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Education
Seth Fishman: A Book for Your Kids’ Million-and-One Questions
You’ve been there – stuck in rush-hour traffic, your teeth clenching, your fingers gripping the wheel – while your precious little one pings you with a million questions from the car seat. “Mommy, why is the sky blue? How many stars are there in the whole wide world? How many people? How many suns? How many cars?” Disgusted with my terse “I-don’t-know” answers once, my son expelled an exaggerated sigh...
Learning to Let Go: The Millennial Dad’s Tips on Preschool
It was a typical hot July afternoon, so I decided to take my son Hank to the ocean. We met a friend of mine and his 3-year-old boy at Glen Alla Park in Marina Del Rey, which has a great maritime-themed playground. My friend, an intense academic but also a suitably sensitive millennial, spoke severely about his boy starting preschool. He was concerned. I tried to console him, but his...
Book Illuminates Undocumented Family’s Quest for the ‘American Dream’
When people read headlines about undocumented students or the Dream Act, they generally have a vague concept of what the ideas mean and how they affect the people involved. It’s easy to generalize with a 24-hour news cycle. It is even easier to think you understand some of the complex and challenging reasons people come to the U.S. and remain undocumented. Fortunately, authors and activists with unique voices have helped...
Starting Internships Early in Los Angeles
Convinced internships are only for college kids? Think again. Ambitious teens who get some real-world work experience under their belts during high school can get a leg up on college admissions and future job opportunities – all while giving their confidence a healthy boost. Internships give teens a unique opportunity to explore career paths that might interest them (and potentially rule them out). According to a study by Internships.com and...
Learning to Embrace Failure
I met Andrés in the fall of 2015. He was a third grader who struggled academically; I was an enthusiastic language arts tutor who hoped to help. I came to learn that the pathway to his growth and success required helping Andrés look failure in the face without fear. Andrés was bright and talkative with a jovial personality, but his self-esteem had plummeted the prior year alongside his falling grades....
Time for a Tutor?
It’s tough to watch your child struggle in school. As parents, we instinctively step in and try to offer some extra help. Sometimes, that’s enough. But as curriculum and methodologies continually change, you may feel challenged, too. And, let’s face it, not every parent is great at homework help. Perhaps it’s time t o consider a tutor. Though there’s no one-size-fits-all solution, tutoring may be just what your child needs...
The Many Faces of STEM
STEM programs provide interdisciplinary, inquiry-based and real-world problem-based challenges. They use an integrated approach to teach students about science, technology, engineering and math. Here are some of the many fun hands-on learning opportunities in the L.A. area that can get your kids excited about STEM. One was even founded by a local teenager. Transformation Through Robotics Ben Indeglia, who went to high school at New Roads School in Santa Monica,...
7 Preschool Problems and Tips on How to Solve Them
Preschool can be daunting for parents. Your child seems to enter new phases every day. It’s an exciting time, but when behaviors crop up, it can be difficult to know what’s age-appropriate and what needs more attention. Maybe your kid is a bit of a bully, a biter or has a hard time at drop-off. Do you have a ringleader, or a kid who has trouble making friends? What if...
Students Sharpen Creative and Leadership Skills in youTHINK
From the stage to the state Capitol, students in the youTHink program learn how to use art, personal development and politics to influence the changes they want to see in the world. youTHink was created in 1999 by ShareWell, the L.A.-based nonprofit that operates the Zimmer Children’s Museum, in an effort to help students ages 9 to 18 build relationship skills, creativity and critical-thinking skills — especially for social change....
The Arts Matter – But What’s Best for Your Child?
We may not always practice what we preach, but in general our culture agrees that the arts are important, and that kids should be exposed to them at an early age. In fact, the California Education Code requires arts education in public schools, but with tight school budgets and other education priorities, it can be tough deciphering what type of arts education your kids should receive at each grade level....
Blue-Ribbon Panel Outlines Ways to Keep Students Safe
After the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., the cell phones and emails of LAUSD parents were buzzing with messages from the second largest school district in the country – messages that attempted to assure us that our children were safe and that the district was doing everything it could to improve safety measures. To bolster those efforts, Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer assembled...
On the Road to College
In the 2008 film “College Road Trip,” a sentimental dad and his determined daughter crash a hotel wedding, hitch a ride on a crowded tour bus and parachute from 25,000 feet onto the lawn of a major university campus, all in the name of visiting a few colleges. Your family doesn’t have to go to those lengths to check out institutions of higher learning, but there are a number of...
Kid Lit’s Secret Sauce
Think about the picture books that were your favorites as a kid. Some that probably made the list – such as “Corduroy” by Don Freeman, “The Story of Ferdinand” by Munro Leaf and “Where the Wild Things Are” by Maurice Sendak – are still popular today. The continued success of these books is not just a matter of nostalgia or luck. These books have been cooked with a secret sauce,...
Talking Your Child Through a Tough Spot
September can be a prickly time of year. The kids have started school, and everyone’s getting used to the fall schedule and responsibilities. Anxiety, which is often part of this picture, can show up in many different ways, according to Lori Baudino Psy.D, a clinical psychologist with a private practice in Westchester. “Anxiety is a protective mechanism,” says Baudino. And your child might not react to it the same way...
Losing a Tooth and a Tradition?
My Culver City-based dentist, Janet Wong, told me something in the middle of my last cleaning that surprised me. “I use the same amount of caution talking with my littlest clients about the tooth fairy,” she said, “as I do when I am on the subject of Santa Claus.” “But why?” I mumbled out over the suction hose. “Well, did you know many kids on the planet believe in a...
Making a Smooth Transition Back to School
Back to school time is coming and it’s time to get your child – and yourself – ready. This is especially true if your child has a learning difference or developmental disability. L.A. educational consultant Victoria Waller, Ed.D., says summer is an easier time for all families. Bedtimes and other rules are relaxed, the schedule is lighter and maybe there has even been a family vacation. But about two weeks...
Stopping School Shootings
Let’s begin our look at this scary topic with two solid – possibly calming – facts: School shootings are a rare occurrence in the U.S., and there has not been a mass shooting at an L.A.-area school in recorded memory. Mass school shootings – beginning with Columbine in 1999 through Sandy Hook in 2012, up to February’s shooting in Parkland, Fla. – have spurred the notion that school shootings are...
A School for Every Learner
Living in the L.A. area is not without its challenges. However, when it comes to our children’s education, we’re fortunate to have a diverse array of options. Parents here choose a nontraditional approach to education for myriad reasons, from dissatisfaction with traditional schools (public and private), to a desire for a more tailored approach for gifted or socially anxious children. It’s also not uncommon for children involved in the arts...
Hometown Basketball Hero Steps up to Save Local Christian School
During the last week of June, Angela Evans, founder of Frederick K.C. Price III Christian School in South Los Angeles, was going to announce that the acclaimed inner-city school was closing its doors after 33 years of service to the community. The school is located on the campus of Crenshaw Christian Center and has substantially relied on church financial assistance to sustain its operations. But in a letter to parents...
Redondo Beach Schools Make Strides Against Student Obesity
While students in other districts will head back to school in cars, buses and SUVs this fall, many in the Redondo Beach Unified School District will take the “walking school bus” with parents and volunteers. When they arrive on campus, they’ll begin their day with eight minutes of exercise led by teachers and faculty. At lunch, enticing displays of fruits and vegetables are generally the first thing they’ll see in...
New Roads School Student Named 2018 U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts
"Conceptual social justice artist" sounds like a title for an over-40 survivor of a hate crime to me, but given the political climate, the prevalence of school shootings and the exposure of hate speech on social media, I'm reminded that it's no longer far-fetched to see a teenager become and artist activist. Sanna Legan uses her mix of mini-corsets, beaded tampons, sketches and multimedia art to address the harsh bullying...
Book Club Hits a Home Run Honoring African-Americans’ Achievements
As baseball season heats up, local children are catching up on some old school stats—specifically, the historical achievements of African American baseball players. Pop quiz: Which baseball player hit more homeruns than Babe Ruth in a single season? The answer is Josh Gibson. While his name may be unfamiliar to some, it’s etched in the young minds of Parents of African American Children (PAAC) Book Club members. PAAC was founded...
Coveted FIRST World Championship Spot Goes to STEM3 Academy’s Robotics Team
STEM3 Academy’s Robotics Team 5678 won a spot at the FIRST World Championship competition in Houston this month. For the team, this was an extraordinary opportunity, and the second time that they have been selected to participate in the international competition in its only four years of participating in regional events. The team is proud to have placed 28th out of 67 teams in their division, the best showing they’ve...
Compton/Woodley Los Angeles Enrichment Program Teaches Kids to Fly
On a recent chilly and rainy day at Compton/Woodley Airport, clusters of middle and high school students buzzed around the facility. Some hung out inside the airport’s Tomorrow’s Aeronautical Museum (TAM), staffing the front desk, lounging on couches or working on computers inside the experiential classroom. Others braved the weather and ventured outside. A few of them settled with ease inside the cockpits of single-engine airplanes. The tweens and teens...
