Summer Enrichment – LAEF4KIDS.ORG

Summer enrichment institute 2022

Elementary Campus = Lee Elementary
Middle School Campus = Oak
SEI Session 1
June 20 - July 1
SEI Session 2
July 5 - July 15

2021 Elementary Flyers
2022 offerings are in development...

2021 Middle & High School Flyers

Please note that the Multi-Class discount applies to SEI classes only. It does NOT apply to Summer Sports Camps run by High School Coaches or Camps in the Arts run by High School Directors or the High School Health Graduation class.

Elementary Class Descriptions – SEI 2021

Click on the arrow to read class descriptions

Please note that each Jumpstart Class is the same in Session 1 and Session 2.
All Jumpstart Classes are aligned with Common Core State Standards.

Spanish students will be exposed to a Spanish language program that engages children to learn through creative activities. Instructional focus is on acquisition of vocabulary and practical conversation through multiple learning strategies to stimulate every learning style. A fun filled approach allows children to learn a new language and with a high level of retention. This class is designed for students to take one or both modules to increase language exposure.

This French class will be using the comprehensive input method. Students will acquire high frequency vocabulary and be able to read a short story. They will also learn language basics such as introductions, colors, animals, and daily activities. Although not required, students are encouraged to take the class during both sessions, so that they can continue in their learning of this beautiful language.

Cheer is a sport involving the performance of organized cheering, chanting, and dancing. Cheer-leading teaches teamwork. The ability to work with other people to achieve a goal is an aspect of cheer-leading that carries over into your non-cheer life. This is because cheer-leading instills a strong work ethic. Cheerleaders are high achievers because cheer-leading teaches the following five key traits: Confidence, Dependability, Responsibility, Accountability and Difficulty.

In this class, students can expect to learn how to write different comic strips that will explore their creative side. Students will learn the importance of

character choice, word choice, and the purpose in which they write. In addition, students will come to understand how comics began while learning different events in history and science in which they have been used. Students will look at different stylistic choices that famous comic book/strip authors use to pull in their readers. This will help students in writing, reading, speaking, and communicating.

With technology advancing at a very rapid pace, this course will not only allow students to increase their technology abilities in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and typing, but also in web skills and coding. Students will learn how to use, create, and save a word document and a PowerPoint presentation. This course will also utilize typing software and fun activities for students to learn the “home row” on the keyboard. Students will increase their web skills by learning how to research, navigate, and bookmark scholarly websites and articles. It will also increase students’ ability to become beginners at computer programming.

We would like to invite incoming 2nd and 3rd grades students to a summer experience that is guaranteed to change the way your child thinks about EVERYTHING! Critical Thinking is one of Los Al’s signature practices used with all students K-12. It is one of the building blocks to critical and creative thinking. Students that come to our two-week session will be taught by the district TOSA, Ms. Lisa Swain, and have the opportunity to learn ALL of the visual prompts that trigger deep and complex thoughts by analyzing works of art, famous people, music, speeches, and more! Each day they will have a hands-on activity that will support their new thinking strategy. The goal of this class is to provide our young and curious students the opportunity to learn how to not only think critically but express it through finding comfort in sharing amongst peers through speaking, listening, and hands-on activities. Strategies learned will be used in their future classrooms in all subjects!

We would like to invite any 4th or 5th grader who has a burning passion for something to join us for two weeks! If your student is highly interested in a particular event, person, career, or idea…this class will give them the freedom to learn just what to do with that idea or passion!

Students will be given the task to become the “expert” in this high level interest of theirs. If they don’t have any particular interest but love to learn, they will learn how to find that passion!

Students will be taught how the use of Depth and Complexity will develop their thinking, research, and communication skills needed to successfully become an expert in their chosen topic and will create a lasting product that can serve as a reminder of their passion for years to come.

The goal of this class is to provide students with the metacognition needed to take an idea and see it all the way through. Students will learn the critical thinking skills needed to analyze a particular area of interest with laser-like focus.

They will learn how to bring their learning into clear focus for the creation of a final product, ensuring they see their vision through to the end. Skills learned in this class will help students tackle any future research project and give them the skills to be independent workers outside of the classroom walls!

This Beginning/Intermediate Gymnastic class will introduce your child to the exciting sport of gymnastics! Our program will teach your child stretching, locomotor skills, and basic gymnastics skills on the vault, bars, balance beam, and floor. Your child will improve coordination, strength, and developmental skills in a fun and safe environment. Gymnasts will be challenged with skill progressions as they advance in their abilities.

This class offers an exciting introduction into the fields of Visual Arts such as painting, sculpture, graphic design, printmaking and illustration. Students will participate in interactive lectures about art history and discuss art movements and influential artists. Demonstrations showing different art techniques will be provided to students. They will be creating original and personal works of art while trying to convey meaning with their art.

