Creativity and ethnic diversity are just as important as literacy in the Hollywood Schoolhouse – a lovely, bright red building right out of a children’s story book.
This K-6 school does more than give young students a glossed-over notion of diversity and acceptance – it helps them understand similarities and differences from an early age, teaching them that there’s more to it than mere tolerance.
The integrated curriculum, complemented by project-based learning and cooperative learning groups, creates a balanced and fun-filled environment for your child.
A moving history
The school has its origins in World War II, when founder Ruth Pease began caring for toddlers in her home. She and her husband converted the front of their house into the Small Fry Nursery School.
Diversity was already expressed in the school’s first pool of students, one of whom was an American-Chinese child whose parents had difficulty finding a day care that would take him in.
Faced with objections from their landlord, the couple moved their nursery to Highland Avenue, in a home that Pease’s husband painted red. As the school thrived, it began to serve a larger group of students that had both ethnic and socio-economic diversity.
70 years in the Hollywood community
Today, the school offers quality education in the following levels:
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- Preschool or early childhood – Children are made to feel safe and secure away from home. Here, child-initiated and directed play with support from teachers is viewed as essential to learning.
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- K-3 or lower elementary –With Common Core and California State standard framework for a base, the school blends traditional with progressive teaching methods. Children gain a strong educational foundation by way of a meticulously-planned study sequence.
- Grades 4 to 6 or upper elementary – Children assume more responsibility for their own learning, and there is a strong focus on continual academic growth.
But more than an educational institution, this school is a community where every child’s individuality is honored. Staff and parents also form close relationships, thanks to their shared concern for students’ well-being.
Beyond the curriculum
The school offers many opportunities for personal enrichment, with the belief that it’s just as crucial to a child’s development.
Enrichment and elective courses, which make up 25 percent of students’ schedule, include the following:
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- Fine arts – Art projects that connect to the core curriculum of each grade level foster creative expression and help students hone their skills.
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- Music – A program that spans different genres and various activities like singing, rhyming, chanting, and playing instruments keep students engaged.
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- Performance – Activities like speech, drama, dance, and reader’s theater are incorporated into the core curriculum. These are meant to develop students’ imagination confidence, problem-solving skills, and communication skills.
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- Literature – Books are read aloud to classes, accompanied by songs, finger puppets, reader’s theater, and flannelboard stories. Book fairs also make quality books available to children and their parents.
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- Physical education – Learning to exercise and play team sports help children develop gross and motor skills.
- Technology – Students are taught to surf the Internet, find credible sources for research, and use digital media applications.
The Hollywood Schoolhouse | Los Angeles Schools – Los Angeles Education
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