About Atwater
Welcome to Atwater Avenue Elementary School!
Atwater Avenue Elementary School is an ETK through 6th grade Title I elementary school, as part of the Los Angeles Unified School District, in the heart of Atwater Village. Our student body is richly diverse--including different religions, cultures, languages, races, economic and social realities. We, the Atwater Family, are proud of the many successes we have achieved.
Our School...
On any given day, if you visit Atwater S.T.E.A.M. Elementary School, you will see amazing things happening in every classroom. You might see students dramatizing one of their stories. Students might be using technology equipment or dissecting animal parts. They might be on the yard playing volleyball or sitting on the field reading a good book. You might also visit on a day when we are having one of our many assemblies for Student of the Month, Perfect Attendance, or Special Presentations. You wouldn't want to miss our School Fundraisers, Fall Harvest Parade, Winter Holiday Program, Winter Music Concert, Spring Art Show, or our special donor giveaways. If you visit our campus after school, you will see students reading in Book Club, studying in extended learning intervention classes, doing enrichment activities with LA's Best or playing with our Youth Services coaches. We hope you visit during Student-Led Conference week when you will see the best of student-teacher-parent collaboration. On any given day, if you visit Atwater S.T.E.A.M. Elementary School, you will always see teachers teaching and students learning. We offer many programs:
- Dual Language Program – SPANISH
- S.T.E.A.M. Integrated Curriculum for ALL grades
- Itinerant Dance & Theatre Teachers
- School Garden - Ranger Program
- Curriculum-based field trips
- Free, supervised after school playground with organized team sports
- Early Intervention Program (W.I.N.)
- Extended Learning Program
- Psychologist, Speech Therapist, Attendance Counselor, and Nurse, PSA
- GATE Enrichment Program
- Special Education Program
- Girls Who Code
- Departmentalized Team-Teaching
- Handicap Accessible
- Art & Music Room
- Parent Center (with Parent Volunteers and a Community Representative)
- Low Teacher Turnover
- Spring Art Fair Exhibit
- Fall Spring Book Fair
- School Spirit Fridays
- Enrichment Activities
- Student Led Parent Conferences
Our GATE program...
At Atwater Avenue Elementary STEAM/Dual, we are proactive in our approach to identify academically talented students. The OLSAT-8 is administered annually to all 2nd graders as a universal screening tool for identification in the High Achievement category of the gifted and talented program. The categories of identification includes Intellectual Ability, High Achievement Ability, Specific Academic Ability, Performing Arts Ability, Visual Arts Ability, Creative Ability and Leadership Ability. Except for the High Achievement and Specific Academic Ability categories, a request for gifted/talented identification may be made by a teacher, parent, peer, members of the school community or through self-nomination. Following the request, the Local School GATE Screening Committee will make a final determination whether the student met the eligibility as defined by LAUSD. LAUSD defines a gifted/talented student as one who exhibits excellence or the capacity for excellence far beyond that of their chronological peers in one or more gifted/talented categories.
Students who are identified gifted/talented are clustered and provided differentiation in the classroom. Teachers may modify the core curriculum to meet the needs of gifted learners. This may differ from student to student and from classroom to classroom. Examples of a differentiated curriculum may include depth, complexity, and novelty; above grade-level resources; tiered assignments; project-based learning; advanced content; independent study; flexible grouping, high level questioning (Bloom's Taxonomy); accelerated pacing; learning/interest centers; "Think Like a Disciplinarian;" and curriculum compacting based on student's area of strength.
The district also offers additional program options through CHOICES, such as gifted magnets, highly gifted magnets, and other themed based magnet programs. Additionally, for students talented in the Arts, LAUSD developed a unique opportunity for students through the Conservatory of Fine Arts Program. This program is offered every Saturday at the California State University, Los Angeles. Interested students will need to apply through CHOICES during the application period between June - August.
- Ongoing Enrichment Extracurricular Clubs
- Quarterly Informational Meetings
- Theatre, Dance, and Visual Arts
- Curriculum Field Trips
Our Parent Involvement…
At Atwater Avenue Elementary School, we have always encouraged parent involvement. Volunteering in classrooms and in school government are widely advertised and supported. Speakers are provided at monthly advisory council meetings on subjects specifically requested by the parents. This year, we have a new parent organization referred to as, “The Friends of Atwater Elementary”. We are working collaboratively with our parent organization in sponsoring monthly activities, such as family game nights, movie nights, book club meetings, and book fairs, just to name a few. These activities are already showing an increase in parental involvement. Our goal is to continue to educate and empower our parents for our students’ ultimate benefit.
- School Site Council
- ELAC Advisory Council
- Parent Volunteer Center
- Parent Conferences and Trainings
- Friends of Atwater Elementary