Family School

At Family School’s weekly morning circle many of the students, parents and teachers gather to sing the Earth Song, while those who know how add sign language. The Earth Song pays homage to the environment.
At Family School’s weekly morning circle many of the students, parents and teachers gather to sing the Earth Song, while those who know how add sign language. The Earth Song pays homage to the environment.

Tucked into the foothills along a beautiful stretch of Figueroa Mountain Road, Family School stands as a living symbol of every parent’s desire to provide quality education for his or her children, even if it means taking matters into one’s own hands.
Started in 1974 by a group of local moms and dads, the school continues to thrive by offering an effective alternative to crowded classrooms and test-driven curricula.
Family School grade levels span pre-school through fifth grade, and classes boast a student-teacher ratio low enough to guarantee that each child receives individual attention.
The faculty includes eight classroom teachers, in addition to teaching specialists who share the joys of science, art, music, drama and sports with students.
“We have developed an age-appropriate curriculum,” says Miki Holden, Head of School at Family School, “and our classes are suited to the age and ability of each child.
“Our faculty is highly qualified,” she continues. “I think among them they have about 200 years of experience, and we have a very low turnover because, once teachers get here, they stay.”
The school fosters a non-competitive learning environment in which teachers do not grade, but rather judge and support classroom efforts according to individual student aptitudes.
“There’s quite a bit of teamwork and cooperative projects,” Holden explains. “The children learn because they find the material interesting and fun.”
The student body numbers about 100 children, and though a few of them come from Lompoc and Los Alamos, most make their homes in the Santa Ynez Valley. They are a varied group, representing a range of talents, ethnicities and socio-economic backgrounds.
In addition to solid academics presented in a lively learning environment, Family School offers scholarship and tuition assistance programs; and about a third of its students receive some kind of financial aid.
Each spring, incoming students and their families fill out applications and schedule interviews for admission the following fall.
“We don’t do academic tests for entry,” Holden explains, “because we feel there are too many different kinds of talents and we don’t want to focus on a narrow range of abilities.”
After completing the fifth grade, about half the students go on to Dunn Middle School, while others enroll in local public schools or are home-schooled.
Family School alumni consistently achieve remarkable success in their personal lives and in careers spanning the spectrum, from attorneys to doctors to organic farmers.                “Generally, they’re energetic, very positive people,” says Holden, whose own three children attended the school in the 1980s, “and many have traveled the world more than the average. We get very positive feedback from the schools they go into, like West Point, Brown, Yale, Stanford and Berkeley.”

The purple door (5th grade) class is the senior class at Family School. A hands-on scientific learning class is added to their academic curriculum.
The purple door (5th grade) class is the senior class at Family School. A hands-on scientific learning class is added to their academic curriculum.

Family School began 35 years ago, when a group of parents, including the beloved Lou and Helen Netzer, decided to found a cooperative school. They settled on the model provided by Pasadena-based Pacific Oaks Children’s School, hired a teacher and founded their institution as a preschool. Later, they added kindergarten through fifth grade.
“It started off in the Los Olivos Grange,” Holden laughs, “where they had to get the school out every morning and put it back in a cupboard every afternoon. It moved to a room at Midland School, which was sort of the same deal, and then we were offered a lease by Midland. We’ve been here ever since.
“The buildings were initially built by the parents,” she adds. “Now we’re official, we conform to code, but then it was essentially a bunch of amateurs who spent their weekends out here, brought picnic lunches, hammered their thumbs and got it done.”
Today, parents still are encouraged to get involved with the school, whether helping with the annual auction, assisting in class, driving on field trips or dishing out hot lunches. Working together, parents, teachers and the children have created Family School, an independent school where the love of learning comes first.

