Programs

Art Vista

Art Vista is a “hands-on” approach to education that brings art from around the world into the classroom.  Our children are given the opportunity to critique, analyze and appreciate historical and contemporary works of art.  The students see and experience the numerous ways line, shape, color, texture and value can be depicted by world-valued artists of our past, and by the students themselves.

This year-long, comprehensive art education program includes art lessons specifically tailored to each grade level.  Projects from kindergarten to fifth grade include drawing in many different mediums, painting, portraits, clay sculpture, still life, cityscapes, seascapes, horses, trains, abstract art, pointillistic (painting with dots), Cubism, Surrealism, Realism, Primitivism, Expressionism, Colonial Art, floral pastels, distance composition, charcoal shading, and photography.

Each spring our cafeteria is transformed in to an art gallery during our annual art show.  The event is open to the community.

The PTA sponsored Art Vista program is directed and supported by a dedicated team of more than 70 parent volunteers.  Teachers and parent volunteer docents working together have made the program a success.

Music

Los Alamitos students are taught instrumental music year-long by CSMA (Community School of Music and Art), culminating each year in music concerts from each grade.

A number of years ago, Los Alamitos was selected to receive a generous multi-year Greenhouse Grant for music from Cultural Initiatives Silicon Valley (CISV). This grant provided funding and professional curricular coaching to develop and implement a consistent, sequential music program that is aligned with state frameworks and standards. The music program was awarded another generous grant in fall 2000 from the Valley Foundation.

While the grants allowed Los Alamitos to develop and implement this music program, the Walk-a-thon, Silent Auction and SCRIP fundraisers are now the major source of income for our music program. The PTA generously meets the funding needs for our entire music program.

Project Cornerstone

Project Cornerstone started in 1999 as a community partnership with the YMCA of Silicon Valley with the goal of building and maintaining a strong climate of support for our youth to feel heard, valued and respected at school.

The Asset Building Champions (ABC) program is the major parent engagement program of Project Cornerstone.  ABC uses a curriculum of children’s literature to teach a set of positive assets: caring, empathy, integrity, equality, responsibility, etc. Our parent readers cultivate positive connections with the students and become models for how to be caring and responsible adults.  Each book that is read in the classroom has been chosen for a specific purpose and to develop a specific asset.