Welcome to
Larchmont Charter School
Welcome to Larchmont Charter School! Our school opened its doors in the fall of 2005 with 140 students in grades K-2, and has grown by one grade each year since then. In Fall 2009 we are thrilled to have 450 students enrolled grades K-6, and will be adding 7th grade in the fall of 2010. Larchmont Charter School (LCS) is a parent-initiated, tuition-free and non-sectarian public elementary school of LAUSD. We offer a constructivist curriculum, which is a project- and inquiry-based, experienced-centered curriculum to serve our culturally rich and diverse population of students. For the 2008-09 school year, our state test scores were 889 API, making LCS one of the top 10 highest performing charter elementary schools in LAUSD and qualifying us for a second year to be invited to apply for the California Distinguished School designation. Admission is determined by annual lottery, which is open to all children in California.
BACKGROUND
Larchmont Charter was founded by a group of families who were inspired to create an exceptional public school. A charter school model allowed them to work with respected educators to develop a constructivist curriculum without the constraints of some LAUSD regulations. The goal was to:
- Use proven educational methods to help children learn how to learn, building upon their own knowledge and experience, and, in the process, master all required academic subjects. Students learn and retain more through this constructivist approach, which emphasizes understanding concepts over traditional methods of rote learning.
- Integrate the arts and physical education as a necessary part of education.
- Reflect in the student body the social richness of their own neighborhood, which is racially, culturally and socio-economically diverse.
- Build a vital community of students, teachers, staff, families and the wider world in order to teach their children how to live and work together.
- Create a sustainable institution, with strong financial and management resources.
Today, we are realizing these goals every day in our classrooms, offices, outdoor play areas and in the larger community
More about our Program
At the core of our program is our commitment to small class sizes; we maintain a low student/teacher ratio (22 students per class in grades K-5 and 28 students in grade 6) with one teacher and one highly qualified teacher’s aide in every classroom plus, a credentialed teacher is on the yard at all times.
LCS features multi-age classes and differentiated instruction, which tailors instruction to the full spectrum of educational needs. Classrooms are well-designed, cheerful learning environments suitable for students to break into smaller groups as part of the constructivist model. All LCS students receive instruction in art, music, dance or P.E. each day. In addition, we offer an outstanding gardening program that integrates real-life experience with science studies and we are the proud recipients of the prestigious Edible School Yard affiliation from Alice Waters’ Chez Panisse Foundation. Libraries at both our campuses were created by parent volunteers and feature thousands of books and programs for all ages. After-school care and classes are provided for reasonable fees, with financial assistance for families whose means require it. This year, LCS has been selected as a site for the Youth Policy Institute’s After School Program, which has enabled us to expand our after-school offerings.
Currently we lease and share space with Hollygrove Children and Family Services in Hollywood for grades 2-6, and St. Ambrose Church in West Hollywood for our primary center, grades K and 1. Both campuses boast extraordinary facilities. Our Hollygrove campus is on more than three acres, with outdoor basketball, a covered play area, two gardens, a soccer field and shaded swimming pool. Our St. Ambrose campus also has an outdoor play area and garden as well as an auditorium.
OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL PLANS
We are delighted to announce that LAUSD approved both the renewal of our Charter, as well as our plans to grow our program through 8th grade. We are currently in the planning process for offering 7th and 8th grade . For more information, please email us.
OUR SISTER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Larchmont Charter School falls under the umbrella of Larchmont Schools, which is led by an executive director and governed by a Board of Directors. Larchmont Charter – West Hollywood (LCW), our sister elementary school that also falls under the Larchmont Schools umbrella, opened in Fall 2008. Our two schools co-locate at the St. Ambrose site and LCW also has space at Rosewood Elementary in West Hollywood. For more information about LCW, click here.
Quick Links
- A letter from the Principal
- Larchmont Calendar
- Larchmont Enrollment
- Afterschool Information
- Lunch Menu