Granada Hills Charter Robotics Team Wins State Championship and Secures Spot in World Competition
Granada Hills Charter (GHC) High School’s robotics won the tournament championship at a California statewide robotics competition in Pomona, CA over the weekend. The GHC robotics team qualified for the world competition which will be held April 25-28 in Louisville, Kentucky. The VEX Robotics Competition harnesses the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) concepts and instills life experiences that foster the growth of teamwork, leadership, and communications. The VEX competition...
Compass Charter Schools Scholar Secures Debut Role in New Nickelodeon Comedy Series
Today, Compass Charter Schools (CCS) announced entertainment news courtesy of one of its own. Lilimar Hernandez Ruiz, a high school senior from North Hollywood, made her television debut on Nickelodeon’s new comedy "Knight Squad." CCS is a virtual independent study charter school serving grades TK-12 with enrollment of more than 1,000. CCS is dedicated to offering scholars like Ruiz access to quality online and homeschool educational programs to meet their...
Junior White Coat Ceremony Graduates 159 Local Students
The Saturday Science Academy II at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine (SSA-II), a STEM program for youth from underserved communities in L.A., graduated 159 K-12 students at its 18th annual “Junior White Coat Ceremony” on Jan. 20. SSA-II is a year-round program with three eight-week sessions during the school year and a four-week summer course. The program is open to all students, but ultimately seeks to inspire students of color...
Center Theatre Group Chooses August Wilson Monologue Finalists
Center Theatre Group has selected 12 local high school students to participate in the regional finals for the 2018 August Wilson Monologue Competition (AWMC) to be held March 5 at the Mark Taper Forum. This is the seventh year Center Theatre Group is hosting the Southern California component of the national monologue competition. The program is designed to inspire and educate Los Angeles youth using monologues from August Wilson’s “American...
The Archer School for Girls Breaks Ground on New Academic Center
In early January, The Archer School for Girls celebrated the groundbreaking of its Campus Master Plan. The event included addresses from Archer’s Head of School Elizabeth English, Craig Allen Jameson, Principal and Design Director at Parallax Architects, and Archer's Board Chair Frank Marshall. The School enrolls nearly 500 students reflecting the face of Greater Los Angeles: 39 percent of the student body is made up of students of color who...
For Jewish Kids With Disabilities, a New Learning Option
Chaya Chazanow and Sarah R’bibo have a lot in common. They are moms, they have kindergarten-age children with disabilities, they are Jewish – and they found what L.A. public schools were offering their kids just wasn’t enough. “It was always a fight to get what he needed,” Chazanow says of her 5-year-old son, who was born with a rare genetic disorder. What’s more, there were no Jewish schools in the...
CWC Silverlake is Bringing Mindfulness into the Classroom
Silence. Stillness. Meditation. These are words that make you want to inhale a deep breath and let it out ever so slowly. You may imagine a yoga studio with clean lines, soft lighting and bamboo floors. Your imagination likely did not conjure up an elementary or middle school classroom. Yet Citizens of the World (CWC) Silver Lake, a public elementary and middle school charter in L.A., is weaving yoga and mindfulnness into its curriculum, which aims for an intentional...
Two Teachers in L.A. County Earn 2018 California Teacher-of-the-Year Awards
Northlake Hills Elementary School teacher Erin Oxhorn-Gilpin has a rule about her own cellphone usage during class: it’s absolutely prohibited. The students in her first- and second-grade combo class are well aware of this rule. So when Oxhorn-Gilpin answered her phone during a recent math lesson, their eyes grew wide. But their teacher had her reasons. As an L.A. County Teacher of the Year in the running for the coveted California Teacher of the Year award, she...
Tackling Four Common Misconceptions About Dyslexia
While research over the years has continued to yield much information about dyslexia, the learning disorder is still easily misunderstood. These misconceptions can lead to ineffective approaches to learning, doing a disservice to those with the disorder. Debunking some of the myths surrounding dyslexia can lead to better outcomes for everyone involved. Here are the facts about four of the most common misconceptions about dyslexia: Misconception: Dyslexia is a visual...
Eight L.A. County Schools Win National Blue Ribbon Awards
Eight schools in the L.A. area have been recognized as National Blue Ribbon Schools this year, marking their place as beacons of academic achievement for local elementary, middle and high school students. Local award winners are Leffingwell Elementary in Whittier, Wedgeworth Elementary in Hacienda Heights, California Academy of Mathematics and Science in Carson, Alliance Dr. Olga Mohan High in L.A., Harbor Teacher Preparation Academy in Wilmington, KIPP Comienza Community Prep...
Writing the Right College Essay: Tips to Stand Out From the Crowd
It’s tough to write a college application essay. Or so I hear. I’ve never actually written one. The college essay is a rite of passage for American teens, and high schoolers all over California are now preparing to write their essays for 2018. I did not go to university in the U.S., so I never had to craft a piece of writing with so much hanging in the balance. But...
Navigating Los Angeles Public Schools and Beyond
Deciding where to send your child to school can be a daunting task. Parents need to think carefully about what is most important to them when it comes to their child’s education. Now, parents have a convenient way to access detailed information on public schools across the state. In March 2017, the California Department of Education piloted a new website with measurements to show how public schools are performing on...
Kids’ Social Life at School: Helping Your Child Manage Without Meddling
We all know how important social life at school can be. We were kids once, too. From making new friends in kindergarten to navigating fickle social circles in middle school, forging and sustaining relationships is a huge part of growing up. Peers also play a significant role in kids’ development. “The power of the relationship is crucial in building other components of learning,” explains Christina Kim, director of student life...
What If? Taking A Second Look at Nontraditional Education
As kids settle into the new school year, education options continue to evolve. Students in and around L.A. have many choices, from online schools and classes to homeschooling programs and traditional schools that offer online components. Which of these might be right for your family? Which students benefit most from nontraditional education, and what challenges should families be ready to tackle? Here are some of the basics. Reasons To Go...
Innovation and Leadership at the Helm at Mirman School
The world is a revolving axis of new ideas, yet most never see the light of day. For many innovators, the biggest obstacle standing between their dream idea and its fruition is money. But student innovators at Mirman School in Bel-Air are climbing over this hurdle. As part of the school’s MirmanX program, students with the best ideas are receiving funding – to the tune of $10,000 per project –...
Inclusive Schools in LA: Where All Learners Are Welcome
Sometimes, parents know from the time their child is young that she or he will need more support than a typical school setting can provide. Others may not discover learning challenges until a student gets older and assignments become more demanding. Whether they are just entering the school system or looking to find a better fit for upper grades, L.A.-area families can access a variety of programs to help their...
Adding an M to STEM in Los Angeles Schools
Just who’s putting all this steam into STEM in Los Angeles Schools? Take a straw poll, and you’ll hear credit for the classroom technology boom assigned to a variety of individuals. Topping the list are the scores of ever-inventive teachers, principals and heads of school who are willing to experiment and generous parents and donors offering their time, expertise and funds. Finally, there are the students who – with their...
Preschools in Los Angeles: 9 Things Your Child Should Learn
Last fall, as I watched my son run down the walkway toward his new kindergarten classroom, I noticed that he appeared tinier than usual. I looked at the other children, products of preschools in Los Angeles, flowing past him and realized that he was, in fact, considerably smaller than most of them. As his R2-D2 backpack flapped against the backs of his knees, I wondered whether we had made a...
College Scholarship Hacks: The Scoop on How and Where to Find Them
Funding college is an increasing struggle for families – especially those with too much income to qualify for financial aid, but too little to cover tuition. Scholarships and grants can help fill funding gaps, and your search for them should go hand in hand with your search for the right college. Scholarships and grants do not have to be repaid, and some organizations use the terms interchangeably. However, scholarships are...
Growing Tomorrow’s Leaders
A lifetime ago, my incoming junior-year class was required to participate in a “leadership day” at a nearby ropes course. It was my every nightmare come true: uncharted physical activities and interacting with high-school peers who had decided long ago I wasn’t up to par. I successfully crossed a tightrope and engaged in a sharing circle without stuttering, but the memory that most stands out was falling off a swing...
Teachers Space Out for Students
As a child, Joanne Michael loved looking at stars and learning about the universe. Now, as a teacher, she prepares to spark that love in her students each time she participates in Honeywell Educators at Space Academy (HESA). The program shows teachers how to ignite their students’ passion for science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). “I always knew I wanted to be a teacher. This was an amazing way of...
Our Breakfast-to-Bedtime Back to School Guide
Remember last year’s back to school photo? The kids wore big, happy grins and fresh haircuts. Inside their shiny new backpacks awaited orderly pencil cases and a homemade-with-love lunch filled with summer veggies and nothing processed. Cut to the second week: Running to the car five minutes late, the day’s completed homework forgotten on the kitchen table and cranky parents playing Rock-paper-scissors to see who has to leave work early...
A Back-to-School Checklist For Healthier Kids
It seems like only yesterday that our children were wrapping up their last day of school and heading off to the pool, summer camp and family vacation. But the new academic year will soon be here, and it’s time to think about what’s needed to prepare them for a safe and healthy start in the classroom. From obtaining required vaccinations to teaching kids basic hygiene habits and helping teenagers cope...
