Assistant Principal - Welcome Letter

Dear Woodland Hills Academy Students, Parents, Teachers, Staff, and Community,

We are starting off this year like never before.  Our situation is changing daily and we are learning to adapt to, and work through, the many challenges we are faced with this year.  Despite it all, I have high hopes for this school year and so should all of you.  We will all learn new things and discover strengths and skills that we didn't know we had.  All of us will get better with technology whether we like it or not.  Now, more than ever, we need to focus on the positive and what we are able to do rather than what we cannot do.  "Can't" is temporary, it just means we haven't done it or figured it out yet, but you will, as long as you keep trying and don't give up, believe in yourself. 

Each fall we have an opportunity start off the new academic year with fresh hopes and the chance to reach new heights as we set goals and strive to reach our full potential.  We have a new group of 6th graders coming to us, along with 7th graders continuing on with one year of middle school experience and 8th graders preparing themselves for high school.  Each student comes in with their own expectations for success and our goal is to help them meet and surpass those expectations. There will always be challenges ahead of us, and this year more than ever, but it is important to recognize that those challenges are there to give us a chance build character, to learn and to grow.  I hope that each of us will be able to help one another be successful in achieving our goals and dreams while here at Woodland Hills Academy. 

Let me tell you a little about myself.  I have been an educator with LAUSD for 27 years. I started teaching elementary school at Ranchito Elementary and then moved to high school as a teacher, baseball coach, and dean at Monroe High School and then Canoga Park High School.  I am coming to WHA from Jane Addams Continuation High School where I served as a dean and coordinator for three years.  I have a wonderful and supportive family.  My wife and I have a daughter and three sons. 

I believe that with a positive attitude, a growth mindset, and good character anyone can achieve great things.  I strive to instill those qualities in our young people and to be a positive role model as well.  We are all here to learn together.  It is my goal to provide a safe and nurturing educational environment that challenges our students to reach beyond their expectations to become lifelong learners who will make the world a better place. 

I am excited about the possibilities that this school year will bring and proud to be part of the WHA Wolfpack.  Let’s have a great 2020-2021 whether we are working from home, or together at Woodland Hills Academy. 

Stay positive and stay strong,

Jeff Brand, Assistant Principal