6th Grade

List of 5 items.

• Brent Vernon

  Brent was born and raised in Harrah, Oklahoma, a small suburb of Oklahoma City. He graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma with a major in Theatre Education. After that, he moved to Toronto, Canada, to work for a leading international children’s education NGO called WE as a lead program facilitator and motivational speaker. Following two years in Toronto he moved to Santa Monica. Mr. Vernon has been a teacher at Carlthorp School since 2008 with experience in kindergarten, 3rd grade, 6th grade, and lower grade drama classes. In his spare time, he enjoys writing and directing children’s plays, reading, watching documentaries (Won’t You Be My Neighbor? being his favorite), and journaling while viewing the sunset at Palisades Park.

• Ausra Venckus

  Ausra Venckus is a graduate of UCLA with Bachelor of Arts degrees in International Development Studies and in History, in part studying at the American University of Paris. Ausra began her education career in Seoul, South Korea, as a K-8 English instructor.  She later pursued advanced degrees at Columbia University Teachers College in the City of New York, where she earned her Master’s degree in Curriculum & Teaching of Elementary Inclusive Education along with her multiple subject teaching credential. Sunny California lured Ausra back home to teach middle school math at St. Martin of Tours School in Brentwood, where she served as the Math Department Chair for several years. Ausra has been a 6th grade teacher at Carlthorp School since 2015.  

  
  

  Ausra is a dual Lithuanian-American citizen. She has an overwhelming TASCHEN art book collection (she worked in the Beverly Hills TASCHEN gallery for a few years). When she isn't surrounded by books, Ausra enjoys surrounding herself with mountains.

• Sachi Hillson

  Sachi completed undergraduate studies at the University of Oregon and subsequently earned her Teaching Credential and Master’s in Education from Loyola Marymount University. She joined the Carlthorp School faculty in 2000 and spent a number of years teaching 1st grade, 2nd grade and then 5th grade before becoming Head Librarian in 2009 with a Library Media Teacher Services Credential from California State University, Long Beach. Sachi is a proud member of the selection committee for the Judy Lopez Memorial Award for Children’s Literature. In 2015 she returned to the 5th grade classroom and then moved to her current position in 6th grade. In her free time, Sachi enjoys going to concerts and exploring Los Angeles with her husband Michael and son Trent.

   

• Izzy King

  Izzy is joining the 6th grade homerooms this year after serving as a Math Associate Teacher for the past six years. She is excited to use her experience as an alumna to help the Class of 2023 have a memorable 6th grade experience. This will be her eighth year at Carlthorp. A member of the Carlthorp graduating Class of 2009, Izzy graduated from CSU Northridge with a bachelor’s degree in History in 2020 and a master’s degree in History in 2022. In her free time, she enjoys cooking and baking, along with cheering on the Los Angeles Kings.

• Derrick Williamson

  Derrick was born and raised in the Detroit metropolitan area before repairing to Washington, D.C., as a matriculate of Howard University. At Howard, he earned his undergraduate degree in Business Administration. After graduating, he moved to Los Angeles and earned his master’s degree in African-American Studies at UCLA. He’s the proud father of a Carthorp School student and a Carlthorp School graduate. Derrick’s career in education began eight years ago as an assistant in a 1st grade classroom at Lou Dantzler Elementary, a charter school in the ICEF network. Soon after, he earned his multiple-subject teaching credential and began as an Intervention Teacher at KIPP LA (Knowledge Is Power Program). Following that, Derrick taught in a kindergarten classroom at KIPP Empower Academy, after which he moved to 1st grade for three years and finally to 4th grade for two years. Derrick will continue to teach 6th grade at Carlthorp School while assisting with admissions.