SAS History

SAS started with one question: "Why?"  In the early 2000s, Garfield SAS teacher emeritus, Mr. John Bennett, asked why the highest-achieving kids from East LA had to go all the way to Marshall High School in Los Feliz for a gifted magnet program.  The answer came in 2005 with the establishment of Small Learning Communities at Garfield High School and the founding of Garfield 's School for Advanced Studies.  Our program started in 2005, and graduated its inaugural class in 2009.

 

The 2005 SAS'ers chose a pink flamingo stuffed animal from Ms. Romero's classroom as the SAS mascot.  The flamingo is different and unique, just as the SAS students are, so the first SAS class knew Ms. Romero's flamingo was the perfect symbol for the group.  They said that the Bulldog was Garfield's, but they wanted a unique mascot that was specific to SAS.  They chose to name the flamingo Allie, and she has been our mascot ever since.

 

The graduating class of 2011 is responsible for our trademark pink graduation sashes.  For the first two years, our stoles were navy blue and white, but the 2011 seniors wanted something a little different.  They decided that since Allie was magenta, why not that color for the sashes as well?  Brenda Gonzalez designed our Allie logo and the magenta graduation sashes were born.  The 2012 graduates said that they, too, wanted magenta sashes and the rest, as they say, is history.  We've been honoring our graduates with them ever since.  What makes our color striking is that it is a great contrast against our black (Ephebian) or navy blue graduation robes.

 

We have had a different t-shirt or sweatshirt design every year, and look forward to continuing this tradition.