Crespi Carmelite High School5031 Alonzo Ave., Encino, California 91316, USA
Phone: 818 345 1672, Fax: 818 705 0209,
http://www.crespi.org |
Who says Latin is a dead language? Not the boys in Mr. Tod Post’s Latin classes at Crespi Carmelite High School. Post brings Latin to life in the form of “Emperator,” a race to become emperor. Every student is given a Latin name and is represented by an action figure who begins life as a Roman slave. Over the course of four years, these slaves progress through Roman society, earning and spending Roman money, building houses, fighting gladiator battles and wars (on paper, of course). At the end of each year, one student is crowned emperor.
“At Crespi, we understand how boys learn,” says Admissions Director Mr. Robert Kodama. Consider Mr. Kevin Judd’s science classroom. Judd, chairman of the science department, has created a “circle of life” complete with reptiles, freshwater and saltwater fish, rats and other small animals. Biology becomes real for the Crespi boys who take his classes.
There’s American Literature teacher Mr. Gabriel Griffiths, who believes the best way to learn about nature is to experience it firsthand. So, in addition to reading the works of John Muir and Mark Twain, the boys in his Crespi Mountain Men Club visit the natural scenes Muir described. And whitewater rafting trips on the Lower-Kern help them understand Twain’s beloved Mississippi River. “Our teachers go beyond the book, because that’s what education is all about,” Kodama says.
Competitive in the Classroom and in Athletics - Crespi, an all-boys Catholic college preparatory school in Encino, California, has been educating boys for 50 years. Over the years, it has learned a great deal about how boys learn. “We know how to engage boys,” says Kodama. “We know how to help them work to their potential.”
It clearly does, because Crespi students are competitive both in the classroom and in athletic events. They are accepted to top colleges and universities around the country (members of the class of 2009 have been accepted into Boston College, UC Berkeley, Cornell, Loyola Marymount, Notre Dame, UCLA, UC San Diego and West Point, among others) and have a choice of 20 different Advanced Placement courses. And their sports teams, including football, basketball, soccer, baseball, track and lacrosse, are among the best anywhere. Here’s something else that’s great about Crespi: its small size. With just 600 students, “everybody knows everybody.” The average class contains 21 students, and the student-to-teacher ratio is approximately 14:1, Kodama notes.
Visit the Crespi campus, and it’s obvious this is a school that’s growing and thriving. The new 18,000-square-foot Fine Arts Building, for example, is second to none. In fact, the Crespi TV commercial that aired last year was a student project produced in the building’s state-of-theart video production facilities. The athletic facilities were recently renovated and are some of the finest in the area.
Crespi is owned and operated by the Carmelite Religious Order, and the school has a strong Catholic identity. In fact, the school is led by two Carmelite priests, President Rev. Thomas Schrader, O.Carm., and Principal Rev. Paul Henson, O.Carm., and every student takes eight semesters of theology. For many students, the four-year retreat program, and especially the four-day Kairos retreat for seniors, is “one of the greatest experiences of their entire life,” Kodama says.
What else is special about Crespi? How about the Taiko drum class or the service projects around the city of Los Angeles? There’s even a course titled Becoming a Man. “At Crespi,” Kodama says, “we understand boys.” No wonder so many travel great distances to attend this outstanding school.
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Crespi Carmelite High School
818 345 1672
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