The Academy Story

AOTA is a school where excellence is lived daily. Our students engage in a rigorous, personalized academic program anchored by schoolwide iReady diagnostics, targeted intervention, and curriculum that not only aligns with but exceeds the Common Core State Standards. Inquiry driven, project based learning is embedded throughout classrooms, strengthening students’ problem solving, creativity, and real world application skills. Each month, our students collectively log 75 to 100 books through our Academy Book Club, demonstrating a powerful culture of literacy, curiosity, and academic drive.

High school readiness is central to our mission. We actively build partnerships with distinguished private high schools in the South Bay and across Los Angeles so our eighth graders have clear, supported pathways into both public and private school options. Our instructional approach uses backwards planning and identifies the academic expectations of competitive high schools, including AP and honors tracks. We then design our program so students at AOTA meet and exceed those expectations by the time they graduate. This ensures our students leave middle school confident, prepared, and academically positioned for long term success. Students participate daily in Hebrew language and Jewish studies, enriching their identity, values, and cultural understanding through meaningful practice and joyful traditions. Our enrichment program is thriving, offering music, art, STEM, robotics, writing, and leadership opportunities that help students explore their interests and develop confidence in their abilities.

Our athletics program has become a defining strength of our school, giving students multiple pathways to develop discipline, physical literacy, teamwork, and school pride. AOTA proudly offers cross country, soccer, track and field, swimming, tennis, and volleyball, providing students with a diverse and competitive range of sports. Athletics is not just an activity at AOTA; it is a core part of the student experience, shaping character and building resilience. We are equally proud of our students’ performing arts experiences. Each year, our students rehearse and perform in the Disneyland parade, an extraordinary opportunity that showcases their talent on a world class stage and creates memories they carry for a lifetime. We also have partnerships with local dance studios and music schools.

The Academy of the Arts is not striving to become a high performing school. We are a high performing school today. Our students are building the academic foundation, leadership skills, character, and confidence that prepare them to excel in the most competitive high school programs in the South Bay and greater Los Angeles. I invite you to visit AOTA and experience our classrooms, walk our campus, and see firsthand what purposeful, high quality learning looks like in action. Here, student success is happening every single day and the future is bright. Welcome to The Academy of the Arts, where excellence is the standard and every child is prepared to shine.

Welcome to The Academy of the Arts, where excellence is the standard and every child is prepared to shine.

alte_gordon

Director

Alta’s roots trace back to New York, but her formative years unfolded in Toronto. Following her academic pursuits in a teaching seminary situated in Israel, Alta made her way back to the United States. Determined to harness her acquired knowledge in the realm of education Alta studied child development at UCLA.

Alta’s teaching experience spanning over a decade includes both elementary school and preschool environments.

Today, she brings her wealth of expertise to the Academy of the Arts, as the Director of Development and Judaic Studies.

Beyond her professional aspirations, Alta is a devoted wife and a loving mother to eight. Her profound belief rests in the notion that every child is a universe unto themselves, each possessing a unique set of needs and gifts.

Brittany_Antolos

School Administrator

Brittany Antolos is the School Administrator for the Academy of the Arts. Having received her Master’s degree from Columbia University Teachers College in International Education with a concentration in Business Leadership and Organization, and a Bachelor’s degree from UCLA, Brittany worked for several years in the field of Learning and Organizational/Professional Development at USC, and prior to that for an events/entertainment company.

Brittany wears many hats at AOTA including keeping us all organized, ordering and maintaining our curriculum, building our Enrichments, and making sure our many events happen with joy. Brittany also teaches Kosher baking and cooking in our After School Program.

Brittany loves working with such an amazing and talented staff, and being part of an incredibly close-knit and beautiful school community where her own children learn and grow.

Brittany was born and raised in the Valley (Yes she is a Valley Girl and proud of it!) and enjoys living in the South Bay. She loves engaging with our community, laughing, dancing, listening to music and going to concerts, traveling, going to Dodger games, and most of all spending time with family and friends.

The Academy’s Future

Read about some of the success stories at The Academy of the Arts.

The new Academy of the Arts campus, scheduled for completion in 2024, is an impressive project with a 64,000-square-foot facility situated on 3.25 acres of land. This facility is poised to become a beacon of inspiration not only for the local community but also for the global stage. The Academy’s new campus is poised to make a substantial impact and leave a lasting legacy for generations to come.