Coeur d’Alene Avenue School is a pre-K through grade 5 school in Venice, California. It is part of the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). Winner of LAEP’s Excellence Award in 2000 and 2001, the Music Center’s Bravo Award in 2007, and the distinction of California Distinguished School by the State of California’s Department of Education in 2008 and 2012, Coeur d’Alene Avenue School prides itself on meeting the needs of all students, who come from a wide range of backgrounds and life experiences. Approximately 50% of our students are European American, 20% are Latin American, 15% are African American, and 15% are of other ethnic backgrounds. Over ten languages are represented in our English learner population. Meeting the needs of such a diverse student body is a challenge we embrace.
Our vision is to prepare successful, compassionate, critical thinkers who are productive members of society. We believe in fostering a cooperative learning environment in which the school, family, and business communities work together. We are committed to working together in collaborative teams; initiating individual programs and strategies to provide learning time for students; monitoring each student’s progress; and providing parents with resources, strategies, and information to help children succeed academically.
As a School for Advanced Studies, we challenge all children at their current learning level so that they master grade level standards and beyond and become lifelong learners. Students receive instruction in the core subjects of English language arts, mathematics, science, and history as well as instruction in health, character education, physical education, garden science, and the arts. Through the collaboration of P.S. ARTS and LAUSD’s Arts Education Branch, all children receive weekly instruction in visual arts and music and 10 weeks of instruction in dance or theater. In addition to the District’s adopted instructional materials for English language arts (Treasures), mathematics (enVisionMATH), science (FOSS), history (Pearson Scott Foresman California History-Social Science), and character education (Second Step), teachers use Accelerated Reader for reading comprehension and fluency; Cognitively Guided Instruction (CGI), Marcy Cook Tiling Tasks, Math Solutions, and the District’s concept lessons for mathematics. Our approach to the teaching of reading and writing and mathematics is systematic, collaborative, and continuous. Teachers collaborate on problems and warm-ups in their CGI approach to teaching and learning in mathematics and use Lucy Calkins’ Units of Study for Teaching Reading and in Opinion, Information and Narrative Writing. Both of these approaches are strongly aligned to the Common Core State Standards and are research proven to develop a love of reading and writing and an ability to solve any problem. Finally, learning is supplemented and enhanced through field trips to the California Science Center, 826LA, the Natural History Museum, the Long Beach Aquarium, the Los Angeles Zoo, STAR ECO Station, Ballona Wetlands, the Broad Stage, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Getty Museum, the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, the Marine Mammal Center, the Grammy Museum, the Griffith Observatory, Astrocamp, and many more places of learning! Our teachers work collaboratively to extend and make meaningful the learning that happens in the classroom.
All of our classrooms are equipped with SMARTboards. This 21st century technology brings learning alive for all children by connecting traditional “whiteboards” to the worldwide web, touch activated programs, and a plethora of learning software. Teaching and learning are maximized when students are engaged. Our goal is to equip all classrooms with the latest in technology. All classrooms incorporate the use of computers, laptops, iPads, and learning software for teaching as well. Our iPad lab is used by classes on a rotating basis for project-based learning.
Because research shows that a family’s involvement in their children’s education positively impacts student achievement, we believe in active partnerships with our families. We have an extensive corps of parent volunteers, who read with children weekly; support our active library, which is open from 8:00 AM until 3:30 PM; maintain our lush gardens filled with over 200 native plants, 30 drought-tolerant trees, and eight beds of vegetables; organize and chair numerous fundraising events to support our instructional programs; and assist teachers in the classroom with teaching and instructional support. Parents have numerous opportunities to participate in school site decision-making and advisories either through our School Site Council, our English Learner Advisory Council, our Booster Club, Back to School Night, Open House, or during monthly Coffee and Tea with the Principals. It is through this active partnership that our students are able to reach their potential.
Finally, as a School for Advanced Studies, we recognize the learning potential in every child. Children are challenged to apply and synthesize their learning through tiered lessons, project-based learning, pathway plans, investigations, story-theater, real-world problem solving, community service projects, logic exercises, and discussions led by artful questioning on the part of the teacher and students. Additionally, students who are advanced and novel in their approach to learning receive additional instruction in learning sessions during and after school focused on studies in literacy, science, and mathematics. While we use a team, problem solving approach to make sure every child is performing at or above grade level through in-class and after school interventions, we strive to make sure children who are working beyond grade level are challenged as well. We believe that through collaboration and a well-rounded, comprehensive curriculum, all children can succeed. Be sure to take a look at our school’s report card for more information. Tours for prospective families happen monthly. Thanks for visiting our site.