What do you get when you combine curiosity, creativity, and an imagination? You have the perfect ingredients for solving the STEM challenges in our class. Come participate in a variety of STEAM activities that range from coding, designing, constructing, and testing various structures, and programming Ozobots. Get ready to learn about the Engineering Design Process, plus Science experiments: here we come! Let’s make slime and learn how crystals are formed. Come join us for a STEAM-tastic class!

Children will engage in developmentally appropriate activities that will promote mathematical higher thinking skills. Your child will take part in fun and enjoyable large movement games and art activities that address kindergarten math goals. This course gives your child a jump-start with mathematical skills that include the following: counting, number recognition, patterning, adding, subtracting and more!

Students will encounter daily activities that will prepare them for second grade success. They will use manipulatives to solve and discuss CGI math story problems, participate in guided reading groups, participate in Writers Workshop with an emphasis on adding details, editing and revising with a published story at the end of each week. First grade sight words, language conventions and math fast facts will be reviewed.

Students will encounter activities in writing and math that will prepare them for fifth grade success. They will participate in various writing activities with an emphasis on sentence structure, grammar, and punctuation. Students will be exposed to fundamental fifth grade math concepts in Number Sense, Algebra, and Measurement & Geometry to prepare them for a smooth transition to fifth grade.

Leadership instills confidence and helps children solve problems creatively, work in a team and work collaboratively with others while also developing crucial social-emotional learning. Social Emotional Learning is an essential piece of the puzzle to help students learn the soft skills they need to be productive, successful adults. Our curriculum pairs specific learning pillars with games, team-building, exercises, activities, self-assessments, and a custom reflection workbook.

Want to explore science with messy, gooey explosive experiments? Then “Science with a BANG!” is for you! We will learn about chemical reactions and make a bit of a mess while we are at it (well, not too much)! We’ll create a twist on vinegar volcanoes, make a waterfall of exploding soda, and even cause a few things to go BANG! If you love the unexpected, you’ll love Science with a BANG!

Students will do daily stretches and a warm up activity. Next, they will get into a sports lesson including skills, drills, and game play. Cool down stretches to conclude the day.

Students will be learning a variety of different sports and activities such as basketball, soccer, volleyball, wiffle ball, and the 5 components of fitness. Students will learn the importance of participating in sports, fitness, and exercise for their lifelong health. Students will learn a variety of cooperative games that will help with their physical activity, social skills, teamwork, cooperation, and leadership roles.

Do you love art but are a scientist at heart? Art is more than just drawing a picture. In “STEM Challenge: The Science in ART”, we will create living art out of milk, colorful rainbows from rain showers in a cup, amazing masterpieces out of sand – even make our own art supplies – all while discovering the science behind the art we create. Will you take the STEM Challenge: The Science in Art?

Students will be learning about different art styles and mediums, and experiment with a wide range of art materials. The projects include painting, sculpture, collage, printmaking and mixed media art. We will practice and discover the love of creating by using our unique imagination and developing our technical skills. This class will be lively and fun, and encourage students to think out of the box, create from their imagination, and tell a story through art.

Chef Ollie will teach children about California food history, agriculture, gardening, cooking and safe food preparation. Children will make snacks and small dishes using fresh produce from local farmers markets and from garden harvests. All classes are peanut-free, however some ingredients may have been processed in the same facility that processes nuts. Chef Ollie is happy to make any reasonable accommodations and modifications to ensure your child has an inclusive and fun experience.

Students in this upbeat class will learn vocal technique, basic music theory, as well as how to perform a song. Using both classic and contemporary songs as a guide, students will enjoy learning how to portray character and emotion, giving each song meaning. We will incorporate free-form dance to loosen up the body and strengthen the diaphragm. This is the perfect class for the child that loves to sing.

Are you looking for a fun way to keep your student reading and writing over the summer? Does your child love learning about History and far off places? This is the perfect course for you. Students will learn about:

Ancient Egypt – The Great Pyramids, The Sphinx, and King Tutankhamen

Ancient China – The Great Wall of China and Pandas too!

Italy – The Coliseum, Pompeii, and the Leaning Tower of Pisa

Australia – Ayres Rock and Australian Marsupials

France – Eiffel Tower

The teacher will share her personal travel stories, photographs, read books aloud, and share a large collection of non-fiction books for additional research. Students will engage in art, building, and research, and be filled with wonder about the world.

Elementary Teacher Bios – SEI 2021

Lesli is happy to be back for her 7th year teaching SEI for LAEF! She has taught elementary education for the past 32 years between Los Alamitos Unified, Long Beach Unified and the city of Anaheim. She is a graduate from Long Beach State and a proud resident of Los Alamitos. She considers Los Alamitos Unified her home due to her college-age daughter, who is a recent graduate from Los Alamitos High School. Lesli looks forward to helping students reach their full academic potential through academics and the arts.

