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DOWNTOWN ON ICE

Right across from the Biltmore Hotel in Pershing Square

http://laparks.org/pershingsquare/doi.html

532 South Olive St, Los Angeles, CA 90013

Skating Session $6; Skate Rental $2

HOURS OF OPERATION
General Schedule: November 17, 2011 – January 16, 2012

Monday – Thursday: 12:00pm to 10:00pm
Friday – Sunday: 10:00am to 10:00pm

*Special Extended Holiday Hours
December 19 – January 2 from 10:00am to 10:00pm daily

Parking in the lot underneath.

TRAIN RIDE TO SANTA ( GRIFFITH PARK)

http://www.griffithparktrainrides.com/content/travel-town-santa-train

The Travel Town Museum has a magical Holiday Train Ride and Visit with Santa.  Santa, himself, will be on hand and each child will receive a candy cane and a special little gift.  Mrs. Claus will also be there to greet you and talk about life at the North Pole. If you wish, Santa’s helpers will happily take your picture with Santa for purchase as a keepsake of your visit. After visiting Santa you can board the Santa Express at Travel Town Station for a trip through a wonderland of holiday lights and scenery. If you prefer, you can get into the Holiday spirit by riding the Santa Express before you visit Santa.

The ride will continue on December 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 and December 14th through December 23rd.  The first train leaves about 5 pm each night and the last train will leave at about 8 pm, unless it sells out, in which case they may close earlier.

BILTMORE MILLENIUM HOTEL – Holiday Tea for Children

In conjunction with the City Ballet of Los Angeles’ annual performance of this time-honored classic, the Biltmore hosts a special tea for children and parents with holiday sandwiches and cupcakes! Event will feature special performances throughout the tea by real ballet dancers from the production, including the Sugar Plum Fairy herself!

Saturday, December 12 and Sunday, December 13, 2009 from 11:00am – 1:00pm in the Rendezvous Court

$38 per person

 Please call Smeraldi’s Restaurant at (213) 612-1562 for reservations.

LOS FELIZ 3 THEATERS 

Mommy and me Wednesday matinee at 10:30 am at 1822 N. Vermont Ave. Great to do when the kids are out of school.

Beautiful Holiday Lights

Los Feliz is the perfect place to view holiday lights and decorations.  When my daughter was young, we used to gather together as a family in my mom and dad’s camper with its big windows and drive the streets.  Armed with hot chocolate in Thermoses, we  drove the streets, oohing and aahing at the sparkling and colorful lights and inventive decorations.

Los Feliz  usually has the  DWP  Lights Festival but this year, due to prolonged construction, it is not open.   Hopefully the construction will be complete by next year.

Relatives in town/ Children Off from School

 TRY GEOCACHING

Geocaching  is a new way for family and friends to have fun and explore the Los Feliz area. It is  a fabulous blend of an old-fashioned treasure hunt and modern day technology. In our family, it appeals to my husband’s love of computers, his Iphone, and technology in general,  to my love of treasure hunts that take me back to childhood and college days, and to our children and grandchildren’s love of the hunt.

Here is how geocaching works. All over the world, people have hidden small boxes and other containers that contain a log for recording the finder’s name and often, little trinkets and trackers. Trackers are the official geocaching item that has a tracking number that keeps track of the travels of these items.

In order to find these caches, you go online to geocaching.com and look up an area where you want to search for a cache. I looked up 90027 and found many interesting possibilities. You make note of the area and the GPS coordinates, then off you go in search of the cache. Now these hiders are quite clever so you have to use the clues the other cache finders have left to solve the puzzle and locate the cache.

When you find the container, sign in on the log. If there is a tracker, you can take it and place it in a new cache that you find next time.  At the end of your caching day, whether you have one or several, log on and record what you have done at geocache.com.  It is nice to leave a clue on the computer record if you found that a cache was tricky to find. We ended up eating in a great restaurant right next to a cache, an added bonus to the experience.

So if you find yourself with family and friends looking for something fun to do that can take 20 minutes or several hours or you need everyone out of the house so you can cook or wrap packages, try geocaching. We have found that we learn something new about our Los Feliz neighborhood every time.

Happy Hunting!

Holiday Shopping for Chanukah and Stocking Treats

Holiday shopping is truly upon us.  I was raised in a traditional manner here in Los Angeles; Christmas shopping only began after Thanksgiving.  There were no early holiday purchases, decorations or holiday music. While times have changed now that I have grandchildren, I still leave the stocking presents for close to the holiday. In Los Feliz, there are many delightful places to buy great holiday gifts and stocking stuffers.

