Mira Costa high school has welcomed over 100 new students from the Pacific Palisades area who were affected by the wildfires and left without a school.
Since early January, Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach has enrolled 118 new students, a significant rise from the usual 5-10 students who typically join in the spring semester. The increased enrollment, largely from the Pacific Palisades and Pasadena areas, is a direct result of the wildfires that displaced hundreds of families.
“We’ve enrolled 123 students to date since January 8th,” said Principal Dr. Jennifer Huynh. “The school is now working diligently to integrate these new students into its community while maintaining the same high academic standards.”
The new students primarily consist of 9th, 10th, and 11th graders, many of whom lost their homes or were displaced by the fires. The school has had to adjust its operations, including opening additional class sections to accommodate the students.
“I really like Costa so far,” said Sophomore Pali Student Chloe Rouanet, “teachers, students, and the community have all been really welcoming.”
Teachers have had to create new classes in response to the growing number of students that have joined costa. The English department, in particular, has gained additional classes of 30 students and new students throughout all their periods. Teachers have to change their teaching styles in order to accommodate the varying levels of knowledge each student has.
“Because I have an entirely new section of English made up of 30 new students, I had to make some pretty big adjustments,” said English/Link Crew teacher Ms. Hutchinson. “Challenges include combining the curriculum from both semesters but also simply finding a way to support people through such an intense experience, especially when I don’t entirely know the specific ways each person was impacted. As time goes on, I’m confident we can and will make connections, but trying to establish rapport with students who don’t know me yet is tough.”
The district has worked to manage the increased demand by adjusting class sizes and schedules to accommodate the growing number of students. While this has presented logistical challenges, the Mira Costa community has united to tackle the task.
“Our staff has truly stepped up with empathy and flexibility,” Huynh said. “Despite the challenges, everyone has gone above and beyond to make sure new students feel welcomed. Our counselors and office teams have been exceptional in guiding families through the enrollment process, and we’ve adjusted class sizes and schedules to accommodate the increase.”
To help the new students adjust, the school’s Link Crew and ASB leaders have provided campus tours, welcome signs, school necessity gift bags, and support to make the transition as smooth as possible. Link Leaders are also setting up new study buddy systems for the new students. “Our Link Crew and ASB Leaders have been amazing, offering tours and advice to make our new Mustangs feel at home,” Huynh said.
“I’m proud to share that Link Crew has done multiple things to help new students,” said Hutchinson. “We are in the process of trying to set up a potential study buddy system, and we also posted local recommendations online so new community members could check out some of our favorite spots around the South Bay. Also, Link Leaders stepped up and participated in Costa Cares, running booths, donating, and attending the events that fundraised money for wildfire relief programs”.
As the semester progresses, the new students are slowly finding their place in the Costa community. With the support of the staff, teachers, and peers, they are not only adjusting to their new environment but also becoming a part of the Mustang family.
“The students have been incredibly resilient,” Huynh said. “They’ve faced so much loss, but they’re coming together with the help of our staff and the welcoming spirit of our school. It’s been amazing to see the community rally around them.”
Leave a Reply