Melisa has a passion for teaching and motivating young people to discover their own passions, while striving to accomplish their goals. This fall will be her 15th year of teaching. As a Titan alum, she has a Bachelor of Science degree in Child and Adolescent Development and a Multiple Subject Teaching credential from California State University, Fullerton. Melisa has worked with a diverse group of students during her years of teaching, ranging from grades TK through 12th grade. She also has numerous years of experience teaching STEM with the Tiger Woods Foundation, through their enrichment and afterschool programs. As an educator, Melisa is driven by one philosophy; Inspire young people to believe in themselves and empower them to create positive change in the world. Melisa and LAEF are both excited to have her on board for her second summer teaching during SEI!

Shelby Burney is a primary school teacher from Seal Beach. During her undergraduate career at USC, she studied English Literature and volunteered in Los Angeles reading to elementary school students. This experience inspired her to earn her Master of Arts in Teaching from UCI in 2019, where she researched mathematics fluency in first-sixth grade students. Today, she is a second year primary intervention teacher at McGaugh Elementary, where she loves creating lasting relationships with her students and fostering a love of learning!

Melissa has taught children from preschool through elementary for the past 6 years. She has earned a bachelor’s degree from California State University Long Beach in Child Development and Family Studies, and is currently a candidate for a Multiple Subjects Teaching Credential. Melissa has a passion for teaching and enjoys bringing innovative ideas and styles into the classroom. Her positive attitude and kindness are felt by all who meet her and work with her. Melissa displays a strong sense of self-confidence and leadership skills.

This school year will be her 20th year teaching! She has experience as a classroom teacher in grades 1, 4, and 5, but has spent the last 12 years as Lee Elementary’ s part-time Media Center and Makerspace teacher. She absolutely loves working with her students and supporting the classroom teachers by instructing Lee students in Internet safety, computer programming, and engineering. She has taught the LAEF STEAM Fair workshop class at Lee for the past five years and has coordinated Lee’s STEAM Fair.

Ollie graduated from UC Berkeley with a B.A. in Comparative Literature, English, Italian and Spanish. Ollie is a fully credentialed and highly qualified classroom teacher. She earned her Multiple Subject Teaching Credential from Cal State Long Beach, and an Ed Specialist Credential from the Orange County Department of Education with English Language Learner and Autism Authorization. Ollie earned her director’s credential from UCLA and has run an enrichment program and preschool as both a non-profit and a small business. She has 16 years of teaching experience and integrates inquiry-based and hands-on learning into her cooking classes. She cooked in Spain and Rome while completing her undergraduate work; and traveled extensively throughout Italy, Costa Rica, Mexico, Hawaii and Europe. Ollie brings her traveling experiences to the kitchen with simple, rustic dishes using local and sustainable ingredients. While living in Berkeley, Ollie was inspired by Alice Waters’ cooking, edible garden, and farm-to-school programs. She currently works as a private chef and teaches organic cooking and biodynamic gardening classes. Her family’s roots are from Ischia, a small island off of Naples, which is reflected in her Italo-California fusion cooking and passion for gardening. In her spare time she enjoys cooking with her family, creating cheese plates, caring for a baby California desert tortoise and Zucca the puppy (Italian for squash). Ollie is excited about teaching for LAEF again this summer!

Paulina graduated in 2015 from UC Irvine with a BA in Art History. She graduated from Chapman University in August 2020 with a Masters of Arts in Teaching and she received her Multiple Subject Teaching Credential. Paulina has been teaching this 2020-2021 school year at Weaver Elementary as a reading intervention teacher. She is looking forward to teaching during her first SEI during this summer of 2021!

She has been teaching at McGaugh Elementary for over twenty years. She has taught mostly 1st, 2nd, and 5th grades. She has enjoyed teaching dance to fifth graders in the “Pageant of the Arts” and she also loves working with students of all abilities. She is a mom of a fourth grader. Her family loves camping and taking adventures locally to many of California’s National Parks. In her early years she traveled the world! Currently she loves sharing her travel adventures and pictures to her current students.

Melodie graduated from Hope International University in Fullerton with a B.A. in Human Development and has taught in several private elementary schools throughout southern California for over twenty years. Developing her own curriculum and spear-heading an innovative after school program on the east coast, she moved back to California to pursue her love of hands-on teaching in the classroom. She is currently a projects coordinator at Oakwood Academy in Long Beach and regularly teaches for LAEF after-school and during the summer.