For the coffee or tea drinker:

• (Starbucks on Vermont and Prospect (http://www.starbucks.com/store/15113),
• Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf on Hillhurst (http://coffeebean.com/location.aspx?UserID=38650288&SessionID=iqKCsPjuBOLdZnkvRAld),
• Intelligentsia on W. Sunset (http://www.intelligentsiacoffee.com/locations/view/)

• A new book by a favorite or new author plus an interesting selection of books you might not find everywhere ( Skylight Books on N. Vermont (http://www.skylightbooks.com/))
• Theater tickets are a nice treat  at Los Feliz 3 on 1822 N. Vermont Ave.

When our grown children come with the grandchildren, it opens the door to much more shopping. Great toys and children’s clothes can be purchased at:

• Dragonfly Dulou on Hillhurst Ave. (http://www.dragonflydulou.com/contact)
• La La Ling on N. Vermont ) http://www.lalaling.com/e-store/cnt_store.asp).

Farmer’s Markets

• The Farmer’s Market on Hollywood just west of Vermont at Barnsdall Park on Wednesday from noon to 6 pm is a great source of food goodies and handmade items.

Los Feliz Library- A Jewel in the Crown

Remember the library; Los Feliz has a great one.

Los Feliz library (http://www.lapl.org/branches/Branch.php?bID=36) is one of the jewels in the crown of the Los Angeles Public Library system.  Located at the corner of Franklin and Hillhurst Ave, it is a community center for much more than books. We are so lucky to have a beautiful building with natural light and wonderful spaces to enjoy many neighborly experiences.

As a preschool, we regularly uses this library to get books that  reflect  activities in the classroom and  children’s interests. The book collection offers so much to choose from; the  56,000 books is very thoughtfully  and well put together. This collection is loaded with current titles and excellent breadth of subjects. The librarians are very knowledge,  always able to guide with great suggestions. There are movies to rent and books on tape. They have a program that allows interlibrary

The library is much more than books. It offers a wide variety of programs such ascomputer classes, author program, architectural lectures, monthly book discussions, music performances, chess, and a quilting circle.

One of the lesser known treasures of the library that I have been wanting to try is the Scrabble Club. I love Scrabble but I am part of a family who are not enthusiasts. On Saturday morning, people with all levels of skills put their Scrabble boards under their arms and come to the community room to find a similarly skilled partner. I loved the friendships and goodwill that were evident the day I visited.

The children’s story hours are always lovely and many of the preschool families have enjoyed many hours with well-chosen books.

A library card and the Los Feliz Library are definitely a passport to hours of enjoyment.

For Last Minute Boxing and Shipping Needs

No matter how we try and how careful we are in our planning, there is always something that needs to ship at the last minute. Box Brothers on Hillhurst Ave (http://www.boxbrosla.com/boxtest/store-locations/box-bros-los-feliz-village) has everything you need. They can do any kind of shipping from electronics to antiques and also provide a valet boxing pick-up service if you aren’t able to get to the store (or want to avoid long lines).  They will also assist you in helping to find the exact size box you need so you can pay for only what you need. They have loads of packing materials as well. They save us every year.

I wish you a wonderful holiday and a great new year.

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I selected the favorites for children this year by going from learning area to learning area in the classroom. At the preschool, we want our “toys” to have lots of play value, room for imaginative and creative expression, and chances for exploring and discovery.  I hope these ideas add inspiration and joy to your holiday season.

