Amazing School!

Hi! Well it's been a while since I've blogged but I really wanted to share this with you.

Last year I put my kids in an amazing private school. It is called Kids World School for the K-4th and they also have a separate Upper school called Cornerstone Academy for 5th-12th.

It's a small school in comparison to public school campus' but it is very cute. I researched them a lot before putting my kids in. Their last California Grades Standards testing results were amazing! The AVERAGE for all students ranged from 1.5 to 3 whole grades AHEAD of their expected grade per age. That is quite a statistic. And they don't do any special test prep work, to teach the kids the test before hand. The owner Paula Gonzalez, has created a curriculum over the last 20 years she's been teaching children and it is really quite amazing. She's taken little bits from different educational series and over time proved which ones worked the best. The result has been phenomenal for my kids. I literally had tears of joy when I saw how well my kids were doing there. Within the first month there was a noticeable difference in my kids feelings towards school and also their ability to do their work. Now after 1 year there, they are really light years ahead of when I brought them there.

My oldest is in the Cornerstone Academy section of the school and she has done a virtual 180 about school since being there. From not wanting to read to speeding through her assigned reading books.

They are very unique in that the teachers set plans for the week for each student to accomplish. It lists out all the assignments and overall is aligned with a grade graduation date. The students work to achieve these targets throughout the week and if they get it done early they are rewarded. It makes it into a game instead of a chore. Also there is a lot of one on one.

It's not a mass group class, each student is on their own track of courses which was laid out for them after enrollment and testing was complete. It goes back over area's of missed understanding from prior grades and then brings them up through their grade and ahead. There are set times for different subjects but each student is working on their own targets.

The other really noticeable thing about the school is how genuinely friendly and caring all of the staff are. Being a parent of multiple children can be challenging and sometimes I feel bad if I miss a notice or show up late. Instead of having a Gestapo'like attitude about it they are actually nice, though they still of course are firm and expect resolution. It surely makes working with a school a lot less stressful to know they really care about not only the kids but me as a parent. The teachers really work with us, and help us to understand what our kids need to do to stay on track. In turn we help make sure that our kids are doing so. It's a real team feeling.

Oh and I also wanted to say to parents out there who have been told or who think their child has some kind of learning disability, try taking them to this school before deciding that you believe that. I personally feel the ADD and ADHD are a cop out for many teachers to use to shift responsibility onto your child as to why they can't teach them well. I also think that in many cases nutrition and good sleep can help the hyperactivity that is often thought of as a disorder.

Kids World School has a no sugar policy. They also ask for 10 hours of sleep and a good breakfast, for most children in order to be ready to really absorb what they are learning. They don't have a cafeteria so you do have to send a pack lunch, but on Friday's they have Pizza day.

Other notes, they have cooking class and art classes and several other extra ciricular activities. The upper school has it's on computer lab also. The play yard is small but they do take trips to Griffith Park and even go on school bike rides in special bike riding course along the LA River.

I hope that someday they can upgrade to a much bigger facility so that they can accommodate 10X the students. I feel badly for anyone out there who's child is not doing well in school, especially when there is a school that is so special that it could probably resolve the problem easily.

I highly, highly recommend them!!

Go and see for yourself! Talk to the principal, see the place!

The phone number is:
(323) 663-4703

The school is located at:

2132 Hyperion Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90027-4708

The Birthday Party

Well, my 28th Birthday party was quite a hoot. I had a lot of good people show up in costume and we had ourselves a grand time. At one point I sat back and just smiled at all the people in cowboy hats and that somehow I had been able to get them to do it! Hehe Being in L.A. cowboy hats are not the most common thing to wear... : )

So we had wonderful food, lots of great ribs, great dip, watermelon, margarita's and a big ole carrot cake! At one point we had a line dancing session break out. I tried to keep up but it was pretty tough. There were two very cute ladies who tore it up and showed us how it was done, as well tried to follow along.

I had a real aunthetic costume, with chaps, a gun holster and a theatrical 6 shooter which everyone seemed to enjoy pulling. James (my little brother) and I had fun pretending to shoot each other... I know sounds weird but we were cracking up.

It was just such a thrill and probably the best birthday party I've had since I turned 17... the best thing about it was that all the people there were really cool, down to each and fun to be with. Infact it was so much fun that I didn't go to bed until 5:30 in the morning!!! I was completely shocked when I saw the time! I haven't stayed up that late for ages... I was amazed I could even do it and without noticing?

Oh and at some point in the night I tried to make myself a BLT and burnt it, but ate it anyway... which I didn't seem to mind at the time.

I am still waiting on a lot of pictures but here are a few of them.

Kim's Birthday, turning 28!

Well in a few weeks I'll be 28. Seems like a little more of a big deal than 27.... hmmm not that it's going to mater much anyway! So I felt like doing something silly and fun for my birthday and here's what it is...

I'm having a Cowboys & Indians Birthday Hoe Down! I am very interested in seeing what my guests decide to wear because it is a required costume dealio. I am guessing some may go a feather on a band minimally and some may really do it up... and those of them that come without costumes... hmm I am thinking hog tie!

Anyway, I'm planning a head this year usually my parties are so last minute. I've already sent out invitations though I know I am missing a lot of people's contact info that I would invite if I could be a little more organized. I am doing this so that lots of people I know from all aspects of my life can all get together and have fun! It should be pretty interesting and a heck of a good time.

I wonder if I can rent a bucking bronto... hmmm anyway! It's definitely the coooky Kimberly in me coming out here... I LOVE it!

Well I'll be back here to post pictures after the fact... dun dun dun.

Summer Off!

Well this is the first time since the kids have been in school, that they have had a real summer break. A full two months off! The kids really wanted to stay home with me and do lots of fun things so I've been working from home part time and they got their wish!
I have really enjoyed having them home all day. Sometimes it can get a little crazy but really it has been a great chance for us to bond. Hana has been especially interested in my work and what I do. She told me she wants a job now too! haha.

They've been swimming a lot which has been really nice. They are super tan monkeys right now! And actually this break has been the reason that Kade & Kya have really learned how to swim! Kade used to be freaked to go in the deep end and now he is doing cannon balls right into it without any floaty nor hesitation. It's really cool!

As well, we've been organizing their stuff more. I found a bunch of boxes of books and I pulled it up to their room and they have been reading a lot. It's amazing. They really enjoy it, I think even more than video games which is awesome. They don't have too many video games anyway, and they get board with watching Hana play... haha.

Hana has been really helping a lot, she's even taken on helping with the laundry! This is fantastic because with the family of 5 we sure make some laundry. She's really gotten into it and is starting to make good pocket money on top of it. It's very cute and helpful.

They have their lists of jobs they have to do, make their beds, clean up their rooms and then some chores to help with the house and just this alone has been a huge shift in the way they look at the house. It's not all my problem anymore and they are a lot more aware of what it takes to have a house. On top of it they actually get into it too, breaking out the windex and cleaning the sliding glass doors or emptying the trash. It's really cool. Kids really do love to help, even if I have to go back and do it a little more to finish it off, it is great.

Hana's been writing stories on her computer and Kade and Kya have been drawing and painting.
We're planning some more activities for them too, like a trip to the ZOO and ballet/karate classes at the YMCA. So August should be a lot of fun for them!

We've also been going to a nursery and they've loved helping with the plants there. They keep eating the onions of all things! Just pulling them up out of the ground and munching on them! haha

Anyway that's the latest with the kids summer break. I'll write more soon!