Latest news with #PalisadesCharterHighSchool
CBS News
15-06-2025
- Climate
- CBS News
Pacific Palisades evacuations lifted, fully opening area for the first time in months
Authorities have lifted the remaining evacuation orders for the burn area of the Pacific Palisades, allowing unrestricted access to the area for the first time since a devastating fire leveled it in January. The Los Angeles Fire Department announced Sunday afternoon that the orders were fully lifted for all zones in the area. Prior to Sunday, access was restricted to anyone outside of residents, business owners, and others with previous authorization to enter the area. The move to reopen comes just a few weeks after Pacific Coast Highway restrictions were lifted last month. The Palisades Fire tore through the neighborhood in early January, destroying thousands of structures and killing 12. Sunday's move to reopen restricted areas is the latest move toward progressing back to normalcy for residents of the Palisades. Earlier this month, Palisades Charter High School held its graduation for its senior class at the Hollywood Bowl, celebrating students who spent the final months of their high school lives at a temporary campus, after theirs was destroyed in the blaze.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
What do young Angelenos think of cellphone bans and Instagram age limits? We asked
"If you're a parent, Lauren Greenfield's new doc about teens and social media 'is a horror movie.'" That Los Angeles Times headline ran on an August story about Greenfield's acclaimed five-part docuseries that followed Los Angeles-area high school students during the 2021-22 school year, tracking their cellphone and social media use for a revealing portrait of their online life. Greenfield remembers the headline. "I've heard that from parents," Greenfield says. "And I keep hearing it whenever we screen the series." Greenfield has taken "Social Studies" to schools around the country since its premiere last summer, airing episodes and answering questions, speaking alongside a rotating group of the show's subjects. And, yes, the most common takeaway remains: Parents have no idea what's going on with their teenagers — though "horror" is in the eye of the beholder. Read more: Column: The disturbing new after-school special that parents of teenagers need to see Today, Greenfield and three of the "Social Studies" participants — Cooper Klein, Dominic Brown and Jonathan Gelfond, all now 21 — are in a Venice bungalow, just back from showing the series to some 6,000 teenagers in San Francisco — young people who, by and large, had a much different reaction than their elders to the depictions of online bullying, body-image issues, partying, hooking up and FOMO culture. These teens were sometimes gasping and talking to the screen, laughing at points, fully immersed, fully relating, even feeling nostalgic for TikTok trends that were popping three years ago. In one episode, teenager Sydney Shear is having a text exchange with a guy Greenfield describes as "creepy." We see the message he sends: "Permission to beat." Right after she tells him no, the group of girls sitting behind Greenfield screamed, "You know he did anyway!" "It's really fascinating how differently adults versus adolescents reacted to the show," says Klein, now a junior at Vanderbilt. "Adults are terrified by it, but young people find it funny. It's like watching reality TV." Much has changed for these "Social Studies" subjects since Greenfield stopped filming in 2022. How could it not? The years immediately following high school usually bring about intense growth and change and, hopefully, a little maturity. The world around them is different. Palisades Charter High School, which many of the students in the series attended, was heavily damaged in the January wildfires. ("The show's like a time capsule," says Gelfond, a Pali High grad. "Looking back, the series is even more special now.") Some things haven't changed at all, though. Technology remains addictive, they all agree. Even when you are aware that the algorithms exist to snare your time and attention, it can be hard to stop scrolling, the self-soothing leading to numbness and deepening insecurities. "You can have a greater understanding about the effects, but it still pulls you in," says Brown, who, like Gelfond and Cooper, has worked at teen mental health hotlines. "It's hard to stay away from what is essentially our lifelines." Which is one reason why they all see the value in the Los Angeles Unified School District's cellphone ban, which went into effect in February. "The pull-away from tech only works if it applies to everyone," Klein says. "When a whole group doesn't have access, that's when the magic happens. You're going to start to connect with the people in front of you because ..." She pauses, smiling. "I mean, you want to be engaging with something, right?" Then you have time to do things like read and solve jigsaw puzzles with friends, two hobbies Klein says she has taken up again recently in a conscious effort to disengage from her phone. Reclaiming your time, she says, can only work if you've got a plan. Read more: With 'Adolescence,' Stephen Graham wants you to consider the unthinkable If the takeaway from the series was that parents couldn't fully comprehend how technology shapes and defines their teens' lives ("They're the guinea pig generation," Greenfield notes), watching "Social Studies," either together or alone, has served as a conversation starter. "I have always had a very open relationship with my parents," Gelfond says, "but the way this really explains social media has led