Santa Monica Alternative (K-8) School

This is a great school for students who are considered at risk academically for an array of reasons. One of the problems with at-risk students is that they felt lost and isolated in the large school and once they enter this school they feel a sense of community. Special-needs students need to feel comfortable in an inclusion setting. If they do not, they should consider other restrictive settings i.e. separate classroom, separate school, residential school and home/hospital.
--Submitted by a teacher

AMAZING school. Best thing about it is the size - only 230 kids kindergarten THRU 8th grade. So you virtually know every family. And the principal knows EVERY family personally. VERY community oriented. The way they teach (project based, multi-age, wholechild approach) actually enables kids to learn DEEPER and more PROFOUNDLY (instead of quickly and by route). Because of this approach, my child placed ADVANCED in Reading/Writing AND math on the state examines. So - don't buy into believing that this is not an academic school and that there is no structure. There IS structure, a ton of it, but it is organic and pertinent. YES - there is homework - but it is never for the sake of just keeping your kids busy. FYI - most of the kids who graduate SMASH transition smoothly into SAMOHI and do amazingly well in Honors and AP courses.
--Submitted by a parent

If your child is lucky enough to get in (admission is by lottery), you have hit the lottery. Children learn the standard grade-appropriate curriculum, but in a different way. Learing is project-based as opposed to text-book based. The projects are chosen based on student interest. Classes are smaller. Teacher/student relationships and the classroom are less formal. There is more give-and-take. More respect of the students' interests, contributions and ideas. Overall, SMASH provides a much less restrictive and more creative learning environmet.
--Submitted by a parent

The children at SMASH are respected as valuable and capable individuals in their community. The SMASH teaching philosophy targets the student as a whole person not just an academic vessel, and allows each child to blossom according to their own unique talents and personality.
--Submitted by a parent

Easy going school, fun for kids and parents, but academically weak in many areas. Reading/writing is great, but very, very weak in math and there is barely any science there. Too bad, since the school has a lot to offer, it's small and intimate, teachers and staff are caring, families and kids feel part of a community, they treat kids with respect and teach them to act responsibly. All of that is fantastic, but for SMASH to be a great school, it needs to improve on actual education.
--Submitted by a parent

It's a great school that teaches children to love learning. The kids get all the skills they'd get in any other school, but at SMASH they remain curious, active participants in their education. The school has a dedicated staff and administration, but could not do what they do without a strong PTSO. The parents take up where the state and city leave off. In these tough economic times, it is really what makes the difference.

Love the amazing community and the sensitivity and insight brought to each child. Very child centered approach to learning and my Kindergartner is on fire to do/learn more w/ engaging, experiential learning and well contained classroom. One query- why are the APIs so low when other 'alternative' type schools have good scores (such as OPEN Charter and Ocean Charter). I think the standardized testing can become a tyrant- informing all that goes on (much of it rote) in classrooms, but it's good for kids to be able to be strong thinkers and have some of hte traditional skills. What can SMASH learn from alternative schools whose students seem to have both skill sets?
--Submitted by a parent

This an amazing school. There is a robust social curriculum as well as an amazing academic one! The children learn to love learning, to be independent critical thinkers and to be responsible, caring members of a community!
--Submitted by a parent

This school is so amazing - my son is learning so much and really loves going to school - the teachers are exciting and interesting and everyone is very involved in the day to day activities. Bravo SMASH!
--Submitted by a parent

We love SMASH. It is a smaller school and children get a lot of attention and room to explore their own interests while developing socially. The progressive eduction is surprisingly academic and the school has very high standards for education. In response to another review, I'm aware that one class had a large number of energetic challenging students that sometimes were rambunctious. This is the exception, not the rule. Generally SMASH has a high degree of parent participation in the classroom and is able to help a wide range of kids succeed. Much time is spent helping the students communicate with each other and work out issues. A wonderful school!
--Submitted by a parent