Why Village?
The Right School for the Right Reasons
Village School strikes the perfect balance, providing an inspired and challenging academic program in a caring environment that celebrates the gifts and interests of each child, and recognizing that social and emotional learning is fundamental to students achieving at their highest level.
We are a strong community united by shared purpose. Students experience a true sense of childhood where they are safe to take risks. The magic of the elementary years is cherished, protected, and honored as a time for exploration, imagination, discovery, and play.
We embrace innovation and diversity, keeping pace with a rapidly changing world. Our Village raises children who know and care about their community—locally and globally—have high EQs, think outside the box, exercise good judgment, and cultivate an instinct for self-reflection. Village students speak with passion and clarity, demonstrate intellectual curiosity, and act with integrity.
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Our Academic Philosophy
Mastery-Based Curriculum
Village students are assessed against specific academic standards across core content areas, which ensures a solid foundation of skills. It allows teachers to identify gaps and create targeted individual instruction. Research shows that by focusing on mastery before moving ahead, students develop confidence, self-advocacy, resilience, and a growth mindset—qualities that support long-term academic success.
Structured Literacy
Our youngest learners are introduced to literacy guided by the science that shows phonics is the key that unlocks the code of written language. While readers can be taken to magical places, reading itself is not magic, it is a skill. Developing an understanding of Phonics and Phonemic Awareness gives students the tools to connect letters to sounds. decode, and understand text.
Math Lab Model of Innovation
When we recognized a need for math instruction that complemented the curriculum and focused specifically on deepening problem-solving and critical thinking skills, we created the Math Lab. This space is unique to Village and an example of how our academic program pivots to meet the needs of our students and our ever-changing world.
Social and Emotional Learning
Students cannot achieve at their highest academic potential without social and emotional learning. Learning how to understand and manage their feelings, build healthy relationships, and manage challenges with resilience leads to academic risk-taking and values-driven decision-making. Village’s SEL program ensures that every child feels safe, valued, and ready to learn.
The Outdoors as a Classroom
We believe children benefit from a connection to the outdoors, specifically space to explore, learn, and play in the natural world. (The best days are often when they come home a little dirty!) Our Santa Monica campus’s expansive fields and gardens inspired a crucial element of the Palisades rebuild: the new campus will include an acre of outdoor space- for both academic and recreational use.
Intentional Reframing
Our library is the Information & Imagination Center. Our tech lab and makers’ space is the DREAM Studio (Design, Research, Engineer, Art, Make). P.E. adds a “W” for wellness. These titles are more than just terminology. They reflect our yes, and... approach to learning: deliberately promoting collaboration and new perspectives.