ANNOUNCEMENTS
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Special Education & Psychological Services Commitment
Animo City of Champion's special education and psychological services team is committed to addressing barriers to learning through an integrated academic, social-emotional and behavioral system that bridges services to students with disabilities in an inclusive environment.
Our approach
We provide high quality and accessible programming that embraces the strengths of our students. Our special education supports are created with high structure in order to foster a highly inclusive supported environment for all of our scholars and their families.
Department Contact Information
Dr. Susana Campo
Senior Director of Special Education & Psychological Services
[email protected]
(323) 565 - 1600
Special Education Program
Administrator
Didi Smith
[email protected]
School Psychologist
Christine Brice
[email protected]
Frequently Asked Questions:
Can my child attend Animo City of Champions if she/he has an IEP?
Yes, we are a public school and welcome all students.
I have questions about my child's IEP. Who should I reach out to?
Please contact the school and ask to speak with your child's special education teacher.
Who should I contact for a special education evaluation or support for my child?
Please contact our school psychologist to share your concerns.
Related Links:
Notice of Procedural Safeguards Special Education Rights of Parents and Children -English
Aviso de Garantías Procesales Derechos a la Educación Especial de Padres-Español
Read Our Policy Below for Homelessness Resources
Our School Liason is:
Melissa Peña
Community School Manager
1149 S. Hill St., Ste. 600
323-565-1600
The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act for Homeless Children and Youth entitles all homeless school-aged
children to the same free and appropriate public education that is provided to non-homeless students. To that
end, Green Dot has adopted the following policy regarding the enrollment and education of homeless students.
A homeless student is defined as a person between the ages of two and eighteen who lacks a fixed, regular, and
adequate nighttime residence. It includes children and youths who:
- Live in an emergency or transitional shelter; abandoned building, parked car, or other facility not designed as a
regular sleeping accommodation for human beings - Live “double-up” with another family/are sharing the housing of other persons, due to loss of housing,
economic hardship, or a similar reason; - Live in a hotel or motel due to lack of alternate adequate accommodations;
- Live in a trailer park or campsite due to lack of alternate adequate accommodations;
- Have been abandoned at a hospital;
- Reside in a home for school-aged, unwed mothers or mothers-to-be if there are no other available living
accommodations; - Are living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or
similar settings; and - Are a migratory or abandoned, runaway, or throwaway youth that qualifies as homeless because he/she is
living in circumstances described above.
Homeless status is determined in cooperation with the parent or guardian. In the case of unaccompanied youth,
status is determined by the School Liaison.
School Liaison
The Principal designates the following staff person as the School Liaison for homeless students:
Melissa Peña
Community School Manager
1149 S. Hill St., Ste. 600
323-565-1600
The School Liaison shall ensure that:
- Homeless students are identified by school personnel and through coordination activities with other
entities and agencies. - Homeless students enroll in, and have a full and equal opportunity to succeed at Green Dot.
- Homeless students and families receive educational services for which they are eligible, including
- Head Start and Even Start programs, and referrals to health care services, dental services, mental
health services, and other appropriate services. - Parents/guardians are informed of the educational and related opportunities available to their
children and are provided with meaningful opportunities to participate in the education of their
children. - Public notice of the educational rights of homeless children is disseminated at places where children
receive services, such as schools, shelters, and soup kitchens. - Enrollment/admissions disputes are mediated in accordance with law, the Green Dot charter(s), and
Board policy. - Parents/guardians and any unaccompanied youth are fully informed of all transportation services, as
applicable. - The School Liaison collaborates with State coordinators and community and school personnel
responsible for the provision of education and related services to homeless children and youths.
Enrollment
Green Dot shall immediately admit/enroll the student (subject to the school’s capacity and pursuant to any
procedures stated in the charter), even if the student lacks records normally required for enrollment. Records
will immediately be requested from the previous school.
If the student needs to obtain immunizations or does not possess immunization or other medical records, the
Principal or designee shall refer the parent/guardian to the School Liaison. The School Liaison shall assist the
parent/guardian in obtaining the necessary immunizations or records for the student
FERPA
La Ley de Derechos Educativos y Privacidad Familiar >>
FERPA is a Federal law that is administered by the Family Policy Compliance Office (Office) in the U.S. Department of Education (Department). 20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99. FERPA applies to educational agencies and institutions (e.g., schools) that receive funding under any program administered by the Department. Private and parochial schools at the elementary and secondary levels generally do not receive such funding and are, therefore, not subject to FERPA.
