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Over A Half Century of School History and Growth On November 1, 2004, the Downey Child Care Center and Kirkwood Educational Center became Kirkwood Christian Schools, a non-profit religious institution. In reality, the schools have operated as a Christian organization from the beginning, with an emphasis on Christian values and Spiritual growth. The name change supports this reality. Dr. and Mrs. Kirkwood have owned and operated the schools since 1966. The schools and children have been one of the passions of their lives for the past 38 years. However, the legacy of the schools goes back to the early 1940’s when Mrs. Mary Rogers was asked by the Downey School Superintendent to establish and direct a nursery school at Alameda Elementary School, filling the needs of working parents during World War II. After the war, Mr. and Mrs. Rogers opened the Downey Child Care Center. They operated the Center at its present location for 19 years. In 1966 Dr. and Mrs. William J. Kirkwood purchased the Center and began making systematic facility and program improvements. As the school grew the number of elementary aged children in the day care program increased. To fill the needs of the day care program, our Pangborn facility was purchased in 1972. Soon parents began asking the Kirkwoods to begin a private school. Finally, the Kirkwood Educational Center began operation in 1975. Student population has grown from approximately 50 to 140 in the elementary program and a small percentage of day care children attending two local public schools. Kirkwood Educational Center facility improvements have occurred at a steady rate from 1972. The pool was added in 1973. Our play yard has been changed, expanded, or improved four times. The outside covered class area was added as a craft center in 1980. Our newest classroom and office building was completed in 1987. In addition to facility growth and improvement, for the past thirty years, the primary focus and effort has been in program and curriculum development. The result is the Kirkwood program, called Pathways to Success. As a non profit Christian School, Dr. and Mrs. Kirkwood and their daughters, Jennifer Kirkwood Hartl and Marji Kirkwood will continue to be directly involved in the operation of the schools. The Schools’ principal is Jennifer Hartl. She holds a Masters degree in Christian Education from Talbot Theological Seminary, which is part of Biola University. For the past 30 years, Dr. Kirkwood has been developing a completely individualized learning program for students from preschool through third grade. He will continue to develop curriculum to be used in Christian education. The Schools The preschool program is for children ages two through pre-kindergarten and is operated at the Kirkwood Christian Preschool , a state-licensed day care center for 100 children. The school operates a full-day program for children of working parents. The hours and days of operation of the schools are Monday through Friday, 6:30 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. The elementary school, called Kirkwood Christian Schools - Elementary, maintains an all-day program for working parents. Approximately 80 percent of the children in attendance at the elementary school are children who graduated from the preschool. Most parents continue their children at the elementary school because of the need for day care while they are working and because of program satisfaction. The remaining 20 percent of students at Kirkwood are new kindergarten students, producing a total enrollment of 140. There is open enrollment for all children, without selection factor, who are capable of mainstreaming. Preschool through Third Grade - Seven Years of Educational Excellence Kirkwood Christian Schools specializes in building the foundation of educational success for every child going through its program. Coupled with the preschool program at Kirkwood Christian Preschool, the schools offer seven years of continuous educational growth and development. In many respects this period is as critical as the time from a Bachelors degree through a Doctorate program. Each take the same amount of time. Our focus over the past thirty years has been to systematically develop, improve, and revise the program in order to provide every child the best possible opportunity for success. Longitudinal research studies indicate that third grade graduates continue to be very successful throughout their education. In spite of many requests from parents for the development of upper grades, our focus has remained to utilize all energy and resources in order to make the preschool through primary grades the very best possible. Spiritual Mission The most important objective at Kirkwood Christian Schools is spiritual growth and development. It is our most fervent desire that every child fully receive God’s love by accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. With Jesus Christ as the foundation of life, children will grow in their ability to love God with all their heart, soul, and mind. They will also grow in their ability to love one another. In the most fundamental sense, Kirkwood Christian Schools views spiritual growth and development as a continuum of learning to love one another, from loving those who love you to loving those who mistreat you. Finally, it is our objective that every child will develop as much of their God given potential as possible, in order to make this world a better, more loving place in which to live. The CurriculumBecause of the level of individualization and the uniqueness of the program, it has been necessary for us to develop all of our own curriculum through the Project Learning and Learning Pathways Series. To date we have written in excess of three hundred curriculum books used by the students in the program. Many of the books and components of the program are in the third and fourth generation of development. Approximately 150 books are kept in print at all times. The process is one of constant analysis, revision, and improvement. Children achieve higher levels of academic progress each year. Computers Students at the Center use the twenty-four plus computers integrated within the Learning Program. As children enter Book 15 of the Project Learning Series, they begin to learn keyboard and typing skills on the computer. This occurs normally during the kindergarten year. Upon entering Project Learning Book 17, students begin our computer designed 3,000 word vocabulary-spelling program. Each eligible child utilizes the program twice daily in first and second lab. During third lab, students continue to advance their typing skills. By the end of the program, many third graders are typing over 50 words per minute with 90 percent accuracy. In fourth lab, advanced students use our Creative Writer program. Most first through third grade students utilize the computer three to four times daily.
