Worthington Elementary School
Ms. Lahbil has been teaching for four years. This was her third year working with ArtsBridge. She writes, “I have really enjoyed it. My students love seeing how art is incorporated in everyday life. They also get the opportunity to meet college students and tour the campus of UCLA, which I hope sparks the interest for further education.”
Ms. Herriott states, “I have been teaching for nine years, the last four of which have been at Worthington Elementary. I graduated from UCLA with a degree in theater and have a Masters Degree in Education from Nova University. I am inspired when I see my students eyes light up and get excited about learning. It is wonderful to see this happen more often since our involvement with the ArtsBridge program.”
Rita Bouchard teaches third grade students at Worthington Elementary in Inglewood, California. She writes, “I really believe that the arts are such an important part of learning for all children. I know that dancing in the ArtsBridge program and Carnaval has made a significant difference in how my students see themselves and the world.”
Christine Fetzer has been a fourth grade teacher at Worthington Elementary for four years. She explains, “The students of our school community are itching to express themselves creatively, which is why it is such a delight to be able to work with the ArtsBridge Scholars. Through this program, my students have been exposed to facets of art that they would not have been exposed to in the regular fourth grade curriculum. I believe that this is a valuable learning experience for all involved.”
John Muir Middle School
Ms. Fournier graduated from UCLA with a B.A. in Art History. Over the years, however, she has maintained both formal and informal practice of multi-disciplinary art study, concentrating mainly on ceramics and sculpture. This practice led to her interest in teaching. As a seven year veteran art teacher at John Muir, she has used her Art History background extensively to inform and enrich the curriculum.
Ms. Diaz writes, “I became a teacher because I had a wonderful teacher in sixth grade who made all the difference in the world to me, Mr. Weeks. He opened up the world of poetry, drama, and dance, and made it come to life using literature. I think his approach saved my life and gave me a lifelong love of the arts.”
Tammy Jesse is a special education teacher who teaches Drama as an elective at John Muir Middle School. This is her first year teaching at John Muir Middle School and with the LAUSD. She is a graduate of Arizona State University she has been teaching for 7 years, 6 of those years in Belgium and Germany with the Department of Defense. She has been partnering with Cynthia Wennstrom in visual art.
Che Edoga teaches seventh grade at Muir Middle School, and is also a working artist in his own right. With a Masters Degree from California Institute of the Arts, he recently presented his work at the REDCAT. Edoga is known for his creative work in robotics, and sound design.
David Starr Jordan High School
Dr. Avila is originally from Belize, Central America. He is currently an Assistant Principal at Jordan High School. Avila has extensive teaching and administrative experiences at all levels of education–Elementary, Middle, and High School. He has also taught in Adult and University settings. He is a certified teacher in Belize, Central America, and holds a Diploma in Educational Administration and Management from Moray House School of Education, University of Edinburgh, Scotland. He was a Fellow of the College of Teachers (College of Teachers, Institute of Education, University of London, England), and holds a Bachelor of Science in Human Relations and Organizational Behavior from the University of San Francisco; a Master of Arts in Educational Administration from California State University, Los Angeles; a Doctor of Education from Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He also holds a Professional Clear Administrative Services Credential, a Multiple Subject Professional Clear Teaching Credential, and a Bilingual Certificate of Competence from the State of California.
2005 initiated Branscomb’s first year in the field of teaching. Previously he worked in retail as a store manager, distribution and facilities manager, district manager, personnel representative and administrative manager. While working in management he became aware that the youth of today were lacking several skills necessary to acquire decent employment. He then returned to the university and earned degrees in business information systems, computer science, and liberal studies. He was then hired by Jordan High School to teach mathematics. Given his leadership qualities and experience in athletics he now serves as the JHS baseball coach.
Mr. Tapia is an inspired educator who teaches history within the Starr Academy at Jordan High School. During the 2005-2006 year, Mr. Tapia partnered with Jennifer Dillon in the field of architecture.
Ron is an alumnus of the UCLA Department of World Arts and Cultures and serves as the Education Specialist at Jordan High’s STARR Academy for the Arts. He states, “I am proud to serve my community in the capacity as an educator. My main focus is encouraging and assisting students with their reading comprehension. The arts should play a pivotal role in this process as literacy comes in many forms.”
An experienced and motivated educator, Ms. Rivera serves the Secondary Education Literacy Coach for UCLA’s Center X at Jordan High School, District 7.
Mr. Barbee is an activist who focuses on educational equity through his work with Unite LA. He serves on the Committee of Friends of the Watts Towers Art Center. In addition to his important work with ArtsBridge, Mr. Barbee jumpstarted JHS small learning community that focuses on New Technologies.
Mr. Escalante is the lead teacher for Jordan High School’s Starr Academy. He teaches English and film studies to youth at Jordan High School.
Santa Monica High School/ Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District
ArtsBridge has been working closely with the Education Foundation of the Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District to implement the districts first dance education endowment. Linda Gross, the Education Foundation Director, explains the foundation’s mission in the following way. “For The Arts, the campaign of the Education Foundation of Santa Monica-Malibu, is a community-wide effort to ensure that every student in our public schools receives a broad introduction to the arts, including music, visual arts, dance and drama, through the creation of a permanent endowment fund.
Norm Lacy begins his 28th year teaching at Santa Monica High School. A Physical Education graduate of USC, Norm brings a wealth of coaching experience to his work as Department Chairman of Physical Education. Over the years he has served as athletic director, head football and wrestling coach, and presently is the boys golf coach. Pleased to expand the physical education curriculum at SAMO, Lacy explains that “ArtsBridge provides an opportunity for UCLA scholars to expose our students to the exciting world of modern dance. I hope we will continue this exchange for many years to come.”
Brenda Armstrong has been a Physical Education/Dance teacher at Santa Monica High School for 32+ years and two of those years as the chairperson of the Physical Education Department. Brenda has earned degrees in physical education and teaching credentials for elementary and higher education from UCLA, Loyola University and Pepperdine University.