Required:
- Pencils
- Blue/Black Pens
- 6 Composition Books
- 4 Packs Lined Paper
- 1-1 1/2 inch binder
- 1 12 tab divider set
Optional:
-
Markers
- Colored Pencils
- Crayons
- Permanent Markers
- Highlighters
- Ruler
- Backpack
Don't let the high cost of college discourage you or your child. Numerous sources of financial aid can help you afford even the most expensive schools. In fact, nearly half of all college students receive some financial aid. The key is to start saving and researching now. Consider the types of college your child might attend (public, private, urban, rural), the requirements of your potential major (books, supplies), and living costs (housing, transportation, food). Estimate your child's financial needs, and begin saving money each month. Many banks offer special college savings accounts.
Financial Aid
You and your child can apply for several types of aid from federal and state agencies, private foundations, and colleges.
Federal Student Aid, a part of the U.S. Department of Education, is the largest provider of student financial aid in the nation and should be the first stop for students seeking financial aid. By completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), students are considered for federal student aid. Many other financial aid programs require that students first fill out the FAFSA (including Cal Grants). To fill out the FAFSA, you will also need to complete the application for a Federal Student Aid PIN.
The California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) is the principal state agency responsible for administering financial aid programs for students attending California colleges and universities. Students can apply for the Cal Grant program and several other financial aid programs through the CSAC website.
Undocumented students who are eligible for AB 540 are now eligible to receive financial aid from the State of California. To apply for California State aid, AB 540 students must complete the California Dream Act Application and the Cal Grant GPA Verification process. More information on AB540. Educators for Fair Consideration (E4FC) also provides college information and scholarships for undocumented students.
LA Cash for College provides free assistance to Los Angeles students and familes applying for federal and state financial aid. Visit their website to find out more about the workshops and other services they offer.
Many colleges and universities also provide financial aid to their students. You should ask each college on your list what their financial aid policies are and what it takes to apply for financial aid. Many colleges will require that you fill out the CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE before applying for financial aid.
Scholarships
Scholarships are awarded to students based on several criteria. Your child can receive a scholarship for academics, athletics, community service, and many other endeavors. FastWeb.com is a great Web site to search for scholarship opportunities. Your child can fill out an online profile and the website will match their profile with potential scholarships. The Minority Scholarship Search allows students to search for scholarships that are open to students of their race. Other organizations that offer college scholarships include:
- Sallie Mae Scholarship Search - Searchable database of more than 3 million scholarships
- Hispanic Scholarship Fund - Largest scholarship program for Latino students in the nation
- United Negro College Fund - Administers a range of scholarship programs for African-American students
- Boston University Trustee Scholarship Competition - Full tuition scholarships to Boston University for high-performing students
- Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation - Scholarship program sponsored by Coca-Cola
- Dell Scholars Program - Scholarship program sponsored by the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation
- Gates Millennium Scholars - Scholarship program for minority students sponsored by the Gates Foundation
- Jackie Robinson Foundation - Scholarships and mentoring for minority students provided in memory of Jackie Robinson
- "Make The U (Haz La U)" Scholarship Program - Scholarships for Latino students sponsored by Colgate
- MALDEF Scholarship Resources - Information on scholarships collected by the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF)
- SALEF Scholarship - Scholarships for Latino students sponsored by the Salvadoran-American Leadership and Education Fund
- Univision "es el momento" Scholarship - Scholarships for Latino students sponsored by Univision
Ánimo City of Champions Charter High School is a charter public school governed by a nonprofit board of directors and overseen by the Los Angeles Unified School District. On January 12, 2016, the LAUSD board voted to approve a Board Resolution, “Keeping Parents Information: Charter Transparency” which was passed with the support of the LA charter community. The resolution highlighted information and data that charter public schools share with parents through their charter petitions, School Accountability Report Cards, Local Education Agency Plans, Local Control Accountability Plans, Annual Audits, and other publicly available documents.