1. Magna- tiles. The  favorite manipulative. Magnet-edged squares and rectangles that can create a wonderful variety of structures. Add animals and people to increase range of play.  Tinkertoys are also very hot right now in the Yellow Room. Amazon.com has the best prices.
2. The Barn and Castle- The children’s favorite additions to the block area this year have been the Melissa and Doug Fold N Go Barn and Castle. They invite hours of play. We bought lots of castle horses and people as well as a big set of barnyard animals.  Melissa and Doug are an excellent source of  a wide range of excellent quality toys.
3. Dress up box. My mother-in-law put together a fabulous dress up box for our kids. It was filled with capes, scarves, dresses, coats, shoes, jewelry, hats, and specialty accessories.  Use your imagination. Thrift shops such as St. Vincent du Paul are a great source of supplies.  Decorating the box is a nice extra touch.  Hearthsong catalog is a great children’s catalog and has some excellent items.
4. Sensory Materials- First the basics- playdough, flubber, flome., bubber with you can get at Discount School Supply or Lakeshore or recipes on this website., Add small rolling pins, cookie cutters, popsicle sticks of different colors,  garlic presses, dull knives  etc.  A Special Treat- Gray clay is fabulous and a big bag will last you a long time. I love going to KitKraft in Studio City and cruising the  aisles for the clay and wonderful tools. This store is loaded with kid friendly ideas.
5. Bookstores are my idea of heaven and so books are a major item on any buying list. We have the holiday and winter favorites, Jan Brett’s The Mitten and The Wild Christmas Reindeer, Robert Sabuda’s The Twelve Days of Christmas, Debbie Martinez’s Celebrating Chanukah, Tomie de Paola’s The Nights of Las Posadas, and Alexandra Day’s Carl’s Christmas. And then there are the children’s current favorites and the classics. Right now, The Dairy of a Worm, Diary of a Spider,and Diary of a Fly by    are very popular. Mo Willems series, Knuffle Bunny, Knuffle Bunny, Too and Knuffle Bunny Free are fabulous. Henry the Explorer, Caps for Sale, If You Guve a Mouse a Cookie and other Felicia Bond books. and Loving are  wonderful.  There is Grandfather Twilight, Stellaluna, The Patchwork Quilt, and Rosemary Wells’ series about Max and Ruby. Amazon.com
6. Music is one place where I represent the favorites of my children’s childhood and the teachers reflect the more current tastes. We overlap with Hap Palmer  ( all are wonderful) and Raffi .  For me, it is Ella Jenkins ( all albums are great) , Patty Zeitlin and Marcia Berman ( Spin, Spider, Spin, Chanukah songs, and I am not Small, Raffi, Burl Ives  (Christmas and Favorites for Children), For the teachers, it is Dan Zane, and Greg and Steve. Some of the musicals have been very popular with our kids i.e Lion King and Sound of Music. Again, Amazon.com carries the full range.
7. Art Boxes- Start with the basics: scissors, with regular and  fun cutting edges, mystic tape, and a hole punch, then add drawing materials: colored pencils, marking pens,  and crayons. Then, over time,  you can enrich the supplies with  oil pastels, glitter pens, pastel chalks. Stamp pads and rubber stamps are great as are watercolor sets and tempura pads. Dot art is very popular right now. We use Discount School Supply. 
8.  A children’s cookbook, i.e. DK Children’s Cookbook, an apron, and some cooking supplies: a medium sized good bowl with a handle and a  non-skid bottom,  a  wooden spoon, a spatula, a small sifter, a small grater,  a plastic one-cup measuring cup with pouring spout.
9.  Games- Target has a very good selection of games. Eric Carles, author of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, has several games that go with his books.  There are the classics- HiHo Cheerio,  Connect Four, Chutes and Ladders, and Candyland. There is also  Brown Bear, What Do  You See? and  Sequence for Kids. Card games include  Go Fish, Uno, and regular cards for the game of WAR.
10.  Stocking presents-  a number of the above ideas are great for stockings, i.e. a CD, a book, or a box of pastel chalks. Science items from Lakeshore Learning Materials make good choices.  A magnifying glass, color paddles, a set of magnets,  a few packets of seeds to plant a winter garden ( lettuce, sugar snap peas, radishes).  Lakeshore is the other wonderful teacher store from which we buy.

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The preschool is having a round of colds and fevers affecting a number of children during the beginning ofthis cold and flu season. With no school Friday, Veteran’s Day, I hope everyone gets healthier.

Illness poses a parent’s dilemma best summed up by a dad who said, “My boss doesn’t like it when I miss three days of work, but I understand she needs to be at home”. Many of you have busy schedules, traveling spouses, and meetings that are important. I remember this well;  I have four grown children. Unfortunately, sick and recovering children need to be cared for outside of the preschool.

I want to share with you some resources and “before need” coping strategies to think and plan about over the 3 day holiday to help with the dilemma. The three main obstacles seem to be the ” morning of” illness, the “getting sick at school” illness,  and the “getting well but not ready for school” recovery period. We have a policy of a child returning to school when they are healthy and fever-free for at least 24 hours. Children can cope with more at home than they can at school when they are recovering. The illness policies for the school are in the parent handbook, online at www.kidslovepreschool.com.

