STORIES  all around us.

Los Encinos School's
Annual Report

2023-2024

Leadership Through Service

by, Joanne Vaisman
Coordinator of Community Life & Literacy

Mrs. Vaisman is overwhelmed by the amount of parent donations to the 3rd grade's Hygiene Kit Drive!

At Los Encinos, each grade level is taught leadership skills through community engagement and service learning opportunities. By partnering with local organizations on meaningful, age-appropriate activities, the experiences connect with the classroom curriculum while fostering a sense of responsibility and selflessness. Choose a link below to learn more about the highlights from each grade.

Leadership Through Service: Table of Contents

Kindergarten: LA Family Housing

Mrs. Miller counts coins with the kindergarteners.

1st Grade: Community Walk

1st graders get to meet and interview business workers in our community.

2nd Grade: Food Drives

2nd graders sort the generous food donations.

3rd Grade: Friends of the LA River

3rd graders visit the LA River as part of their study of the greater ecosystem.

4th Grade: Tree People

The "Shade Sale" raises money for Tree People.

5th Grade: Para Los Niños

5th graders share books with their "buddies" at Para Los Niños.

6th Grade: Service Day

6th graders make their case for their cause in a public forum.

In November, all grades celebrated Veteran’s Day with several activities. Kindergarten through second grade had veterans from the Los Encinos community speak in their classrooms. The students created banners that accompanied hand-decorated cupcakes for the veterans at LA Family Housing. The third through sixth-graders had an assembly with a panel of veterans from our school community. Members of the panel included grandparents, uncles, teachers, and coaches. Sixth-grade students led the assembly by moderating the panel with thoughtful questions. The holiday was enhanced by initiating activities to support a greater understanding of the day and its significance to the country, while giving our veterans the honor that they’ve earned.

Every grade decorates cupcakes that we deliver to veterans at LA Family Housing.
Veterans in our community answer the kindergarteners questions about their military service.
The children write messages of support on posters for the veterans at LA Family Housing.
We were fortunate to hear from veterans in our community.

In December, for our Holiday Workshops, parent volunteers in all grades helped organize an incredibly successful toy drive of brand-new board games. Students wrapped the gifts with festive decor and then added a personalized card, keeping in mind the children on the receiving end were just beginning to transition out of homelessness at LA Family Housing. Enjoy a video of the workshops below:

 

Students at Los Encinos learn the importance of meaningfully giving back to their community. They reflect on their experiences and connect to the Los Encinos virtues, values, and social-emotional curriculum.

As both a parent and teacher, I’m proud that Los Encinos School holds character development and service-learning on the same high level as academic excellence. Together we can all make a difference!

Joanne's signature

Joanne Vaisman
Coord., Community Life & Literacy

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