Partners in the Community
The Children’s School is committed to being an active community member. We feel it is an integral part of our mission and philosophy to collaborate with other organizations and individuals in the community, modeling the behavior we expect our students to display as citizens of TCS. Below is a list of some of the organizations with which we have developed collaborative partnerships. As we expand to include the Nelson Middle Years program, we will continue to pursue partnerships with many of the science and arts organizations in La Jolla and San Diego, including biotech firms, museums and research institutions.
California Association of Independent Schools
The California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS) is a non-profit organization of 190 elementary, middle and secondary schools in California. The Association serves and strengthens its schools by setting standards of academic quality and ethical conduct, by providing for the professional growth of faculty, administrators, and trustees and by promoting ethnic and socio-economic diversity. Along with Western Association of Schools and Colleges, CAIS is our accrediting organization. Every six years, TCS participates in a comprehensive self-study and is subsequently visited and reviewed by a team of other CAIS and WASC faculty and staff. CAIS also offers a number of conferences and other professional development opportunities for faculty, staff and trustees. Each year the TCS Board of Trustees attends the CAIS Heads/Trustee conference. In 2007, the TCS administrative team presented at the conference.
John Mireles and Ventana Kids Photography
John Mireles is one of San Diego’s most accomplished family photographers. In 2007, John and TCS entered into what we expect will be a very exciting project where John will document the life of TCS throughout the school year. John’s philosophy of taking creative and fun photographs and capturing meaningful learning in action resonates with the TCS educational philosophy of ensuring students have both a meaningful education and love learning. We feel very lucky to have our students and school captured by John and his team.
National Association of Independent Schools
The National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) is a membership organization representing approximately 1,300 independent schools and associations in the United States as well as independent schools affiliates abroad. NAIS’s mission is to be the national voice of independent schools and the center for collective action on their behalf. The Children’s School is a member of NAIS. Staff and faculty participate in NAIS professional development opportunities and attend conferences. As a member of NAIS, TCS has access to a wealth of information about the best educational practices in independent schools , ranging from fundraising and fiscal management to curriculum development and board governance.
San Diego Independent Schools Admissions Consortium
The San Diego Independent Schools Admissions Consortium is a group of representatives from the region's eight accredited CAIS schools. Its mission is to educate the greater San Diego community on the benefits of attending an independent school. The goal is not to promote individual schools but rather to collaboratively promote independent school education. Each year the Admissions Consortium sponosors the San Diego Area CAIS Admissions Fair for the public. Admissions representatives from each school are available to discuss their admissions process and share specific information on their school. This event is designed as a starting point for parents interested in independent schools.
San Diego Reggio Roundtable
The San Diego Reggio Roundtable is a group of early childhood educators committed to progressive preschool programs inspired by the Reggio Emilia project-based learning approach. This group meets monthly to discuss pedagogy and methodology. The group is led by schools at the forefront of progressive education in the San Diego area and by educators who are dedicated to using this approach with children.
Torrey Pines State Reserve
Our 3rd-6th grade students do habitat restoration work at Torrey Pines State Reserve, helping to control and eliminate non-native, invasive plants. This project is on-going and linked to the work students do in science as they study ecology and biology.