1. Relatives- talk to family who are close by and see how and when they might be available  to cover you.

2. Other parent/friend- as with a babysitting coop, some families make arrangements to cover each other in the case of illness. Not hours and hours, but the caring for or picking up of a child until your  crucial work need  is over.

3. Babysitters- they often have flexible daytime schedules. Other parents may have a person you would  trust;  they could spend some time with your child before you need them.

4. Nannies- some of you have talk about “underutilized” nannies. Perhaps they can step in and be paid while they are not caring for their usual child.

5. Neighbors- some of you have spoken of a good neighbor/ friend.  Are they available for recovery care or pick up at school and short term care?

6. Friends- is there someone who would be willing to be on call?

7.  College students- We are fortunate to have Los Angeles City College nearby.  Ty  and Marilyn went there. Check and see if they have a way of putting you together with students available for childcare.

Developing ” before need” care arrangements will hopefully ease some of the stress of caring for a sick child. Please make sure that I have the names of the people you choose written in my file. You can stipulate the circumstance under which they can pick up your child, i.e. sick-child care only. I will ask for ID if we don’t know them.

I CANNOT release a child without a written note from a parent if the pick up person is not on the list; in the moment of need that can be a real hassle.

I hope these ideas help and I wish you a happy and healthy Veteran’s Day holiday.Tweet

Natural History Museum Spider Pavilion,  www.nhm.org/site.

COOL THINGS

Spider Pavilion Nighttime Flashlight Tours

October 21 & 28

We‘re keeping the Spider Pavilion open late for exciting nighttime exploration and guided tours by flashlight. Complimentary flashlight and commemorative Spider Pavilion 2011 pin while supplies last.A great experience on Oct. 21 and 28th.  

Ivanhoe Public Elementary School- Fall HoeDown- Oct 29th- at 1 pm.- 2828 Herkimer St Los Angeles, CA 90039-4103 - (323) 664-0051

Larchmont Family Fair- Sunday, October 23, 12-5 pm. Larchmont Blvd.  between First and Third.

Self- Realization Center Halloween Festival  in Mt. Washington. It is always the Friday before Halloween. This year will be October 28th and it usually goes from 6-8, or around that time. It is open to the public. Kids can come dressed up. They have all kinds of wonderful Jack O’ Lanterns, lots of activities for the kids, a Halloween queen and several acts (singing, magician, dancers, performers, etc.) Highly recommended by some of our parents. 

Los Angeles Zoo- Boo at the Zoo

The 9thAnnual Rose Scharlin Halloween Hullabaloo is October 29th  from 4pm- 8pm. 2414 Lake View Ave. Los Angeles, Ca. 90039

Los Angeles Charter School of the Arts-

On Saturday, October 22, the annual LFCSA Halloween Festival will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Come join the fun as we help raise needed funds for our school. Activities include a petting zoo, giant slides, a haunted house, dunk-your-teacher booth, great food, bake sale, Stewies shaved ice, facepainting, spray tattoos, games, crafts and some new surprises. Admission is free.

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This started me thinking about the difference between pressure and expectations. This is a common concern among parents who are trying to raise children thoughtfully but who also have goals they would like their children to reach.

Erik Erikson in his seminal book, Childhood and Society, talks about the stage of childhood between roughly 1 1/2 and 3 year old as the stage of autonomy versus shame and doubt. We can influence the way children feel about themselves and their capabilities by the way we handle these kinds of normal childhood steps.

One of the first things to think about with children and expectations  is the difference between internally derived child development, which occurs as a result of a child’s own drive to complete a task,  and the expectations we set for children to help them become part of our family and community.

Some behaviors are grounded in normal child development. From the time a child is born, he or she is biologically programmed to nurse, crawl, walk, run, and talk. We, as parents and teachers, just need to support them with opportunity and positive experiences. These are innate skills that will emerge although the timetable for each child is individual.

Other behaviors are decided by the family, the culture, society, and laws. Children learn to eat food rather than throw it,  to hold our hand when crossing the street, and to use words rather than biting,  because we set behavioral expectations and goals for them and teach them how to achieve them.

Both the innate and the learned  forms of behavior are vital for a child to develop in a physically, socially and emotionally healthy way .

