O'Connell is an urban school where the majority of students come from low income families. Our students are diverse. Most are Latino, but we also serve Filipinos, Chinese, and African Americans. Many students are English Language Learners and, hopefully, will be the first member of their family to attend college. Although the school's neighborhood, the Mission District, is increasingly trendy, many of our students struggle with safety issues such as assaults, prostitution and burglaries. Because of increasing rents, some students worry about housing security and must have jobs. Besides neighborhood pressures, our Wellness Center reports that many students have issues around substance abuse and sexual activity. These factors contribute to academic struggles; O'Connell's test data shows that we are one of the District's lowest achieving high schools. But that is not the whole story. Our library is regularly filled with students reading, doing homework, and being responsible students.
About my class
O'Connell is an urban school where the majority of students come from low income families. Our students are diverse. Most are Latino, but we also serve Filipinos, Chinese, and African Americans. Many students are English Language Learners and, hopefully, will be the first member of their family to attend college. Although the school's neighborhood, the Mission District, is increasingly trendy, many of our students struggle with safety issues such as assaults, prostitution and burglaries. Because of increasing rents, some students worry about housing security and must have jobs. Besides neighborhood pressures, our Wellness Center reports that many students have issues around substance abuse and sexual activity. These factors contribute to academic struggles; O'Connell's test data shows that we are one of the District's lowest achieving high schools. But that is not the whole story. Our library is regularly filled with students reading, doing homework, and being responsible students.
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