6th Grade

Academically, the 6th grade year continues to foster independence, refine study skills, nurture empathy, build leadership and prepare students for secondary school.

The “big kids on campus” enjoy their “Kindergarten Buddies” and share with them many special experiences. Our 6th graders embrace their duties as role models and student leaders from the first day they put on their student-designed sweatshirts (an exception to the uniform for 6th Graders only!). The September retreat strengthens the ties among all the members of the graduating class as they participate in events focused on leadership skills and team building.

With a social studies curriculum that features both ancient history and international studies, by the end of the year all students learn and can locate on a map the name of every country and capital in the world and have experienced an in-depth study of the country of their choice.

Ancient Civilizations class focuses on the societies of Mesopotamia, Greece, Rome, and Egypt. A photo essay field trip asks student teams to create a visual representation that documents the hallmarks of civilization based on their observations of Los Angeles.

Big History is another component of the 6th grade experience that is a "big" hit with students. Big History is a program that was launched at Carlthorp by Mr. Williamson in 2017. It takes an interdisciplinary approach to examine history starting from the premise of the Big Bang.

Current Events evolve into Toastmasters, during which students take turns speaking to the class on topics of their choice. These have ranged from “The History of Marvel Comics” to “A Study of M&M’s” or “Magic Tricks.”

Service Learning

Service Learning is a key component of the 6th grade curriculum, which culminates in a focus on student-driven projects. The students learn about the value of meaningful service, and teachers emphasize the importance of asking questions instead of making assumptions when it comes to meeting the needs of others.

Washington, D.C. / Service Learning Trip

The research and exploration continue as students journey to Washington, D.C., where they meet with lawmakers, policy experts, NGOs, and journalists.

Meet the Team

List of 4 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

An accomplished educator with a diverse academic background and a passion for fostering inclusive learning environments, Ausra has been a 6th grade teacher at Carlthorp School since 2015. She holds Bachelor of Arts degrees in International Development Studies and History from UCLA, and she also had the privilege of studying at the American University of Paris.

Ausra's journey in education began in Seoul, South Korea, where she taught English to K-8 students. She then earned her master's degree in Curriculum & Teaching of Elementary Inclusive Education from Columbia University Teachers College in New York City and acquired her multiple-subject teaching credential. Ausra returned home to work as a middle school math teacher at St. Martin of Tours School in Brentwood, where she served as Math Department Chair.

In her free time, she enjoys hiking, art, and volunteering with the Lithuanian-American community.
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.
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.