This information is available from Ánimo Ellen Ochoa Charter Middle School electronically or manually by parent request. Per board resolution, parents may request this information in English and any single primary language meeting the requirements of Sections 45400 through 45403 of the California Education Code.
Safety and Facilities
- Health and safety plans and procedures (see charter petition, page 100)
- School facility assessment (see School Accountability Report Card, page 6)
Curriculum and Instructional Focus
- Instructional materials (see School Accountability Report Card, page 4)
- Curriculum content (see charter petition, page 23)
Staff
- Teacher credential status (see School Accountability Report Card, page 4)
- Qualifications of employees (including school leaders); Staff (including, but not limited to teachers, administrators, clerical staff, custodial staff, aides, etc.) compensation scheme available upon request. (see charter petition, page 90)
- Governance Structure and Financial Management (see charter petition, page 140)
- Brown Act compliancy (see charter petition, page 104)
- Governance structure and policies (see charter petition, page 78)
- Any material relationships among the school, its charter management organization (CMO) and any person or entity controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the school or its CMO; As used herein, “control” has the meaning ascribed to it in Rule 405 promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended – that is, the possession, direct or indirect, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of a person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract, or otherwise.
Food Services
- Meals offered to students
- Free and reduced-price meals are provided to students who would be eligible for them at a traditional public school
Admissions
- Lottery processes (including any preferences) and enrollment deadlines (see charter petition, page 107)
- Four-year cohort graduation rates (see School Accountability Report Card, page 13)
- Drop-out rates (see School Accountability Report Card, page 13)
Student Demographic Rates
- Ethnicity (see School Accountability Report Card, page 3)
- Income-eligibility for free and reduced-price meals (see School Accountability Report Card, page 3)
- English Language Learner status (see School Accountability Report Card, page 3)
- Special Education, by type (detailed to the extent permitted by applicable state and federal law and as available by traditional District public schools) (see School Accountability Report Card, page 3)
The Education Protection Account ("EPA") provides local education agencies ("LEA") with general purpose funding from the State of California. This funding was provided by the passage of Proposition 30 on the November 2012 California ballot.
A spending plan must be approved by the governing board during a public meeting. EPA funds cannot be used for the salaries or benefits of administrators or any other administrative costs. Each year, the LEA must publish on its website how much money was received from the EPA and how the funds were expended.
The Annual EPA Summary can be found here >>
For more information, please visit the California Department of Education FAQs regarding the EPA.
Purpose
The SAC shall review the Single School Plan addressing the following focus areas before September 15th for the ensuing academic year. The SAC will subsequently monitor the plan and applicable data, and if necessary, recommend modifications to the plan to reflect changing needs and/or priorities throughout the year:
- Curricula, instructional strategies and materials responsive to the individual needs and learning styles of our students
- Instructional and auxiliary services to meet the needs of non-English-speaking or limited-English-speaking students; students with special or exceptional needs; and advanced students
- A professional development program for teachers, other school personnel, paraprofessionals, and volunteers, including those participating in special programs
- Build the schools’ and parents’ capacity for strong parental involvement and develop and annually review a written parent involvement policy, pursuant to No Child Left behind. The policy shall:
- Provide the coordination, technical assistance, and other support necessary to assist the school in planning and implementing effective parent involvement activities to improve student academic achievement and school performance
- Coordinate and integrate parental involvement strategies [under Title I] with parental involvement strategies under other programs as appropriate
- Conduct, with the involvement of parents, an annual evaluation of the content and effectiveness of the parental involvement policy in improving the academic quality of the schools, including identifying barriers to greater participation by parents in activities (with particular attention to parents who are economically disadvantaged, are disabled, have limited English proficiency, have limited literacy, or are of any racial or ethnic minority background), and use the findings of such evaluation to design strategies for more effective parental involvement, and to revise, if necessary, the parental involvement policies described in this section
- Involve parents in the activities of the school
- Review the school budget to assure spending in accordance with the goals of the plan. The SAC will recommend the school budget for the ensuing fiscal year before the principal submits it for Green Dot Public Schools Board approval from the SAC and will advise them of such changes at the next monthly meeting
- Other activities and objectives as designated by the Green Dot Board of Directors
