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why not achieve?
I am excited to introduce myself to our school community as your proud principal. As you know, Mr. Shahbaz has transitioned to another role, and I took over as we began the second semester. I have developed close relationships with you and your students, and feel privileged to lead the school. Mr. Shahbaz and I worked closely together and I wanted to share my plans to continue our great work and move our wonderful school forward.
While many of you already know me, I want to reintroduce myself, share my background and goals for this school year and beyond. I was born and raised in our community and am a graduate of Cal State University Dominguez Hills. My adult son attended a charter school and from a parent perspective, I understand the need for small personalized learning communities and schools that provide enrichment and a family-like atmosphere. I have worked in schools for over 20 years as an instructional assistant, highly effective math/science teacher, assistant
principal and now principal.
I have some clear goals and expectations for the upcoming school year:
I look forward to having you attend future events with me, like Coffee with the Principal and Parent Town Hall Meetings. My goal is to see more of you at these events. We know that parent involvement is the strongest factor in school success.
I maintain an open door policy so please feel free to come in, or contact our School Business Office Manager, Ms. Agalzoff at (323) 403-0770, to schedule an appointment.
With Regards,
Darla Vance
Como su director, es mi placer darle la bienvenida a usted a la manada de lobos de Westbrook. Todos estamos contentos de tener a los estudiantes de regreso en nuestras aulas y pasillos llenándolos de energía y entusiasmo por aprender. Anteriormente LA Promise Charter Middle School, Russell Westbrook Why Not? Middle School se encuentra en medio de algunos cambios importantes. Ahora estamos asociados con Russell Westbrook Why Not? Foundation, lo que significa recursos continuos para instalaciones y programación de calidad. Ahora estamos en una nueva ubicación, co-ubicada en el campus de la Academia Preparatoria Global Barack Obama. Esto nos ha proporcionado aulas grandes y limpias; laboratorios de ciencia; una pista y campo completo; un centro para padres; y acceso al sistema DailyPass de LAUSD para garantizar que nuestros estudiantes estén sanos y seguros. También tenemos una nueva sub-directora: la Sra. Darla Vance, y una nueva intervencionista de lectura: la Sra. Narine Papazyan. Estas miembras del equipo brindarán apoyo adicional a nuestra comunidad escolar a medida que regresemos al aprendizaje en persona.
Todos estos cambios se realizan con el objetivo de crear el mejor entorno posible al que nuestros estudiantes regresarán. Como comunidad, estamos capeando una pandemia global que ha trastornado nuestras vidas de formas que nunca hubiéramos anticipado. Los sentimientos de ansiedad, dolor e inseguridad deben enfrentarse con esperanza, seguridad y consuelo para que nuestros estudiantes aprendan y prosperen. Con ese fin, tenemos tres objetivos principales al comenzar este año sin precedentes:
También queremos animar a todos nuestros padres a que nos acompañen en este nuevo viaje. No solo tendrá la oportunidad de conocer a todo nuestro personal, sino que también aprenderá todas las formas en que podemos comunicarnos y colaborar para asegurarnos de que
nuestros estudiantes satisfagan sus necesidades.
Una vez más, ¡bienvenido de nuevo! ¡Deseando un gran año juntos!
Atentamente,
Justin Shahbaz
Donnell Beverly Jr. is the President at Russell Westbrook Enterprises where he leads the enterprise’s business management, real estate, and investment of liquid assets. The Russell Westbrook Enterprise portfolio includes investments in health, fitness, fashion, social media, automobile sales, and more. Prior to his work with Russell Westbrook Enterprises he specialized in the intersection of sports, business management, and real estate.
Donnell also serves on the board of The Why Not? Foundation, the private foundation of Russell and Nina Westbrook.
Donnell was born and raised in South LA and attended Leuzinger High School in Lawndale, CA. He went on to captain the UConn basketball team that won a national championship in 2011.
Jaime Ernesto Uzeta is the CEO of Public Allies. Previously, he was the VP of Innovation and Partnerships at BUILD, where he oversaw the organization’s transformational impact efforts. His unique background blends education design, media, technology and public service. Prior to BUILD, Uzeta was a portfolio director at IDEO, the design and innovation firm, where he helped address a variety of systemic challenges in education. Previously, he headed up growth strategy and development for GreatSchools, a digital media group that empowers parents to unlock educational opportunities for their children. In the media space, Uzeta built Participant Media’s digital and TV social action teams, which informed and mobilized audiences around critical social issues. He played a similar role for MTV, where he co-developed the Choose or Lose and Fight for Your Rights initiatives.
Uzeta’s other experience includes a variety of strategy and marketing roles for some of the world’s most recognized brands – including clients such as CNN and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation – as well as political positions at the White House and the Departments of Treasury and Commerce. A former term member of the Council on Foreign Relations, Uzeta currently serves on the national board of Public Allies, a civic service apprenticeship program. He graduated with honors from the University of Houston with a BA in political science and earned his MBA from Columbia University.
Stephen Prough is a Founder of Salem Partners and Salem Partners Wealth Management. In addition to his management responsibilities for Salem Partners’ two main businesses, Prough oversees the firm’s media and entertainment investment banking practice, focusing primarily on mergers and acquisitions advisory services. Prough serves on the investment committees of Salem Partners Wealth Management and SW Contego, a fund of hedge funds established by Salem Partners Wealth Management in 2008. Prior to founding Salem Partners, Prough was a Vice President in the Media and Communications Investment Banking Group of Furman Selz. Prough is a graduate of Harvard College, where he majored in Government and was a Harvard Scholar. Prough serves as the Co-Chair of the LA Promise Fund Board of Directors. Prough is also on the Professional Advisory Counsel of the Motion Picture and Television Fund.
Elizabeth Mann is a partner in Mayer Brown’s Los Angeles office. She has extensive experience litigating cases in several areas including entertainment, defamation, health care, antitrust, real estate, investment finance, environmental, regulatory and class actions. Mann has handled cases involving motion picture finance and screen credit issues, biologic marketing strategies, financial advisory services, fiduciary duty claims involving banks and trusts, government investigations, long-distance telephone services, toxic torts and RICO claims.
Mann has had a long term commitment to serving Los Angeles’ underprivileged children. She spearheaded major litigation that established fair housing rights for low income families. She aided a number of Hurricane Katrina refugees who were transferred to Los Angeles in obtaining housing, health and education services. She is also very active in the Los Angeles legal community, serving as the Chair-Elect of the Executive Committee of the Litigation Section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. She received an undergraduate degree from Pomona College and a JD from the University of California – Los Angeles School of Law.