Bridging the Summer Gap to Prevent Learning Loss
Now that the academic school year has ended, students are ready to enjoy summer and all of the fun that it promises. Beach days, family vacations, swimming pools and waterparks; activities that bring fun memories, social time with friends and a highly anticipated break from the classroom. Unfortunately, with all of the fun that summer has to offer, the gap between the end of one academic year and the beginning...
Cal State LA, Verizon Boost STEM Education Among East L.A. Middle Schoolers
California State University, Los Angeles has joined a program under Verizon Innovative Learning to provide science, technology, engineering and math experiences to middle school boys in East Los Angeles. Students will participate in summer intensive courses on the university campus to learn skills such as coding, 3-D printing, robotics and entrepreneurship that will help make them competitive for future careers in a digital economy. Throughout the 2017-18 school year, students...
Kid Artists Lending a Hand and Trucking Our Streets Clean
As Los Angeles Sanitation (LASAN) department trucks in South L.A. go about their business this month, they’ll be spreading messages about “Keeping Our Streets Clean, Every Day in Every Way” thanks to 10 students from the Los Angeles Unified School District lending a hand with their talent. Winners of LASAN’s Earth Day L.A. Artwork Contest, the students will have their art displayed on the trucks through mid-June. More than...
Santa Clarita Teacher to Throw Out First Pitch on Dodger Day
Samantha Ford, Saugus Union School District physical education teacher, has been selected to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at the 40th Annual City of Santa Clarita Dodger Day on May 20. Ford was selected because of the shoe drive she organized after noticing some of her students wearing run-down and wrong-sized shoes to class. She has collected hundreds of shoes and gained national attention. The Dodgers take on the...
How to Spot a Developmentally Appropriate Preschool
It's spring and if you have a young child, there's a good chance that preschool is on your mind. If you want to find the right place for fall 2017, I recommend that you start your search now. Good schools fill up quickly! There are plenty of things to consider when choosing a preschool. Clearly, proximity to home or work is a biggie as are cost, hours of operation and...
Inclusive L.A.: The Preschool Launching Pad
Choosing a preschool is a process so fraught with confusion and pressure that some have quipped it is as difficult as choosing a college. While that might be an overstatement, for parents of children with disabilities, choosing a preschool can be an especially challenging and frustrating experience. Preschool is usually the first time parents send their kids out into the world. With a dizzying array of options, financial and other...
Danica McKellar: On Making Math Fun During Your Child’s Wonder Years
Known for her role as Winnie Cooper on the popular coming-of-age TV series, “The Wonder Years,” and for her bestselling math books aimed at tweens and teens, Danica McKellar is now on a mission to make math fun for even the youngest kids. Her whimsical picture book, “Goodnight Numbers,” which debuted last month and landed at number seven on the New York Times picture book bestseller list, introduces young readers...
Five Tips for Addressing Your Child’s Learning Difference
With California public schools ranking the lowest in the nation for student-teacher ratio –an average of 24-to-1 compared with the national average of 16-to-1 – it can be difficult for teachers to hone in on the needs of each student. This is especially true for students with learning differences, but one critical element can help yield greater success: family involvement. Intervention should not be left solely to educators. Collaboration involving...
Simon Youth Foundation Offering College Scholarships to L.A. Seniors
The Shops at Montebello is once again offering scholarships to help deserving graduating high school seniors pay for college. Simon Youth Foundation, a national nonprofit that provides educational opportunities for at-risk high school students, is looking for qualified applicants who live near The Shops at Montebello and in the surrounding community. Each year, Simon Youth Community Scholarships are awarded in every community across the country that is home to Simon,...
Digital vs. Analog: At-Home Learning Activities for Kids
Technology gives parents more ways than ever to provide a rich and engaging home learning environment for their kids. But how much is too much? Is it better to go “old-school” with plenty of books, journals to fill, and hands-on activities? Or is it best to be future-focused and provide the latest tablet computer and learning programs? Staying Hands-On Patti Clark, vice president of product development at Lakeshore, advocates for...
Four Reasons Educating Students With Learning Differences Matters
Have you heard the buzz about the on-the-job construction worker from Toronto secretly recorded while dancing to a hit song by Ariana Grande? The video went viral, boasting tens of millions of viewers, after his wife posted it on social media. Although this was a humorous and entertaining break from the onslaught of political banter we have been overwhelmed with, I long for a world where life-impacting concerns, significant to...
EPA Awards Moorpark Unified School District $25,000 for Cleaner School Bus
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $25,000 to Moorpark Unified School District in Ventura County to replace an older diesel school bus. Funded through EPA’s Diesel Emissions Reduction Act, the new bus will emit less air pollution. Moorpark is one of three California school districts receiving a combined $200,000 to replace or retrofit 11 school buses. "Reducing exposure to diesel pollution particularly benefits children, as their lungs are still...
City Language Immersion Charter Marches in Kingdom Day Parade LA
Parade watchers at the 32nd Annual Kingdom Day Parade Jan. 16 came face-to-face with cultural icons including Langston Hughes, Golda Meir, Magic Johnson, John F. Kennedy, Amelia Hernandez, Muhammad Ali, Benito Juarez, Edith Cowan, Steve Jobs, Ella Fitzgerald, and even Cleopatra and Moses – thanks to students from City Language Immersion Charter School (CLIC) in L.A. Marching for their first time in the parade, the students came dressed as these...
A Personal Account of an IEP Journey
Lia Martin’s 9-year-old son, Taylor, is a gifted artist – but he also has ADHD. That means, as the former sitcom writer and TV executive puts it, he didn’t enter the classroom seamlessly. Her son’s learning difference eventually led Martin to seek out an IEP (individual education plan), and that journey also was not seamless. It started with her feeling of failure the first time she heard Taylor, then a...
Anti-bullying App Saves Kids a Seat
Navigating the school cafeteria can be stressful. But for 16-year-old Natalie Hampton, who lives in Sherman Oaks and was verbally, physically and cyber bullied during middle school, lunch was one of the worst parts of the day. Being seen eating by herself didn’t help. “I felt vulnerable and worthless. I also think being excluded branded me as a target for bullying,” says Hampton. Her experience led her to create the...
California School of the Arts Launches in San Gabriel Valley
After 30 years of providing an award-winning academic and arts curriculum, the Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA) has launched California School of the Arts (CSArts) with the opening of its first satellite campus in San Gabriel Valley. California School of the Arts – San Gabriel Valley (CSArts-SGV) is hosting public preview days for interested families, which will be held at Northview Intermediate Campus, located on 1401 Highland Ave.,...
Helping Quiet Students Soar
Support at home and in the classroom can help these thoughtful kids find their voice. In a loud world dominated by those who speak up, quiet kids can get overlooked, especially in school. These children are often highly observant and great listeners, which helps them collect information so they can succeed when it comes to written work and test taking. They often struggle, however, when group projects, presentations and class...
Making Recess Work
Newton’s first law of motion, “an object in motion tends to stay in motion,” is what you’re looking for in kids on the playground at recess. Old-fashioned fun wrapped up in physical activity is not only essential to kids’ growth and development, it leads to physically active adults. In many schools, recess programs have been shortened or cut altogether, and recess no longer lives up to this ideal. “Every child...
Inclusive Programs That Teach All Learners
With the right support, students with disabilities can reach their potential There was a time when not all children were considered capable of learning, when many students with disabilities were kept out of school completely. “They used to use the term ‘educatable.’ I hated that,” says Lila Schob, who has been an educator for 20 years. “Everyone can be educated. Everyone deserves an education.” Today, from large public districts to...
The Push for Passion & Purpose in College Admissions
Parenting your child to build an honest college resume starts earlier than you think to help your student stand out in competitive times “We regret to inform you…” Those five words were enough to bring me to tears. I dashed to McDonald’s in the rain and drowned my sorrows with a Big Mac and Hi-C Orange. The rejection letter was from Rice University, the Harvard of the South. I cried...
A Peek Through the Portal
How online monitoring tools are impacting education and families Remember how your kids sometimes forgot to give you the Friday folder from school or pulled it out on Monday morning for a quick signature before you’d even looked at it? Or was that just my kid? Well, there’s a new Friday folder in town, the online student-parent portal, and families can access it any time they like. Do parents like...
LAUSD Magnets: Getting to the Points
If you live in the district, the right strategy could get your child into an excellent school. When my oldest child was 3, the director of our Montessori preschool invited us, with all the other preschool parents, to a symposium she was offering on how to navigate the Los Angeles Unified School District system known as e-Choices. I thought it was probably a little too soon to be worried about...
Frostig School Enhances STEM Learning with Snapdragaon Book Grant
Frostig School, located in Pasadena, has been awarded a $600 grant by the Snapdragon Book Foundation. The grant is being used to add to the library’s non-fiction collection. Many of the new books will focus on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) to support the school’s new STEM course offerings and weekly science labs. Frostig School will also use the funds to fill gaps in its biology, arts and history...