In early childhood, we deal with expectations that are  fairly consistent throughout different cultures. Children learn to feed themselves, go to the bathroom in a predetermined place, dress themselves, and fall asleep at night. They learn how to socialize with their family and then others in their world. At school, they widen that experience to include children and grown-ups new to their family. They learn to play and to problem solve. Each step is invaluable for their development.

Children want to gain mastery over their own care and skill building and therefore can be willing participants in their own development.  Mastery is an important source of a human’s self-esteem and feelings of success in coping with the world. I don’t think that anyone disagrees with the benefits  of a a child developing mastery but the question sometimes becomes how to help them achieve it.

We help children develop mastery and self-esteem when we have age-appropriate expectations of our children. When we work together with our children to set goals to develop a new skill, we are helping them with self-care and mastery. They learn that they are capable people.

Pressure, on the other hand,  takes away from these goals. When we blame or scold children, we tell them we doubt their desire or their capability.  Instead of supporting autonomy, we are using shame or doubt to try and make them do what we want. This behavior removes the locus of control from the child to the parent. When we as parents becomes overly involved in the child’s experience, it makes it our agenda rather than theirs. When we as parents make our happiness with our child based on their performance, we create a lot of pressure for a child.

So, in toilet training or any other childhood growth step we have for our children, expectations and support help them to grow into the capable people we know they can be. And while it can be tempting in the moment, pressure is best left to the side so that children can feel the personal satisfaction of mastery and self- control.

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Last week at the morning coffee, the question was “How do I talk to my child about death?”.  At school, we talk about death regularly, usually in the context of life cycle. For example, in the garden, we plant seeds, watch them grow, enjoy the harvest or the flowers, and then see how the seed pods develop before the plants wither and die. Last week, we pulled out the dead tomato vines, depleted cilantro, and shriveled squash plant out of the ground. They are making way for the fall crop of vegetables and flowers who will repeat the cycle.

Death recently came to the Yellow Room in a different, but not uncommon way. A child’s cat died.  While I talked about coping strategies with the family, we also got our favorite books that talk about death. Mister Roger’s Tender Topic Series includes When a Pet Dies, a really caring and thoughtful discussion of death and the child’s feelings about it.  We also read The Tenth Good Thing About Barney.  In it, a little boy has a cat die and he goes through the feelings and questions that come with that experience. In an intimate way, the boy and his family address his feelings, the goodbye process, mourning, and his memories.

We also discussed the cat’s death at morning meeting, the way we do with many things important to the children’s life. The child told the story of her cat, shared pictures, and talked about how they said their goodbyes as a family. The other children then shared their experiences. They told stories of wrapping an animal in a scarf, of funerals, of singing a goodbye song, of markers and flowers. Some talked about heaven. We listened and supported. The shared stories and feelings help all of the children to cope with loss and to develop coping strategies and increased awareness of one of life’s significant events.

In the life of the school, there will be fish, lizards, spiders, frogs, and other creatures to mourn. We will bury them in our garden where they will have their last job of helping making our garden grow, just like Barney. We will talk about feelings and realities. We will help them learn that death and sleep are not the same.  It is a process.

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As a preschool, we are very mindful of the nutrition we provide our children. We serve organic fruits and vegetables and buy good quality food.   In order to make an informed decision about what we serve and when, we have researched how the body responds to the food it takes in and what the implications are for our children’s health and well-being.

Here is what our research has shown. All food has to be broken down in the digestive system into a form that can be absorbed into the blood stream and utilized by the body.  The different nutrients of sugar, carbohydrates, proteins, and vitamins and minerals, are not all digested or absorbed into the blood stream at the same rate. A variety of those foods eaten at one sitting will provide hours of different nutritional benefit.

• Refined sugar such as cupcakes and dried fruit is broken down almost immediately and  provides quick energy to the body. The quick energy can be a lift for children in the very short term and even help them to cope better. But when sugar is eaten without other foods or in big quantities, there comes a crash in energy and good spirits as the sugar quickly leaves the blood stream.
• Carbohydrates take longer to break down and the more complex the carbohydrate, the longer it takes and the more sustained energy it will provide.  Carbohydrates consist largely of fruits and vegetables,  bread, rice, beans, and pasta.
• Protein take the longest time to break down and is absorbed into the body as amino acids which are very sustaining.

