Welcome to Ánimo Charter Middle School 4

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Ánimo Middle School 4 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 3. Both schools are open to every student living within the Henry Clay attendance area who would like to attend, and both offer the same curriculum, are held to the same standards, and students at each school have access to the same facilities and resources. Each school operates with its own faculty and staff. For more information about Ánimo Middle School 3, please click here.

Ánimo Middle School 4 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 4 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 emobides Green Dot Public Schools' commitment to student success.

What makes Ánimo Middle School 4 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 4 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 4 classes will begin and end as follows:

School begins later for students on Wednesdays than other days, as Ánimo Middle School 4 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 4 students are required to wear a uniform, which consists of a dark green, 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 4 logo from the school's front office for $10. More information regarding dress code is provided in student handbooks.

Faculty

Administrators

Nathaniel Pickering, Principal

For two years prior to his joining Ánimo Middle School 4, Nathaniel Pickering served as Assistant Principal of Ánimo Pat Brown Charter High School; he joined Pat Brown in 2006 as a founding Social Studies teacher, and during his tenure, it became Green Dot's highest-performing school. Mr. Pickering has been a part of South Los Angeles schools since 2002, including three years spent teaching at Locke High School. He holds a Master of Education degree (M. Ed.) from UCLA.

 

 

 

Wendy Perez, Assistant Principal

Wendy Perez joined Ánimo Middle School 4 and Green Dot Public Schools most recently from Marco Antonio Firebaugh High School, in Lynwood Unified School District, where she served as Assistant Principal. Wendy had been part of Lynwood Unified since 2001, also serving as a Biology teacher, AVID teacher and Theory of Knowledge teacher. She holds a Master's degree in Secondary Education, Biology, from Loyola Marymount University.

Jorge Paz
Counselor

Irma Soria-Garcia
Office Manager

Wendy Campo
Parent Coordinator

Aris White
Office Assistant

Nancy Romano
Office Assistant 

Teachers

English

Erika Antonsen
6th grade English / Literacy Enrichment / Drama 

Gabriela Salvidea
6th grade English / Literacy Enrichment 

Adriana Meza
7th grade English 

Stephanie Ronen
7th grade Literacy Enrichment 

William Wadsworth
8th grade English 

Cheryl Donaldson
8th grade Literacy Enrichment 

Math

Mi Hee Chu
6th grade Math 

Tammy Lee
6th grade Math Foundations

Anup Patel
7th grade Pre-Algebra 

Jennifer Phan
7th grade Math Foundations 

Tasneem Muhammad
Algebra I / 8th grade Math Foundations 

Edwin Hernandez 
Algebra I / 8th grade Math Foundations 

Social Studies

Dennis Rosen
6th grade Ancient Civilizations

Kelly Arnold
7th grade World History

Sue Jean Foulkes
8th grade U.S. History 

Science

Michelle Nicolas
6th grade Earth Science 

Mireya Ochoa
7th grade Life Science 

Marquise Davis
8th grade Physical Science 

Electives

Grace Inabnit
Physical Education 

Alison Jebrock
Composition / Spanish 

Special Education

Brenna Perkins
Resource Specialist Program - English

Jodi Romero
Resource Specialist Program - Math

Mary Jo Davis
Special Day Program - English 

Megan Farrell
Special Day Program - Math

Cathleen Hall
Special Day Program - Social Studies / Science

Gabriela Chyczewska
Autism 

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 either school's office and 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 4
12226 South Western Avenue
Los Angeles, CA  90047
(323) 600-6099