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School G.
Hometown:
Pasadena, CA, 91103
Insider ExpertFirst Reviews: 69
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Sequoyah School
Sequoyah is located in Pasadena at the corner of Pasadena Ave. and California Blvd. with the 710 Freeway running behind the property. The campus has 2.75 acres of land with beautiful old pine, oak, and eucalyptus trees throughout. There are four buildings and a science lab. The main building houses the four lower elementary classrooms, the library, and the administrative offices. Two additional buildings house the upper elementary and junior high classes. The Daycare House is a classic California bungalow, which was formerly a ministers house when the school facility belonged to a church.
Temple Israel of Hollywood
Temple Israel is located in a tree-lined section of Hollywood Blvd., in a neighborhood of well-maintained apartment buildings and old California bungalows. The building is a stone fortress that takes up a whole city block and, although its surrounded by large, old trees, its a decidedly urban school. Inside, the spaces are airy and bright and classrooms are a colorful, creative, organized chaos of sorts. The impression you get is one of activity. Children are involved and up to their elbows in the task at hand, whether it be drawing, cutting, pasting, working with manipulative learning tools, or creating a science project. The children seem to be genuinely enjoying themselves and were so engaged in their various activities that they hardly noticed they had a visitor.
Corinne A. Seeds University Elementary School
One of the most difficult things about this school (aside from actually getting in) is deciding what to call it. It is referred to as Seeds, U.E.S, The UCLA Lab School, Corinne A. Seeds, and The University Elementary School. If you have heard any of those titles, then know that we are talking about the same place! For our purposes, I will refer to it as U.E.S. The school is located on 9 sylvan acres on the northern UCLA campus. The property is thick with old growth pine, oak, and eucalyptus trees. It has many grassy play areas and a redwood grove. Stone Canyon creek runs through the campus and is used by the students for both pleasure and scientific/environmental observation. The red brick buildings, built in 1957, were designed for the school by architect Richard Neutra.
Stephen S. Wise Temple Elementary School
Stephen S. Wise Temple Elementary School is located in the Bel Air hills near Mulholland and the 405 freeway. The facilities are modern and beautifully laid out on the 10-acre property. The classrooms are well-stocked, clean, and bright. There are flowers planted along all the walkways. The whole place exudes a deluxe, top-of-the-line feeling, including the website which takes about 5 minutes to load! There are two large playgrounds for physical education and recreational play. These areas have basketball, handball, and tetherball courts, along with special areas for kickball, softball, and soccer. A rooftop play area is available for the kindergarten and first grade children.
Sierra Canyon School
Sierra Canyon is a privately owned college preparatory day school located on 16 acres in the town of Chatsworth, northwest of the San Fernando Valley. The campus is peppered with large pine, oak, and eucalyptus trees, and surrounded by orchards and open fields. It feels like youre in the country instead of minutes away from a bustling valley community. Co-director Howard Wang took me on a tour of the school, proudly pointing out all the features that made Sierra Canyon a Unites States Blue Ribbon School in 1990. The school has a science lab, library, computer labs, several play areas with climbing equipment, football and soccer fields, two swimming pools, and an outdoor crafts area. There is an outside eating area surrounded by orange trees, a (covered) outdoor amphitheater, a log cabin (original to to the property) and a tepee for outdoor adventures. The school completed construction of a new middle school building in 1995. The new high school (grades 9-12) is scheduled to open in the fall of 2005.
Turning Point School
Turning Point recently opened the doors to a new state-of-the-art campus in Culver City. It is located off the 10 Freeway near Robertson Boulevard. The new high-tech campus is a two story facility with a Library/Media/Research Center that includes a tiered storytelling room. The structure also houses Latin and Spanish classrooms, a multimedia art studio, wet and dry science laboratories, a full-size gymnasium, and an outdoor playground and lawn area. A music and performing arts center top off the new campus. This is quite a change from its very private, woodsy setting at the base of the Bel Air mountains. At the primary division (2 years 10 mos), the classrooms use traditional Montessori materials and methods. Teachers determine each childs stage of developmental growth, which tasks have been mastered, and which challenges the child is ready to try.The elementary division expands on previous learning experiences. The school has a K-1 level to aid in this transition. The time spent making this transition is
Viewpoint School
Viewpoint School is located in the Santa Monica Mountains north of Malibu in Calabasas, and draws students from the San Fernando and Conejo Valleys and from the nearby coastal communities. After its recent acquisition of property (The Meadow School), Viewpoint school has grown to 25 acres. The campus is surrounded by open mountain areas, and it feels like there isnt a town in sight for miles (and this happens to be true!). The modern facilities include science and computer labs, art and music studios, a beautiful library containing 25,000 volumes, several athletic fields, two regulation-size swimming pools, playgrounds for elementary children, and a basketball pavilion. A 400-seat Performing Arts Center, along with an Upper School Academic Center, is scheduled to open in the fall of 2005.
Village School
The Village School is located in the heart of the Palisades Village in a beautiful, three-story building completed in August of 1994. The campus provides spacious classrooms, a large library, a visual arts studio, science, and music facilities in a lovely architectural setting. In 2003 the school purchased property on which they will build a new gym, auditorium, music room, offices and classrooms. The new location will also provide the kids with more grassy areas. They expect these new facilities to open in September 2005. The building project is responsible for the required yearly $1,000 Facilities Deposit. Each family must pay this yearly until a total deposit of $7,000 accrues or the student enters sixth grade-which ever comes first. The full amount (without interest) will be refunded to the family the September following that students graduation from Village School or permanent withdrawal for other reasons. Voluntary gifts are also solicited.
Walden School
Walden School is located in Pasadena in a self-contained, urban setting. The school purchased an additional building just north of the original in 1999. Their enrollment has since increased to 240. They now have a library with over 9,000 volumes, a huge dedicated art studio, three new classrooms (one of which includes a science lab), and Business and Development offices. The educational approach here is Developmental and draws on the philosophies of Maria Montessori, Henry David Thoreau, Socrates, Jean Piaget, John Holt, Marcy Cook, Carl Rogers, and Abraham Maslow.
Waverly School
Waverly School is located on a quiet street in an industrial/business section of Pasadena. The two-story facility looks more like an office building than a school campus, but if you let appearances fool you, you may miss out on one of the best up and coming schools.The building has eight classrooms, a library, cooking area, community room, teachers lounge, reception area, and administrative offices. The outside play area (along the side and back of the school) has a basketball court, climbing structure, and swings, grass, a garden, and a shaded lunch area. In 1997, Waverly expanded to include grades 9-12 at a facility down the street. This will mean several years with smaller class sizes at the high school level. While this delights parents looking for individualized instruction for their children, it may not fill the needs of a student looking for the bustle of activity and intramural sports programs that can be found at a larger school. The only sport they offer on campus is basketball.