Free to Be Me Performance Academy provides quality performance training in a positive, enthusiastic, nurturing, and embracing environment. Through their classes students learn essential life skills such as teamwork, respect, responsibility, care and compassion. They emphasize the importance of character both on and off the stage and work to inspire each student to BE a positive light out in the community. Most importantly they encourage FUN!

Emily is a recent graduate from California State University, Long Beach. She graduated with honors and a degree in Marine Biology. Before attending CSULB, Emily lived in Washington State and attended Skagit Valley College where she played on the college’s volleyball team. Emily has been playing volleyball since she was 10 years old and has 4 years of experience coaching the sport. Emily was also a coach and director at Skyhawks Sports Academy and looks forward to continuing to teach children life skills through sports. She is excited to share her knowledge of the game with her students through LAEF.

Sonya has been teaching voice, musical theater, and dance for the past eleven years. She holds a bachelor’s degree from California State University, Fullerton in Theatre Arts and continues to perform herself in both theatre and television. Ms. Henning owns and operates an academy for arts in Long Beach, Emerging Artists Musical Theatre Academy, where the mission is to give every child the opportunity to experience a performing arts education.

Michelle graduated in 2014 from CSULB with a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology (K-12) Physical Education. She is currently working on her master’s degree at CSULB. Michelle is working as a PE teacher at Hollydale School in South Gate. She student taught under Janet Fettig, Los Alamitos High School Softball coach and PE teacher. Michelle is the head coach for the volleyball, basketball and soccer teams. Michelle prides herself on instilling the importance of good sportsmanship and character in all sports activities. She has also won championships in girls’ basketball/soccer in 2017 and volleyball in 2018. Michele has camp counselor experience from the CSULB 49er camp. Michele is excited to teach SEI again with the students of Los Alamitos/Seal Beach.

Madison is currently completing her Multiple Subject Teaching Credential and Masters of Arts in Teaching at UC Irvine. She grew up in Rossmoor and attended Lee Elementary School, Oak Middle School, and Los Alamitos High School. She continued on to receive her BA in Liberal Studies with a minor in Spanish at Sonoma State University. Her dream, for as long as she can remember, is to be an elementary school teacher and she is on her way to accomplishing that!

Sara is an interdisciplinary artist based in Long Beach. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from the University of Tehran, Iran in 2015. She has been working as a visiting artist coordinator, art history research assistant, and has been a teaching assistant for multiple courses at California State University Long Beach, where she received her Master of Fine Arts in Fall 2020. While she has a comprehensive studio art background, her interest lies in the intersection of painting, drawing, illustration, installation, and printmaking. She mainly works with traditional media such as charcoal, ink, oil paints, watercolors, and collage. She has shown in multiple solo and group exhibitions in California and Iran. She is the recipient of multiple awards, including the John Baldessari Scholarship.

Jill is the elementary math TOSA (teacher on special assignment) for Los Alamitos Unified. She has been working for the district for the past 20 years. During those years she has been a classroom teacher, a Learning Specialist, a Cotsen mentor, and now the math coach. Jill is passionate about meeting student needs and making sense of math through real life application. She is a graduate of Chapman University and received her masters from Azusa Pacific University. Jill is also a mom to two elementary children who attend school in the district.

Emily Ledterman holds her Master’s in Education and Educational Counseling, before becoming a school counselor she was an Elementary and Middle School teacher in Orange Unified. She spent 15 years working with teachers on professional development and implementing digital resources in their classroom. For the past year, Emily has been an Intervention Counselor working with students from McAuliffe, Oak, and Los Alamitos High School. Emily has a long history with Los Alamitos Unified as she and her husband attended school in Los Al, her mother taught at McGaugh and her three children attend school in Los Alamitos Unified. Emily has worked with Los Al graduates this year to adjust to online college, register for classes, declare majors, and helped them navigate financial aid and transfer guidelines. She is thrilled to be working with LAEF this summer!

Suzanne began teaching music in the public schools in 1997. Her career spans three school districts and every grade level TK-12, including an award winning show choir. In 2014 she received the Outstanding Arts Educator Award in Elementary Vocal Music from the Orange County Music and Arts Administrators. With bachelors and masters degrees in Music Education, along with multiple certifications, she feels blessed to nurture a love for music in all students, encouraging them to bring beauty to the world through their own creativity.

Hilary McGilton is starting her 5^th year teaching. She is a teacher in Colorado where she’s taught 2^nd and 4^TH grade. Hilary grew up in Rossmoor; attending Rossmoor Elementary, Oak Middle School and Los Alamitos High School. After high school, Hilary earned degrees at San Diego State University in Journalism and Political Science. After working in television news and law enforcement, Hilary decided her real passion was teaching. She received her master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Colorado Christian University. As an educator, Hilary fosters growth in her students by being dedicated to develop a learning community filled with love, wonder and respect.

