Quick+Facts

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Located in scenic Carmel Valley, California, Cypress School of Carmel Valley is an independent, non-sectarian, coeducational school serving students in grades PK through 6th grade. At its opening, we will admit 100 students (from PK through 1st grade) - adding grade levels as we go/grow!

Students per grade level: PK1 & PK2 = 20 (two classes of ten) (entry: PK1 -- two teachers who loop with their students to PK2) K - 1 = approx. 40 per grade level - two classes of approx. 20); teachers loop 2-3 = approx. 40 per grade level - two classes of approx. 20); teachers loop 4-5 = approx. 40 per grade level - two classes of approx. 20); teachers loop 6 = approx. 40 (two classes of approx. 20) introduce a couple specialist teachers to prepare students for middle school or junior high model of schools they will attend next year.

(spots 2-6 available through attrition)

A unique aspect of this vibrant school community is its physical and philosophical proximity and working relationship with 1) the great oudoors and 2) the Royal Oaks Retirement Community!

1) __The Great Outdoors:__ Each classroom/pod has an indoor/outdoor learning space; a vegetable and fruit garden(we are a member of the California School Garden network: http://www.csgn.org/). Worm bins, photovoltaic panels, and access to the creek flowing through the property all contribute to our students' immersion in environmental stewardship and sustainability issues, hands on! In the next 5 years, we plan to build a mini-farm with chickens and possibly a cow!) Examples of outdoor play areas might include nooks for reading, sand and water tables, a mud pit, an art area, the class garden, a stage for singing, dancing, and dramatic play, a science area, loose parts and a variety of materials for building "forts" and other structures. (Mornings can be foggy, but almost always clears and gets sunny by mid-morning. Top temperatures in the summertime: 80 degrees; typical days in the summer months find highs in the 70s and lows overnight in the 50s. During winter, occasional rain, highs in 60s and lows in 50s. No snow on surrounding mountains. (Much literature/research concerning the linkage between spending time outdoors and health, especially related to children. We have been informed by research linking children’s time spent outdoors to increased physical activity, healthy development, and overall well-being. We have been inspired by research related to the design of children’s play spaces, access to natural spaces, the use of outdoors in children’s education, and research related to people and factors that constrain and enable children’s outdoor play.

2) __The Royal Oak Retirement Community.__ In 2010(?), the management of RORC was transfered to the trustees of Cypress School and under the provisions of the gift and accompanying endowment, this partnership will greatly benefit both the school and the residents of RORC. It is well known in the city of Carmel, that our elders are a great source of wisdom, experience, encouragement, and love! It was the vision of our benefactors, that the two ends of the life experience could contribute significantly to each other if given the right environment and creative structure. Children and "kupuna" work together in myriad programs including the community garden, technology workshops, and the famous "granny cloud," a source of affirmation and encouragement unmatched in any other educational institution. "Younger" elders will be scheduled into classrooms and the "granny cloud" by the RORC activities coordinator (whose work is evenly divided between each institution). These recent retirees will also facilitate many of the educational excursions and site visits to businesses and professional career sites in the Carmel Valley. "Older" elders and residents in the health wing of the RORC will be recipients of regular visits from Cypress students who will sing, read, visit, and connect with their "kupuna" partners.