The Journey
Hollywood Schoolhouse is not a short-term program. It’s a building process each day, each year – academically, artistically, physically and socially. We teach students not only what they need to learn, but how they learn best. We instill a joy for learning by providing a safe place for students to take risks, challenge themselves, and grow – we call this inspired learning, fearless curiosity.
The Schoolhouse is comprised of three divisions – Early Childhood, Lower Elementary, and Upper Elementary. Each division covers our five core subject areas – Language Arts, History, Math, Science, and Spanish – differently, while preparing students for the division ahead. These areas of instruction are supported by a deep Enrichment Program that includes: Physical Education, Visual Art, Performance, Music, Technology (beginning in Lower Elementary), Library and a host of Electives (beginning in Upper Elementary). None of what we do would be possible though without our gifted teachers who have answered their calling, are passionate professionals, and are the very best at what they do.
Each day, our experienced and nurturing staff welcome the children into a warm, creative, hands-on environment. We feel that an environment that explores the social, emotional, intellectual, and physical development of each child is one that encourages a child’s ability to grow.
Early Childhood
At the Schoolhouse, we use a hands-on, multi-sensory approach to learning. We strongly believe it has to be in the hand before it gets to the brain. We believe that child-initiated, child-directed, teacher-supported play is an essential component of a child’s foundation for learning.
In our Early Childhood Division, children explore our five core subject areas through fine and gross-motor exploration, play, and problem solving. They converse, resolve conflicts, tell stories, learn to listen, speak, and live in a community with one another. Our curriculum is inspired by the children through conversations and emerging interests. This approach fosters emergent, child-initiated, and open-ended learning.
Our signature passion projects allow children the opportunity to be experts in their field of interest while their teachers creatively design curriculum around their interests. An important aspect of knowing, valuing, and encouraging each child is guiding them through the exploration of their individual passions as they begin to discover their voice.
Our success is borne from the fact that all children feel loved and secure away from their home, where they can safely explore and learn. We have daily communication with all families to create and maintain a strong home-school connection. We believe that children rely on a routine for comfort and security. Our preschool program is designed for children 2 years and 6 months through age 4.
The Hollywood Schoolhouse Junior Kindergarten program values the important developmental milestones of the 4 and 5 year old learner. We delicately designed a curriculum that honors our older Early Childhood learners, and takes into account the social/emotional, physical, and cognitive needs of this age group. We continue our Spanish program and introduce the children to our community garden, where they learn about good nutrition and the expanding world around them.
Junior Kindergarten offers children an opportunity for a more structured day while continuing to honor their early childhood experience. We introduce children to an academic curriculum, aligned with our elementary program, while allowing children the opportunity to expand their cognitive skills without the stress of the full-day academic expectation.
Our Junior Kindergarten program is designed for children turning four and five years old and prepares them for our more challenging, full-day Kindergarten program. When the children enter Kindergarten, they are more confident learners and ready for the many challenging elementary years that lie ahead.
Lower Elementary
Hollywood Schoolhouse’s Lower Elementary Division spans from our full-day Kindergarten program to 3rd Grade. During this time students are exposed to a challenging and creative academic curriculum. Our environment is one that allows children to work both independently and in small groups and provides differentiated learning to accommodate all types of learners.
Children learn through teacher-directed lessons, cooperative learning groups, peer interaction, discussions, hands-on activities, and cross-curricular studies. Children are encouraged to be active, critical thinkers. We believe children learn most effectively in a structured learning environment that makes them feel comfortable to take risks and think critically.
Our five core subject areas are a more significant focus of our Lower Elementary program, and are covered using the Common Core and California State standard framework as a base. We mix both traditional and progressive teaching methodologies to give children a strong academic foundation with a carefully planned sequence of study. We believe in interdisciplinary, project-based learning, and our staff works together to plan, integrate, and ensure a stimulating, challenging learning environment where all students can thrive.
At Hollywood Schoolhouse, we strongly believe education is a joint venture among students, parents, and teachers. As a team, we stress the importance of working together and participating as a constructive force. Our children are excited about learning. This love of learning prepares our Lower Elementary students for the division ahead, and continues to grow and expand throughout their lives.
Upper Elementary
Hollywood Schoolhouse’s Upper Elementary Division spans from 4th through 6th Grade. Our program is steered by the principle that this is an age at which students should be assuming greater responsibility for their own learning. Upper Elementary students are encouraged to take ownership of their own successes and failures and see these as opportunities for learning.
Upper Elementary faculty promotes the intellectual, emotional, social, and physical growth of our pre-teen students by encouraging and nurturing the development of an inclusive community of students that respects individual differences and resolves conflicts peaceably.
The Upper Elementary program continues to cover our five core subject areas with deeper integration and a heavier emphasis on cross-curricular collaboration and exploration. Our program is carefully designed to balance academic rigor with creative learning experiences. The program is enriching and challenging, designed to build strong foundations in reading, writing, speaking, critical thinking, and problem solving, using technology and forming strong study habits within the context of the subject matter. Homework is assigned in all academic subjects.
The emphasis of the Upper Elementary program on continued academic growth through a rigorous yet balanced program fosters the ongoing development of individual responsibility for a smooth transition to secondary school.
