Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies won the Los Angeles Unified School District’s 42nd annual Academic Decathlon and was presented the Superintendent’s Trophy on Saturday, Feb. 25 in a room filled with excited students and their teachers at a banquet held at Los Angeles Mission College in Sylmar.
The Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies (SOCES) team got 37,165.2 out of 60,000 possible points thanks to students Nathan Ark, Khusanjon Bobokhojaev, Cristian Claiborne, Galgamuge De Silva, Eva Karamanoukian, Sara Kovalev-Sheinberg, David Olvera, Barbara Ortiz and Jaylen Patel.
Van Nuys High School earned second-place honors with 36,545.8 points, in a tight competition with Verdugo Hills High School with 36,215.3 points. Close on their heels, the other top six schools were Bell High School with 35,958.6 points, James A. Garfield High School with 34,235.9 points and John Marshall High School with 33,766.5 points.
These six highest-scoring schools compete in the statewide California Academic Decathlon on March 24-26 in Santa Clara.
Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho on Saturday noted that every student involved put in tremendous effort in the sprawling district, saying, “Since August 2022, our students have dedicated countless hours before and after school to prepare for this competition. Their perseverance and passion for academic achievement is inspiring.”
He told the winning students, “Good luck in the state championship” and also thanked “every single coach, family member, employee and friend who supported our decathletes along the way.”
Hundreds of decathletes from 50 high schools, and their parents, friends, teachers and principals attended the awards, joined by LAUSD board members Scott M. Schmerelson, Rocío Rivas and Nick Melvoin, along with Deputy Superintendent of Instruction Dr. Karla V. Estrada and regional superintendents David Baca, Denise Collier and Jose P. Huerta.
“Congratulations to Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies…
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