Mar Vista's New School West

On a recent morning, a dozen parents sat in a circle of chairs in a sunny, open kitchen adjacent to an inviting patio, listening intently to the speaker, a charismatic woman in bright red glasses and batik top, who tugged occasionally at the blonde ringlets framing her face. “Let’s talk about the application process first, because you won’t listen until I talk about it,” she opens, explaining that the school can legally only enroll 60 children, and around the circle, jaws tighten.

If you're the parent of a toddler in Mar Vista, you might recognize the scene as a tour of New School West, the Reggio-based pre-school tucked behind the wood fence on the corner of May and Venice Boulevard.  

To the untrained eye, the New School West campus is a rollicking playground of children careening through a multitude of activities in two former bungalows joined by a central courtyard.  Through the Reggio purview, the 3, 4, and 5-year-olds are participating in an innovative educational method, emphasizing group participation and collaboration. 

Director/owner Roleen Heimann, a child development specialist, opened the school 25 years ago, incorporating Reggio philosophy in 2000. Conceived in post-war northern Italy in the town of Reggio-Emilia, the teaching model sees parents, teachers and children working together in the educational process. Heimann now teaches “Reggio Approach in American Schools” at Santa Monica College, and consults widely on Reggio programming.

“We are a developmentally based school,” explains Heimann, “and we look at all aspects of the child.  We believe children are autonomous beings, strong and capable, with amazing ideas.”  She describes the flow of the day, with children working in small groups, and teachers documenting the children’s work and conversation, to make learning visible, and to use as “provocations” for future projects.  The process is very carefully organized. 

The parents took notes and raised questions: “What about academics?”

Heimann recounted a tale of three 4-year-old boys discussing haircuts. Two were recently shorn, the third sporting a ponytail and claiming he’d never get a haircut—it would hurt. 

A teacher suggested that they research the situation—which evolved into a two-year project. A committee was formed, strategies implemented, and a visit to Jess’s Barber Shop on Venice Blvd. organized to bring information back to the group. Eventually, the children created “The Greatest Hair Salon in the World That Cuts Hair” at New School West, which included styling stations, appointment pads, cash register, and phone, and involved social strategies, measuring, design work, and plenty of writing.  

“What about music?” pressed another parent. Heimann explained how the music program had recently transformed in response to the students’ attitude of being entertained, rather than participating. Longtime music teacher Stuart Grant slowed down the work to understanding nuances of sound—which led to the children creating a sound library, exploring sound travelling, and scoring a short film.

The parents toured the school, stopping to observe, smiling. The cozy rooms are broken into small spaces, each with unique intent. A teacher sits with several 3-year-old girls who have laid tape on paper to create resist pieces.  One carefully dips her brush in purple paint, daubs a paper towel, and applies the color. Reggio stresses proper use of materials, and creating clear, tidy, work areas. Children are busy everywhere, deeply engaged in activities.

What’s not in view are plastic, pre-printed graphics or alphabet animals pinned to the walls: natural materials, flowers, and children’s work abound. The environment is considered “the third teacher” in Reggio schools, and design and use of the space is meant to encourage communication and relationship, provoking interaction.

Current parents confirm the school’s appeal. New parent Kathe Mazur toured when her son was 9-months old. Applying early doesn’t help—annual applications are reviewed together. Mazur says an initial rejection letter from Heimann was so kind, she thanked her for it—and was eventually invited to join the program.  Mazur noted that Heimann’s talk to the parents was educational and inspiring, and importantly, unpretentious.

Mary Leigh Cherry found the school walking past it. “The joke with my friends was that it was like getting into Harvard. I fully believe that these early years are so important for building their foundation for interacting with the world.”  

As the group prepared to leave, each took a flier on the Fundamentals of the Reggio Approach, and the all-important yellow application card.  Heimann thanked them warmly for coming, encouraged them to apply, and reminded them that they will get letters one way or the other in March.