Our Mission     

We are an elementary school in a natural mountain setting within an urban public school system. Through collaboration between community and school our mission is to educate, challenge and inspire each person. By providing a safe and nurturing atmosphere, we will foster the esteem of self, others and the environment and the love of lifelong learning.

Our School     

We are located on a 12.4 acre wooded campus in the heart of Topanga Canyon. The school maintains the true feeling of a community school. With a small population of approximately 260 students kindergarten thru fifth grade, we are able to foster long lasting relationships with students and families. These relationships are strengthened by the stability of the fully credentialed faculty and their numerous years of service at Topanga Elementary Charter School.

Parent involvement and participation is integral to the school's success. Parents assist in the classroom, office, library/media center, Leadership Council and school committees. The active Topanga Enrichment Programs supports many additional services on our campus through parent and community donations. All classrooms have 3-hour instructional aides, a full-time librarian/media center staff member, YMCA physical education program, technology resources and full-time science teacher and center for all grades.

Our Vision     

We are a community of students, staff, parents, community members and business people committed to working together to develop lifelong learners who value themselves, contribute to their community and succeed in a changing world. Topanga Elementary Charter School provides an integrated core curriculum focused on independent thinking, decision-making, problem solving skills and creativity, with an emphasis on community and global attitudes. Our educational plan allows students to achieve according to their individual abilities and learning styles. We envision that when students leave Topanga Elementary Charter School, they will be on a path to becoming:

  • Self directed learners with respect for themselves and others, capable of creating a vision for themselves and their future, setting priorities and achievable goals, monitoring and evaluating their progress, and assuming responsibility for their actions.

  • Collaborative workers who use effective leadership and group skills to develop and manage interpersonal relationships within culturally and organizationally diverse settings.

  • Complex thinkers who identify, access, integrate, and use available resources and information to reason, make decisions, and solve complex problems.

  • Quality producers who create intellectual, artistic, and practical products that reflect originality, high standards, and use of advanced technologies.

  • Community participants who contribute their time energies and talents to improving the environment, welfare of others, and quality of life worldwide.

    Instructional Philosophy

    Our Instructional philosophy is that learning is best accomplished in a constructivist environment that nurtures multiple intelligences and encourages open-ended inquiry. This is in alignment with state and district standards and curriculum. The implementation of Open Court Reading in all grades has enhanced reading and writing across the curriculum. We believe that our students should be analytic thinkers who feel confident in their math and science skills to explore and understand our technologically evolving world. We believe that integrating the arts throughout the curriculum creates a more meaningful education and demands varying means of expression. We also believe that immersion in all kinds of literacy materials in the classroom, in a full-time school library/media center and at home elevates literacy. We support the District class size reduction: 20 students to 1 teacher in grades K-3.

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