Perks for Private-School Parents
Local campuses offer a host of classes and activities for moms and dads of students. Cara Lisco doesn’t expect to become a top-notch knitter or dancer by taking weekly classes at Highland Hall Waldorf School, where her three children are students. The knitting and eurythmy classes are among enrichment activities offered to parents of students who attend the Northridge private school. They are designed to help parents like Lisco have...
Choosing a School: It’s In the Details
Most schools offer a good education. Look beyond that to find a fit for your child. The days of sending kids to an assigned neighborhood school, no questions asked, are gone. Today, Southern California families are fortunate to have many great schools to choose from, giving us the opportunity to find just the right school for our kids. But after the websites are combed, tours are taken and the big...
Striking a Preschool Balance: Play-Based vs. Academic Programs
Search out the best play-based and academic elements to find the right fit for your child. When my daughter, Mirae, was 3, she came home from preschool one day raving about baby rabbits. A rabbit had given birth and burrowed her offspring in the dirt just under the swing set at Mirae’s preschool, Pierce College Child Development Center in Woodland Hills. A child found the burrow, and the adventure began....
Chat Room: Molly Newman: Shepherding Students Toward The Arts – and Beyond
Molly Newman was the kid who loved books, stories and writing. She followed her love for literature and started her career as a high school English teacher. As the Director of College Counseling for Idyllwild Arts Academy, she now helps students follow their passion for the arts to college and beyond. Idyllwild Arts, located in the pine-forested San Jacinto Mountains, is an internationally acclaimed residential arts high school with programs...
LAUSD Embraces All-Girls Learning With New Charter
“I know who I am. I pay attention to what I feel. I know that I matter.” On the first day of school, girl power was reaching new heights among the 100 sixth graders reciting their school pledge at Girls Athletic Leadership School of Los Angeles (GALS LA). As the first all-girls school in the Los Angeles Unified School District, the Panorama City-based charter school was built on a unique...
The Brentwood School Receives National Honors
At The Brentwood School’s lower school, serving kindergarten through sixth grade, character development, diversity and caring are central to school life and its backbone is “a meaningful and nurturing relationship between faculty and students,” says Lower School Counselor and Character Education Coordinator Laura Taylor. “No student slips through the cracks. Children feel safe and that’s when they thrive.” It’s no surprise, then, that the school is being honored this October...
South Bay Volunteers Clean Up Elementary School Gardens
More than 100 local volunteers ranging from lawyers and politicians to restaurateurs and thespians got their hands dirty to restore nine elementary school gardens in Redondo Beach and Hermosa Beach as part of Beach Cities Health District’s inaugural “Beach Cities Volunteer Day.” Employees from 16 South Bay organizations, including Kaiser Permanente, UCLA Health, the Office of Assemblymember Hadley and Surf City Theater spent a hot August day building garden beds, pulling weeds...
The Partnership for Los Angeles Schools Welcomes Grape Street Elementary
As part of its mission to transform schools, the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools and the Los Angeles Unified School District recently announced a joint collaboration to include Grape Street Elementary into the network of schools the organizations supports. The five-year Memorandum of Understanding includes a plan to strengthen instructional practices, implement socio-emotional learning, support teacher and school leader development and increase parent engagement. "The Partnership for Los Angeles Schools...
Is Homework Worth Kids’ and Parents’ After-School Time?
Is the deluge of after-school tasks a necessary character builder or a waste of kids’ time? As we look back over our school days, most of us can remember a particularly torturous homework assignment – an English essay, a science project, maybe a history presentation – that kept us up past midnight or ruined a weekend. Or a perfect storm when a lack of communication between teachers meant two projects...
Turning Point Welcomes New Head of School
Turning Point School is welcoming Dr. Laura Konigsberg as the new Head of School, effective this 2016-17 school year. Prior to joining Turning Point, Dr. Konigsberg served as Associate Head of Bentley School, a dual campus K-12 day school in Oakland, where she oversaw the K-8 campus. Over her 15 years at Bentley, Dr. Konigsberg energized the school’s program, modernized its curriculum, and consolidated the K-8 faculty into one body....
Free Resources Start Students’ Year with Inspiring Math Messages
To help students in grades K-12 approach math with creativity and enjoyment, YouCubed, a Stanford University center that provides research-based resources for teaching and learning mathematics, has released a series of free lessons in time for back to school. The Week of Inspirational Math (WiM) lesson series for teachers, parents and students includes five lessons that offer students open, rich mathematics experiences that inspire creative thinking and a growth mindset....
Back-to-school Readiness For Music Students
As a piano teacher and the founder of Music Teacher LA, I am often asked how to help young music students get ready for back-to-school time. For families whose children are taking private music lessons, such readiness is essential to ensure that children have a smooth transition from a summer of laid-back music study or vacation to motivational weekly music lessons. Additionally, feeling confident and prepared helps kids to begin...
Positive Parenting: Experts Answer Your Questions For Early Childhood
We hear it all the time, and yet we can’t hear it often enough: Children’s early years matter. Your child’s first interactions with you and with others, the environment you create for your family, and your child’s earliest educational experiences influence how your child’s brain is built, and set the tone for her or his relationships with others and future learning. The idea can feel overwhelming, but by asking yourself...
Non-Traditional Learning: School’s Out and About!
As the pace of change in the world around us has accelerated in recent years, so have changes in the way children learn about that world. More and more alternatives to the “traditional” classroom are emerging, and more kids are taking advantage of them. As many as 3.4 percent of U.S. children are now homeschooled, according to the most recent data from the Department of Education. And the National Center...
6 Tips for Setting Realistic Back-to-school Goals
My daughter Keya and I have a tradition for the last day of school. We go to Trails Cafe in Griffith Park, where she orders a snake dog and an old-fashioned root beer. We recall the year’s high and low points, and I listen as she tells me which teachers she liked, what subjects she found interesting and what her classmates’ summer plans are. Over the break, we don’t think...
STEM3 Academy Expands to K-12 This School Year
A STEM education just became more accessible for children with special needs. The Help Group’s STEM3 Academy, the first school of its kind to provide a robust STEM curriculum to young people with special needs, is launching an elementary school program for the 2016-17 academic year. With the new elementary program, STEM3 Academy will offer a comprehensive and integrated curriculum from kindergarten through high school. By focusing on the long-term development,...
Thinking Globally: Lang Ranch Students Compete in Odyssey of the Mind World Finals
Everything was going great until the U-Haul arrived. After months of hard work, the fifth-grade Odyssey of the Mind team from Lang Ranch Elementary School had made it to the World Finals competition. The seven girls on the team had gathered at the school at 3 a.m. May 24 for their flight to Ames, Iowa. For two days, they had been at Iowa State University enjoying the festivities surrounding the...
Introducing Your Child With Disabilities To a New Teacher
A new school year is starting, which means a new teacher for your child. Take a few minutes to write a letter that will help equip your child’s teacher for the excitement and challenges ahead. “As much as our kids need support at times, teachers need just as much,” says Kathleen Secchi, Santa Clarita coordinator for Family Focus Resource Center, a nonprofit that provides support services to families raising children...
School News: Joyner Elementary Gets Turnaround Arts Grant
Congratulations are in order for South L.A.’s Florence Griffith Joyner Elementary. The school was recently named a recipient of the coveted Turnaround Arts program grant, the only Los Angeles-area school to receive one this year. First Lady Michelle Obama was on hand at the White House Turnaround Arts Talent Show in May, where new schools accepted into the program were announced. Joyner Elementary’s Principal, Dr. Akida Kissane-Long, and Turnaround Arts: California...
School News: Conejo Valley Expands Personalized Learning Programs
Conejo Valley Unified School District (CVUSD) has expanded personalized learning opportunities for its students with the launch of its K-6 Independent Home Study Program and the expansion of Century Academy, a personalized hybrid high school that mixes periodic face-to-face instruction with online learning, to now serve eighth-grade students. The launch of this new program and school expansion for the 2016-17 school year stems from the vision of the more than 10,000...
Gun Violence Video Contest for High Schoolers Extended
The Violence Prevention Coalition of Greater Los Angeles and the Violence Policy Center in Washington, D.C. recently announced that the deadline for the second annual Tony Bourbon Youth Scholarship Video Contest will be extended one month to Aug. 1, 2016. The video contest, open to high school students in Los Angeles County, invites students to submit films/videos on the negative effects of gun violence on youth and the positive actions youth...
Meet Some Pint-Sized Plant Savers
A team of 6-year-olds from Notre Dame Academy Elementary School in West L.A. has garnered an international prize with their clever idea for preserving plants – and the insects that feed on them. This spring the team took the top prize in the ages 5-7 division of the Smithsonian-Cricket Media 5th Annual Spark! Lab Invent It Challenge. In this international contest, students had to identify a global health issue and create an invention to help...
Silicon Valley School Opens New Campuses around L.A.
