

My name is Ms. Asharg Molla (pronounced: Uh-shar-egg Mol-la) and I will be joining the Administration team alongside Principal Darla Vance as the new Assistant Principal. I am extremely excited to join this wonderful school community. In the short time that I have been here, I’ve been able to witness what a wonderful group of students, staff, and families we have here. As we start the school year, I look forward to meeting all of our students and families and introducing myself in person. In the meantime, I wanted to share a little about myself.
I am originally from Fresno, California where I grew up and went to school through high school. I attended the University of California, Santa Barbara where I received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and Minor in Education/Applied Psychology and also a Minor in Black Studies. I later attended Loyola Marymount University and received a Masters of Arts in Education. Lastly, I obtained my Administrative Service Credential through the School Leadership Program at California State University at Dominguez Hills.
I have dedicated my entire professional career to education and ensuring that all students are receiving a well-rounded and meaningful education. My 14 years in education has developed my talent for leading students, instructors, and helping build and sustain a community of all stakeholders toward success and unity. As a woman of color, I understand first-hand how vital it is for students in an underserved population to feel they have the right to an impactful education just as much as anyone else.
I have been collaborating with Ms. Vance and the Westbrook Academy Admin Team to create plans and goals for Westbrook Middle School and I am optimistic that the future of this great school is bright. There are so many amazing aspects of this school that we are going to work to maintain and strengthen such as effective and personalized learning communities, strong and respectful culture, family involvement, and several enrichment opportunities. Part of what makes this school so special is the close-knit community that supports one another and I look forward to being a part of that. I look forward to working with all of our families and students.
Best,
Ms. Asharg Molla
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
Russell Westbrook Why Not? Middle and High Schools reopened on August 16, 2021.
COVID-19 Resources
FOOD PANTRY – LOCATION: 1755 West 52nd Street @ Western Ave.
The walk-up pantry will be open every other Wednesday from 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm starting February 8 and ending March 22, 2023.
MASKS HELP EVERYONE AROUND YOU
COVID-19 is still circulating throughout California and the best way to slow the spread is to wear a mask whenever you leave the house. That’s why the state is calling on all Californians to wear a mask or face covering when in public and unable to maintain a distance of at least six feet from others.
The California Department of Public Health has published the video below to educate the public on how to correctly wear a mask and protect those around you from COVID-19.
Help us spread the word by sharing the video with your networks and communities on social media.
California Coronavirus COVID-19 Resources Toolkit at https://toolkit.covid19.ca.gov/.
– Includes resources in English and Spanish
Russell Westbrook Why Not? Middle and High Schools reabrirán el 16 de agosto de 2021.
Recursos de Covid-19
DESPENSA DE ALIMENTOS – UBICACIÓN: 1755 West 52nd Street @ Western Ave.
La despensa ambulante estará abierta cada dos miércoles de 1:00 p.m. a 3:00 p.m. a partir del 8 de febrero y hasta el 22 de marzo de 2023.
LAS MÁSCARAS AYUDAN A TODOS A TU RODEO
COVID-19 todavía circula por California y la mejor manera de frenar la propagación es usar una máscara cada vez que salga de casa. Es por eso que el estado está pidiendo a todos los californianos que usen una máscara o una cubierta facial cuando estén en público y no puedan mantener una distancia de al menos seis pies de los demás.
El Departamento de Salud Pública de California ha publicado el siguiente video para educar al público sobre cómo usar correctamente una máscara y proteger a quienes lo rodean del COVID-19.
Ayúdanos a correr la voz compartiendo el video con tus redes y comunidades en las redes sociales.
Kit de herramientas de recursos COVID-19 sobre el coronavirus de California en https://toolkit.covid19.ca.gov/.
– Incluye recursos en inglés y español
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.
Robin Kurtzman has a long history in the education space. She has a credential in college counseling and worked for years as an independent college counselor. She has also volunteered extensively. She served as a member of the Board of Trustees at Oakwood School in North Hollywood, on its Development Committee, and as the volunteer President of its Parent Organization. She also volunteered at West Adams Preparatory High School, where she founded The Honors Society, assisting students to apply for and pursue small private liberal arts schools. Kurtzman has also volunteered with College Match and the Posse Foundation and has helped to bring both of these organizations on to the West Adams Prep campus. She graduated from UCLA in 1983 with a Bachelors Degree in Mass Communications. Kurtzman is the mother of three young women.
Andrea Foggy-Paxton supports career development of senior leaders in the Broad Center network. Foggy-Paxton previously was executive vice president at Reasoning Mind, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing first-rate math instruction for all students. She also has developed and managed innovative professional development, high-school transformation, college completion and personalized-learning grants for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Earlier in her career, she served in roles with Annie E. Casey Foundation, Tavis Smiley Foundation, L.A. Youth at Work, Rock the Vote, and Freedom Schools. Foggy-Paxton has a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of California at Berkeley and a master’s degree in public administration from Baruch College in New York.
Positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) is one approach LA Promise Charter High School #1 uses to encourage good behavior by first recognizing and rewarding what the student is doing right. Our behavioral interventions and supports are put in place to help students begin to notice their behavior and respond differently, using emotional intelligence.
Our aim is to prevent, not punish, while supporting our students both academically and behaviorally. We use PBIS three tier approach and customize how we engage, redirect, and respond to our students. The first step is to know their names, call them by name, and then build a relationship with each child on campus. We couple our approach with Restorative Justice (RJ). Restorative justice is an alternate method of disciplining students that seeks to balance the process between being too permissive and being too punitive. RJ is also used to counter the Zero Tolerance policy. The goal of restorative justice is to work with students (the victims and the accused) to come to a solution rather than simply handing down punishment at school by suspending or expelling students. At LAPCHS, we implement restorative practices such as talking piece, community circles, one-on-one and small group circles.
Our PBIS team consists of: parents, teachers, students, school paraprofessionals, and administrators
LA Promise Charter High School #1 uses Kickboard to recognize students who exhibit SABER characteristics and who handle conflict and emotional upsets in positive ways. Kickboard awards dollars, which we call “Saber Bucks”! Students use their Saber Bucks on the online store to purchase school swag, lunch with Principal or teacher, or buy in extra school events and enrichment trips both on and off campus. For instance, on Halloween students used Saber Bucks to purchase chili cheese nachos and enter the student created haunted house. This fall students will be able to use Saber Bucks for morning bonfires with stemming hot chocolate, while enjoying a delicious self made smore’s!
We also recognize our teachers, staff, and paraprofessionals during our “Village Circle” SABER of the WEEK AWARD
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