Dear Brahma Family,
AP Testing begins this week and continues through the end of next week. AP exams are comprehensive assessments that students may choose to take at the end of an AP course to demonstrate how well they learned the skills, and content outlined by College Board in the course framework for the course. During my tenure as College Board’s Director of AP Environmental Science, the highest profile part of my job was ensuring that the AP Environmental Science exam was 100% aligned with the Science Practices and Essential Knowledge statements found in the Course and Exam Description for the course, which can be viewed here. Each AP course has a Course and Exam Description that teachers use to ensure that they teach their students everything they need to learn for their exam. Most colleges will give students credit or, as the name implies, advanced placement (allow the student to skip an introductory course) for high scores on the exam, which is scored on a 1-5 scale. Good luck on your exams!
On a completely different and much more serious note, I urge our entire Brahma family to educate themselves about the dangers of fentanyl. As you may have heard in recent news, teenagers have died or been hospitalized due to fentanyl overdoses both on southern California school campuses and at home. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that poses a serious risk to anyone using or experimenting with drugs. It has relentlessly persisted in the U.S. and in the Los Angeles area and Fentanyl deaths are projected to double in the year ahead. Drug cartels are making illicit fentanyl and purposely and deceptively adding it to other drugs, even prescription drugs, to make them cheaper, more powerful, more addictive, and more dangerous. Fentanyl can be added to any drug or pill without any visible signs, making it impossible for anyone to know if they are ingesting this deadly substance until it is too late. It is more potent than heroin and can lead to overdoses even in small amounts.
For our parents and guardians, the Walnut Valley Unified School District has provided invaluable information concerning fentanyl here in English and here in Mandarin. Signs that your child may be using illicit drugs, including fentanyl, include sudden mood swings, changes in behavior or appearance, secrecy about their activities, and unexplained financial issues. If you suspect your child may be involved with fentanyl or other illicit substances, open communication is essential. Approach the conversation with empathy and without judgment, emphasizing your concern for their well-being. Additionally, please do not hesitate to reach out to your child’s GLC to support them and to recommend resources that are available through our school and district. Early intervention and support can make all the difference in steering them away from the dangers of drug abuse.
To our students, we care about you and want only the best for you. Please be safe and make good decisions. Do not take any pills unless prescribed by a doctor. Do not take any pills or drugs given to you, whether it be by a friend or stranger—you simply don’t know if just one pill might kill you.
I encourage everyone to watch the two documentaries about fentanyl here and here.
Have a safe week.
Sincerely,
David Hong
Principal
