Village Relief

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
We are committed to providing answers to parent questions and will keep this page updated as our community moves forward together.

Last Updated: Friday, February 7

List of 25 items.

  • Is it true that a decision has been made not to rebuild the Palisades campus?

    NO. The Board of Trustees is committed to rebuilding. Subcommittees of the Board are currently working on multiple concurrent projects to start the rebuild planning process.
  • Is it true that changes have been made to the curriculum?

    NO. No changes have been made to the content, instruction, learning goals, and academic expectations for students. Students remain on our 8-day rotating cycle, allowing for equity amongst all core content areas and specialist classes. Additionally, our end-of-year learning goals have not changed, and students will still take the CTP-5 in April. Please read the weekly emails from classroom teachers and explore the Village Instagram for academic highlights.
  • Is it true that it will be five years before we can return to the Palisades?

    While no one is able to say with certainty how long rebuilding will take, no expert we have spoken to has suggested it will take as long as five years  As soon as we can share a timeline with a high degree of confidence we will share it with the community.
  • Is it true that students do not get as much recess or playtime at our interim campus?

    NO. Students receive the same amount of outdoor recess and playtime as they did on Swarthmore and La Cruz.
  • Is it true that students will not participate in field trips or host culminating classroom events?

    NO. Most of our school day field trips have been rescheduled or will proceed as planned. Our annual sixth-grade trip up the California Coast and fifth-grade Astro Camp overnight will proceed as planned. Culminating classroom events, such as the first-grade poetry slam, will be held on campus as usual.
  • How many families, staff, and teachers have been affected by the fires?

    The tragic Palisades Fire not only destroyed our school that was home to 290 students, but it also displaced 125 students, who either completely lost their homes (82) or were forced to evacuate (43). We also, sadly, had 4 teachers and 1 administrator lose their homes.
  • Where is the new interim campus?

    We are pleased to report that our interim campus is located on the second floor at 2401 Colorado Avenue, Santa Monica, CA 90404, which is also known as Colorado Center. 
  • What is the anticipated schedule for the interim campus?

    School will start at 8:00 a.m., with carpool/bus drop-off starting at 7:30 a.m. No walk-ins at this time. Dismissal will occur at 3:00 p.m., with aftercare offered until 5:00 p.m.
  • How are you working to address traffic mitigation and safety at this new campus?

    Carpool drop-off and pick-up will safely occur in an enclosed, contiguous space away from any major traffic flow. Detailed instructions for parents have been shared by email. 
  • Do you have a plan to address the weeks of lost learning due to the Palisades Fire?

    We know our students and their learning profiles well, and we know how to adapt their learning to meet the challenges of this unprecedented event. Our learning objectives have not changed and we are confident that we will get our students where they need to be by the end of the third trimester. 
  • Is spring break being cancelled or postponed?

    No. We will be utilizing the spring break (March 24-April 4) to make physical improvements to our interim campus to ensure that our students and teachers have all of the resources they need to thrive, learn, and play. By postponing this construction we were able to meet the January 27 reopening date. We will not be making any changes to our school-year calendar or summer break schedule.
  • Will you still be offering bus services?

    Bus services are up and running. Interested in signing up or have other questions? Email us at transportation@village-school.org.
  • What is the uniform policy going to be?

    The uniform requirement will return on Wednesday, February 19. Students must wear a red Village shirt and khaki or navy bottoms.

    For the first 2-3 weeks, we will have free dress and uniforms will be reintroduced once we have built up Village Vintage and can ensure families have access to the uniforms their children need. To help rebuild our Village Vintage offering, we will be collecting all gently used and washed uniforms on campus. For more information, please contact our Village Vintage Team:

             Cynthia Wallingford: 310-430-4626
             Kira Sadaka: 917-757-3791
             Mimi Chen: 818-669-8279
  • How is Village monitoring air quality inside the new location?

    Village’s new home maintains high indoor air quality standards through proactive measures and active maintenance protocols to ensure the safety of students, faculty and staff, and parent visitors. Comprehensive air quality testing is conducted regularly. Our new location is equipped to conduct in-house air sampling as needed, undergoes two third-party verifications for accuracy, and is subject to monthly, quarterly, and annual air quality testing.

    In addition to the comprehensive mitigation measures already in place, Village has proactively invested in more than a dozen state-of-the-art Blueair Blue Pure 311i Max and 211i Max air purifying units. We remain committed to continuously monitoring environmental conditions and will acquire additional purifiers as necessary to ensure the health and safety of our community.
  • Is Village monitoring air quality outdoors as well?