to eightfold more transparency." "It made me more grateful for the way my parents navigated all this," Klein adds. "I thought they were overstepping boundaries, trying to protect me too much. And I think this show validated that they did a really great job. Because we were the first generation, they were kind of flying blind." Now Klein wonders what she'd do differently if she ever has kids. She started on Instagram at 12. If she could go back, she'd probably delay that entry, even though Klein says it now seems normal for kids to join the app when they turn 8 or 9. So what would be the ideal starter age? "Maybe I'm crazy for saying this, but I think it should be 16," Brown says. Greenfield nods her head, noting Australia recently banned social media — Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram and X — for children under 16. "I got on Instagram when I was 10 or 11, and I had no idea of the world that I had just gained access to," Brown continues. "You should wait until you gain critical thinking skills. Sixteen, 17, 18, maybe." "It is the end of childhood," Greenfield says. "You get that phone and everything that comes with it, and it is the end of innocence." In that respect, Greenfield sees "Social Studies" in conversation with "Adolescence," the Netflix limited series about a 13-year-old boy suspected of killing a girl. The boy had been actively exploring incel culture online. "What's scary about 'Adolescence' is how did they not know he was involved in something so terrible," Greenfield says. "But it makes sense. That's the world we live in now." Get exclusive awards season news, in-depth interviews and columnist Glenn Whipp's must-read analysis straight to your inbox. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
What do young Angelenos think of cellphone bans and Instagram age limits? We asked
'If you're a parent, Lauren Greenfield's new doc about teens and social media 'is a horror movie.'' That Los Angeles Times headline ran on an August story about Greenfield's acclaimed five-part docuseries that followed Los Angeles-area high school students during the 2021-22 school year, tracking their cellphone and social media use for a revealing portrait of their online life. Greenfield remembers the headline. 'I've heard that from parents,' Greenfield says. 'And I keep hearing it whenever we screen the series.' Greenfield has taken 'Social Studies' to schools around the country since its premiere last summer, airing episodes and answering questions, speaking alongside a rotating group of the show's subjects. And, yes, the most common takeaway remains: Parents have no idea what's going on with their teenagers — though 'horror' is in the eye of the beholder. Today, Greenfield and three of the 'Social Studies' participants — Cooper Klein, Dominic Brown and Jonathan Gelfond, all now 21 — are in a Venice bungalow, just back from showing the series to some 6,000 teenagers in San Francisco — young people who, by and large, had a much different reaction than their elders to the depictions of online bullying, body-image issues, partying, hooking up and FOMO culture. These teens were sometimes gasping and talking to the screen, laughing at points, fully immersed, fully relating, even feeling nostalgic for TikTok trends that were popping three years ago. In one episode, teenager Sydney Shear is having a text exchange with a guy Greenfield describes as 'creepy.' We see the message he sends: 'Permission to beat.' Right after she tells him no, the group of girls sitting behind Greenfield screamed, 'You know he did anyway!' 'It's really fascinating how differently adults versus adolescents reacted to the show,' says Klein, now a junior at Vanderbilt. 'Adults are terrified by it, but young people find it funny. It's like watching reality TV.' Much has changed for these 'Social Studies' subjects since Greenfield stopped filming in 2022. How could it not? The years immediately following high school usually bring about intense growth and change and, hopefully, a little maturity. The world around them is different. Palisades Charter High School, which many of the students in the series attended, was heavily damaged in the January wildfires. ('The show's like a time capsule,' says Gelfond, a Pali High grad. 'Looking back, the series is even more special now.') Some things haven't changed at all, though. Technology remains addictive, they all agree. Even when you are aware that the algorithms exist to snare your time and attention, it can be hard to stop scrolling, the self-soothing leading to numbness and deepening insecurities. 'You can have a greater understanding about the effects, but it still pulls you in,' says Brown, who, like Gelfond and Cooper, has worked at teen mental health hotlines. 'It's hard to stay away from what is essentially our lifelines.' Which is one reason why they all see the value in the Los Angeles Unified School District's cellphone ban, which went into effect in February. 'The pull-away from tech only works if it applies to everyone,' Klein says. 'When a whole group doesn't have access, that's when the magic happens. You're going to start to connect with the people in front of you because ...' She pauses, smiling. 'I mean, you want to be engaging with something, right?' Then you have time to do things like read and solve jigsaw puzzles with friends, two hobbies Klein says she has taken up again recently in a conscious effort to disengage from her phone. Reclaiming your time, she says, can only work if you've got a plan. If the takeaway from the series was that parents couldn't fully comprehend how technology shapes and defines their teens' lives ('They're the guinea pig generation,' Greenfield notes), watching 'Social Studies,' either together or alone, has served as a conversation starter. 