“The arts help make a child a more well-rounded individual. Performing helps students become more confident. They become more sensitive and aware of beauty within and surrounding them. The students become more creative in their thinking and communicating.”
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School Site Council (SSC)
About Us
South Shores has a program unique among elementary schools of the LAUSD, providing a structured arts curriculum that is both woven into the fabric of daily curriculum and stands on its own through elective classes taught by teachers in their areas of expertise. Students regularly display artistic works and perform for their parents, peers, and community. No other elementary school in the LAUSD does what South Shores is so well known for: maintaining high academic achievement and continued growth while also giving students an immersive arts experience.
School Vision
South Shores is a kindergarten through fifth grade magnet school located in San Pedro, serving students and families throughout the Los Angeles Unified School District. We are grateful to have such wonderful parents, faculty, staff, and administration who work together as a family to bring our children an incomparable instructional program that incorporates the visual and performing arts with the Common Core State Standards, while fostering a warm and caring environment for learning, growing, and achieving. We believe that an emphasis on the visual and performing arts broadens and deepens the academic experiences of our students, improves their scholastic achievement, and develops their self-confidence while making them more connected to their communities and the world. Our school is devoted to creating and fostering a life-long appreciation and commitment to academic excellence and artistic creativity. We teach respect for diversity as well as provide tools for our children to become self-sufficient and productive members of society. This unique environment, combining and emphasizing the arts with academics, is what makes South Shores so special.
Academics
While our school has a visual and performing arts theme, our faculty and staff ensure that all state academic content standards are covered for all of our children. Our curriculum is enriched by the arts, enhancing our students’ ability to reach higher levels of critical and creative thinking. Our primary objective is to ensure that all students master the skills necessary to function as responsible citizens who are able to apply their knowledge to new situations in an ever-changing society. We believe all students can learn, attain high goals, and realize their full potential academically, artistically, and socially.
Student Leadership
The South Shores Student Council is a group of students in grades three through five who work together to represent the students of our school. Student Council organizes fun activities, such as Crazy Hair Day and Twin Day.
The Student Council also sponsors activities that promote good citizenship and instill a sense of community. Student Council officers (grades four and five) and room representatives (grades three through five) represent their classmates at council meetings.
Arts Program
As a visual and performing arts school, we highlight instruction based on the visual and performing arts standards (VAPA) for the State of California. Our faculty members have specialized backgrounds and education in the visual and performing arts to best facilitate this emphasis.
In addition to the academic subjects, arts disciplines are taught at various time periods throughout the school year. The arts instruction provided by our faculty is supplemented by itinerant arts education teachers who educate the students in music, drama, dance, and visual arts. Thanks to our PTO and parent volunteers, our students are able to enjoy an outstanding Art to Grow On program which further enhances our arts curriculum.
Parents and Community
South Shores is a LEARN school, where all stakeholder groups (parents, faculty, staff, and administration) are involved in decision making. Our two governance councils, School Site Council and LEARN Council include elected members from all stakeholder groups, who help to guide and support our school. These groups contribute to the overall governance of our school and our continuing relationship with our parents and the community. Parents are frequent visitors to our school and classrooms, and are welcome and encouraged to be active participants in their children’s educations. They are regularly informed of our school activities through newsletters, telephone messages, school bulletins, and participation in our school councils.