Latest news with #PaliHigh
Time Magazine
5 days ago
- Climate
- Time Magazine
Loading... The L.A. Wildfires Redefined Senior Year for These Students Climate extreme weather Heavyn Harmon, a John Muir High School senior at the ruins of her family home destroyed during the Eaton Fire in Altadena, Calif., May 27, 2025. Heavyn Harmon, a John Muir High School senior at the ruins of her family home destroyed during the Eaton Fire in Altadena, Calif., May 27, 2025. Maggie Shannon for TIME Story by Simmone Shah Heavyn Harmon, a John Muir High School senior at the ruins of her family home destroyed during the Eaton Fire in Altadena, Calif., May 27, 2025. Maggie Shannon for TIME
Students at John Muir High School in Pasadena were unfazed when the Eaton fire first began burning in the nearby San Gabriel mountains on January 7. 'I remember going to school that day. It was really windy, and the power went out, and we were all laughing about it, because we didn't know how serious it was going to be. We just thought it was like any other windstorm at that time of year,' says Heavyn Harmon, a senior at Muir whose family lost their Altadena home in the fire. Advertisement It's not surprising that kids growing up in the fire-prone state of California might feel so blasé. Wildfires, the smokey skies and blazing flames, have always been a natural part of the state's environment. But in recent decades, climate change has created warmer, drier conditions that are increasing the frequency of wildfires and lengthening the season. Since the state began recording fire data in 1932, 18 of the 20 most destructive fires occurred in the beginning of this century. 'Since I was little, it was like, school's closed today, there's a forest fire up in the hills, or an alarm goes off on your phone and there's a fire,' says Ryan Carpenter, a senior at Palisades Charter School, often referred to as Pali High. Carpenter's family lived right next to the evacuation line for the coinciding Palisades fire, and they hosted around 20 people in the days after the fires. 'After getting used to those smaller tragedies, which felt so big, to then have to cope and deal with a fire on the scale of the Palisades… it's just devastating." The Eaton and Palisades fires that burned through Los Angeles at the start of this year destroyed more than 11,500 homes —making it one of the costliest disasters in U.S. history. While the fires would have happened without climate change, research shows that rising global temperatures made the fires more intense. The fires also devastated communities, scattering thousands of families across California and beyond. For graduating high school seniors who were attending school in Altadena and Pacific Palisades, senior year was a very different experience from what they might have once imagined. The flames that licked through the football fields and tennis courts at Pali High devoured touchstones of an iconic campus—featured in films like Carrie and Freaky Friday. Movie fans may lament the cinematic loss. But for the students, they just miss the mundane moments of getting to connect with each other—hanging out in a favorite teacher's classroom or meeting up with friends in the Palisades Village after school. Read more: L.A. Fires Show the Reality of Living in a World with 1.5°C of Warming 'I really ended up missing where my friends used to eat lunch every day and walking through the hallways and going up to the village to get a snack after school, and I was really sad that I wouldn't be able to do those things again,' says Carpenter. 'I know it sounds a little bit cheesy, but I didn't even realize how much that meant until I wasn't able to do it again.' After 30% of Pali High was destroyed by the Palisades fire, students spent a few months learning remotely online. For students at Muir, school was cancelled for over three weeks, reopening at the end of January when environmental testing determined there were no air contaminants lingering from wildfire debris. In April, Pali High reopened in an abandoned Sears department store in Santa Monica. None of the classrooms have doors, and some lack windows. But students say they didn't mind the kinks—they were just happy to be back with their community. 'It was nice to see everyone and be in real classrooms,' says Avery Waxman-Lee, a senior at Pali. While neither of her parents lost their homes, the disruption was destabilizing all the same. 'There were a good amount of people I hadn't seen since the fires.' Thousands displaced by the Eaton and Palisades fires have now spread to 365 counties across 39 states, according to change of address records analyzed by the New York Times. Students that relocated further away either continued classes online or transferred schools. Many seniors tried their best to stay with their graduating classes. But still, there were too many empty seats when they returned to in-person classes. 'A lot of people were missing,' says Anneliese Airitam, a senior at Muir who graduated a semester early. 'Many people that I know have lost their homes. So everyone was really just scattered. The mood coming back to school was very somber.' When the fire first broke out, Airitam moved in with her grandmother in Corona, a town 45 miles southeast of Los Angeles, and commuted an hour and a half to school. Airitam's home survived the Eaton fire, but sustained smoke and fire damage, and much of their neighborhood has been destroyed. Now she's staying in an apartment in Alhambra with her mom indefinitely. Around 175 John Muir students and 16 staff members lost their homes in the Eaton fires, according to the L.A. Times. For Harmon, one of the bright spots was getting to plan her prom as class president—a moment where her classmates were able to come together and enjoy themselves. Their prom tickets were paid for by actor Steve Carell, and the charity Alice's Kids, and the community came together to provide students with hair and makeup appointments. Harmon says the fires have made them more appreciative of the little moments—especially as many of her classmates are still grieving their losses. 