Stratford School, a Silicon Valley-based group of independent private schools, is opening new locations in Altadena and Los Angeles. Stratford is recognized as a leader in early childhood STEM education, and both new Southern California campuses are scheduled to open in August for the 2016-17 academic year. One of Stratford’s core missions is to incorporate technology into the fabric of learning, says Cheryl Molenkamp, director of Lower School of the...
Families Connected Program Launches in the South Bay
New Resource for Parents Targets Teen Wellness and Prevention of Substance Use The South Bay is connecting families on a whole new level. Thanks to the successful launch of South Bay Families Connected (SBFC) at Mira Costa High School, called Mira Costa Families Connected (MCHS FC), the free teen wellness and substance use prevention resource is now available to all South Bay schools including Manhattan Beach Middle School. “The Families...
Finding the Successes in Your Child’s School Year
You open the report card and there among the As and Bs is a big fat C in math. If only, you think, we’d spent more time this year with flash cards or graphing calculators. But hold off before you cancel adventure camp and sign up for Kumon. Because when it comes to assessing your child’s school year, grades are just a starting point. In fact, an obsession with grades...
School News: Granada Hill Charter Students Rack Up Awards
Shannel Tejuco, Granada Hills Charter culinary arts student, won a full-ride scholarship valued at $122,584 after cooking her way to first place at the Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP) earlier this month at the Jonathan Town Club in downtown Los Angeles. Granada Hills Charter High School (GHCHS) sent six talented young chefs to the C-CAP competition and each won scholarships, totaling $136,484 out if the $739,000 awarded. Shannel has been working...
School News: Pasadena Senior Wins Gates Millennium Scholarship
John Muir High School senior Prakash Dass has been named a 2016 Gates Millennium Scholar, becoming the school’s seventh winner of the prestigious academic scholarship since 2005. The news was announced recently by Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) officials. Marshall Fundamental and Pasadena High School were also named recipients of the 2016 Silver Medal from US News & World Report as part of the magazine’s Best High Schools ranking. “Congratulations...
Manhattan Beach Student Honored with President’s Environmental Youth Award
An L.A. tween water conservationist recently received an award from the The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The extraordinary 11-year-old, Joshua Cigoianu, of Manhattan Beach, earned the 2015 President’s Environmental Youth Award. The national award is presented each year to exceptional students who demonstrate creativity, innovation and leadership to address difficult environmental challenges. “During a severe drought, finding ways to conserve our precious water is everyone’s responsibility,” said Jared Blumenfeld, Regional...
Laurence School’s Mock Court Takes on Peter Pan
As students at law schools across the country graduate this spring, 40 sixth-grade students at the Laurence School, an independent K-6th grade elementary school in Valley Glen (just north of Sherman Oaks), prepared their first case before a jury of their peers. After months of studying the law and judicial system, Laurence’s Kids’ Court convened on April 27th and April 28th. The eleven and twelve-year-old students presented the case of...
JJ Abrams Speaks at Archer Film Festival
The Archer School for Girls hosted its fifth annual Archer Film Festival empowering female filmmakers, featuring director and producer J.J. Abrams as the keynote speaker. Seeking not to exclude men, but rather to include women, Archer received thousands of student-produced film submissions from young filmmakers globally. Celebrities, medi, and the public viewed screenings of finalist films at the Arclight Cinema in Culver City after a pink-carpet reception at The Culver...
Hogg’s Hollow Track Meet Is Fun On the Run
There was one exclamation repeated over and over again at Hogg's Hollow Preschool's annual Track and Field Meet last month: "They're pretty good!" Children ages 3-6 competed in a range of contests at the March 18 extravaganza, taking full advantage of the La Cañada-Flintridge facility and its adjacent track field while showing off almost a year of training in a variety of events. There were foot and bicycle races, tug of...
Take Time, Talk: Eight Ways to Support Your Child’s Language Development
Like a snowball growing as it rolls downhill, young children’s vocabulary expands faster and faster as they hear more words. However, a constant stream of words from the radio or even an educational children’s video won’t create this cumulative advantage in language processing. Instead, social interaction (the back-and-forth, turn-taking nature of conversation) and talking with infants and toddlers will build their language and communication skills. This might seem easier said...
Culver City Middle Tweens Win Scrabble Championship
Two Los Angeles tweens have taken home the title of 2016 North American School Scrabble Champions just days before National Scrabble Day. The annual championship was held April 9-10 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, home of the NFL New England Patriots, and now, top Scrabble-playing students. After two days of competitive play, Jem Burch and Cooper Komatsu took home the Championship trophy and $10,000 grand prize. The win comes just...
Tween Wins Award from PTA’s Reflections Arts Program
Kudos are in order for Dominic Aloe, who won an Award of Merit from the California PTA Reflections Arts Program for his photograph of white clouds against a brilliant blue sky. A San Marino middle-school student, Aloe shot his prize-winning picture from the playground of Frostig School, where he enjoys an after-school art class. His instructor, Frostig art teacher Jessica Monares-Jimenez, has been helping Dominic explore his passion for photography while...
UCLA Health Gives Belvedere Middle Fitness Center, Hope
The damning statistics about childhood obesity are not as much fun to report as good news about programs that support physical activity for kids' health. This good news comes courtesy of UCLA Health's Sound Body Sound Mind, which just donated a $50,000 state-of-the-art fitness center to Belvedere Middle School in East Los Angeles. Belvedere is one of seven L.A.-area schools chosen to receive a new fitness center this year. The program...
Granada Hills Students Create Art for Iditarod Mushers
The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, dubbed the Last Great Race on Earth, is finally over and a winner has been declared. Musher Dallas Seavey is celebrating his win of the strenuous 1,000 mile race across Alaska that ended in Nome, Alaska in the early hours of March 15. Competitors are still finishing the long trek, but here’s the L.A. connection: Granada Hills Charter High School students with mild, moderate...
Frostig Center Welcomes Lion King Actor Kevin Bailey
Kevin Bailey, an actor and producer who was in the original Broadway production of "The Lion King," visited Pasadena's Frostig Center recently. Mailey shared his expertise and gave insight to students rehearsing for their performance of the Disney classic this April. Now that he's turned to producing, with his acting days behind him, he gives back to the community of actors just starting out. Bailey talked with students and drama instructor...
LA Kids Get Active for Charity with UNICEF
UNICEF's Kid Power Los Angeles, which launched last month, is a school-based program that uses a fitness band to track students’ physical activity and allows them to earn points that unlock therapeutic food packets for severely malnourished children around the world. The therapeutic food packets contain a specially designed protein and vitamin-rich peanut paste, which allows children who are severely malnourished to be treated in their communities. UNICEF is calling the...
KIPP Raíces Academy Gets National Blue Ribbon Award
Kudos to KIPP Raíces Academy, named a 2015 National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education (DOE). KIPP Raíces Academy was the only school in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) and one of only 33 schools in California to receive a 2015 Blue Ribbon award. The East Los Angeles elementary school was chosen as an “Exemplary High Performing School” based on its achievement on state assessments. “KIPP Raíces...
Hollywood Schoolhouse Celebrates 70 Years
In January, Hollywood Schoolhouse commemorated its 70th anniversary with a Town Hall Meeting and Open House for students, parents, alumni, prospective families, and more. Joined by Los Angeles City Councilmember, David Ryu, event guests honored Hollywood Schoolhouse’s founders and celebrated seventy years worth of campus and program transformations. With its humble Hollywood beginnings dating back to 1945 as the Small Fry Nursery School, Hollywood Schoolhouse has since grown to house...
Trinity Classical Offers College Credit to Students
Students Can Earn Transferable College Credits Potentially Saving Students and Their Families over $30,000 in Tuition, Books and Supplies Trinity Classical Academy, a high school in Santa Clarita, now offers their junior and senior students the opportunity to participate in its Dual Credit Program and earn high school and college credits simultaneously for 11 of their existing Honors and AP Classes. The college credits Trinity students earn may transfer to over...
Autism Focused Private School Hosts Open House in Woodland Hills
CARD Academy, a nonpublic school day school for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), today announced its open house in Woodland Hills, Calif. on Saturday, February 27, 2016 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Using an applied behavior analysis (ABA) teaching approach, CARD Academy educates students with ASD, developmental delay and speech-language impairment from preschool to age 22. The open house will offer parents a chance to discover the benefits...
L.A. Students Take On Skechers Los Angeles Marathon
Students Run LA will have more than 2,800 students running in the Skechers Performance Los Angeles Marathon on Feb. 14. After six months of training, this Valentine's Day run becomes a symbol of accomplishment for many students who have learned to love themselves by recognizing the power within. "I will never give up on myself again." Gizelle Pompa, 11th Grade "I realized I serve as my only obstacle in achieving...
Archer Students Accept XPRIZE Challenge
Local students tackling complex world problems? Yes, please! The Archer School for Girls in Brentwood let us know that they’ve recently launched a challenge with the prestigious XPRIZE Foundation, inviting Archer’s middle school students to design innovative solutions to food sustainability problems. Students in grades 6-8 who accept the challenge will use Archer’s exploratory X-Block period to investigate issues surrounding growing food, getting it to the table and managing food...