    Village School will follow the Environmental Protection Agency's guidance on air quality and outdoor activities for schools, as well as monitor the City of Santa Monica’s Air Quality Index. Although we do not have plans to make adjustments at this time, we will continue to closely monitor conditions as they evolve and communicate with families if things change. 

    Our library space is a viable spot for recess if remaining indoors is a family choice at this time. Please communicate plans directly with your child’s teacher, so that we may provide appropriate coverage.
  • Is it safe to drink water at Village’s new location?

    We are monitoring the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health closely, and at this time Santa Monica has not been included in any water advisory orders. However, our new space is equipped with filtered water systems throughout, and we recently replaced water dispensers with new filters. 
  • May I send my child to campus in a mask?

    We completely understand that some families may feel more comfortable sending their child to school wearing a mask, and we welcome you to do so. We encourage you to talk with your child about your expectations regarding mask-wearing.
  • Will our children still have a playground to utilize?

    Yes! Colorado Center has a basketball court, playground, large grass areas, and many outdoor spaces we will be able to utilize. 
  • Will you have security?

    At Village School, the safety of our students and staff is paramount under the experienced leadership of our Head of Security, Troy Brackett. Additionally, we now have a robust security program enhanced by our close partnership with the Santa Monica Police Department and our property management team at BXP Properties. Together, this collaborative approach ensures a secure and welcoming learning environment for our entire school community. 
     
    Security Details
    • Troy Bracket will oversee all Village School Security with support from BXP Security.
    • Beginning Monday, February 10, two stationed security guards, employed by Village and reporting to our Head of Security, Troy Brackett—will be present. These guards will patrol all classes during PEW and recess. Additionally, at least four faculty or staff members actively monitor the area.
    • Beyond Village security, BXP security also patrols the campus, and our designated School Resource Officer from SMPD keeps us informed of any police activity in the area.
    • BXP has agreed to close certain access points to the public areas when our students are present.
    • BXP has an extensive CCTV security system to monitor all outdoor areas, common spaces, the parking garage, and all entry points to the buildings. 
    • Village School is designating employees to be area monitors when children are outside the building, in addition to BXP security. 
    • Our new location has a 24/7 security presence onsite.
      • The security command center is located on P1 of our garage.
      • 19 security officers total, with 6-8 during the day shift when students are on campus.
      • All security officers are CPR/AED trained and receive continuous training on all building systems, fire life safety, and emergency procedures provided by Securitas and BXP.
    • Security at our new location has a direct partnership with Village through:
      • Phone line access to the command center 24/7, roving officers throughout property at all times with the ability to respond as needed, trainings for students and faculty and staff including: earthquake, building safety, personal safety, fire, bomb threat, active shooter, etc.
      • Providing an after-hours escort as needed to the parking structure for Village community members.
    • Village is partnering with the Santa Monica PD through:
      • Hosting over 100 trainings and events with SMPD throughout the year, with access to SMPD’s vast array of resources.
      • Village will be assigned a SMPD School Resource Officer to work directly with our team.
      • Ability to provide trainings or ‘fun’ meet and greets (canine units).
     
    Village is committed to the safety of every community member, and we are confident that the steps we have taken will ensure our students and teachers can work and play without incident. If you have further questions, please feel free to contact us.
  • Will you be offering after-school enrichment and Grade 4-6 team sports?

    Team sports and aftercare have have resumed. We are working to get after-school enrichment programming back on track as soon as possible. 
  • Will my kids have a separate bathroom than the office population?

    Yes, students will have access to three exclusive school-only designated restrooms within our building. 
  • Will you be offering hot lunch services via Fresh Lunches?

    Lunch service is available. You can use your same login credentials as before at https://lunchbox.freshlunches.com/login.
  • Will School Dismissal Manager still be in place?

    Dismissal Manager is now in place.
  • My address has changed and/or I have a new mailing address. Where can I update this on the Village website, or who do I contact?

    Please contact Mitzy Velez at mvelez@village-school.org for any updates regarding address changes.
  • This displacement has been incredibly difficult for my family, and I may need financial aid or flexibility. Do I have options?

    Regarding tuition relief and re-enrollment for the 2025/26 school year, we are working on a plan to help all our families in need and will share more details as soon as we can. In the meantime, should you need support or have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to TJ Harney directly (tharney@village-school.org).
We are committed to getting you all of the information you need to plan and welcome you to send your questions to community@village-school.org

List of 3 members.

  • Photo of Sara Singsank

    Sara Singsank 

    Director of Advancement for Community Engagement & Philanthropy
  • Photo of Thomas  Harney

    Thomas  Harney 

    COO/ CFO
  • Photo of Mitzy Velez

    Mitzy Velez 

    Advancement Coordinator