Claudia is a native of El Salvador who moved to the US in 1986. She loves sharing language and culture with students and has been teaching in Orange County since 2008. Claudia earned her Masters in Education from Azusa Pacific University and a B.A. in Education and Child Development from National University. As a language teacher, her goal is for students to be exposed and gain a deeper appreciation of the beautifully diverse multilingual, multicultural, and multiethnic communities we are so blessed to have in California and in our world. She is currently teaching as a reading intervention teacher in Los Alamitos Unified.

Kristina works at the before and after school program at McAuliffe Middle School and also works for Garden Grove Unified as an elementary special needs Instructional Assistant. She is finishing up her teacher credentialing program for a single subject credential in Science, and will be student teaching this fall. She is very passionate about science and very excited for the opportunity to teach with LAEF this summer!

Marisa graduated from California State University, Long Beach in 2016 with her Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Studies and her Multiple Subject Teaching Credential. She currently teaches TK in Pomona Unified School District. She is a graduate of our district having attended elementary, middle and high school in Los Alamitos. Working with children is her passion and she is very dedicated to her practice.

Kristin is a veteran teacher starting her 15th year teaching, her 10th year with Los Alamitos Unified, and her third year with LAEF’s Jumpstart program. She’s taught all grades and subjects K-8 and loves to make learning hands-on, active, and fun. After teaching Science at Oak Middle School for 8 years, she is happy to return to her elementary roots and now teaches 3rd grade at Rossmoor Elementary. When she’s not in the classroom, you can find her spending time with her family at the beach or a baseball field.

Whitney has been employed with Los Alamitos Unified for 13 years as an Extended Day Care Center Assistant and more recently as a substitute teacher for TK-12th grade. While attending Los Alamitos High, she “accidentally” discovered her passion for teaching through an ROP program for preschool teacher assistants. While learning how to work within a preschool setting, she knew her future career would involve educating children while inspiring them to discover their passions and a love for lifelong learning. After attending Cerritos College and receiving her AA in Child Development she transferred over to CSULB to obtain her BA in Communication Studies, and then later to complete the Multiple Subjects Credential Program in order to become an elementary school teacher. When she isn’t studying you can find her at Disneyland (pre covid) or with her dog, Mr. Sy.

Katie, a California native, is an accomplished artist and teacher. A recent graduate from California State University, Long Beach, Katie has already led her students to art competitions and had their work shown in the Nixon Public Library. Her art, especially in the classroom, focuses on the collaborative. Katie has a heart for her community that can be seen not only in her work, but also in the way she interacts with others. She is both detail oriented and creatively flexible, allowing students to explore their ideas while holding them to a high artistic standard.

Yvonne Ramos has been teaching grades K/1 and 4/5 at McGaugh Elementary for Los Al U.S.D. for the last two years. Prior to that she taught she taught in Irvine U.S.D. grades 1-4. Yvonne has been working in the education field for sixteen years along with obtaining multiple degrees and teaching credentials from California State University, Fullerton. In 2011, she received a Bachelors of Science Degree in Health Science with a minor in Kinesiology. From 2012 through 2015 she obtained various teaching credentials and in 2017, she received a Masters of Science in Education. Yvonne is a life-long learner and enjoys instilling the fun and importance in learning for her students. Yvonne creates a positive learning environment and sets high expectations for all her students. Yvonne is able to differentiate curriculum to support all student needs and abilities. During her free time, she enjoys spending time with her children and taking them running or bike riding.

Jenna graduated from Los Alamitos High School and went through the district. She has a great love for foreign languages and cultures. She received her Bachelor’s degree in French and Spanish at California State University Long Beach. Jenna is currently enrolled in the Masters of Education program at Concordia University. Her dream is to open an international preschool to encourage children to learn another language as young as possible. Jenna looks forward to sharing her passion with your children and, hopefully, inspiring them to continue an education in another language. Jenna currently teaches Spanish in Long Beach USD. Jenna is excited to continue teaching with LAEF!

Nalani owns the mobile gymnastics program Leap of Faith Gymnastics with her husband, Chris. She fell in love with the sport of gymnastics at just four years of age. Nalani competed for Newhope Gymnastics in Fountain Valley where she began coaching in high school, working her way up to recreational supervisor, special events coordinator, and competitive team coach. Nalani has been coaching for over 20 years. She has been a USA Gymnastics professional member and a certified compulsory judge.

Lisa is a 15-year teacher in Los Alamitos Unified having spent time at Rossmoor Elementary, McAuliffe Middle School, and currently teaches 5th grade at McGaugh Elementary. She has been the district TOSA for Depth and Complexity for the past 6 years, coaching and training K-12 teachers. Growing up, she was Lifeguard and Junior Lifeguard Instructor at Salt Creek Beach and played collegiate water polo. Her favorite thing to do is to help students learn how to find their voice, and be critical and creative thinkers inside the classroom as well as anywhere life takes them!