Filmmaker Greg Whiteley: Focusing on the Future of Education
When filmmaker Greg Whiteley became a parent 14 years ago, he developed a “full-time preoccupation” with finding the best schools for his children. In his new documentary, Most Likely to Succeed, Whiteley examines our current education system through the eyes of students, parents, teachers and administrators. Documenting the experiences of students at the innovative High Tech High, a San Diego public charter school focused on project-based and collaborative learning, the...
New Roads School Names Luthern Williams Head of School
New Roads School in Santa Monica, an independent schools for students in grades K-12, has named Luthern Williams Head of School. Williams previously served as Acting Head of School and the Director of New Roads Middle School. The School’s Board of Trustees unanimously approved Williams’ appointment at a recent meeting. “Luthern’s commitment and passion for New Roads School is undeniable,” says New Roads Board of Trustees Chair Mark Windham. “He...
BARK Dogs Help Children Fetch New Reading Skills
Between 1997 and 2006, Long Beach resident Josie Gavieres raised six puppies to work with Guide Dogs for the Blind. The last dog she raised, Groucho, had an especially sweet temperament, but didn’t qualify for the program. Gavieres decided to take advantage of his gentle disposition in a different way. “I had always wanted to be a first-grade teacher because I think reading is so important,” Gavieres says, “so I...
Granada Hills Charter Student To Attend Science Congress
Granada Hills Charter High School senior Matthew Nelson was selected by American astronaut Buzz Aldrin to attend the annual Congress of Future Science and Technology Leaders coming up June 29-July 1 in Boston. Nelson will join Nobel Prize winners and chief executive officers of leading technology firms at this historic gathering that introduces high school students to inventors, professors, futurists and other scientific professionals. A member of the class of...
Local School Receives Day of Service Award
City Language Immersion Charter school (CLIC) recently received the 2015 Green Apple Day of Service Project of the Year award. It was presented in early November by the L.A. chapter of the US Green Building Council during its 11th annual Green Gala. For the past four years, USGBC-LA has provided local schools with mini grants that help to fund green campus initiatives. CLIC received a $1,000 grant for the 2015...
Child Educational Center Co-Founder Receives Leadership Award
Eric Nelson, co-founder of the Child Educational Center (CEC) in La Cañada, director of The Outdoor Classroom Project, and author of “Cultivating Outdoor Classrooms,” was recognized in November by Exchange magazine as a Master Leader in the field of early care and education. Master Leaders were chosen based on their leadership, impactful roles, knowledge base, spirit and experience in the field of early childhood education. An Early Childhood Education (ECE)...
PS1 Pluralistic School Explores Gratitude
Last month, PS1 Pluralistic School hosted Gratitude Revealed – A discussion based on the film series exploring the science, mystery and pursuit of the building blocks of gratitude. (www.gratituderevealed.com). Featured panelists included director and cinematographer Louie Schwartzberg, who created the series; mindfulness innovator Susan Kaiser Greenland, founder of the Inner Kids program and author of The Mindful Child; Joel Pelcyger, Head of PS1 Pluralistic School; and 13-year-old PS1 student Dylan...
Woodcrest School Announces Expansion
Parents in the San Fernando Valley now have a new private middle school option for sixth through eighth grade. In 2014, Woodcrest School in Tarzana formed a strategic advisory committee to investigate the need for a middle school in the West San Fernando Valley. On average, private middle school options have annual tuitions over $17,000 and campuses that can intimidate students matriculating from small private-school environments. The committee requested that...
Handling School Admissions Interviews Like a Boss
While private schools vary in curriculum, education philosophy and how many students they accept each term, they all share the same goal when interviewing prospective students. They use the interview to make sure the student is going to fit in well at the school, enjoy themselves and be able to thrive in the academic environment. “We are looking for families that would be a good fit for the mission of...
Archer School for Girls Awarded Lemelson-MIT InvenTeam Grant
A student team from the Archer School for Girls has come up with a clever idea to influence water conversation in face of California’s ongoing drought. Their idea has also won a $7,000 grant from Lemelson-MIT InvenTeam. Archer’s team of 20 students and faculty mentors Michael Carter and Shane Berning created a proposal for an inexpensive, compact faucet-mounted water meter with an adjustable aerator encouraging conservation and responsible water consumption....
Backpack Drive Supports Pasadena Kids In Need
This fall, Flintridge Prep students are hosting a Community Backpack Drive to support the children who are part of Pasadena Families in Transition, an organization within the Pasadena Unified School District. In a recent homeless population count done in the city of Los Angeles, there were 4,727 homeless individuals in the San Gabriel Valley, including many families with young children in the Los Angeles school districts. The goal of the...
Tackling Homework Procrastination
Do you often feel that you need to push your child to get started with homework? Are you finding that your child forgets to record certain tasks, books or schoolwork? Some schools start homework as early as prekindergarten, so our children are being challenged at an early age to learn responsibility, organization and multitasking. As children move to higher grade levels, they often find it more difficult to multitask multiple...
Mathnasium Hosts 5th Annual TriMathlon
Conejo Valley-area students put their math skills on display Oct. 18, earning money for local schools and winning prizes for themselves during the Mathnasium of Thousand Oaks 2015 TriMathlon contest. In the U.S. and Canada, Mathnasium TriMathlon participants raised $37,000 for local schools. Here are the top three Mathnasium of Thousand Oaks winners in grades 2 through 5: Grade 5: Naren Krishnan, Red Oak Elementary School, 1st Place; Renee Hong,...
Roosevelt High Students Address National Education Leaders
The Partnership for Los Angeles Schools has announced that one of its schools, Math, Science & Technology Magnet Academy at Roosevelt High School (MSTMA), made history this week as the first California school to address the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA). Students made their presentation during the Education Forum at the association’s annual Leadership Summit. The SETDA Leadership Summit brings together leaders from more than 40 state departments of education,...
Turning Point School Announces Dr. Laura Konigsberg as Next Head of School
The Turning Point School Board of Trustees announced last week that Dr. Laura Konigsberg has been appointed the next Head of School beginning July 1. She will succeed Deborah Richman who, in the beginning of 2015, shared her plan to retire at the end of the 2015-16 school year after 28 years of service. “Unanimously chosen by the Board of Trustees, Laura Konigsberg was a standout among an impressive field...
Kids ‘R’ Kids Learning Academies Choose ColorSoundation Music Curriculum
Kids 'R' Kids Learning Academies, a national early-childhood education franchise with three decades of experience, has adopted a unique music curriculum called ColorSoundation for its franchises across the U.S. This teaching system was developed by Los Angeles-based musician and teacher Shiho Yamamoto to teach very young children the fundamentals of music through the integration and interplay of colors with sounds. Yamamoto is also the Founder of the West Los Angeles-based...
Christopher Fulton, Ph.D.: Helping Anxious Teens (and Parents) on the Road to College
In the last two decades, there has been a noticeable shift in the level of academic and extracurricular expectations placed on college-bound teens. A 4.0 or above GPA and top SAT scores must be accompanied by demonstrations of leadership at school, volunteering in the community and “passion and commitment” to an activity. Pressure to be accepted into the “best” college has created a new type of education “hysteria” among parents...
UCLA Professor Shares Body-Shaming Research With New Roads Students
While it’s no surprise that, particularly for young women, body-shaming causes emotional harm, it turns out that merely labeling a child as “too fat’ may trigger a hormonal response from the body that keeps him or her overweight even a decade later. This discovery was made by Dr. Janet Tomiyama, a distinguished professor in Health and Social Psychology at UCLA, who recently discussed her research with New Roads School’s GLASS...
What You’ll Learn At School Open House
While searching for private schools for their son Kevin (now in college), Tony and Kristy Adler of Bel Air eagerly attended several open houses at L.A. schools with him. They quickly learned the do’s and don’ts of open-house protocol. “We were doomed at one school from the beginning when I grabbed our son’s name badge. Apparently, that was one of the tests, to see if a child recognizes his own...
How to Choose a Child-Centered Preschool
Extensive research shows that attending preschool helps children develop social and emotional skills, improves their reading and language development, and gives them the opportunity to make decisions and ask questions in a safe environment. Regardless of their socio-economic status, race or location, children who have attended preschool are more likely to graduate high school and attend college, and less likely to repeat a grade, have substance-abuse problems or commit a...
STEM Learning In L.A.
People can’t seem to talk about education any more without using four letters: S-T-E-M. STEM sounds much more exciting than when we used to call it simply “science,” “math” or “computer class.” And STEM topics are now being touted not just as school subjects for aspiring techies, but as life skills vital for all kids. “At its essence, science is a way for human beings to understand the world,” says...
KIPP Raíces Academy Honored with National Blue Ribbon School Award
On Sept. 29, the U.S. Department of Education named KIPP Raíces Academy in East Los Angeles a National Blue Ribbon School. KIPP Raíces Academy was one of only 33 Blue Ribbon Schools in California, and the only school in the Los Angeles Unified School District, to receive this distinction. The school was chosen as an “Exemplary High Performing School” based on state assessments and high school graduation rates, according to...
