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Wendy Zacuto, PrincipalWendy has been an educator since 1970 when she was hired by LAUSD to teach dance as part of their Youth Services program. As a student a UCLA she researched and wrote a catalogue of alternative schools in the Southern California area. After receiving her Life Credential, she began a multi-faceted educational career as a Coop Nursery School teacher/director, nine years as a public school teacher, 12 years as a private school teacher, four years as a childbirth educator, and 4 years as a principal prior to coming to Larchmont Charter School. As a pod teacher at Wildwood School and sixth grade teacher at Valley Alternative School she became an expert in constructivist and multi-age teaching; as a teacher and principal at Yavneh Hebrew Academy she became an expert in meeting student needs and school accreditation. She completed her Master's Degree in Curriculum and Instruction from University of Phoenix. Wendy's passions include dance, music, helping children develop as whole human beings, and being a mom. She and her husband, who is also a principal, have three children: Jenny, 30, an English teacher at Yavneh, Kris, who has recently earned his MBA, and Katie, freshman at Columbia College, Chicago. She is very excited to be part of the Larchmont Charter School vision and community. Wendy can be reached at: Wendy@LarchmontCharter.org
Myra Salinas, Assistant PrincipalMyra Salinas is the current Assistant Principal of Larchmont Charter School. Originally from the Philippines, Myra immigrated to Los Angeles when she was eleven years old. She is fluent in Tagalog and can converse limitedly in Spanish. Myra is married and has three children. Myra is a also proud Trojan. She received her bachelorÌs and masters degrees in Education from the University of Southern California. As an educator, she was previously the Director of School and Program Compliance for Camino Nuevo Charter Academy from 2003 through 2007. She was also the co-Principal for the Camino Nuevo Charter Academy - Harvard site for the school year 2002-2003. Myra also worked at Foshay Learning Center, a K-12 LAUSD school. She worked as a middle school teacher and later became the testing coordinator and Reading coordinator. She co-developed and implemented a 6th Grade Reading Program at Foshay which helped increase 6th Grade Reading scores on the Stanford 9 Test. Myra can be reached at: Myra@LarchmontCharter.org
TEACHING STAFF Kimberly Kline, K-1 TeacherMs. Kline has taught kindergarten at LCS since its inception in 2005. Before LCS, Ms. Kline obtained her B.A. from the University of Arizona, where she majored in Musical Theatre. After leaving Arizona, Kimberly moved to New York City to pursue a career in musical theater, before determining that teaching was her true passion. She returned to Los Angeles where she obtained a Masters in Education from National University. With her combined talents in music and education, Ms Kline integrates song and learning in her classroom. It is Kimberly's mission to empower students to become life long learners and instill within them a belief that they can reach any goal.
Maggie Murry, K-1 TeacherMaggie obtained a B.A. in psychology and an M.A. in education from Stanford University. She taught Kindergarten at Los Angeles Elementary for three years before coming to LCS during its inaugural year. Maggie is now in her fourth year of teaching at LCS. She is excited to be teaching in a mixed aged K/1 classroom and to be exploring the Reggio philosphy of education this year.
Sandra Alamo, K-1 Teacher & Lead TeacherSandra Alamo currently teaches a multi-age class at Larchmont Charter School's Primary Center. For the past 3 years, she has taught in a 1st and 2nd grade multi-age classroom. She has served on the LCS Board of Directors, LCS School Management Team, and as Lead Teacher. Prior to coming to LCS, she taught at MacArthur Park Primary Center in the K-1 bilingual program. She holds a multiple subject credential with a CLAD and BCLAD emphasis, as well as a Masters of Education from the University of California, Los Angeles. Sandra is passionate about a constructivist approach to education, project-based learning, and bilingual education.
Betsy Carmichael, 2-3 Grade TeacherBetsy has taught in New York City in grades K-3. She holds a B.A. in political science from Stanford and an M.A. in international and comparative education from Stanford as well.
Sarah Eun, 2-3 Grade TeacherSarah graduated from U.C. Davis where she studied sociology and Asian American studies. She has an M.A. in cross cultural studies. For several years, Sarah was the Korean translator and interpreter for the Brea-Olinda Unified School District. She has taught high school students in Japan and the U.S., as well as third grade students. She is a classically trained pianist.
Jessica Orenstein, K-1 Grade TeacherJessica Orenstein is a K-1 grade teacher, she has been at LCS since the first year. She has over ten years of teaching experience. Jessica loves working with children and derives great pleasure from her job. On a personal note, she is passionate about reading, writing, and spending time with animals, particularly her dogs Ramon, Trixie, and Sprout.