Andrea has been a student of Kenpo Karate for over 30 years and is currently a 5th Degree Black Belt. She has been the international champion six times and has won more than 150 first place trophies in her tournament career. Ms. Pfefer-Trombi owned and operated a karate school in Telluride, Colorado for 15 years. She has instructed several hundred people over the years, having many advanced students, and bringing several people to the rank of black belt. Her two children attend school in Los Al. Ms. Pfefer-Trombi is passionate about teaching kids and is excited to continue as an instructor for LAEF!

Coach Jay is a college athlete that currently plays at Hope International University. She has been playing soccer since she was four years old and loves soccer deeply. She has also been named All GSAC for her college conference! Since she is a collegiate athlete she knows what it takes to get to play college soccer! She currently coaches at Beach FC and at Saint Joseph High School. She wants to share her passion with the kids to see them progress and get to the level that they dream of being! Lastly she enjoys having fun while training because its all about loving what you are doing!

Mrs. Vida grew up speaking French as her native language. She was raised in the Loire Valley, in France; graduated from college with a language degree, and worked in Paris in an American Company, before moving to the USA in her thirties. She is very familiar with our Los Alamitos Unified School District as she volunteered on PTA Boards for over 20 years. This is Mrs. Vida’s second year working for LAEF and she is so excited to get back at it!

Gabrielle has been a third grade teacher in Scottsdale, Arizona since 2018. She was born and raised in Seal Beach and is a LAHS, Oak, and Weaver alumna. Gabrielle attended Northern Arizona University and then decided to continue her stay in Arizona because she loved it so much! Of course she couldn’t stay away from California for too long so she is back here for the summer. She has always enjoyed school, especially writing and can’t wait to share what she loves!

Jerry is the founder of Red Zone Threat Management and travels nationally and internationally teaching seminars to members of the DEA, Local Law Enforcement, and civilians on the topic of personal protection. He is the author of the book “Red Zone Prime: A Foundation for Personal Protection”. In addition he is a passionate instructor of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts which he teaches at the facility he has owned and operated for the last 14 years, Centerline Martial Arts and Fitness. Jerry runs kids classes daily in mixed martial arts and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu as well as the kids BJJ competition team. He has two children who both attend schools in Los Alamitos Unified. Jerry firmly believes that every child has the right to enjoy their school days without fear of being bullied and is committed to helping them develop the necessary tools and attitude to help them on their journey.

Sara is a 4th grade teacher at Lee Elementary, who has a passion for all things teaching and creating! Sara has been teaching for the past 8 years and started her career in special education. She then decided to transfer those skills and abilities to educate and guide those in the general education classroom. This will be her 5th year teaching in Los Alamitos Unified School District. She enjoys creating lessons that allow students to engage with their learning as well as creating an environment of risk-taking and academic discourse. When not teaching or creating digital content, Sara can be found drinking local coffee or hanging out with her husband and dachshund.

Felix is a graduate of California State University Long Beach and a lifelong athlete. He played football, baseball and basketball growing up and continued his baseball career through his time at CSULB playing for the club baseball team. Felix has coached various sports and served as a coach/director for Skyhawks Sports Academy for the last two years. Felix is excited to share his love of sports with the next generation.

Secondary Class Descriptions

Personal Finance – EVERFI* financial literacy curriculum, Marketplaces* investing curriculum, Pathways* financing higher education curriculum

Cooking (following a recipe), grocery shopping/meal planning

Basic house cleaning

Laundry and ironing, sewing a button

Home Repair (plunging a toilet, unclogging a sink) and car maintenance

Filling out job applications, resume creation, interviewing for a job

Manners/etiquette (professional communication), conflict resolution

Vaping* and Alcohol* education, K12 Prescription Drug Safety* education (EVERFI)

Cars – used v. new, lease v. own, utilizing public transportation

Filing your taxes, paying bills (including addressing envelopes and writing checks)

Using a combination of the Khan Academy software and game theory development, students will be able to construct images, animations, and ultimately, games, from scratch. The students will learn the basics of JavaScript from the Khan academy software, which allows for free creation and for students to download and keep any of their creations forever. Then there is a game build, where students build a board game or videogame via construct 3 or physical media from scratch by learning the basics of game theory (a very mathematical field) and implementing them in their build. The code learning is almost more of a peak into how games are built, before you use a “drag and drop” system to make your own game. And for those less into video games, board games are always fun!

This class focuses on the engineering process and the idea of how robots can be designed and implemented to solve a problem. The engineering process will be learned from hands-on physical engineering challenges that teach success by planning, prototyping and then revising plans. Then, the students must solve a problem using the designing and problem solving ideas and materials given to them. The grade level on this can be very flexible, as the problem given can be more difficult or less depending on age and grade.

