Welcome to Ánimo Charter Middle School 3

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Ánimo Middle School 3 opened its doors to its first classes of sixth, seventh and eighth grade students in August 2011. It is located on the former Henry Clay Middle School campus, which it shares with Ánimo Middle School 4. Both schools are open to every student living within the Henry Clay Middle School attendance area who would like to attend, and both offer the same curriculum, are held to the same standards, and students at both schools have access to the same facilities and resources. Each school operates with its own faculty and staff. For more information about Ánimo Middle School 4, please click here.

Ánimo Middle School 3 is proud to serve and accelerate the academic growth of students in the South Los Angeles community.

Mission statement

Green Dot Public Schools is leading the charge to transform public education in Los Angeles and beyond so that all children receive the education they need to be successful in high school, college, leadership and life.

Core values

Ánimo Middle School 3 is dedicated to the core values of Green Dot Public Schools:

• An unwavering belief in the potential of all students.
• A passion for excellence.
• A culture of respect for each other, for our school community, and for the community at large.
• Active involvement from all stakeholders (parents, students, teachers and administrators).

School name

Ánimo is a Spanish word which means "vigor, mind, spirit, valor, and the courage to overcome odds", and embodies Green Dot Public Schools' commitment to student success.

What makes Ánimo Middle School 3 special?

• Small, safe schools
• Small classes
• Technology
• Highly-qualified teachers and administrators
• Parent involvement
• College preparatory courses
• High expectations
• Positive school culture

Course offerings

Course offerings at Ánimo Middle School 3 are designed to emphasize preparation for success in UC / CSU A - G high school classes.

6th grade	7th grade	8th grade
English	English	English
Literacy Enrichment / Drama	Literacy Enrichment / Composition	Literacy Enrichment / Spanish
Math	Pre-Algebra	Algebra I
Math Foundations	Math Foundations / PE	Math Foundations / PE
Ancient Civilizations	World History	U.S. History
Earth Science	Life Science	Physical Science

Multiple classes divided by slashes in the table above represent the multiple pathways which become available depending on student proficiency in English and math.

Bell schedule

During the regular school year, Ánimo Middle School 3 classes will begin and end as follows:

School begins later for students on Wednesday than other days, as Ánimo Middle School 3 teachers meet for professional development and collaboration on these mornings. Parents will be notified in advance of minimum days, when school ends early.

School calendar

Uniform

Ánimo Middle School 3 students are required to wear a uniform, which consists of a black, collared shirt and khaki pants, shorts or skirts. All other elements of the uniform (coats, sweaters, undershirts, belts, socks, shoes, etc.) must be all black or all white.

Families may supply their own uniform shirts, or may buy shirts bearing the Ánimo Middle School 3 logo from the school's front office for $10. More information regarding dress code is provided in student handbooks.

Faculty

Administrators

Silke Bradford, Principal

Silke Bradford comes to Ánimo Middle School 3 most recently from Green Dot's Ánimo Venice Charter High School, where she served as Assistant Principal. Her career has focused on students in underserved communities - she has also served as an Assistant Principal in Compton Unified School District, and as a history teacher in Compton and in Northern California. Ms. Bradford holds Master of Education (M. Ed., University of the Pacific) and Doctor of Education (Ed. D., UC Irvine) degrees; her dissertation research, which she presented to the Maternal and Children's Health Bureau in Washington, D.C., addressed academic intervention programs that increase the number of underrepresented minorities pursuing graduate-level biomedical research.

 

Jeff Hartman, Assistant Principal

Jeff Hartman joins Ánimo Middle School 3 most recently from Green Dot Public Schools' Administrator in Residence program. Before joining Green Dot, Mr. Hartman taught high school science for eight years, during which time he chaired his department, coordinated his school's Advanced Placement program, and served as a support provider in the Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment Induction Program. He was the founder and Lead Teacher for the EARTH (Environmental Awareness as it Relates to Humanity) small learning community.

 

 

 

Marcus Reynolds
Counselor 

Maribell Guzman
Office Manager

Cristina Lopez
Parent Coordinator

Jessica Waller
Office Assistant

Nancy Romano
Office Assistant 

 

Teachers

English

Bristol Charrow
6th grade Literacy Enrichment / Drama

Dawn Pappas
6th grade English / Literacy Enrichment 

John Sirjord
6th grade English 

Emi Rourke
7th grade English

Berta Ihrig
7th grade Literacy Enrichment 

Eve Robles
8th grade English

Donna Szabo
8th grade Literacy Enrichment 

Math

Christina Habashy
6th grade Math

Ines Mendoza
6th grade Math Foundations

Ambar Ramirez
7th grade Pre-Algebra

Jessica Davis
7th grade Math Foundations

Heather Harper
Algebra I / 8th grade Math Foundations

Tristan Hurlburt
Algebra I / 8th grade Math Foundations

Social Studies 

Kayla Cahoon
6th grade Ancient Civilizations

Stephen Weilbacher
7th grade World History

Christina Zepeda
8th grade U.S. History 

Science

Charissa Mureen
6th grade Earth Science

Johnna Lipuma
6th grade Earth Science 

Leslie Jimenez
7th grade Life Science

Dani Boepple
8th grade Physical Science 

Electives

Grace Inabnit
Physical Education

Alison Jebrock
Composition / Spanish 

Special Education

Dawn Dinkins
Resource Specialist Program - English

Danielle Hunter
Resource Specialist Program - Math 

Leona Ruiz
Special Day Program - English

Katherine Vega
Special Day Program - Math 

Porscha Johnson
Special Day Program - Social Studies / Science

Gian Ishino
Mild / Moderate Mental Retardation

Jennifer Herrera
Mild / Moderate Mental Retardation 

Enrollment

Ánimo Middle Schools 3 and 4 are open to every student living in the Henry Clay Middle School attendance area who would like to attend. To determine whether you live in the Henry Clay Middle School attendance area, please click here to visit the Los Angeles Unified School District's School Finder.

To enroll a student, please submit the following documents to the Ánimo Middle School 3 and 4 Welcome Center:

• Signed enrollment packet (available in the Welcome Center)
• Proof of student's legal name (birth certificate or Social Security card)
• Proof of current address (utility bill)
• Vaccination record

The specific academy your student attends (Ánimo Middle School 3 or Ánimo Middle School 4) will depend on each school's enrollment at the time you submit your enrollment documents.

If you do not live in the Henry Clay Middle School attendance area, but would like your student to attend Ánimo Middle School 3 or 4, please submit enrollment documents to each school's main office. You will be put on a waiting list and contacted when space becomes available. 

Contact us

Ánimo Middle School 3
12226 South Western Avenue
Los Angeles, CA  90047

(323) 600-6000