'I still have conversations with a lot of people crying, experiencing the anger, the confusion of just like, 'Why did this have to happen to so many of us at the same time?' The only way we're kind of getting through it is being with each other and speaking to each other, because we all have an understanding of the pain that we're going through,' says Harmon. 'We've been trying to make the most of every celebratory moment, because we know how suddenly things can change.' Though many students planned to move away from home for college, some are now wondering what the transition might look like when they can't return to their hometowns. Harmon always knew she wanted to move out of state for college, but she couldn't help but worry she might miss home. 'I was planning on leaving California for college, but then in the back of my mind, when we still had our house, I was like, man I don't want to leave home,' says Harmon. 'When our house got taken away, it kind of solidified [my decision] to branch out and experience something new.' Growing up as the youngest of five, Brigitte Appelbaum-Schwartz always felt at home in the Palisades. 'I feel like everyone in the community kind of knew my family, and wherever I went, everyone would be like, oh, like, you're an Appelbaum. It felt like I belonged there, and like people really knew me,' she says. Their family home burned down in the fire, and she's now finishing off the school year from a rental in Santa Monica. 'So it's a little weird to be outside of that and to be in a community now, where people don't really know me, and where I feel a little more out of place.' Her parents plan to relocate to Maine after she graduates, a move they were already toying with before the fires made the decision for them. They don't know yet if the move will be permanent—most of Appelbaum-Schwartz's extended family lives in the L.A. area, but it's hard to plan for a future return when it's too soon to tell what rebuilding in the Palisades might look like. 'I already would have been moving away [from California]… but there's a lot more uncertainty when I don't have a permanent home to come back to anymore,' Appelbaum-Schwartz says. In the fall, she'll be moving to Boston for college. Many people in her community don't know what will come next. For the families who own the scorched land where their house once stood, insurance companies often won't cover the full cost of rebuilding, and past natural disasters show that rebuilding after a fire can take years. They're now jostling with displaced renters for limited stock in an overtaxed rental market—L.A. was already experiencing a severe housing shortage before the fires. Harmon's family had lived in the same house in Altadena for 57 years, down the street from her high school. After the fire, she made the decision to graduate early. Her family has been hopping from Airbnb to Airbnb, and it pained her to think about returning to school so close to her old home. 'I was so close to walking home, I knew for me it was going to be hard to handle it,' she says. When she returned to Altadena for the first time in the middle of January, it was hard to believe what she was seeing had once been her home. The frame of their porch was still intact, as was the barbecue pit, but everything else was unerecognizable. 'I had never, ever imagined seeing the walls on the floor,' she says. Harmon is moving to Texas for college, and her mom plans to move with her. Nothing will beat growing up in Altadena, but in some ways, like graduating seniors everywhere, she's ready for a fresh start. 'I'm going to miss my community, but I know I'm carrying my community with me in my heart, wherever I go. The values I've been taught, the love I've been given. I feel blessed to have grown up in Altadena, and I'm ready to spread that to a new community,' she says. But moving on from your hometown is more bittersweet when it's the only choice you have. 'I'm excited to go to Texas. I feel like I need a new experience away from Altadena because I have nothing to go back to.' Must-Reads from TIME Trump Orders Investigation Into Biden and His Aides. Here's What to Know World Boxing Apologizes to Imane Khelif After Announcing New Sex-Testing Policy Geopolitical Tensions are Shaping the Future of our Oceans 'Ignorance' Is the Most Pressing Issue Facing Ocean Conservation, Says Sylvia Earle Meet the Marine Biologist Working to Protect Our Oceans from Deep-Sea Mining Fishing Communities in the Philippines Are Fighting for their Future as Waters Rise
CBS News
22-04-2025
- General
- CBS News
"Pali South" location opening for Palisades Charter students in Santa Monica
Months after their school was severely damaged by the Palisades Fire, students at Palisades Charter High School will return to in-person classes this week when their new "Pali South" location opens its doors. The school's new campus, which will be located at the site of the former Sear building on the corner of 4th Street and Colorado Avenue, will allow the Dolphins students to attend lectures with their classmates for the first time since Jan. 7, when more than a third of the campus was destroyed in the Palisades Fire . "Since the devastating wildfires destroyed much of the Pacific Palisades, including portions of the Pali High campus, Santa Monica teams have worked around the clock to assist schools, businesses and residents from impacted areas with their relocation efforts to Santa Monica," said a press release from the city of Santa Monica. The operation was quickly completed thanks in part to an emergency order from Santa Monica City Council. Pali South will remain in operation through the end of the school year on June 6, picking back up again when summer break ends and the fall semester beings. Parents are advised that Santa Monica High School, which