'I have always had a very open relationship with my parents,' Gelfond says, 'but the way this really explains social media has led to eightfold more transparency.' 'It made me more grateful for the way my parents navigated all this,' Klein adds. 'I thought they were overstepping boundaries, trying to protect me too much. And I think this show validated that they did a really great job. Because we were the first generation, they were kind of flying blind.' Now Klein wonders what she'd do differently if she ever has kids. She started on Instagram at 12. If she could go back, she'd probably delay that entry, even though Klein says it now seems normal for kids to join the app when they turn 8 or 9. So what would be the ideal starter age? 'Maybe I'm crazy for saying this, but I think it should be 16,' Brown says. Greenfield nods her head, noting Australia recently banned social media — Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram and X — for children under 16. 'I got on Instagram when I was 10 or 11, and I had no idea of the world that I had just gained access to,' Brown continues. 'You should wait until you gain critical thinking skills. Sixteen, 17, 18, maybe.' 'It is the end of childhood,' Greenfield says. 'You get that phone and everything that comes with it, and it is the end of innocence.' In that respect, Greenfield sees 'Social Studies' in conversation with 'Adolescence,' the Netflix limited series about a 13-year-old boy suspected of killing a girl. The boy had been actively exploring incel culture online. 'What's scary about 'Adolescence' is how did they not know he was involved in something so terrible,' Greenfield says. 'But it makes sense. That's the world we live in now.'
Los Angeles Times
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Pali High's football stadium burned. Their Hollywood Bowl graduation is bittersweet
It is among the most storied stages in Los Angeles. And on Wednesday afternoon, 740 graduating seniors from Palisades Charter High School got the chance to walk across it. After a school year riven by the Palisades fire, which badly damaged their high school, students said they were honored to relocate their graduation to the Hollywood Bowl. Yet the venue — which has hosted the Beatles, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Aaron Copland — wasn't their beloved Stadium by the Sea, long the site of commencement ceremonies. But Pali High students and staff have learned to adjust. The January conflagration upended their lives, destroying the homes of many students, some of whom left the school. Some faculty and members of the school's board of directors also lost houses. Students initially returned to school online and later resumed in-person classes at a Santa Monica building that formerly housed a Sears. After months of making do, the seniors' graduation ceremony on a stage reserved for stars served as a capstone, illustrating their resilience. Ahead of the ceremony, senior Cash Allen said it was 'bittersweet' to graduate at the Bowl instead the Stadium by the Sea, where he played for Pali's football team. 'There's just been so many memories — so not being able to finish out the four years of high school on that field is definitely sad,' Allen said. 'But I think everyone also is grateful that we get the opportunity to walk at the Hollywood Bowl.' 'I can't even imagine the adversity you faced — obviously the fires in January that brought us here,' said Steve Kerr, coach of the Golden State Warriors, a Pali alumnus who spoke at the graduation. 'Although this is a pretty nice alternative.' With graduates filling the high-end box seats, the ceremony featured remarks from several students and a videotaped message from Gov. Gavin Newsom. He thanked the students and urged them on, saying, 'The future is not just something to experience, it is something to manifest.' Showbiz speaker Billy Crystal, a longtime Palisades resident whose home burned down in January, joked about the students wrapping up the school year in an 'abandoned Sears building' where he 'once bought a washer-dryer.' Turning to a more serious note, Crystal said the Palisades fire, for all of its 'chaos and tragedy,' offered the students important life lessons: 'Out of pain comes growth; out of loss comes wins; out of despair comes joy.' Valedictorian Annalisa Hurd recalled how she had once been so certain about the future. But now she understands that 'unexpected' turns weren't 'necessarily a downside.' 'Sometimes being laser-focused on only one route means we miss out on the other ones that may be faster, more scenic, or take us to a completely new destination entirely,' she said. Principal Pamela Magee said administrators talked to venues across L.A. Among those on the list was the Bowl, which is owned by L.A. County and operated by the Los Angeles Philharmonic. As word of Pali's interest traveled, Magee said, the Philharmonic's board of directors learned of the school's situation. The organization offered to 'gift' its time at the Bowl to the high school, she said. 'The people that we spoke with, ultimately, were folks at the Bowl who do the permits and the leases,' Magee said. 'They talked with others who said, 'We want to do this for your school.'' Magee said the school paid only a 'small usage fee' for the venue. 'For what the normal rental would be, this is a gift,' she said. Other parts of the program came together organically, with Nick Melvoin, a Los Angeles school board member, helping secure some of the speakers, including Crystal. 