Located in the beautiful California central coast area of San Luis Obispo, the San Luis Coastal Unified School District encompasses a large geographical area, which stretches from the Pacific Ocean through the towns of Morro Bay, Los Osos, and San Luis Obispo. San Luis Obispo provides a wealth of cultural entertainment and recreational activities in one of the most pleasant climates in the country. San Luis Coastal is a large K-12 unified district of ten elementary, two middle, one charter, three high schools, and an adult school. Laguna Middle School includes grades seven and eight.

Our facility is located on spacious grounds and is used by the school and community. The activity quad is the focal point of our campus life and is ideal for staging student activities, special events, or to meet at break with friends. Our present population represents a multicultural mix similar to that of the city and surrounding areas. The Spring 2002 Language Census report indicated that eleven languages other than English are the primary language spoken at home. Laguna has a percentage (23%) of socio-economically disadvantaged students and a growing population of English Learners (6.5%).

A strong sense of responsibility to service the whole child is our goal. The staff has developed activities, which bond students to their school through advisory activities. Activities that provide for a well rounded education include 7^th/8^th grade evening events, clubs, intramurals, student recognition programs, 8^th Grade Awards Night, after school sports, spirit days, student government, assemblies, field trips, Career Day with community speakers, the San Luis Obispo Parks and Recreation’s after school Program X and sports programs, the school wide canned food drive, and an annual student body fundraiser in September. We stress that parent commitment is vital to the child’s success in school. Parents are encouraged to be involved in student activities, parent groups, parent-teacher conferences, and implementation of techniques to further develop their child’s study skills and habits.

Each department features exemplary techniques related to the state standards. Regular and Accelerated English classes provide a core literature based program that stresses writing and reading, and math instruction is offered up through high school Geometry. Hands-on science, a rich social studies program, coed physical education to build both skills and fitness, and a broad based exploratory elective program are also provided. Spanish Dual Immersion social studies classes are available for qualified bilingual students. Additional support is given to students through reading classes, after-school math tutoring, and a study skills class. The Library Media Center features resources for the research-minded and casual reader, and it provides extended hours for students needing to use the resources before and after school.

Students are encouraged to demonstrate their skills in many areas of the curriculum. The Geography Bee, Poetry Tea, District Writing Contest, Math Counts, Academic Contest, Science Nobel Prize, Mouse Trap Contest, and Theatre Productions allow students to compete in a variety of curriculums of their choosing.

Our comprehensive counseling and guidance program is the hub of activity for the students needing assistance with academic issues, personal problems, scheduling, parent calls, career information, and registration for the following year’s classes. The counselors are critical to all SST and IEP meetings. They work closely with the students, teachers, parents, administration, mental health, social services, drug and alcohol services, and other service support agencies.

The climate of the school is one in which all adults work together to guide students. All staff understands that their role includes a strong commitment to the various academic safety nets available to all students needing to overcome obstacles in the pursuit of their positive future goals.

Acknowledging the successes of students, teams, clubs, and faculty members is part of our formula for excellence. We have encouraged students to support and recognize the efforts of their peers, which build a strong school community. Daily bulletins provide student and staff recognition, a calendar of upcoming events, daily activities, meetings, and positive words of encouragement. Two newsletters are published each month to inform students and parents of the many opportunities available to promote a positive learning experience.

The quality of the Laguna staff sets this school apart from other good schools. The staff’s caring attitude, striving for student success, willingness to experiment, commitment to the community and the ability to look into the future has raised this school to the status of “exemplary.”

Diane Frost, Principal