A Book Club Podcast Just For Tweens
For almost 10 years, Kitty Felde hosted “Talk of the City” on local public radio station KPCC. Part of the fun was attending the L.A. Times Festival of Books and meeting listeners at the KPCC table. Parents would bring their kids with them, and the kids would say they also listened to the station. Felde’s response: “You do not.” But the kids would always insist, “We have to. We’re in...
Trinity Knights Athletics Adds to Varsity Football Coaching Staff
Former Indianapolis Colts Strong Safety Delano Howell and former Defensive Back Cletis Gordon of the Dallas Cowboys and San Diego Chargers have been tapped as assistant coaches for the Trinity Knights Varsity Football Team at Trinity Classical Academy in Valencia. Head Coach Les Robinson (“Coach Rob”) and Dr. Matthew Dixon, Director of Athletics and Physical Education at Trinity Classical Academy made the announcement Sept. 24 and the new coaches joined...
Individualized And Innovative iGranada Launched On Devonshire Campus
Technology is changing the world around us, so shouldn’t our high schools change as well? Granada Hills Charter High School opened its new Devonshire campus Aug. 17, with a heavy focus on technology and innovative student learning. The iGranada Digital Arts & Sciences program at the Devonshire campus provides more than 200 students in grades nine through 12 and their parents with a flexible choice in education by combining online...
Stress Busters for Students
There’s no question that academic expectations for students have become more rigorous in recent years. You may have heard that traditional kindergarten at most public schools is now academically equivalent to what first grade was a generation ago. And it doesn’t get any easier from there. While many students enjoy and rise to the challenge of mastering new subjects, the steadily increasing load of schoolwork, tests and homework can take...
Saint Sebastian School Launches Dual Language Immersion Program
Saint Sebastian School, a private Catholic preschool, elementary and middle school in West Los Angeles, began its new Spanish-English Dual Language Immersion Program Aug. 24. The program features half the day’s learning in Spanish, the other half in English. Students in Transitional Kindergarten and Kindergarten will learn to not only read and write but think in in both languages. The dual language program is only the second of its kind...
Echo Horizon School Offers New Learning Spaces
Echo Horizon School is purposefully focused on creativity, inquiry and innovation in order to best prepare students for 21st century demands. With that in mind, the school has opened two new spaces— a Makerspace for 3rd-6th graders and a STEAM space for Pre-K to 2nd graders. These spaces, along with the existing spaces for visual art, dance theater, music, gardening and cooking, and digital media, provide students the opportunity to...
Helping Your ‘Average’ Student Thrive
Somewhere between the worlds of the trilingual 5-year-old concert pianist and the student struggling through remedial classes lies another student. This is the average student, the one who neither breaks scholastic records nor lives on the edge of failure. He can easily be overlooked by teachers because he’s not putting cherry bombs in toilets, nor is he solving the world’s food-shortage problems. He is just getting by. That’s not good...
Why Kids Need Job Skills Now
Except for occasionally being asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” most of us didn’t give much thought to our career options until our college years. Maybe. Our focus up to that point was on getting the grades to get into college. These days, programs are popping up that capitalize on our teens’ desire to do things on their own terms, channeling that drive to help...
An Online School Snapshot
You can find out many of the most important things about a school with a simple visit. You can meet the principal and teachers, have a look at the campus facilities, learn about the schedule, sports teams and enrichment programs. But a new online tool from the California Department of Education offers a window into another layer of information about L.A. schools. It has a cumbersome name – The California...
How Common Core Looks In the Classroom
In a fifth-grade classroom in Pasadena, students receive language arts and math instruction as part of a well-researched, artifact-driven social-studies lesson on Jamestown, VA. In the San Fernando Valley, third graders apply their math skills to figure out how many medium pizzas it would take to feed 72 people. And over in Santa Monica, fourth-grade students are taught to answer reading comprehension questions based solely on the evidence presented in...
Yoobi Kicks Off a Season of School Donations
One week after starting the new school year, children at Jackson Magnet STEM Dual Language Academy in Altadena got a “kick start” on a year of learning Aug. 24 thanks to a donation from school and office supply company Yoobi. After a morning assembly, Yoobi founder Ido Leffler, Chief Giving Officer Justin Wolff and a crew of Yoobi staffers delivered 29 boxes full of free supplies to classrooms, enough for...
Teaching Kids To Speak Up
My daughter is lost in play with a friend, and I watch as her eyes suddenly fix on the floor beneath her. The conversation is quiet and I can’t quite make out the words between them, but I can sense from her posture that she doesn’t want to speak up. The path of least resistance tends to be her favorite path, even if it means pushing her own ideas and...
Use The Six R’s For a Smoother Return to School
Stocking up on new notebooks and sharpened pencils is the easy part of going back to school. Oftentimes, a more difficult adjustment is navigating the emotional changes kids and parents experience in the early days and weeks of returning to the classroom. But the start of a new school year doesn’t have to be stressful for kids or for parents – just remember the six R’s: Rest: Make sure your...
Local Fundraiser to Benefit UCLA Intervention Program
The father of a former student at the UCLA Intervention Program, a school focused on helping children with disabilities, has launched a fundraiser to increase awareness and raise money to support the school. Michael T. Ward says he recognizes the immeasurable value of the program to the community, and more specifically to the children and families it serves. In an effort to ensure that the program is around for generations...
How Nontraditional Schools Inspire Students
If you walk into any classroom, you’re likely to find quiet students who turn in their work on time, but don’t necessarily challenge themselves beyond their comfort zone. You’ll also find bright students who become easily bored and distracted by repetitive worksheets and tests. Then there are those whose sketches in the margins of their notebooks reveal amazing artistic talent, but who might be perceived as lazy or unmotivated students....
College Life: 5 Things To Tell Your Daughter Before Move-In Day
Your daughter is going off to college and you’re worried she won’t be prepared to live away from home (though she’d probably beg to differ). The team behind HerCampus.com and The Her Campus Guide to College Life has some simple tips you can offer to help her get the most out of her first dorm experience and have the best freshman year possible. Protect your safety and your belongings. Dorm...
How Failure Improves Homework Habits
Most parents want to make sure they are doing everything they can to assure their children are happy, healthy, feel good about themselves and are successful. “How do I get my child to clean up their room without a fuss?” “How do I limit electronic entertainment?” “How do I get them to stop fighting with their siblings?” These are common questions I receive. But one of the most common is:...
Turning Point School Achieves Council of International Schools Certification
Turning Point School – a private, independent, coeducational day school in Culver City serving students in preschool through middle school – has achieved International Certification status from the Council of International Schools (CIS), validating the school community’s commitment to international education and students’ growth as global citizens. Turning Point is alone among Los Angeles schools, and just the third in the U.S., honored with the designation. Turning Point joins St....
Albert Einstein Odyssey Academy Opens in Beverly Hills
The Albert Einstein Odyssey Academy, a new Beverly Hills charter school serving students in kindergarten through fifth grade, will begin its inaugural year Aug. 24. The school, which will serve 300 students, is accepting applications for enrollment and will continue the process until the school is full. This school’s curriculum offers a project-based teaching approach designed to allow students to actively engage in learning, with an emphasis on science, technology, engineering,...
Montebello Shops Award Scholarships to Students
The Shops at Montebello awarded scholarships to five Montebello Unified School District students who completed a three-week We Care For Youth. The program is designed to prepare students to enter the workforce by offering job skills. The Shops at Montebello held an Achievement Ceremony at the center, recognizing 32 local high school students who completed the special program. Of the students in attendance, Hugo Zavaleta Rojas, Alexis Serna and Francisco...
Three Must-Have Tools For High School Students
High school students and parents are barraged with college and career-planning information via the Internet and social media starting on their first day of high school (if not earlier). It can be a challenge for families in Los Angeles schools to sort through these resources, and not all information is equal. I recommend three must-have tools that will help guide students through their high school careers and plan for their...
Highland Hall Student Receives to National Youth Orchestras Conducting Apprenticeship
Shira Samuels-Shragg, a junior at Highland Hall Waldorf School, has been awarded a conducting apprenticeship with the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America (NYO-USA). Samuels-Shragg, a classical pianist, adept violist and budding conductor, was only 6 when she began her musical career with piano lessons. She has conducted Highland Hall’s school orchestra under the guidance of music teacher Erick Bluske, who has been involved in Samuels-Shragg’s musical...
Sycamore School to Open in Malibu
The Sycamore School, an independent elementary school dedicated to collaboration, innovation and learning through play and creativity, opens in Malibu Sept. 1, initially serving 20 students ages 6 through 8. “We are very excited to bring an alternative option for elementary education to Malibu families,” says co-founder Tedd Wakeman. “The world we live in now demands a different approach to education. Students need a learning experience that is continuous, future-focused...
Village Glen Robotics Team Takes Rookie All-Star Award, Heads to Nationals
The students at Village Glen School are extraordinary in a number of ways – and their Knightrise robotics team is no exception. Village Glen, part of The Help Group, is made up of students who have special needs and challenges in socialization, communication and peer relations, but also natural ability in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math. The school’s STEM initiative includes classes in computer programming, digital arts,...
