Our District

The Hermosa Beach City School District has two school sites, Hermosa View School and Hermosa Valley School. Hermosa View School has Kindergarten through 2nd grade students and Valley School has 3rd through 8th grade students. Both schools are situated in the center of Hermosa Beach, a 1.3 square mile community in the South Bay area of Los Angeles County. As a two school District, we are unique in the Los Angeles area. In 2004, both schools were honored with California Distinguished School status and in 2005, both were name as National Blue Ribbon Schools. The District's enrollment is predominately Anglo with small numbers of students representing such ethnic groups as Hispanic, Asian, and African

Our Mission...
To ensure that each student will acquire the skills and values necessary to be lifelong learners and productive citizens.

To fulfill our Mission...
We will provide a comprehensive K-8 program, which is rich in technology and includes a wide variety of learning strategies, experiences, enrichment activities and support services to promote student learning.

Fundamental to our Mission are...
Staff participation in decision making, a competent and caring staff, active partnerships with students, parents and community, and a safe, orderly and attractive environment.

Core Values...

* Student centered schools
* Parent involvement
* Competent and caring staff
* Effective management of fiscal resources
* Technology education and application
* Community involvement
* Safe and attractive schools
* Computer applications and curricular integration
* Shared decision-making
* A well balanced and dynamic curriculum

Goals...
The students will demonstrate the skills and values to be life learners and productive citizens.

The staff will meet district standards of excellence and will be assured opportunities for professional growth and shared decision-making.

The schools will be equipped with the technology and resources for learning to be effectively used and understood by students, staff and members of the community.

The curriculum will be driven by a clear set of expectations for each grade level.

VISION
The Hermosa Beach schools of the future are secure, student centered, active campuses with after school activities and educational opportunities for students and the community.

Characteristically, the beautiful sites are equipped with the latest technology to maximize interactive learning opportunities. This includes computers for each student, communication with parents via the Internet and distance learning. The media center/library is state-of-the-art, serving as a learning laboratory for all ages.

Our vision is to create a school with a sense of community as the foundation upon which we operate. This is defined as parental involvement at home and in the classroom and student involvement in the outside community. The business community plays a role with the addition of student mentors and guest lecturers adding to the relevance of school subjects.

Innovative approaches to financing and capital improvements are employed including collaborative efforts with the City and other public/private agencies.

Our objective is to continue to address the whole student including those with varied language abilities and specialized needs through differentiated instruction. Alternative and authentic assessments for student performance are instituted and classroom environments are inviting. Class sizes are small and in certain subject areas such as math and English, alternative grouping strategies are employed. This may include single gender, heterogeneous and homogeneous groups.

All staff members are actively involved in the latest staff development to enhance their subject/content knowledge and their decision-making abilities. The curriculum is diverse and stresses concepts and laboratory experiences. Physical fitness and health are emphasized with improved facilities and coordinated health services with outside agencies. All students are offered stimulating enrichment classes and differentiated curriculum.

Critical thinking skills are emphasized in the classroom through a variety of educational strategies. Affective education including values and ethics training are incorporated into the curriculum. Foremost, there is an emphasis on positive attitudes with a general vision of a future that is full of wonder and possibilities.

The District has open and effective communication with the high schools. Through this articulation, Hermosa Beach students are assured that they are prepared to meet challenges at the next step on the educational ladder.

BELIEFS
Hermosa Beach City School District will:

1. Provide a positive environment, in which students and staff are secure and successful,
2. Establish a solid foundation in the basic skills,
3. Challenge, support and provide resources to students learning at all levels of ability, including students with special needs,
4. Encourage open and timely communication among all members of the Hermosa community, as well as their active involvement in the educational programs,
5. Integrate the fine and performing arts into the curriculum to promote a multi-sensory approach to education,
6. Recognize and value diversity of the Hermosa community and provide opportunities to learn of and experience other cultures and languages,
7. Help children become critical and divergent thinkers, who are willing to take risks,
8. Teach students to be responsible and accountable for their own actions and to persevere in difficult situations in order to become involved, responsible, and contributing citizens,
9. Provide experiences that spark a life-long love of learning, provide physical education activities that help students develop their physical skills as well as teamwork, sportsmanship, and good health habits,
10. Provide opportunities for professional growth and shared decision-making for District staff,
11. Develop curriculum that is driven by a clear set of expectations and standards for each grade level,
12. Continue effective management practices and maintain fiscal stability and accountability by allocating resources in alignment with student need.