Laguna Beach Private & Public School Guide - Laguna Beach, CA

Posted by Sam Smith on Friday, November 9th, 2012 at 9:48am.

Below is our comprehensive guide to Laguna Beach private and public schools.  Laguna Beach is well known for their excellent private and public schools and is one of the determining factors when people decide to move to Laguna Beach, California.  If you are thinking about relocating to the Laguna Beach area and have children that will be attending school we have provided a detailed explanation of the different schools that you can choose from listed below.  Laguna Beach is one of the most beautiful places to live and making an educated decision based on schools and education is critical for a prosperous upbringing of your children.

Here are the following private schools:

Anneliese Schools: (http://www.annelieseschools.com/child.cfm)

Anneliese Schools are a group of three private school campuses that have from nursery school, starting at age two ranging to the sixth grade. The Anneliese Schools were founded in the Laguna Beach in 1968 by Anneliese Schimmelpfennig. These schools believe in the idea that all children are capable learners who need to be challenged by their school to learn and to be confident to take risks. They believe in presenting the standard curriculum in eco-friendly, visually stimulating surroundings. There is also a strong emphasis placed on learning and being exposed to foreign languages. Their three core values of Love, Freedom and Self-Discipline, provide the cornerstone of their educational process. As a trio, these values define the essential style of Anneliese Schools: imaginative, colorful, exuberant, but also maintaining a sense of routine, orderliness and respect. These values are fully interdependent. For example,” one cannot enjoy Freedom without Self-Discipline, and one cannot teach Self-Discipline without Love.” Anneliese currently has approximately 355 student enrollment.

Programs Offered:

  • Before School Supervised Program for all ages
  • Healthy Hot Lunches everyday for every student, with two to three snacks per day
  • Field Trips
  • Summer Program Afternoon (After school) Enrichment Programs
  • Parent Volunteer Program

Grace Classical Academy: (http://www.graceclassicalacademy.com/)

The Grace Classical Christian Academy is a kindergarten through eighth grade school that opened in the fall of 2003. Grace Classical Academy was founded on the principle of excellence in education through values and truth. Their mission is to “cultivate wisdom and virtue through the classical tradition in a distinctively Christ-centered way.” This is a private institution with approximately fifty plus students and an annual tuition of $7150. There is half day kindergarten program with the tuition of $5400. The core curriculum includes: arithmetic, bible and history, classical languages (Greek and Latin) and English. “The emphasis is on mastery of the material by memorization and a fundamental understanding of how the subjects relate to both Christ and his world and to one another.” They have a 10:1 student to teacher ratio.

Programs Offered:

  • After School Classes: such as; chess, art and Greek.

St. Anne School: (http://www.st-anne.org/)

St. Anne School is a private Catholic School founded in 1992, recognized by the Diocese of Orange. St. Anne’s is kindergarten through eighth grade elementary and middle school. St. Anne’s “believes in authentic religious formation in accordance with the Magisterium of the Church, unparalleled academics and broadening extracurricular opportunities designed to challenge, educate, and nurture the whole child in an atmosphere of support and close personal attention, in partnership with parents. At St. Anne’s their vision is to develop future generations of creative thinkers, innovative problem solvers, effective communicators and emerging leaders, guided by the Catholic faith, to influence our local and global communities for the greater good.” The core values at St. Anne’s are Faith, Character, Community, Excellence and Balance. The tuition for elementary school is $11,196 and middle school is $11,710.

Programs Offered:

  • Parent Volunteer Program
  • Athletics: including; cheerleading, girls’ volleyball, girls’ basketball, girls’ softball, co-ed soccer, boys’ flag football, boys’ basketball and boys’ volleyball
  • Orchestra
  • Choir
  • Book Club
  • St. Anne School Extended Care: Before and After School
  • Lunch Program

St. Catherine of Siena Parish: (http://stcathschool.org/)

St. Catherine of Siena Parish was founded over fifty years ago and is kindergarten through eighth grade elementary and middle school. Saint Catherine’s was founded in the tradition in the Benedictines “This inclusive community encourages students to be instruments of Christ's love and to integrate the gospel message into their daily lives through catechises and faith formation. They challenge their students through a rigorous and comprehensive curriculum that develops confident, responsible citizens who understand the importance of service in a global society.” The curriculum includes Religion, language arts /English, social studies, science, mathematics, technology/computer science, physical education, art and foreign language. There are approximately 200 students attending school here with a 24:1, student to teacher ratio.

Programs Offered:

  • After School Enrichment: drama, music, art and chess
  • Boy Scouts
  • Girls Scouts
  • Parent Volunteer Program
  • St. Catherine Extended Care (before and after school)
  • Student Council Athletics: Volleyball, Basketball, co-ed soccer, girls’ softball and boys’ football

Montessori School of Laguna Beach: (http://lagunamontessori.com/)

The Montessori School of Laguna Beach was founded in 1975 by Ann Balasuriya. The school currently has approximately 60 students. The Montessori school is a non-denominational private school that offers programs through the kindergarten level. “This is a gifted program for every child. Their mission is to serve the children in the Laguna Beach community by providing excellence in their programs. The goal is to nurture the unfolding of each child’s potential in a loving, well equipped, structured, creative, and secure environment under the guidance of professional, well prepared, and loving teachers.”