Do you need to improve your organizational skills? This class is a sure fire approach to assist all students in this very essential piece of their education success. Students will learn how to keep class schedules, upcoming assignments and assessments organized. Note taking skills and study skills will also be addressed. If you’re an Incoming 6th grader, this class will help ease the transition into middle school. If you are an incoming 7th grader, learn skills to help you in middle school and in life!

Health will satisfy the state requirements of instruction of Drugs, Alcohol and Tobacco, in addition to the California Healthy Youth Act. It satisfies the Health requirement for a high school diploma. Topics covered include Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Certification, Automated External Defibrillator (AED) & Hands-On CPR, First Aid, Injuries, Tobacco, Alcohol, Drugs, Sexual & Reproductive Anatomy, Sexual/Gender Identity, Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) & Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Birth Control, Healthy Relationships. The course will be completed in sixteen hours (3 or 4 days). This Health is for the class of 2022 through 2025 graduates who are Performing Arts students and athletes!

Secondary Teacher Bios

Rachel attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo where she earned her Bachelors of Science in Forestry and Natural Resources and a Minor in Music. Ms. Lockman completed her Teacher Credential in General Science at California State University, Fullerton. Her teaching experience includes General Science, Chemistry and Biology at Middle School and High School levels. Ms. Lockman excels at connecting students to the classroom by explaining phenomena through their eyes and connecting it to experiences in their lives, drawing on their prior knowledge to develop lessons, and bringing their interests into the classroom as examples. Utilizing a variety of teaching strategies, she connects with each student to develop their drive toward self-motivation, independent study skills, and life-long learning.

The Summer Enrichment Institute (SEI) offers fun, engaging and educational courses designed to keep our LAUSD students entertained during the summer…and your children (students entering Kindergarten through 12th grade) will absolutely love it! Our courses also counter the effects of something called “summer learning loss.”

What’s “Summer Learning Loss”? Research shows that on average, all students lose skills over the summer. Educators increasingly promote quality summer learning ON ANY TOPIC as a key strategy to improving achievement. Plus, studies conclude that the effects of summer learning programs endure for at least two years after the student has engaged in the summer program. LAEF really cares about this! Since our very first SEI in 2010 we have increased the number of students attending summer classes each year…and students and parents continue to rave about the sessions.

LAEF offers opportunities for quality enrichment programs, both those typically offered during the school year and courses that encourage students to expand their interests, while still reinforcing reading and often incorporating math skills. SEI also offers courses for high school graduation credit on-campus at LAHS and online.

Our SEI programs feature all of the research-supported measures of a quality program: smaller class sizes, differentiated instruction and small working groups, high-quality instruction, aligned school-year and summer curricula, engaging and rigorous programming, maximized participation and attendance, sufficient duration and involved parents.

FAQ

Most frequent questions and answers, click the icons for answers.

Bus transportation is available to Camp Fun in the Sun at Los Alamitos Elementary for children who participate in the 8 am – 12 noon SEI program. There is a small fee for transportation, which is available for purchase during online registration. Students meet at a designated spot and are accompanied on the bus by an adult supervisor to locations. Safety and security is always our first priority!

Here are a few quotes from some SEI students, proud parents, and teachers:

"Sydney has been with LAEF Summer programs since Kindergarten. Thank you for all of the great teachers! We have attended Hopkinson, Lee and this year, virtual classes. Great experiences!"

Virtual Summer Enrichment Parent

"The Rights/Wrong class was very informative and my daughter really enjoyed it!"

Virtual Summer Enrichment Parent

"Kids REALLY enjoyed, I'm an Artist, Survival Science, and Perfect Paragraph. Each teacher was incredibly engaging and the kids really learned."

Virtual Summer Enrichment Parent

“I learned a lot in my art class at SEI. The best part was doing all the art projects. I loved using colored pastels and paint. It was so much fun.”

Rochelle Ner,

LAUSD 1st grader

“LAEF is doing great things! In the past few years, our three children have participated in various offerings from LAEF, like the Summer Enrichment courses, the after school art classes and even the Young Americans weekend program. WOW, we are so lucky to have so many options that provide our children great learning opportunities, filled with fun and education. We can’t say enough about how fantastic the Young Americans weekend was for our fifth grader! She loved the singing and dancing and experiencing art and music in a totally new and exciting way. Our youngest enjoys attending art class after school. She is learning to apply her imagination and creativity through painting and drawing. And lastly, Summer Enrichment really motivated all three to expand their knowledge of various academic subjects, preparing them for the new school year, while engaging them in new concepts and exciting activities. Thank you LAEF, we are so grateful to you all for putting together these amazing programs. Keep up the great work!!”

