First-grade teacher Jean De Lange wasted no time when she arrived at the Brentwood Elementary Science Magnet early Wednesday morning. Her mission: to rebuild the lost classroom Fire It destroyed the palisades.
De Lange, who has taught at Palisades Charter Elementary for 11 years, was a little at a loss as she tried to figure out how to carry a large new rug and boxes of school supplies from the hallway to her new classroom at the end of a long hallway. Other displaced teachers were clamoring, armed with their own boxes. Some looked sad and in tears, but most were very happy.
Honestly, is there a better person in the world than an elementary school teacher?
In one week, Discovered by the LA Unified School District How to get back to class for students at Palisades and Marquess, the two charter elementary schools that burned down in the neighborhood. Palisades students stay in Brentwood for at least the rest of the school year, and Marquez children stay at Nora Sterry Elementary in the nearby Sawtelle neighborhood.

The remains of Palisades Charter Elementary, which was destroyed by the Palisades Fire.
(Jason Armand/Los Angeles Times)
Palisades Principal Juliette Herman was buzzing around the Brentwood campus while handling her technology team with students and teachers and a brief visit from LAUSD Supt. Alberto Carvalho. Eight members of her staff and a significant number of her 410 students have lost their homes. Brentwood School was able to provide them with 20 classrooms.
How long did Herman think they would be in Brentwood?
“I'm trying to plan today's end,” she replied. “What my brain can do.”
In De Long's classroom, I grabbed a pair of scissors, cut through the plastic packaging of the new carpet, and spread it out on the hard floor. Each of its brightly colored concentric circles will soon be occupied as children descend for story time and games like Jenga. The rug was an important touch: it looked just like what they had lost.
De Lange set the tables in fours and placed nameplates on each. A new class's birthday calendar was posted on the wall next to the door.
She also taped pink and red hearts bearing each child's first name: Ozzy, Rivers, Coy, Peyton, Lennon. (How far we've come from the Nancys, Lindas and Steves of my youth!)
Although only 12 children came to school that day, there were a total of 21 hearts. Many won't come back, De Long said. One family moved to Phoenix and another to Santa Barbara.

First-graders moved from Palisades Charter Elementary to Brentwood Elementary Science Magnet.
(Robin Abkarian/Los Angeles Times)
“Who can tell me the two numbers that make up 12?” De Long asked as she took attendance. “What is 12 plus 12?”
A stack of envelopes on the teacher's desk contained handmade cards from children at Santa Monica's Roosevelt Elementary School: Dear friend, enjoy your new school. Hope you do better. Don't panic. I'm sorry your school was burned down. Love, Story.
Jake Takeuchi wandered in with his dad, James, who would spend the next 90 minutes in Ikea hell, assembling a mailbox organizer for class. Most of the new items were donated by parents eager to see their children back in school, but many have sent DeLonge's wish list to friends, and she has received donations from complete strangers. The district awarded each teacher a $500 Amazon gift card.
The kids tested out their new desks, then, like ducklings, lined up behind De Long, who took them on a school tour (mostly to find the bathrooms).
Unlike their Palisades classroom, this one has a back door that opens onto a generous patio with a large raised garden box. De Lange's mother, Marcia Beonessa, is a landscape designer who worked as a garden teacher at the Palisades, and De Lange believes she can help children grow blue and green fish pebbles and a large, very large, abundant plant. Dead goldfish.
During story time, De Lange plucks a new book, “Ira Sleeps Over,” off the shelf. It's about a little kid who wants to take his teddy bear to sleep but is afraid his friend Reggie will make fun of him. (Spoiler alert: Reggie has a teddy bear.)
“What a good story,” De Long said. “I'm curious, first graders. Do you have things at home that comfort you?”
“My brother has an owl called Hootie,” said a boy. “I have one too. I wanted to bring it to where we were staying, but my mom couldn't find it.
That was the morning's first note of fires and evacuations.

First-graders from Palisades Charter Elementary moved into a new classroom at Brentwood Elementary Science Magnet.
(Robin Abkarian/Los Angeles Times)
Soon, their third-grade “reading buddies” entered down the hall from one classroom, and the group settled in to create some art.
I figured the kids would create scenes of flames and destruction. Instead, first-grade girls drew unicorns, hearts and bumblebees, and boys drew figures from Roblox and the “squid game.”
Some of the third graders talked about the fire.
“My house is standing,” said one. “But my whole neighborhood was on fire.”
A 9-year-old boy from Santa Monica said, “If I have to leave, I take three suitcases. I fill one with clothes, one with squishmellows, and another with skin care products.
I looked over another woman's shoulder. She had drawn the old school mascot, the dolphin. Underneath the dolphin, she added two words: “Poly forever.”
Bluesky: @rabcarian.bsky.social. Texts: @rabgarian