is located nearby, operates on a similar schedule, meaning that traffic in the area may be severely impacted during drop-off (7-8:30 a.m.) and pickup times (2:30-4 p.m.). As to be expected, city and school leaders say that the change will surely come with uncertainty. "The first week of the new activation of this previously vacant corner will undoubtedly come with learning and adjusting. We appreciate the community's patience as we observe and address traffic flow, drop off and other logistics at this new campus," the city's press release said. "As we all prepare to welcome Pali High to downtown Santa Monica, below are some important details for students, parents, residents, businesses and their employees to prepare for the change in patterns downtown." Officials say that the Santa Monica Police Department is working closely with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department to increase public safety efforts around Metro public transportation and the campus. The campus will be closed to anyone that isn't staff or student and the 4th Street pedestrian tunnel will only be open to students during arrival and dismissal. A litany of drop-off and pickup options are available to students, including by public transit via the Metro E line, buses and the Big Blue Bus, private charger buses sponsored by Pali High parents or personal transit like biking or walking. Additionally, the city's mobility team partnered with GoSaMo to provide further information to parents looking for more information on transportation options. Appointments can be scheduled online or by calling (213) 425-0955. A number of local businesses paired with Pali High to offer deals to students. A full list of participating businesses can be viewed on Santa Monica's city website. School officials also noted that Santa Monica's Main Library is just blocks from Pali South at 601 Santa Monica Boulevard, which provides places for studying and homework. Physical education classes are slated to be held at the Historic Belmar Park.
Los Angeles Times
01-04-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
‘I'm not going anywhere.' Pali High football players stick with the team amid burned, closed campus
After fire ravaged Palisades Charter High School — destroying classroom buildings and athletics facilities — the fate of the school's football team was unsettled. With its campus in ruins just two months after the team made it to the City Section Division I championship game — forcing classes online — could Pali High field a football team for the 2025 season? And even if they do, where will the Dolphins practice and play home games?Within days of the blaze, Head Coach Dylen Smith had already resolved that the program would continue — even as some players had lost houses and others transferred from the school. But without a home field, finding a venue for off-season workouts has proven a challenge. The Dolphins have become nomads of sorts, fitting in practices at parks and schools across the Westside. The Times is following the team as it prepares for a season steeped in uncertainty.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Priceless': Palisades HS Student Choir Performed at Grammys After School Burned
Burned in the LA wildfires, the Palisades Charter High School campus is still closed to students. But that hasn't stopped the school's student choir from making music. In fact, they just sang at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards show last month, sharing the stage with Stevie Wonder and Herbie Hancock. Classes are still virtual for students of Palisades Charter High School after wildfires scorched the school's campus in January. The student choir meets virtually for rehearsals, and occasionally in person. Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter Recovery from the fires that burned the school and destroyed the homes and buildings in the surrounding community is difficult, said choir director Allison Cheng. Students and staff are still reeling from the loss of the fires, she said, but singing helps transform the trauma of the disaster into a healing experience. 'It was something that the whole community could look forward to that was positive,' said Cheng of the Grammy appearance. See the Palisades High School choir at the one minute mark: Palisades Charter High School is one of the schools that burned in the historic wildfires that spread across Los Angeles over a three-week period this winter, killing at least 29 people. Pali High, as the school is called by students and staff, is known for famous alumni such as and J.J. Abrams, as well as for being the filming location for movies such as Freaky Friday and Teen Wolf. Cheng said the choir's journey to the Grammy Awards began on January 17, when she got a text out of the blue from the event's organizers, asking if she would be interested in working on a performance at the televised award show. The choir's performance, which was kept under wraps until the award show took place, aimed to highlight students from schools affected by the recent LA wildfires, such as Pali High. Working with the show's organizers, Cheng reached out to a friend at the Pasadena Waldorf School, and asked that school's choir to join for the show. 'I don't even know how many emails I sent back and forth with production to make sure we had everything,' said Cheng. 'It was a lot of work, but I think it was worth it.' The two schools' choirs finally met for an in-person rehearsal on Saturday, Feb. 1 with country singer Lamont Van Hook to record a backing track for the performance. Their shining moment came the next day during the Grammys when both of the student choirs joined Stevie Wonder and Herbie Hancock at the star-studded award show for a rendition of 'We are the World' as part of the ceremony's tribute to Quincy Jones. Joining the musical legends onstage, the students wore shirts that read 'I Love LA' as they sang backup accompanied by a jazz ensemble. Another high point for the students came when they got to meet some of their idols backstage at the event, including Beyonce and Sabrina Carpenter, Cheng said The experience lifted kids' spirits at a tough time for them at school, Cheng said. Online learning is tough, she explained, especially in music programs like hers. 