Eric and Kristi Kirkendall,

LAUSD Parents

“It was a privilege to join SEI as an educator this last summer, because it was a chance to teach subjects that I love and are close to my heart: Jump Start First Grade and Poetry. The jump start program is well named…we jumped into the beginning of the first-grade year! Students were introduced to math wall, writer’s workshop, reader’s workshop and CGI at a first-grade level. The smaller class sizes and highly engaged students allowed for a quick jump into the material. As a teacher and mother of a 1st grader, I loved the fact that children were going to start off their year hearing familiar academic language and participating in similar routines that they’d already been introduced to in the SEI program. Many students took a 2nd class in the afternoon and enjoyed art, poetry, singing, dancing and more. The SEI program is a valued part of the Los Alamitos School District with its commitment to excellence and continued growth in adapting the National Core Standards in a fun and concise program. I would definitely recommend signing your child up to experience the SEI program next summer!”

April Schmietenknop,

LAEF Teacher, First Grade Teacher and Parent

" Please keep up the great work!"

Virtual Summer Enrichment Parent

"Teachers and coaches were great. They make time to check in on each student to make sure they are focused and learning."

Virtual Summer Enrichment Parent

"As an educator who incorporate SEL into my curriculum, I truly appreciate the expertise shared, scaffolding in the unit, socratic engagement, and the development of interpersonal/intrapersonal skills in this class. Excellent teacher. Would recommend this class and specifically her instruction for all students in the district."

Virtual Summer Enrichment Parent

"As a first time kinder mom, I found the class to be a great tool to ensure my son was ready for kinder. I feel that he is now set up to succeed. I also thought Mrs. Kim did an excellent job."

Virtual Summer Enrichment Parent

"My daughter really enjoyed each session of her jump start classes. She was able to follow along and complete her work each day with a sense of accomplishment and success. We really love having classes on a virtual platform."

Virtual Summer Enrichment

"Ms. Moushon was amazing! My child was excited to share what she learned and thought the class was fun. Also, Ms. Moushon communicated with parents before the session began, during and after. She was truly amazing!"

Virtual Summer Enrichment Parent

Enhancing Educational Excellence

Enhancing Educational Excellence

Summer enrichment institute 2022

Elementary Campus = Lee Elementary
Middle School Campus = Oak
SEI Session 1
June 20 - July 1
SEI Session 2
July 5 - July 15

2021 Elementary Flyers
2022 offerings are in development...

2021 Middle & High School Flyers

Please note that the Multi-Class discount applies to SEI classes only. It does NOT apply to Summer Sports Camps run by High School Coaches or Camps in the Arts run by High School Directors or the High School Health Graduation class.

Elementary Class Descriptions – SEI 2021

Click on the arrow to read class descriptions

Please note that each Jumpstart Class is the same in Session 1 and Session 2.
All Jumpstart Classes are aligned with Common Core State Standards.

Elementary Teacher Bios – SEI 2021

Secondary Class Descriptions

Secondary Teacher Bios

FAQ

Most frequent questions and answers, click the icons for answers.

CLICK HERE

Here are a few quotes from some SEI students, proud parents, and teachers:

Connect with us!

STREET ADDRESS:

MAILING ADDRESS:

Corporate Partners

Corporate Partners

Enhancing Educational Excellence

Enhancing Educational Excellence

Summer enrichment institute 2022

Elementary Campus = Lee ElementaryMiddle School Campus = OakSEI Session 1June 20 - July 1SEI Session 2July 5 - July 15

2021 Elementary Flyers2022 offerings are in development...

2021 Middle & High School Flyers

Please note that the Multi-Class discount applies to SEI classes only. It does NOT apply to Summer Sports Camps run by High School Coaches or Camps in the Arts run by High School Directors or the High School Health Graduation class.

Elementary Class Descriptions – SEI 2021

Click on the arrow to read class descriptions

Please note that each Jumpstart Class is the same in Session 1 and Session 2.All Jumpstart Classes are aligned with Common Core State Standards.

Elementary Teacher Bios – SEI 2021

Secondary Class Descriptions

Secondary Teacher Bios

FAQ

Most frequent questions and answers, click the icons for answers.

Here are a few quotes from some SEI students, proud parents, and teachers:

Connect with us!

STREET ADDRESS:

MAILING ADDRESS:

Corporate Partners

Corporate Partners

Elementary Campus = Lee Elementary
Middle School Campus = Oak
SEI Session 1
June 20 - July 1
SEI Session 2
July 5 - July 15

2021 Elementary Flyers
2022 offerings are in development...

Please note that each Jumpstart Class is the same in Session 1 and Session 2.
All Jumpstart Classes are aligned with Common Core State Standards.