Walgrove Avenue Elementary School

Today I attended a community yard sale at there school. Horrible people either staff or parents I asked about a table for the kitchen that was marked $ 20 someone took the price off so I asked the people running it had know idea of the price a short haired blond woman said $ 40 then asked the group who priced it at $ 20 she then looked at me as if I took the price tag off the other woman said no I took it off are you sure you want to sell it for 20 then they said 40 so I offered 30 they said we said 40 I then said yes but would you take 30 is it maybe in two hours with a smirk I said I’ll be gone two hours then right in front of me they excepted an offer on something I asked for earlier and they took to the same offer from someone else I believe they want all the Mexicans to stay in the kitchen and babysitting their kids and are willing to treat them like crap not a great place to be horrible horrible women running a horrible horrible community garage sale if your brown maybe you should stay away from this community garage sale

I went to Walgrove many many years ago. I liked the school then. I love the school now. Small class rooms, great caring teachers and staff, wildlands, the gardens, Studio lab. I could go on and on about the great qualities of this school. I’m over joyed my children are able to go to such a great hidden gem.

My son is a kindergartener at Walgrove and we love it! After 3 weeks off for the holidays with lots of awesome vacation time and special family and extended family time, I was worried he wouldn’t be excited to return to school. I was WRONG! He was super excited to go back! I have been shocked by how much he is learning — all while having great fun. He is reading and writing beautifully. Importantly, he is EXCITED to read books at home and to attend school. We have been so happy with his teacher. The community is amazing — very active and down to earth people. The teachers are first rate. The programs are programs you would expect at a private school: art studio, where the kids do collaborative projects; council where they talk about feelings; the walgrove wildlands with butterflies and an organic garden; a theatre arts program, etc. Definitely tour the school if you are looking for public elementary. Honestly, we applied to private schools for kindergarten because we didn’t know anything about our resident school, which is Walgrove. Before deposits were due, I toured Walgrove and was blown away. SO happy we decided on Walgrove.

Kindergarten was such a bad experience that it was up hill from there. Really good experience in 2^nd grade, but it was time for a change. Many of the mothers at this school act as if they are still in high school and it is very clubby.

We have just started our 6^th year at Walgrove Elementary School and we LOVE IT. Our kids are in 3^rd and 5^th grade and they are so happy to go to school every day.
Things that make Walgrove different than other neighborhood schools…
1 — The teachers are dedicated to teaching the kids how to think not just spit back information.
2 — The school is small and the parents are involved so we have really cool things going on around campus constantly.
3 — Programs like Studio which every kid gets to participate in weekly. This is hands on learning at its best.
4 — Small group learning. The kids are broken up into small groups by their academic ability and taught in a way that will help them succeed.
5 — The parents are an amazing community. We love hanging out together and we always watch out for each others kids. We truly are one big family.
6 — I could go on and on about our amazing neighborhood school but my advice to you would be… come tour the school yourself and see what you think!

The school has been wonderful from beginning to end. My oldest is in his 6^th and last year at Walgrove this year, and I have nothing but great things to say about our experience. He has been academically challenged in every subject, and has learned incredible things. From performing in the Shakespeare club to taking a class field trip to our state capital in Sacramento, from learning how to compost to studying the Chumash Indians – he has been engaged and interested in every grade level. Not only that, but socially and emotionally he has had a wonderful experience, making so many great friends while feeling success and building confidence at the same time. He actually enjoys going to school every day.
No school can be the perfect fit for every child, which may explain some other reviewers’ experiences, but for my pretty typical son, it has been perfect.
To top it off, on a personal level, the community of other parents and educators I have become part of enriches my life in so many ways. There are easily 15 people I can call on, all who live right in the neighborhood, who would drop anything to help me if I was in a bind. Or who would meet me out for a glass of wine if I need to blow off some steam. You just don’t find that everywhere.
I encourage you to give Walgrove a try. You won’t be disappointed!