'Because I'm not in the room, we can't physically hand them something to show me 'For other things like guitar and choir, it's really difficult,' said Cheng. Many Pali High students use music as a safe outlet for expression, Cheng said, and the trauma of the fires has only heightened the importance of artistic education in their lives. That's why singing at the Grammys was so sweet for the students, she said. 'These are kids that not only sing in choir, but they dance, they produce music, that's what they want to do,' said Cheng. 'So this experience was priceless for them.' This article is part of a collaboration between The 74 and the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Fire-damaged Palisades High seeks temporary home in old Santa Monica Sears building
The old Sears building in Santa Monica is being eyed as the temporary home of Palisades Charter High School, which was damaged in the Palisades fire in early January, school leaders disclosed at a Tuesday board meeting. School administrators briefly acknowledged the ongoing negotiations during a meeting of the school's board of directors, who stressed that a deal had not yet been reached. "I won't say a lot about the temporary relocation, because we have more to talk about later," said the school's executive director and principal, Pamela Magee. "But I do want to assure everyone we're working on that, that we had a little bit of a delay, because, as with many things that deal with contracts, things sometimes come up. We're working through it. We think that we'll get it all resolved quickly." Administrators and board members hope that students can return to the Palisades High property as soon as the fall, using portable buildings as well as the 70% of the campus that did not catch fire. Officials have also discussed the possibility of holding this year's graduation at the still standing football stadium. The Sears building closed in 2017, and a $50-million office and retail makeover was ready to go in 2020, just as the COVID-19 pandemic ushered in a difficult period for such ventures. The complex has enough room for a high school with a pre-fire enrollment of 3,000 students, an indication of the site's available space. Magee recently estimated the post-fire enrollment at about 2,700. The location will be farther from the homes of people who lived in the Palisades, but many of those residents are scattered around the L.A. area after losing their houses to the fire. The school also has had a large proportion of students who commuted from outside the attendance area. Read more: The Palisades fire burned their high school. Now students face COVID-style, remote learning Pali High students began their spring semester online on Jan. 23. These students had earlier experienced the difficult period of remote learning during the pandemic, and many have spoken of the importance of returning to in-person learning. Unlike the pandemic shutdown, students are still gathering for sports and social and other activities off campus. On Tuesday, they celebrated a win by the girls water polo team. The fire left behind complicated situations to sort out. As one example, teachers want to know when it is safe to return to the intact, but smoke-and-ash impacted main structure to retrieve belongings — before a deep cleaning results in items being removed and thrown away. Back-campus buildings destroyed by fire have been cleared away, leaving flat ground that one administrator described as safe to walk on — even if the campus itself is not nearly ready to reopen. Pali High is an independent charter school run by its own board of directors. The school has always operated out of a property owned by the Los Angeles Unified School District, which ran the school before it broke off from the district. As an independent charter, Pali's leaders have both the opportunity and responsibility to manage the challenging recovery without the school district telling them what to do. Both Pali and the school system are working together to return the campus to good condition, officials on both sides have said. The particulars of the negotiations with the owners of the Sears property were a main topic of a closed-door Pali board session that lasted for about 90 minutes. Real estate negotiations can be legally discussed in closed session. "We definitely plan to have more communication out," Magee said. "I know sometimes people feel like, why hasn't there been more information? But again, just trying to make sure we have i's dotted and t's crossed." She added there would soon be information about the new location and how the return to in-person learning would unfold. "We're developing all of these things as we go but we're working on it every day and trying to make this happen as quickly as possible," Magee said. The hoped-for temporary location is a notable refurbished structure, according to the Los Angeles Conservancy. "When Sears, Roebuck and Company built its Santa Monica department store in 1947, it did so at an interesting time for commercial development," noted a write-up by the Conservancy. "Shopping areas were starting to shift away from pedestrian-oriented storefronts with designs tailored to walking, moving toward automobile-oriented centers with large parking lots and façades for catching the motorist's eye." The Sears building, designed by noted local architect Rowland Crawford, "managed to capture that time of transition [and] the era's feeling of optimism and growth, with a large scale and stylish architectural touches that advertised Sears as a forward-looking company." Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
