Schools

The Concierge Program of the Bureau of Jewish Education is a complimentary consultation and referral service for parents interested in learning more about Jewish parenting groups, preschools, day schools, religious schools, and camps.

LA School Scout specializes in preschool and elementary school placement, drawing on knowledge of hundreds of educational opportunities. The company can answer questions about public and private school options, districts, school rankings, entry requirements, and parent satisfaction.

As a charter school Pacifica has flexibility in its academic programs while covering the state-mandated academic curriculum. Parent participation at Pacifica is strong.

The school assigns little or no homework. Teachers work in teams, allowing children to benefit from the strengths of several teachers.

Part of the Santa Monica Malibu School District, Edison Language Academy is a Spanish immersion, bilingual elementary school serving kids from kindergarten through fifth grade. Kids are taught approximately 80% in Spanish.

Students can continue the Spanish language track in the Santa Monica school system. John Adams Middle School and Santa Monica High School both offer classes in Spanish for Edison graduates.

Edison is a magnet school; it accepts applications from outside its district, giving first priority to families in Santa Monica.

Jeanne's Daycare offers a caring, educational environment for children from newborn to school age. Pick-up and drop-off service to local schools is also available, as well as after-school care.

The setting features a huge play yard, swings, bikes, trikes, art projects, field trips, and other age-appropriate activities.

Jeanne's also offers evening and overnight care for kids from eight months to school age. Caregivers provide homework help, fun activities, a healthy dinner, bedtime stories, bedding, and breakfast. The service costs $10 per hour or $60 overnight.

Oak Knoll Kinderhaus Montessori School is an authentic Montessori school, following a curriculum designed by Maria Montessori and using Montessori-credentialed teachers primarily through the Association Montessori Internationale.

Instruction begins at 18 months and extends through 12 years (7th grade). Toddlers and preschool students attend school at the main campus in Pasadena; children in kindergarten and older grades attend school on the campus in La Ca-ada.

Each classroom is divided into areas of learning, such as Practical Life, Language, Sensorial, Mathematics, Art and Culture (including music), and Science.

Parent participation is required each month at Oak Knoll; parents can choose a variety of ways to get involved, including weekend painting projects, construction, materials preparation, or sewing items for classrooms. Children get lots of hands-on practice with daily activities, like snack preparation, watering plants, feeding classroom pets, and washing tables after meals.

Before- and after-school care is available.

Outdoor play and outdoor classroom time are important components of Oak Knoll's curriculum. The Lake Avenue campus has a dirt digging area, a garden courtyard, fruit trees, and a covered canopy that has misters in hot weather. The playground equipment is fairly basic, consisting of one climbing structure and slide.

A 10% sibling discount is available.

The Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks maintains this 28-acre park and sports center as a recreational facility for the public.

Rancho Cienega boasts the Jackie Robinson football field, and four baseball diamonds with lights. It also offers an outdoor basketball court, a soccer field, twelve tennis courts, a gymnasium, and a child care facility.

An indoor pool, volleyball fields, and a playground are also part of this huge facility.

The facility offers a CLASS Parks youth development program for teens.

The California Institute of Technology, or Caltech, is a paradise for kids with surplus energy. The campus comprises acres of green space, public art, plazas, water fountains, ponds teeming with turtles and frogs, and all kinds of mature trees that create a shady oasis on a hot summer's day.

The campus has coffee houses and a student center that sells refreshments. The school's Beckman Auditorium schedules family-friendly programming year-round.

Cal State LA has been serving the community for over 50 years.

The Luckman Fine Arts Complex hosts exhibits throughout the year, as well as concerts and plays; check our calendar for information about events of interest to families.

The University Times is the school's publication and a resource for finding students interested in childcare work. The phone numer to place an ad is 323.343.4219.

CSUN, the San Fernando Valley campus of the huge California State University public system, is one of the largest universities in the country, with some 30,000 graduate and undergraduate students studying at its 350-acre Northridge campus.

The university has an excellent film school, a nationally-known music school, and an award-winning journalism department. It's also known for its Center for Deaf Studies, and its Department of Education, which trains many of California's public and private school teachers.

The CSUN Art Center hosts exhibits throughout the year, and the Performing Arts Center presents concerts and plays; check our calendar for information about events of interest to families.

The Teenage Drama Workshop presents a schedule of Summer Theatre for Children in conjunction with the Department of Theatre; our calendar contains a complete schedule.

And the classified section of the university newspaper, the Daily Sundial, is a great place to look for tutors and child care help; all those Child Development majors make great babysitters, and often have flexible schedules! Call 818.677.2998 to place an ad.