Principal's Message

Steve Gebhart

It is my honor and privilege to introduce myself as I begin serving as the El Segundo High School principal.

After 22 years of education service in LAUSD and the Los Angeles area, I am excited to begin serving this great school and community, combining my experience and understanding of students, staff, and community with the strong bonds and history of success that already exist.

Philosophically I adhere to an inclusive, trauma-informed approach to instruction and operations, which focuses on building relationships, both student-to-adult and adult-to-adult, in an effort to create an environment of support and understanding so all people on campus can be successful when they are at their best and, most critically, feel supported and understood when they are not.

With this, I am eager to extend the work of the RULER program in supporting all stakeholders to recognize, understand, and manage their interactions and learning.

Such support for emotional regulation is a critical element of success as students and staff move forward together to create post-pandemic campus structures and reestablish norms and processes focused on academic, social, and interpersonal excellence.

I am hopeful and planning for the 2022-2023 school year to be an opportunity for all students and staff to distance themselves from the operational and socioemotional weight of the past couple years, and have the space and support to perform at their best.

An early and major opportunity for El Segundo High School and the whole District to demonstrate their best will be an October visit to El Segundo High School from hundreds of administrators and district personnel from around the country as part of El Segundo’s membership in the League of Innovative Schools.

This visit is a chance for El Segundo High School to showcase the excellence of its students, staff, and programs to illustrate the innovation, student-centered learning, and college/career preparation that is a daily part of instruction and life at ESHS.

In support not only of this visit, but also ongoing student achievement, key among my areas of focus will be a continued emphasis on El Segundo Unified School District’s Graduate Profile. This unique and exclusive document details skills and knowledge that form a framework for students to be successful in any post-high school pathway they choose, and I look forward to partnering with students, staff, and the community in supporting all students accomplishing graduate success.

Finally, I know that back in 2018, our community passed a ninety-two million dollar bond measure, Measure ES, which has truly transformed the landscape of all of our schools today.

For the high school, we were able to retrofit HVAC service in the science building, installation of university-like perimeter fencing, new windows for our engineering and art classrooms, construction of a security vestibule in the main foyer, and modernization of our attendance office and library.

The work is still ongoing, as we pave the way for a new band building, which will include a concessions area for sporting events and a community-based instruction classroom.

I note this because the physical features of our campus also impact student learning, and we are incredibly thankful of our community's support of our bond dollars to build a better educational environment and education for our students.

In closing, I look forward to continuing to build relationships, partnerships, and a culture of collaboration and inclusion in pursuit of all students, staff, and community members being acknowledged and supported.

Please feel free to contact me at sgebhart@esusd.net if I can be of assistance.

Steve Gebhart

Principal

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