Programs Offered:

  • Field Trips
  • Parent Volunteer Program

Here is the guide to Public Schools in the Laguna Beach Unified District.

El Morro Elementary School

Top of the World Elementary School (TOW)

Thurston Middle School

Laguna Beach High School

Top of the World Elementary: (http://www.lbusd.org/Domain/11)

Top of World Elementary school is one of two, kindergarten through fifth grade schools feeding Thurston Middle School and then Laguna Beach High School. “Top of the World Elementary school (TOW) seeks to create a challenging learning environment that encourages high expectation for success through development – appropriate instruction that allows for individual differences and learning styles. TOW promotes a safe, orderly, caring and supportive environment. Each student’s self-esteem is fostered by positive relationships with other students and staff. The school leaders strive to have parents, teachers and community members actively involved in their students learning.” Within the state, on standardized tests, TOW ranked 74th out of 830 schools. They have a 4.5 out 5 on the Great School ratings. There are currently 637 students with a 24:1; student to teacher ratio.

Programs Offered:

  • Parent Volunteer Program
  • After School Enrichment Programs: Garden Club, Chess, Chorus, Story Telling, Art, Mad Science, Digital Animation, Digital Film Making, Guitar, Violin, Drums, Computer Club, Drama, and Musical Minds
  • PTA
  • Lunch Program
  • School Power

El Morro Elementary School: (http://www.lbusd.org/Domain/10)

El Morro is one of two kindergarten through fifth grade elementary schools that feed Thurston Middle School then Laguna High School. “El Morro's academic program emphasizes a strong commitment to the core subjects and academic rigor balanced with enrichment programs that foster a well-rounded student experience. In addition to the rigorous core curriculum El Morro emphasizes the arts in education in a variety of enrichment programs. Students learn about famous artists and create their own works of art based on the artist's style in their very popular Art Masters Program. El Morro also participates in a wide variety of educational field trips for each grade level ranging from environmental trips to Crystal Cove State Park located right next door to the school to trips to the Natural History Museum in Los Angeles.” Within the state, on standardized tests, El Morro ranked 74th out of 830 schools. They have a 4 out 5 on the Great School ratings. There are currently 600 students with a 24:1; student to teacher ratio.

Programs Offered:

  • PTA
  • Dads PTA
  • Parent Volunteer Program
  • Lunch Program
  • After School Enrichment Programs: Garden Club, Chess, Chorus, Story Telling, Art, Mad Science, Digital Photography, Badminton, Guitar, Violin, Drums, Computer Club, Golf and Drama
  • School Power

Thurston Middle School:  (http://www.lbusd.org/Domain/9)

Thurston Middle School was established in 1968. It is fed by two elementary schools (Top of the World and El Morro) and feeds into Laguna Beach High School. Thurston Middle School was a California Distinguished School in 2009. The mission at Thurston Middle School is to “ignite a passion for learning in all students through a rigorous, well rounded and exploratory curriculum. Each student gains the knowledge, experience, world perspectives and skills needed to become a lifelong learner and producer in a competitive and interconnected world. Thurston staff is dedicated to creating an outstanding learning environment which includes the best instruction and collaborative teamwork. The staff takes pride in educating the whole child; socially, behaviorally and academically.” Within the state, on standardized tests, Thurston ranked 46th out of 695 schools. They have a 5 out 5 on the Great School ratings. There are currently 700 students with a 22:1; student to teacher ratio.

Programs Offered:

  • Clubs: Christian Club, ASB, Eco Club, French Club, Geography Club, Glee Club, Homework Club, Math Club, Mythology Club, PAC Club, Running Club, SAT Vocabulary Club, Spanish Club, Spelling Bee Club, and Writing Club
  • PTA
  • Lunch Program
  • Performing Arts: Variety of Programs of Offered
  • Athletics: Variety of Programs Offered School Power

Laguna Beach High School: (http://www.lbusd.org/Domain/8)

Laguna Beach High School was established in 1934. It is fed by Thurston Middle School. “LBHS is ranked 113th in California. Students have the opportunity to take Advanced Placement coursework and exams. The AP participation rate at Laguna Beach High School is 48 percent. The student body makeup is 53 percent male and 47 percent female, and the total minority enrollment is 18 percent.” Laguna Beach High School is the only high school in the Laguna Beach Unified School District. LBHS is the smallest public high school in Orange County. Ninety percent of the graduating students will attend either a two or four year college. Within the state, on standardized tests Laguna Beach High School ranked 60th out of 536 schools. They have a 5 out 5 on the Great School ratings. There are currently 1040 students with a 21:1; student to teacher ratio. LBHS was a 2007 California Distinguished School and 2008 Blue Ribbon School. “Laguna Beach High School achieves its academic, social, and personal potential through a tradition of excellence. Of the 49 certificated faculty members, all hold a bachelor’s degree; seventy five percent hold a master’s degree, and two hold doctorates. The average teacher has fifteen years of experience.”

Programs Offered:

  • PTA
  • School Power
  • Lunch Program
  • Counseling Program
  • Athletics: Football, Track and Field, Volleyball, Cross Country, Water Polo, Basketball, Soccer, Tennis, Golf, Softball, Swimming and Baseball
  • Performing Arts: Drama, Dance, Instrumental Music and Chorus

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