Our daily snacks are created to provide two forms of carbohydrates and a protein. As a vegetarian school, we offer a fruit or vegetable carbohydrate, a complex carbohydrate such as whole wheat crackers, and a protein such as strong cheese or hummus.  Our goal is to provide food that offers near-term,  mid-range, and long-term nutritional benefit to our children.

Occasionally, we offer a small birthday treat or some ice cream that we make together that does contain refined sugar. Small is the key word. However, we are careful to offset the sugar effect that would occur if we only gave the children the cupcake on its own; we serve it after a full snack. With the other foods providing a steady stream of nutritional benefit and maintaining a healthy blood sugar level, the children are fine.

My mother was one of the parents who often said, “all things in moderation.” I agree with my mom but would add that in the case of  sugar, “ in moderation and combination with healthy, sustaining food.” Then our kids can truly have their cake and eat it too.

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Recently, I gave a presentation followed by a discussion of the way the kindergarten process works in our area with LAUSD, both for neighborhood programs and the choice programs of magnet, charter, and open enrollment. I also discussed  Burbank and Glendale Unified, and Private Schools.

Below is the packet that I gave each of our parents.

LOS ANGELES UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT (LAUSD)

Neighborhood Schools

The first place to consider as a choice for a school for your child is your local Neighborhood School. It is located near you and some of them offer a very good education. If you are not sure which school is yours, use the locator below.

To locate your LAUSD school of residence, use the school finder at this website: http://notebook.lausd.net/schoolsearch/selector.jsp

Many areas have well-rated neighborhood schools. Here are some examples.

• Franklin Avenue Elementary School, located in Los Angeles, California, serves grades K-5 in the Los Angeles Unified School District. It is among the few public elementary schools in California to receive a distinguished GreatSchools Rating of 9 out of 10.
• Ivanhoe Elementary School, located in Los Angeles, California, serves grades K-5 in the Los Angeles Unified School District. It is among the few public elementary schools in California to receive a distinguished GreatSchools Rating of 9 out of 10.
• Commonwealth Avenue Elementary School, located in Los Angeles, California, serves grades K-5 in the Los Angeles Unified School District. It is among the few public elementary schools in California to receive a distinguished GreatSchools Rating of 8 out of 10.
• Los Angeles’s Third Street Elementary School serves grades K-5 in the Los Angeles Unified School District. It is among the few public elementary schools in California to receive a distinguished GreatSchools Rating of 9 out of 10.

If an LAUSD school that you like is not in your neighborhood, there are several enrollment options:

First a definition of terms.

•  Magnet Schools were created by LAUSD to meet the needs of  the students and Los Angeles’ desire to have a diverse and integrated school district. Some were mandated by court order to achieve certain goals.
•  Charter Schools are parent-initiated schools that have a particular philosophy, style of education, or emphasis the founding parents and educators wished to achieve.
•  Gifted, Highly Gifted, and Talented Schools are created by LAUSD to meet the needs of a specific segment of the population.

 Choices Program:

Residents of the LAUSD may participate in the Magnet, Permits with Transportation (PWT) and Public School of Choice (PSC) Programs. Visit this site for more information: http://echoices.lausd.net/

The Magnet Programs are voluntary integration opportunities available to students in grades K-12 living within the LAUSD boundaries. They also offer program that emphasize a particular area of study, ie. math and science magnet.

School for Advanced Studies (SAS): Often referred to as Gifted and Talented Programs or Highly gifted Magnets

The district programs are designed for students identified as gifted, highly gifted, and/or students who demonstrated superior academic achievement with appropriate documentation. Visit this site for more information: http://www.lausd.k12.ca.us/lausd/offices/GATE/prog-opt-2.html

Charter Schools:

 Charter schools are public schools with an innovative, rigorous standards-based and standards-aligned curriculum authorized by LAUSD and approved by the State of California.  To apply, contact the school directly.  Visit this website for more information: http://notebook.lausd.net/portal/page?_pageid=33,205129&_dad=ptl&_schema=PTL_EP

• Citizens of the World (Charter School)- 1316 N. Bronson Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90028, (323) 464-4292. School tour dates: November-February, Thursday mornings from 9 am- 10 am. Email asammons@citizensoftheworld.org, Lottery is March 31^st, 2012. Letters are sent out April 4^th, 2012. Deadline to accept of decline is April 11^th, 2012. The next round of seats are released to applicants off the waitlist is April 12^th, 2012. Accept or Decline by April 15^th, 2012.  From April 25^th, 2012 on applicants will be contacted off the waitlist as space becomes available.  You will have 72 hours to notify whether or not you will be attending.  May 12^th, 2012 at 6 p.m. is the new family orientation.

