Transitional Kindergarten - 5th Grade
Park Western Place School and Gifted Magnet is a LAUSD school near the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro California serving students from Transitional Kindergarten through grade 5. Our school has been recognized as a California Distinguished School, National Blue Ribbon School, and a Title I Academic Achievement Award school. We strive to challenge and nurture every student.
Park Western Place School prides itself on developing leaders and problem solvers by meeting the academic and social-emotional needs of our students while providing high levels of instruction. Our teachers are respected leaders in the local and national educational community and they bring their teaching expertise to our classrooms. Many are National Board Certified and over half of our instructional staff has participated in the Cotsen Art of Teaching Foundation partnership which provides our community with ongoing professional development and coaching to raise the level of instruction.
Our school partners with Columbia University Teachers College Reading and Writing Project (TCRWP) and UCLA Mathematics Project for ongoing professional development. Teachers also participate in a Code.org computer programming workshops. Teachers work collaboratively to improve teaching and learning to benefit the students at Park Western Place School & Magnet. Our vibrant parent association and school community supports the enrichment and the academic achievement of all students.
Transitional Kindergarten (TK)
Our Transitional Kindergarten program serves our younger kindergarten students with a constructivist, hands-on program that prepares student to be successful in kindergarten.
TK is considered an extra year of kindergarten and many of the materials and teaching methods that teachers use are the same as in our traditional kindergarten classrooms. Teachers use a balanced literacy approach in classrooms with Readers and Writers Workshop and a Cognitively Guided Instructional approach in mathematics.
Our Transitional Kindergarten class size is 24. Students who turn five-years old from September 2 through December 2 are eligible to apply for enrollment.
Kindergarten - 5th Grade
We strive to challenge students to meet or exceed grade-level standard and benchmarks as well as develop character and leaderships skills. Instruction at Park Western is student centered and standard driven. We use the California Common Core State Standards, Standards for Mathematical Practice, California Frameworks, and Next Generation Science Standards. Students receive instruction in literacy, mathematics, science, physical education, arts, social studies, health and character education with critical thinking embedded across all subject areas.
Park Western Place School & Magnet is a TCRWP project school. Our school uses a balanced literacy approach to literacy instruction. We provide students with direct instruction and opportunities for reading and writing, listening and speaking for authentic purposes. Students are provided high-interest books that they can read from the first day of school. During Readers Workshop, children have protected time to read both fiction and informational texts because we know through research that this practice is necessary to support student growth in reading.
Teachers assess reading levels during the year to monitor growth. Student progress is measured using the Fountas and Pinnell & TCRWP Benchmark Reading Levels. During Writing Workshop, students learn how to write in the areas of opinion, information, and narrative. Students use technology to research, collaborate, and write for a variety of purposes and audiences. Students have also participated in video conferences with authors.
Park Western Place School & Magnet uses a Cognitively Guided Instruction approach to teaching mathematics. This is a student-centered approach to mathematics that builds on what students already know about solving problems to strengthen a deep understanding of number and mathematic problem solving with students. Teachers present warm-ups to develop number sense and algebraic thinking and students also solve word problems. Teachers use the California Common Core State Standards and the Standards for Math Practices to plan curricular activities and enrichment.