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Larchmont Charter School - West Hollywood

Diversity . Achievement . Community .


A member of the Larchmont Schools family

1. What is a charter school?

A charter school is a public school created by parents, educators, and communities and run by a Board of Directors. Charter schools strive to provide innovation in the classroom and give families an alternative choice to traditional public schools. A "charter" is essentially a contract: Charter schools are exempt from certain sections of the education code, but are instead held accountable to follow their charter to reach even higher standards of student achievement. Unlike traditional public schools, if a charter school does not meet these high standards, it is shut down. Because no one can be forced to attend a charter school, charter schools must meet and exceed LAUSD expectations in order to keep their students.



2. What is constructivist education?

Constructivism is a theory -- based on a century of observation and scientific study -- about how people learn. It says that people construct their own understanding and knowledge of the world through experiences and reflecting on those experiences. When we encounter something new, we have to reconcile it with our previous ideas and experience, maybe changing what we believe, or maybe discarding the new information as irrelevant. We are active creators of our own knowledge. To do this, we must ask questions, explore, and assess what we know.


In the classroom, the constructivist view of learning can point toward a number of different teaching practices. Teachers encourage students to use active techniques (such as experiments and real-world problem-solving) to create knowledge and then reflect on and talk about what they are doing and how their understanding is changing. The teacher makes sure s/he understands the students' preexisting conceptions, and guides the activity to address them and then build on them.



3. Is Larchmont Charter School - West Hollywood affiliated with Larchmont Charter School?

We are the sister school to the Larchmont Charter School. Both schools are run under the same 501c3 nonprofit organization and share a Board of Directors and Executive Director. But each school has its own principal and sets its own budgets and curriculum.


Both schools share the same mission: to provide a socioeconomically, culturally, and racially diverse community of students with an exceptional public education. We foster creativity and academic excellence; our students learn with and from each other in an experience-centered, inquiry-based learning environment. With participation from our entire community, we strive to instill in each student a dediication to improving the world we inhabit.



4. Who can attend the school?

All charter schools are public, tuition-free, and non-religious. Enrollment in the school shall be open to any resident of the state of California.



5. Who is in charge of running LCW?

We are governed by a Board of Directors -- this board oversees both LCW and our sister school, Larchmont Charter School (LCS). The board provides oversight and ensures financial stability for the Larchmont Schools. The Board hires the executive director as well as the principal, who oversees the education model and day-to-day needs of the school.


6. When did LCW open?

LCW opened in September 2008, for the 2008-2009 school year. The student body for the 2008-2009 school year was comprised of 40 kindergarten students and 20 first grade students - a total of 60 students. Our school has now grown more than four times in size with the 2011-2012 enrollment at 285 students. Currently there are two kindergarten classes, two first grade classes, two second grade classes, two third grade classes, two forth classes and two fifth grade classes.



7. What is the enrollment process?


Step 1: Tour Our School

Prospective parents are invited to attend any one of the group tours listed below. You DO NOT need to RSVP for the tour that you wish to attend.


Tours will begin with time to walk through the classrooms and then a discussion of our curriculum, instruction, and the lottery process. There will be time after the presentation for questions with the Principal, Assistant Principal, and parent representatives.


Tours are intended to accommodate adults only. Please do not bring children.


  1. -Saturday, November 12, 2011 • 9:00-11:00am

  2. -Saturday, December 10, 2011 • 9:00-11:00am

  3. -Saturday, January 7, 2012 • 9:00-11:00am

  4. -Saturday, January 21, 2012 • 9:00-11:00am

  5. -Saturday, February 4, 2012 • 9:00-11:00am

  6. -Saturday, February 11, 2012 • 9:00-11:00am


Step 2: Request for Enrollment Form

Request for Enrollment Forms for the 2012-2013 school year will be available for pick up in our office and for download from our website in English, Spanish and Korean on Tuesday, November 1, 2011.


Step 3: Lottery

If the number of students requesting enrollment exceeds the openings available, entrance, except for the existing

students of LCW and the understated priorities, shall be determined by random public drawing (also known as a lottery) in accordance with Education Code §47605(d)(2).


The public enrollment lottery for the 2012-13 school year will take place on Saturday, February 25, 2012, from 9:00 to 11:00 am. It will be held at our Primary School Campus at 1265 North Fairfax Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90046.



8. If we are already on the waiting list at Larchmont Charter School do we have to enter the lottery at Larchmont Charter School - West Hollywood?

Yes. Please note that Larchmont Charter School - West Hollywood (LCW) and Larchmont Charter School (LCS) are two

separate, though related, schools. In order to be a part of the LCW enrollment pool you MUST submit the LCW Request for Enrollment Form to the LCW office according to the instructions above. The two pools of applicants will not be shared between the schools. Families are welcome to submit enrollment requests to both schools, but must follow the two separate processes to do so.



9. Why choose Larchmont Charter School - West Hollywood?

Larchmont Charter School - West Hollywood provides our arts, sciences and physical education integrated into a standards-based curriculum that inspires independent thinking, imagination and a passion for learning. We maintain a diverse student body and teach our children that they are citizens of the world. By nurturing a unique community that includes families, teachers, staff and other community members who are active participants in the education and social and emotional development of our children, we provide a socio-economically, culturally and racially diverse community of students with an exceptional public education. 


Another large component of LCW is Eco-literacy. We promote Eco-literacy through a garden science and nutrition curriculum and a commitment to recycling and sustainable practices for the health of our community, the city of Los Angeles, and the planet. We are proud to be affiliated with Alice Waters's Chez Panisse Foundation, and to be one of a handful of schools in the country authorized to create an Edible Schoolyard program. We are also proud to have benefited from the guidance of the Center for Ecoliteracy.



10. Must families pay for their children to attend LCW?

No, LCW is a California public charter school and will always be tuition-free. However, families with children attending LCW are asked to contribute 50 hours of volunteer time (75 hours if two or more children are attending). Parents are an important part of the school. There are many options for volunteering, from helping teachers assemble materials needed in the classrooms to working with the children in the garden. Some parents volunteer to read to the kids; others help with grant-writing or organizing library books. In addition to helping the school be the best that it can be, volunteering enables parents to forge close relationships with other parents.

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