Family School is currently accepting applications for admission, scholarships and financial aid. For an information packet, call the school at 688-5440 or visit www.syvfamilyschool.com. Family School is located at 5100-A Figueroa Mountain Rd., Los Olivos. 
Family School is currently accepting applications for admission, scholarships and financial aid. For an information packet, call the school at 688-5440 or visit www.syvfamilyschool.com. Family School is located at 5100-A Figueroa Mountain Rd., Los Olivos.

Photos by Connie Cody.

1413 Responses to Family School

  55. Guide To Mitsubishi Key Replacement Near Me: The Intermediate Guide Towards Mitsubishi Key Replacement Near Me mitsubishi key replacement near me – Pamala –

  209. Best Childrens Bunk Beds Techniques To Simplify Your Daily
    Life Best Childrens Bunk Beds Technique Every Person Needs To Be Able To best childrens bunk beds (Aaron)

  370. Are Mobility Scooters Allowed On Pavements Techniques To Simplify Your Everyday Lifethe Only Are Mobility Scooters Allowed On Pavements
    Trick Every Person Should Learn are mobility scooters allowed on pavements; Benito,

  412. My partner and I absolutely love your blog and find a lot
    of your post’s to be what precisely I’m looking for. can you offer guest writers to write content for you personally?
    I wouldn’t mind writing a post or elaborating on a number of the subjects you write concerning here.
    Again, awesome weblog!

  413. It is the best time to make some plans for the future and it is time to be happy.
    I have learn this submit and if I may just I desire to recommend you few
    attention-grabbing issues or tips. Perhaps you can write next
    articles regarding this article. I wish to learn more things about it!

  425. May I simply say what a comfort to find somebody that really knows
    what they’re talking about on the net. You definitely know how to bring an issue to light and
    make it important. More people ought to check this out and understand this side of the story.
    I can’t believe you are not more popular because you definitely have the gift.

  467. Sectional Couch L Shaped Tools To Streamline Your Daily Life Sectional Couch L Shaped Trick That Every Person Must Know sectional couch l shaped (Dewey)

  479. Integrated French Style Fridge Freezer Tools To Make Your Daily Lifethe One Integrated French Style Fridge Freezer Trick That Every Person Should Be Able
    To integrated french style fridge freezer; Rosella,

  537. The Companies That Are The Least Well-Known To
    Watch In The French Door Fridge With Ice Maker Industry kenwood french door fridge
    freezer – Elden,

  552. See What How Much Is A Private ADHD Assessment UK Tricks The Celebs Are Making Use Of how much is
    a private adhd assessment uk – Rory,

  784. Composite Door Repair Near Me Tools To Help You Manage Your Daily Life Composite Door Repair Near Me Trick Every Individual Should
    Know composite door repair near me (Anne)

  874. A reputable mesothelioma Asbestos Law company offers free case evaluations to determine eligibility for compensation. The top mesothelioma lawyers
    also work on a contingent basis. This helps maximize client compensation.

  1020. With havin so much content do you ever run into any issues of
    plagorism or copyright violation? My blog has a lot of unique content I’ve either authored myself or outsourced
    but it seems a lot of it is popping it up all over
    the web without my permission. Do you know any ways to help
    protect against content from being stolen? I’d really appreciate it.

  1024. Modern Freestanding Electric Fireplace Tools To Help You Manage Your Daily Life
    Modern Freestanding Electric Fireplace Trick That Every Person Must Learn modern freestanding electric fire (Phoebe)

  1210. Renault Key Replacement Near Me Tools To Improve Your Daily
    Lifethe One Renault Key Replacement Near Me Technique Every Person Needs To Know renault key replacement near me (Carole)

  1411. A good mesothelioma law firm provides free assessment of cases to determine if you
    are eligible for compensation. Furthermore,
    the top mesothelioma lawyers work on a contingency
    basis. This arrangement allows for the highest client compensation.

    Also visit my web site … asbestos claim, Minna,

  1413. We stumbled over here from a different page and thought I should check things out.
    I like what I see so now i’m following you.
    Look forward to checking out your web page repeatedly.

Leave a reply