current situation and are extending grace to applicants in Los Angeles.

We are grateful that the Sunset Fire, which erupted Wednesday evening near Runyon Canyon and is the nearest to SLA campus, has been largely contained for the moment. Our thoughts and efforts are now focused on the many families in our community who have been displaced or otherwise affected by the fires.

To that end, we hope to offer food and grocery pickup—provided conditions allow—for any currently enrolled families who may need or want them during this trying time. If you are interested in grocery support, please click the button below and complete the survey as soon as possible.

Once again, we send our thoughts and prayers to everyone affected. Please do not hesitate to reach out to Chuck Watterson (watterson@school.la) if you have been displaced, and we will be in communication with our families to coordinate further support.

Sincerely,
Dr. Kenneth Rodgers, Jr.
President and Head of School