TURNINGPOINT offers an extensive summer program, an array of after-school enrichment classes, and after-school day care.

Summer Camp        back to top

The summer camp is an integrated program combining the traditional camp setting with age-appropriate activities in athletics, art, music, dramatic play, socialization, special days and field trips. Each session of camp offers different electives. Recent offerings are model building, dance, musical theater, computers, gardening, mural painting, and roller hockey.

Enrollment averages 85 campers divided into four classes. Two teachers and a junior counselor lead each class. The consistency and longevity of the staff are major assets for the summer program. For 15 years, the camp has been directed by TURNINGPOINT's Athletic Director. Camp runs on TURNINGPOINT's campus for seven weeks. Daily hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and extended care is offered from 3-6 p.m.

The youngest class, of 3-4 year-old children, is primarily a continuing Montessori-based class. This class has proved to be a valuable starting place for incoming students. The other classes range from ages 5-11 and draw from TURNINGPOINT's student body and alumni.

Community Service Learning       back to top

All children at TURNINGPOINT participate in curriculum-integrated community service learning. Each grade level has its own community service focus that ties in directly with the umbrella curriculum and developmental needs of the ages involved.

For example, third graders work to restore wetlands as they were when Native Americans lived there. In addition to this species restoration, Level 3 students also make tree planting an annual tradition. These projects fit directly into the curriculum based upon the Chumash Indians and their impact on life and culture in Southern California. Moreover, these off campus projects are a natural extension of TURNINGPOINT's on-campus, nationally-recognized gardening program.

Primary children collect "gently loved" books to give to children who need them. K-1 classes distribute food to homeless persons in Venice Beach through the "Children Helping Poor and Homeless People" organization. Level 2 visits a retirement home and spends time with elderly friends. Sixth graders work with developmentally disabled young children.

In addition to curriculum-specific service learning, TURNINGPOINT assists with food collection and distribution and other seasonal needs of those less fortunate than TURNINGPOINT's families.

Study Tours       back to top

TURNINGPOINT believes that a well-balanced curriculum is essential to develop a well-balanced child. Therefore, TURNINGPOINT eagerly integrates outside sources into its program. Teachers continually make use of a wide variety of community resources through study tours to museums, theaters, zoos, libraries, National Parks, government facilities, universities, missions, farms, and many other places of interest.

Study tours are a way TURNINGPOINT enhances and expands the scope of its classroom studies. Often, the tours provide hands-on experiences. Qualified visitors from the community also come to TURNINGPOINT's campus to share their knowledge with the students. For example, the Reptile People make an annual visit to introduce our students to snakes, lizards, frogs, and other creatures. The Chumash Ceremonial Leader Mati Waiya also visits TURNINGPOINT's campus every year to lead the school's Chumash Cultural Experience. Complete with native dancing and a saging ceremony, this annual tradition is most memorable for the entire TURNINGPOINT community.

In the past few school years, TURNINGPOINT students have visited farms and gone on whale-watching excursions off of Catalina Island. They have visited the Getty Center and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Students have explored the Museum of Tolerance. Students have visited Missions San Juan Capistrano and San Gabriel, as well as participated in an in-depth study of early trade and sailing aboard the Brig Pilgrim, a replica of Richard Henry Dana's ship.

TURNINGPOINT students visit California Native American sites of the National Park Service, the Natural History Museum, and the Southwest Museum. In addition to their work to restore the wetlands and forests, TURNINGPOINT students searched tide pools for ocean life and participated in a beach clean up of Leo Carillo State Beach.

TURNINGPOINT always takes advantage of the resources at the University of California at Los Angeles. Recent trips have included the UCLA Medical Center and the UCLA Weather Station.

Students visit Olvera Street with the Spanish specialist to foster an appreciation for the cultural contributions of the Latino community. The science specialist takes Level 3 students to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Theater productions are enjoyed as well. K-1 students have recently attended performances of "Charlotte's Web," "Beauty and the Beast," and "The Wizard of Oz."

In addition to day trips, each year Middle School students enjoy an extended one-week study tour. Depending on the Level, destinations alternate between trips to New York and Boston, Washington DC and the American Amish country, and a science trip to Yosemite.

TURNINGPOINT always provides ample funds and opportunities for these study tours because of a deep commitment to making learning as relevant and interesting as possible. TURNINGPOINT's study tour program is vital to the overall educational process.

Special Days       back to top

In addition to the constant programs in and out of TURNINGPOINT's classrooms, a number of special days throughout the school year provide TURNINGPOINT students with special opportunities to highlight their talents, make a difference in the community at large, and share their TURNINGPOINT experiences with special guests.

The Back-to-School Picnic and the Halloween Carnival are some of the first delights for both children and parents. Grandparents' Day, traditionally held just before the Thanksgiving Holiday, provides a wonderful time for students to share their classrooms and activities with grandparents and special friends. The first semester closes every year with the Winter Concert, a musical celebration of the winter holidays.

From the Valentine's Day "Val-o-Grams" sale, to the annual student fundraiser, the Jog-a-Thon, to the Spring Egg Hunt that kicks off Spring Break, the second semester is packed with special events for TURNINGPOINT's children as well. The Science Fair provides an opportunity for each student in Levels 3-5 to showcase their hard work with their long-term independent science project. the graduation ceremonies in early June, the year is heralded to a close with the annual Festival of the Arts, which includes an All-School Multicultural Dance program, the Elementary Art Fair, and the Spring Sing.

Families Program       back to top

Initiated during the 1998-99 school year, TURNINGPOINT's "Families" program provides opportunities for children and adults, all of varying ages, to interact in a meaningful way to foster a sense of community by creating extended families that remain together throughout a student's time at TURNINGPOINT.

Each family consists of approximately 13 children and two or three adults. As an eighth grader graduates from TURNINGPOINT, that student will be replaced by an incoming student, in most cases a Primary child. In some cases, the new student will represent a different grade level, so the family configuration may change from time to time, which is true of most families today.

Click Here to view the Families

In the first weeks of the 1998-99 school year, TURNINGPOINT's faculty and staff met to establish the families, 17 in all, and to randomly choose family members so that each family consisted of children from all age ranges. After this initial meeting, each Head Teacher introduced the idea to their classes and a school-wide assembly was held to further explain the concept to the students and to introduce the students to their respective family groupings. At this time, the elders of each family introduced the family name and motto to be carried throughout its years together. With the recent addition of the Middle School at TURNINGPOINT, our families have only become larger and more diverse. Finally, each family created a family portrait, which you see represented here.

Click Here to view the Families

The TURNINGPOINT Families concept encompasses the goal of establishing a unique, multi-aged learning and sharing environment that:

Creates continuity between Primary and Level 8 students throughout their time at TURNINGPOINT.