News Archive

Archer’s Lit &... Conference is an annual celebration of creative writing and literary and cultural analysis that invites students from across Los Angeles to present their research in The Tia Palermo Library. The conference is traditionally broken up into themed panels moderated by Archer students. This year’s panels explored topics such as gender theory and critique, perspectives on language and self-expression, and the political, philosophical, and social.

Archer has won the Journalism Education Association (JEA) First Amendment Press Freedom Award (FAPFA) for its 10th year. This year, only 16 schools nationally earned the award, and Archer was one of them. The First Amendment Press Freedom Award recognizes private and public high schools that actively support, teach, and protect First Amendment rights and responsibilities of students and teachers, with an emphasis on student-run media where students make all final decisions of content through policies and practice. Upper School Director Ms. Cenan and advisers and editors of Archer’s newspaper, yearbook, and literary magazine were all part of this application to win the award.

Archer’s very own Julianna H. '25 is a dance semifinalist in The Music Center in Downtown L.A.’s 37th annual Spotlight performing arts program. ‘Spotlight’ is a nationally acclaimed performing arts competition, scholarship, and artistic development program for teens. Out of over 1,600 students who applied from across Southern California, Julianna is one of only 113 semifinalists. With this distinction, she will have the privilege of attending a special mastery class led by highly regarded dancers. As a semifinalist, Julianna will have the opportunity to audition to be a finalist in her category.

On Sunday, February 16, the Upper School robotics team, The Muses, and the Middle School robotics team, Robo Panthers, competed at the Inter-League Tournament held at Monrovia High School. Members of the Upper School robotics team shared their experience with their younger counterparts in preparation for the competition. In particular, Lucy K. ’26 dedicated time to teaching the Middle School robotics team as part of her Girl Scout Gold Award.

Of the 30 teams that participated in the tournament, the Robo Panthers secured 7th place while the Muses took 8th place. The Robo Panthers advanced to the semifinals and engaged in playoff matches, whereas the Muses earned the 2nd place Control Award for their effective use of sensors and software on the playing field. This marked Archer's first year with both a Middle and Upper School robotics team participating in the FIRST Tech Challenge, allowing both teams to support one another throughout the season.

The Service Squad sold Valentine’s Day Candy Grams during lunch periods this week. Students could purchase the candy grams to send to their peers and teachers. Additionally, StuCo collaborated with Service Squad and wrote a candy gram for every student in the school. Ultimately, the candy grams were delivered during mentorship on Wednesday, February 12, by Service Squad members dressed up in Valentine's attire. All proceeds will go to the California Fire Foundation.

On Thursday, February 6, the Black Student Union (BSU), in collaboration with the Eastern Star Gallery (ESG), presented the opening reception for ‘At the Doorstep of Culture: Black Spaces as Sanctuaries,’ an immersive installation honoring Black resilience, creativity, and community. 

Vivianne A. ’26 and Sarah M. ’28 won Scholastic Art & Writing Gold Medals for their writing in 2024, and now their works have gone on to win the highest prize: National Medals. Vivianne won in the poetry category and Sarah won in the personal essay and memoir category.

Additionally, in December, Sarah's personal essay was published in “2024 Anthology, Tell Me A Story: Writing Selections from the 2024 Scholastic Awards.”

After a nearly two-week campus closure due to the L.A. fires, we were happy to welcome students back on Tuesday, January 21. Parents donated water and snacks for students upon their return. StuCo added to the atmosphere by playing music every day during lunch.