'People were trying to make it work,' said Melvoin, who spoke at the commencement, joking in his speech that the Bowl could be dubbed 'Pali East.' Nancy Fracchiolla, Pali's theater teacher who has long produced the school's graduation event, said the ceremony carried extra meaning for her. Fracchiolla lost her home in the fire, and she is retiring after 13 years at the school. The Bowl made for a thrilling send-off for Fracchiolla — even if it was a discombobulating change. 'It was a little daunting,' she said. 'Because it was almost like I thought: 'Oh, it's my last year. I've got this graduation thing locked and loaded. Nope, you don't. You really don't!' ' The ceremony proceeded with the usual traditions: student musical performances, an array of speakers extolling the graduates, the calling of names. Some families of graduates were content to call the celebration 'normal.' 'I think that they're feeling just like any other high school graduating class, which is — with everything that the majority of these kids have been through — the most beautiful thing they can have,' said Isabelle Rust, the sister of two graduates. Guests' time to soak up the atmosphere of the picturesque venue was limited. Fracchiolla said she was told by Bowl officials that the graduation attendees needed to vacate quickly as staff there needed to prepare for a Thursday concert by soul singer Leon Bridges. 'They said, 'Just make sure you tell your seniors to take their photos beforehand, because when they leave graduation, there's going to be a different thing on the marquee,'' she said. Rashad Rhodes, assistant coach of Pali High's junior varsity football team and father of a graduate, said seeing the school community reunite for the celebration was surreal — and proof of the motto 'Pali Strong.' The graduation, he said, 'shows that people are here to stay.' Allen, the senior, said his middle school graduation was held at Pali's football field in 2021 because the outdoor venue allowed for a socially distanced event during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, he's weathered two commencements buffeted by change. 'This class has been through more than most,' he said. And finally, like seniors everywhere, the graduates tossed their mortarboards into the air and the crowd cheered for the Pali High Class of 2025.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
'Raise Pali' golf tournament supports wildfire recovery efforts for local high school
Community members hit the golf course Sunday morning for the 'Raise Pali' golf tournament, which supported wildfire recovery efforts for Palisades Charter High School. Around 40% of Pali High's campus was lost in the Palisades Fire, which also burned down the homes of 11 staff members and more than 500 students, school officials said in a press release. 'Everyone lost in-person access to their campus, friends, teachers, extracurricular activities and their daily sense of normalcy,' the press release reads. 'Dangerous heat' and elevated fire weather possible in Southern California this week To restore some of that normalcy, the school reopened at a temporary location on April 22: the old Sears department store located at the corner of Colorado Avenue and 4th Street in Santa Monica. The new campus, dubbed Pali South, was constructed in about eight weeks, according to a Santa Monica city spokeswoman. But that spot isn't permanent, and funds are needed to continue Palisades Charter High's recovery efforts that include maintaining the temporary space, rebuilding and ultimately, returning to campus. Thus, the 'Raise Pali' golf tournament was created, offering tee times and on-course fundraising activities. The event, founded by parents and students and supported by the broader Pacific Palisades and Los Angeles communities, took place at Penmar Golf Course in Venice. A park that was damaged in the Eaton Fire is now a 'super park' Speaking to KTLA 5's Jennifer McGraw, one student, Laila, said that getting back to in-person learning from two spells of Zoom classes (once during the COVID-19 pandemic and again because of the fire) has been 'an amazing experience.' 'Coming from Zoom school twice, I'm so grateful we were able to receive an opportunity like this,' she said. 'Especially at a campus that's so close to what we used to have before.' Palisades Charter High School Dr. Pamela Magee stressed that the school, since it is not part of the Los Angeles Unified School District, has to rely on fundraisers like Sunday's golf tournament in order for them to afford the rebuild. 'We have lots of support from our community, but there are so many things that our school will need going forward,' Dr. Magee told KTLA. 'We are in this temporary location that we feel really blessed that we were able to find and build, but there are many, many expenses that will be part of continuing that until we can return to our home campus.' KTLA is a proud sponsor of the 'Raise Pali' golf tournament, which hits home for several KTLA family members who were affected by the fire burning down Palisades Charter High: Lauren Lyster, Cher Calvin, Wendy Burch and Courtney Friel are all connected to the school through their children and stepchildren. For those who could not make Sunday's golf outing but still would like to help out, you can donate to the PCHS Fund by clicking here. Additionally, the Palisades High Booster Club, which focuses on the immediate needs of students not covered by the school's budget, is also accepting donations. A complete guide on donating to Pali High can be found here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