Five Ways To Overcome Math Anxiety
Beyond basic arithmetic, most of us do not remember the details of our early math education. Fundamentals such as adding, subtracting and multiplying have not escaped our memory. However, square roots, radicals and the quadratic formula have long been tucked away in the far reaches of our minds. When our children are young, we gladly help them with their math homework. Our children believe we have all the answers, and...
UCLA Admissions Director Offers Tips For Finding Your Child’s Path
As a parent of a child in Los Angeles schools, it’s likely you’ve spent a lot of time thinking about your child’s future. You might have started stressing about your child’s path to college long before they began the application process. But UCLA Director of Undergraduate Admissions Gary Clark advises parents to focus more on helping their children find what they love, rather than spending years crafting a resume for...
ACT or SAT? Four Questions To Help Students Choose
As a private tutor in Los Angeles for more than 15 years, I have noticed a significant increase in the number of families we work with who choose the ACT over the more-traditional SAT exam on their path toward college admission. Scores from at least one of these tests are required for admission to most major colleges and universities, and every year thousands of students from Los Angeles schools have...
10 Ways To Show (not tell) Your Child Reading Matters to You
You’ve told your child reading is important, but your actions are far louder than words. Set a good parenting example for your child by showing how important reading is to you and your entire family. Here are ten ways to show (not tell!) your child reading is important. Let your child see you reading. Parents frequently read when children are tucked away asleep. Let them see you reading. When they...
The Parents’ Voice: Key To School Success
When my husband and I bought our house in a quiet, tree-lined neighborhood in the west San Fernando Valley, we assumed our kids would eventually attend the local elementary school just down the street. But our tour a year before our oldest daughter was about to enter kindergarten left us feeling disappointed and panicked. Test scores were below average, enrichment programs such as art and music were not offered, there...
5 Tips To Get You More Involved In Your Child’s School
When the school year began and you buttoned up your precious ones against the fall chill, kissed their cheeks and sent them off with the latest back-to-school goodies, did you make a silent vow that, this year, you would get more involved in your child’s school? More than likely, you’re next thought was, “What time is it?” Most days, after rushing to work and then home again, you can barely...
Finding a Private School With the Right Vibe
When I was pregnant with my first child, I was one of those mothers. You know the type, reading all the pregnancy books, taking the birth-education classes, sharing pregnancy symptoms with the other mommies-to-be during prenatal yoga class. Once my son was born, I continued on that path. I breastfed. I made his baby food. I enrolled us in a well-rounded roster of baby classes because I had read how...
What to Expect When You’re Expecting a Preschooler
I still kick myself for taking a rock away from my 2-year-old. “You can’t carry a rock around other kids,” I explained, prying the flat, round object out of his hand. It was shellacked bright blue with a big “R” painted on it, a trinket we had once found on the ground. “Rigby rock” wasn’t a particularly special toy, but it was what he happened to choose before we left...
Las Virgenes Unified School District Accepting Permit Applications
Los Angeles education does offer some flexibility in public schools. Parents who are interested in enrolling their children in Las Virgenes Unified district schools, but who do not live within the district boundaries, can apply for interdistrict permits through Feb. 15. Parents who work within the district qualify, and the process is open to students in grades K-12. LVUSD schools have API scores that put them in top 2 percent...
Three Ways to Help Kids With Test Anxiety
The second half of the school year will soon begin, and for many parents that means a return to tests and the fear they instill in our children. Often times test anxiety stems from one of two areas: fear of embarrassment and fear of failure. The main idea is to look to the root of the problem. Use positive parenting and these three tips to help your child lower their...
Mark McKee Chosen To Head Viewpoint School
Following an international search, Mark McKee has been unanimously selected by the board of trustees as the new Head of School at Viewpoint School in Calabasas. McKee began his journey in education at Polytechnic School in Pasadena, serving as an English teacher, Director of Technology and Director of Summer School. He also served as the Head of Upper School at Chase Collegiate School and currently holds a position as the...
Finding Great Educational Apps for Your Kids
It’s amazing to see how education and information are changing, and how that rapid change is largely being driven by handheld devices. Children today have access to so many opportunities, largely because of the plethora of mobile apps. But are children spending their screen time learning, or just being entertained? A national survey of parents of kids ages 2 to 10 released early this year by the Joan Ganz Cooney...
Lanai Road Elementary Receives National Blue Ribbon Award
By Elena Epstein The excitement was palpable as teachers, students, parents and administrators gathered to celebrate Lanai Road Elementary School’s coveted Blue Ribbon Award this week. The school, located in a quiet, tree-lined neighborhood of Encino in the west San Fernando Valley, is among a handful of schools selected nationwide. Of the 24 California schools chosen for Blue Ribbon recognition this year, Lanai Road is the only one in the...
Archer School for Girls Opens Saban IDEALab
Leslie Castenada, a seventh grader at the Archer School for Girls in Brentwood, is excited to explain the video game she created for school fitness classes using the SCRATCH computer programming tool. At the official ribbon-cutting ceremony for the school’s new Saban IDEALab, Castenada shares her enthusiasm with visitors, including Amy Wakeland, wife of L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti. The Saban IDEALab, the physical hub housing Archer’s Integrated Design and Engineering...
Beach Cities Kids Ride the Walking School Bus
More than 3,000 elementary students and parents in Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach are expected to skip the carpool in honor of International Walk to School Day Oct. 8. But for these students, walking to school isn’t a once-a-year novelty. Each week, they choose leg power over horsepower as part of Beach Cities Health District’s “Walking School Bus” program. Last school year, students who regularly walked in the...
What’s Your Child’s Learning Style?
Years before research on the auditory, visual, and tactile learning styles was conducted and presented to the world at large, my mother, a 38-year veteran of the Los Angeles Unified School District, kept a dizzying array of tubs of things to count – such as beans, coins, and colored unifix cubes. She was always teaching the class a song or poem, and it seems as if they created a journal...
Helping Your Child Organize, Plan and Follow Through At School
Do your children lose notebooks, books, sweatshirts, cell phones or school handouts? Do they forget books at school that they need for homework, or forget to turn in homework assignments even though they have completed them? Are there piles of paper stuffed in the pockets of their notebooks? Are you shocked when you see their school lockers with crumpled papers in disarray? Do your children wait until the last minute...
The Back-To-School Boogie: Tips For Teachers And Parents For A Smooth Transition
Regardless of whether you are a parent, a teacher, or a student, August marks the turn of the tides when school supplies, planners, and new-school-year jitters take center stage. It is an exciting time for some, and a dreadful time for others. Each parent, child and teacher is unique and has his or her own feelings about school starting, and that is perfectly natural and normal. Here are some key...
D.U.D.E.S. Making a Difference
Scan the crowd of volunteers manning a school event, and chances are you’ll see mostly moms, with a few uncomfortable looking dads. But not in South Pasadena. Thanks to a grassroots organization called D.U.D.E.S. – Dads Uniting Dads in Education & Service – fathers in South Pasadena show up in full force when a cry goes out for parental help. D.U.D.E.S. is the brainchild of Jeff Kirschenbaum, a dad at...
Old School, New School: Online, At-home and Other Alternatives
With hundreds of public, private and charter schools in Los Angeles, parents have plenty of educational options for their children. Still, some families look for even greater flexibility through nontraditional schooling – from homeschooling to small independent schools to online schools that have no campus. Why choose an option that often requires greater hands-on involvement and financial commitment than what’s available through traditional schools? And how do you know if...
Extracurricular Activities: What Colleges Really Care About
By Steve Dorfman Everybody knows colleges want well-rounded students. Kids are asked to volunteer, join sports teams, participate in clubs and be a part of student government. However, there are actually only three things that colleges care about when looking at extracurricular activities, and being “well-rounded” is not one of them. Consistency. The biggest misconception is that students should be involved in many activities. In reality, not only are colleges...
Step Up Summer Learning! Seven Simple Ways to Help Prevent Summer Slide
By Patti Rommel, Director of Research and Development at Lakeshore Learning Materials As the clock slowly ticks down to the final ring of the school bell, kids everywhere dream of those long days of summer filled with endless playtime and carefree fun. However, while this break from the classroom gives kids the chance to relax and revive before the next school year, it can also have another, unintended effect, called...
Managing Middle School
Help Your Child Through the Big Transition With These Tips By Elena Epstein I’ll never forget my oldest daughter’s first day of middle school. There was the scariness of a new place – not unlike the first day of kindergarten – only this time we didn’t have a sweet teacher taking her hand to reassure her everything would be OK. It was hard leaving our neighborhood elementary school, where most...
Bringing Up Bookworms
Build your child’s love of reading with these tips By Christina Elston The Velveteen Rabbit wasn’t Jennifer Graves’ first love. Snow White is the first book she remembers falling for as a child. “I thought it was so scary, but I wanted to read it again and again to get to the end, where everything works out,” she says. She enjoyed lots of other books, too – Frog and Toad,...