Play Yard Beautiful, safe play yards have been designed for children to enjoy. Outside play time has been structured within the program to facilitate a time of fun, spontaneous activities. Children can climb, slide, swing, build with blocks, play ball, build castles and roads in the sand, play make-believe, and enjoy a multitude of equipment and activities with friends. Play time is intended for both playing and social development. Teachers actively supervise and help stimulate social interaction. The play yard is also designed to stimulate coordination, ball handling skills, and develop physical strength. First through third graders are involved in a daily physical fitness program. At the end of the year, Presidential Physical Fitness Awards are presented to each participant. Christian Character and Value Development Kirkwood Educational Center is a Christian school that actively teaches children Christian character and values. We want children to know that within the depth of their soul God loves them, and that each child has tremendous worth and value as God's creation. We believe that children through the redemptive power of Jesus Christ in their life can grow in their ability to love one another. We believe that the Bible teaches a model of interpersonal relationships based upon mutual respect, love, and forgiveness. Integrated into the program is a Character Development class taught daily for twenty to thirty minutes. In addition, each class usually opens in prayer. A prayer of thanksgiving is offered before lunch and many times during small group time. A multiple series of Christian Character Builders workbooks have been sequenced into the program beginning at Learning Schedule level. Social Development On many dimensions the school functions as a lab for the development of interpersonal relationships. Values of empathic understanding, sharing, consideration, kindness, forgiveness, helping, cooperation, and love for one another as defined in Scripture are actively taught in the program. Much of spiritual growth and development can be defined by a continuum of learning to love one another. Field Trips During the year we take field trips to educational locations throughout the greater Los Angeles area using our forty-eight passenger school bus. Previous trips have included the following locations: Museum of Science and Industry, a dairy, Los Angeles Zoo, Marine Museum, Children's Museum, and the Museum of Natural History. Students enjoy planting and harvesting vegetables and pumpkins on their numerous field trips to the Kirkwoods' mini farm in Downey. We constantly look for new and different places that could become suitable for field trips. Parents are encouraged to make suggestions of locations to any member of our staff. Christmas Program In the second week of December, the school presents a musical program to celebrate the birth of our Lord. Every child participates as a member of his/her group singing the music of Christmas. A reception immediately follows the program. This program is a wonderful event to invite grandparents, relatives, and friends. Swim Instruction During Easter Week and the summer months daily supervised swimming instruction is given to all students with emphasis on water safety and swim instruction. By the time of graduation, most children have become excellent swimmers. Stanford Achievement TestDuring the first week of May each year, Stanford Achievement Tests are administered to each child in the elementary school. A copy of the results are presented at parent conferences in June. By the end of third grade, most children are working from one to three years above grade level with a very high degree of mastery.
Student Recognition, Graduation and Ice Cream Social In early June of each year, the school sponsors an evening program to celebrate and recognize each child's growth and accomplishment. The program concludes with a graduation ceremony for third graders. Following the program the school family enjoys the fellowship of the ice cream social. Grandparents and relatives are all welcome to witness and share in this wonderful evening of celebration and fellowship. On behalf of all of our teachers, administrators, and all of us at Kirkwood Educational Center, thank you for allowing us to share our lives work. God could not have given us a better, more significant, more important work than being part of the growth process of children. Helping to equip them to become power men and women in the 21st Century making this world a better more loving place in which to live.
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