Andi Varon, 2-3 Grade TeacherAndi Varon came to the first/second grade at LCS with 30 years prior experience in the education field. She worked in day care and day care administration for 7 years and was then a teacher at the Sequoyah School in Pasadena for 23 years. While at Sequoyah, she taught a kindergarten/first grade class and a third/fourth grade class. She also mentored many teachers, sat on the Board of Trustees for several terms, led the school through a successful WASC accreditation, and taught math and science workshops to teachers for several summers. She developed a workshop titled "Empowering Children to Become Learners". After leaving Sequoyah, Andi moved to Tokyo, Japan where she taught second grade in an international school for 2 years.
Sarah Molfese, 4th Grade TeacherSarah Molfese is happy to be joining the Larchmont family this year. She is teaming with Lisa, Jake, and Ian. She received her education in New York State. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Spanish from St. Bonaventure University and obtained her Masters in Elementary Education from Niagara University, NCATE accredited eight years ago. She has taught in both public and private schools in New York, North Carolina, and now California.
Lorena Orlosky, 5th Grade TeacherLorena graduated with a degree in Soviet Culture and Art History from the State University of New York at Albany. She has a teaching credential from Cal. State L.A. and has worked extensively as a substitute teacher in a multitude of private and public schools. She worked for several years as a pre-school teacher, with an emphasis on art education. In addition, she has worked at length in Special Education settings with a variety of students as well as with at-risk teens as a tutor in an early gang intervention program.
Rachel Green, 5th Grade TeacherRachel Green is an educator dedicated to improving education for all children by valuing the assets that they each bring to the classroom. Rachel, a graduate of New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, brings music and theatre into the classroom to increase academic achievement. When not teaching or studying, you may catch Rachel on stage at the Impro Theatre making things up, or writing songs to play with the kids. Rachel holds a Master's of Education from UCLA with a focus in Culture, Language, and Diversity, and another in administration. She teaches a class at UCLA in elementary science instruction.
Amanda Ronan, 5th Grade TeacherAmanda is a fifth grade teacher at LCS. She started teaching at LCS in the 2006-2007 school year. Prior to teaching at LCS, she taught both 3rd and 4th grades at a school in South Los Angeles. She began her teaching through the Teach For America program. Amanda has her BA in Anthropology with an emphasis in Mesoamerican archaeology from Arizona State University. She has her Master's of Education from Loyola Marymount University.
Diane Pullano, Resource Specialist Teacher (RST)Diane Pullano is a passionate convert to teaching after a 15-year career in the arts. She received a B.A. from the University of Connecticut and studied Art Conservation for two years in Florence, Italy. She comes from a long line of educators dating back many generations, so she feels she is finally ?home?. She began her teaching career in LAUSD, teaching children with Autism. She?s thrilled to have the opportunity to collaborate on a daily basis with the great teachers and staff of Larchmont Charter School. She believes in the inherent goodness of every child and firmly believes that with the proper supports, every child can learn and thrive. In addition to a Special Education Credential, she will soon earn a General Ed. Credential and a Masters Degree in Special Education from National University. Her son Jacob is her biggest supporter, and is a student at LCS. Tira Sims, 2-3 TeacherTira is in her third year at LCS. She previously worked as a teaching assistant and an intern. Before coming to LCS, Tira attended Boston College but found she is a true California girl at heart, and finished her B.A. in Communications at Santa Clara University where she played Women's Lacrosse. After two years of substitute teaching in various private schools in Monterey, CA, and training at Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes, Tira decided to get her teaching credential at CSU Los Angeles. Jake Tamte, 4th Grade TeacherJake is joining the Larchmont team as a 4th grade teacher. He is a native Minnesotan and has happily traded in sub-zero temperatures for sub-tropical like weather. He will be leading the 4th graders in Mathematics as well as his class in Language Arts. He comes to us with 8 years of experience teaching at the elementary level. He has taught 3rd and 4th grades during his years in education. He started teaching in Southern California and most recently taught a year in Minnesota before returning to Los Angeles. He received his BS in Elementary Education from Minnesota State University of Moorhead and is currently working towards his masters in curriculum and instruction at California State University Northridge. Skye Fraser, Resource Specialist InternSkye Fraser is the Resource Specialist at both the St. Ambrose and Hollygrove campuses. She received her B.A. in psychology at the University of California Berkeley. Currently, she is a second year Masters student at Loyola Marymount University earning her M.A. in special education. She previously taught at UCLA's Early Childhood Partial Hospitalization Program for toddlers and preschoolers with autism. Marjorie Wilburn, K-1 InternBefore coming to Larchmont Charter School, I received my Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from New York University and worked for many years in retail management. I then decided to study education at Pepperdine University and earned a Master of Arts in Education and a Professional CLAD Multiple Subject Teaching Credential. I am married and a mother of two little girls, Flynn, a 2nd grader at LCS, and Gardner, a kindergartner, at LCS. We live in the neighborhood with our cats Henry and Maddy (and the occasional fish) and can usually be found playing at the park.