This school is academically a complete waste of time.
At the end of the school year, I looked at my kid’s math workbook, and it is mostly empty. He said no one asked him to fill in the answers.
I asked him if they read even one novel as a class, and he said no.
I am also sick of hearing about this amazing garden they are planning. We used Walgrove school for years, and the playground has always been dead, yellow grass with no trees.

My child was not asked to read a single novel or other piece of literature his entire fifth grade year. All of the focus of the administration is making sure they count your kid each day so they can get state and federal money. There is no serious focus on academics. Yes, a typical crummy LAUSD school. And I’ve seen nicer playgrounds in Death Valley (no trees, dead yellow grass).

This is an amazing school. A wonderful community of parents and teachers. I am feel so lucky that my daughter gets to attend this school and that my sons will follow. The parents are very dedicated to doing everything in their power to keep all those programs that have been stripped away by budget cuts. It is the commitment of the educators and the additional programming that make this a very impressive school. The teachers are compassionate, caring, thoughtful and passionate educators and the parents have allowed for ALL of these programs to continue to flourish: full-​day aides for the younger classes, a specialized educator who works with accelerated students and those who need help catching up, a studio program where the arts and hands-​on projects are used to explore science and social studies, a full-​time PE program, drama, a garden, a Shakespeare club, a grow-​to-​eat program and a wildland nature preserve for the kids to explore. On top of all that, they have managed to keep the library open without a librarian through volunteers and a book fair. A totally impressive school.

Walgrove Elementary has a wonderful community and great teachers. The parents have made such a big difference in turning this school from an average public school to a richer learning environment. It has an art studio, P.E. classes, a food garden, and is currently undergoing a new upgrade: the Wildlands project, where a whole section will become a sanctuary for native plants and a peaceful place for children to spend time. In the art studio, the kids were already learning about Picasso and Juan Miro in kindergarden and doing some very cool artwork based on theirs.
My daughter and I love to take walks along the running track, where it is quiet and feels like a break from the city, among the tall sycamores (if I remember) and young fruit trees .
Her teachers have all been great as well.
Yes, the booster club often solicits you for money (and no, no one has to give $ 100 a month, it is whatever everyone can afford) but these contributions really make noticeable differences.
They also have good after-​school programs (STAR and Beyond the Bell), both free, where classes are also offered for a cost (it varies but they have had clay, gymnastics, capoeira, and more). STAR also offers free classes each day: art, martial arts, Eco-​station, theatre, etc.
I am not putting a whole five stars because I am too liberal for public schools (but not rich enough for private schools) and don’t like the whole rigidity of testing and the drill of test-​prepping — so it is not against this school in particular really but the public school system itself. Public school cafeterias are also really awful.

Walgrove Elementary unveiled six original campus murals designed and created by local Venice artist Renee Raymond with
funding and support by The Venice Neighborhood Council, Lincoln True Value Hardware, Naylor Paints, B&B Hardware, Level Line Construction, Orchard Hardware.
Walgrove Elementary is living proof that engaging community partners directly strengthens and enriches our children’s education.
Renee worked closely with students across all grade levels collaborating
on the theme, design and execution of the murals. The students were
encouraged to express their creative vision and support each other’s
differences throughout the project.
These murals are an extension of the broader community engagement and
enrichment initiatives happening at Walgrove.
The Walgrove Wildlands, a native schoolyard habitat on campus, recently
broke ground with a massive volunteer day connecting hundreds of parents,
students and community members coming together to help build one of west LA’s largest outdoor school learning gardens.
Tommy Hilfiger Foundation and P. S. ARTS — have announced a partnership to develop a multi-​year arts education curriculum in only two schools in the Los Angeles school district — Walgrove Elementary was chosen based on their established reputation for supporting inclusive education, a dedication to valuing diverse experiences, backgrounds and voices — and a community committed to the value of arts in education. P. S. ARTS
what an awesome time to be at this school!