CWC is a high-performing school, with curriculum based on some of the best public and private schools in Los Angeles and nationwide. Providing a continuous K-8 program will enable our students to make a seamless transition to middle school in a small learning community. Our students will not only meet and exceed state testing standards, but learn to think creatively and critically, learn to love learning, and become productive , caring, and responsible citizens of the world.

• Larchmont Charter School- Hollygrove Campus (Grads K-5), 815 North El Centro Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, 90038, (323) 836-0860.

School tour dates have not been posted. Online enrollment begins October 3^rd, 2011.  The enrollment lottery is February 10^th, 2012

Larchmont Charter School (LCS) is a parent-initiated, tuition-free and non-sectarian public elementary school of LAUSD. We offer a constructivist curriculum, which is a project- and inquiry-based, experienced-centered curriculum to serve our culturally rich and diverse population of students. LCS is one of the top 10 highest performing charter elementary schools in LAUSD and has a California Distinguished School designation. Admission is determined by annual lottery, which is open to all children in California.

• Los Feliz School for the Arts (Charter School)- 2709 Media Center Drive, Los Angeles, CA, 90065, (323) 539-2810. Current tour dates are October 27^th, 2011 and November 10^th, 2011 both starting at 6 p.m.  No drawing dates yet.

The Los Feliz Charter School for the Arts (LFCSA) is a parent-initiated, tuition-free, non-profit, public elementary school with an emphasis in project-based learning in and through the arts located in their newly created building.

Open Enrollment:

Open enrollment means that certain schools will consider students from outside their area for enrollment in their schools.

Schools with designated open seats will accept applications during May.  In schools where applications exceed space, a random drawing will be held in June. Visit this website for more information: http://notebook.lausd.net/portal/page?_pageid=33,47493&_dad=ptl&_schema=PTL_EP

There are also very good schools available in nearby school districts that have open enrollment.

BURBANK UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

Website- www.burbank.k12.ca.us/

Elementary School list website- www.burbank.k12.ca.us/index.aspx?page=105

This school district is highly rated and has roughly 16,000 students as opposed to LAUSD’s roughly 385,000.

They have not yet published their 2011-2 schedule but based on last year’s schedule:

Open Enrollment application process is likely to begin after the winter Break.

They offer transportation waivers to parents who work in the area.

Kindergarten Parent’s night will be in Early January.

1900 W. Olive Ave.  1^st floor

Check the Great School Ratings for the school that would most be appropriate to you.

Glendale Unified School District- Elementary Magnet

Application Deadline for Kindergarten Lottery: January 20, 2012

• Thomas Edison Advanced Technology and Spanish Flag Magnet School
• Mark Keppel Visual and Performing Arts and Korean Flag Magnet School
• Benjamin Franklin International Foreign Language Academies of Glendale (IFlag)

223 N. Jackson St, Glendale, CA, 91206

PRIVATE SCHOOLS

There are a variety of private schools available that vary in a number of ways. Each has a distinct philosophy of education and

Developmental/ Progressive

The Oaks School- Hollywood- www.oaksschool.org

• The Oaks School, an intimate learning center in the heart of historic Hollywood. Since its founding in 1986, The Oaks continues to be a vibrant, creative community where mutual respect and compassion for one another go hand-in-hand with stimulating intellectual pursuits. Our philosophy is founded on the belief that we create the best learning opportunities when children are able to share in the responsibility for their own education, and where they feel both physically and emotionally safe to take risks, make mistakes and master skills.

Oakwood School- North Hollywood- www.oakwoodschool.org-

• Oakwood School is a coeducational K-12 independent day school, founded in 1951 by a group of parents who wanted to provide their children with an educational experience that was rich in the arts, sciences, and humanities, challenging to their creative and intellectual capacities and above all, humane.

Sequoyah School- Pasadena-www.sequoyahschool.org

• At Sequoyah, children engage in the search for answers, and are encouraged through their questioning to imagine what is possible. Here, students gain experiences and skills that help them pose meaningful questions about themselves, their relationships, their communities, and their world.