ENRICHMENT STAFF
Stacey Hawk, Physical Eduaction Teacher Stacey comes to LCS from LAUSD with several years of experience as a classroom teacher in grades K, 3rd, and 5th, managed preschools/summer camps as a Director & Assistant Director, and was an athletic coach for six years with children of all ages coaching softball, basketball, volleyball, track & field, and award winning dance/drill/cheerleading teams. She has both a teaching credential with C.L.A.D. emphasis and a M.A. in Education. She spends the majority of her free time taking dance classes, swimming laps at the local gym, and playing with her son. Her philosophy is to give each child the physical and emotional foundations needed to enjoy a healthy, active lifestyle by providing lots of age appropriate activities & essential skills which will develop self-discipline, self-evaluation, and an understanding of personal strengths and weaknesses. Johnna Hampton Walker, Garden Teacher Having grown up in a rural community in Georgia within a family whose traditions were rooted in the soil, Johnna learned early on about the joys and surprises of the garden. She has brought her passion and enthusiasm for gardening to LCS, with a program that integrates science curriculum into the planting and tending of our school garden. Johnna has over 15 years of experience as an educator, including teaching Kindergarten, serving as director of a Montessori Preschool, serving as a reading specialist, working as an admissions administrator at Crossroads School in Santa Monica and currently as a free lance writer for educational publisher, Young Minds Inspired. Johnna received a B.A. in Early Childhood Education at Mercer University and received her M.Ed from Peabody College of Vanderbilt University. Emily Cohen, Art TeacherEmily Cohen is a Los Angeles-based artist and art teacher. Emily earned a Bachelors of Fine Art In Illustration from the Rhode Island School of Design. After graduating, Emily began her career as a commercial illustrator. Her work has appeared in several books and magazines, including The Art of Mickey Mouse, The Art of Barbie, When Rover Just Won't Do, "The San Francisco Examiner", and more. As a graduate student at UCLA, she received a Multiple Subject Professional Clear Teaching Credential, Supplementary Art Credential, CLAD, and Masters in Education. In addition to working as an elementary, middle, and high school art teacher at schools all over Los Angeles, Emily has also been a head academic 3rd and 4th grade teacher for five years. She has also taught summer art programs and workshops at Otis College of Art and Design, the Skirball Center, and the Summer Art Academy in Los Angeles. Emily has several animated greeting cards on Amazon.com, and has had numerous children's art pieces produced for TJ Max, Linens N' Things, and Marshalls. Her fine art has appeared in La Luz De Jesus Gallery in Los Angeles and in restaurants. Emily produces commissioned portraits of people and their pets. When not doing art, Emily teaches swimming out of her home, where she lives with her husband and two children.
Roc Allen, Swimming TeacherHaving taught over 17000 lessons and nearly twice as many children through his swim school and others, Roc has been active in Kinesiology and swimming for most of his life. He was founding instructor and instrumental in the success of the Lenny Krayzelburg Swim Schools and trained in a variety of the top swim methods & techniques. By improving upon each method, Roc developed his Swim With Love method out of love and contribution to all and he is grateful and humbled to be apart of the Larchmont family and community. Roc recognizes each and every parent and faculty member for their contribution to LCS, the community and the world. Roc can be reached at: swimwithroc@yahoo.com and www.swimwithroc.com.
Blaire Baron Larsen, Yoga TeacherBlaire Baron Larsen has been a practitioner of many forms of yoga for nearly 20 years. Four years ago, she transformed her personal passion for this ancient science of mind/body/soul into a IKYTA/RYT teaching certificate so that she may pass it on. Also a certified Youth Arts Professional with the Los Angeles Shakespeare Festival's YAPTI program, Miss Baron Larsen specializes all her programs toward youth ages 6-14. In her Larchmont Charter classes, the children participate in an opening talk, then receive a vigorous yoga set with relaxation at the end. In group discussion, they are encouraged to practice "ahimsa" in their daily lives. Ahimsa means "non-harm" and is one of the many principles or "limbs" of yoga.
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Larchmont Charter School
815 North El Centro AVe Los Angeles, CA 90038 P: 323/836.0860 F: 323/836.0863 Map |
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