The Waverly School- Pasadena- http://thewaverlyschool.org/

• Because Waverly offers a unique progressive program, we believe it is especially important for prospective families to have as much information as possible before choosing to apply. For this reason, we offer comprehensive tours lasting over two hours during the school day. During the tour, parents and guardians will have the opportunity to hear from Heidi Johnson, Head of School, about our program, visit classrooms, and ask questions of current Waverly parents.  Applications are handed out at the conclusion of the tours. Students will have an opportunity to visit the campus during the school day as part of the application process.

Aveson School- Pasadena- www.avesonschool.com

• At Sequoyah, children engage in the search for answers, and are encouraged through their questioning to imagine what is possible. Here, students gain experiences and skills that help them pose meaningful questions about themselves, their relationships, their communities, and their world.

Traditional

St. James School- Los Angeles

• St. James’ Episcopal School, a ministry of St. James’ Episcopal Church, serves students of diverse economic, ethnic, racial, and social backgrounds.

The school’s mission is through an enriching program of academic rigor within a supportive Christian environment that emphasizes respect for all of God’s creation and the value of service to others.  In addition to providing a solid academic base for further schooling and daily living, St. James’ Episcopal School strives to give students a sense of individual worth and dignity and to begin to direct their energies toward responsible service to others.

YOUR CHILD MUST BE 5 BEFORE SEPTEMBER 1, 2012 TO BE IN THEIR KINDERGARTEN PROGRAM. Call to reserve your spot at the Prospective Parent Open House this fall.  You can call the admissions coordinator, Theresa Masangkay at (213) 382-2315 x255 or email tmasangkay@sjsla.org.  The application is due January 13, 2012.

Pilgrim School- Los Angeles

• Pilgrim School, a division of the First Congregational Church of Los Angeles, is an ethnically and culturally diverse, co-educational day school in the Judeo- Christian tradition for students preschool through the twelfth grade.

The school’s mission is to provide a superior interdisciplinary education, designed to enable students to attain the skills necessary to become self-sufficient, creative and independent thinkers, as well as responsible, ethical and socially conscious citizens. Pilgrim School offers a traditional college preparatory curriculum, emphasizing the mastery of fundamental skills and critical thinking at all levels, from preschool through high school. Small classes ensure that all students receive extensive personal attention from their teachers, encouraging the development of each student’s unique abilities.

Campbell Hall- North Hollywood

• Campbell Hall embraces the philosophy that the students entrusted to its care are persons of both faith and reason. This point of view commissions the faculty and staff to encourage each student to quest for knowledge and to fit the educational experience into a pattern of faith for daily living. The relationship with the Episcopal Church places Campbell Hall in the Judeo-Christian tradition and imbues the school with a sensitivity to the moral and ethical dimensions of life. The chapel program encourages students to discover the presence of God in their lives and to respect all religions of the world as sources of knowledge and truth. The school is committed to serving a diverse, interfaith student body.

Kindergarten Orientation for parents of prospevtive kindergarten students are: Saturday November 5^th and January 7^th, both starting at 9 a.m.  You can register online.  Tour dates are: September 30^th, October 7^th, 14^th, 21^st, November 11^th, December 2^nd, 9^th, January 13^th and 20^th. Call (818) 505-5316 to register a tour.

Lycee International de Los Angeles

•  Lycée International attempts to create modern “Renaissance Students” whose knowledge will guide and assist them and whose enjoyment of learning will never cease. From our beginnings, we have dedicated ourselves to preparing students to enter a larger world as educated and responsible adults, and to inculcate a perspective that extends beyond the borders of the student’s own country and culture, to create open and orderly minds in a secular and humanistic environment.  The goals are fulfilled in two languages and through two cultures. The school bases its curriculum on and embraces the philosophies of the French educational system. Combined with this is the heart of the American system which values nurturing the individual.

I hope that this information helps you in understanding the school selection process better. Every effort has been made to be accurate and current, however, school information is constantly changing. Always check with the school to confirm any information, dates, and times. This is only intended as a resource and guideline.

I will be meeting in October with each family with a kindergarten bound student to discuss the options and their child as a student in order to find the right matches for each child.Tweet

We are off to a great beginning. The Friday morning kids settled into their play and were busy all morning. As  parents, you  were fabulous and remained in your parent  chairs and visited with each other. We appreciated receiving all of the forms, changes of clothes,  labeled swimming suits, earthquake kits, and -6-8 family photos. For families starting this week, please bring all of those outstanding items on your first day. Thank you. I also have a few important school rules to share with you to ensure a smooth transition for you and your child; please read carefully.

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