Welcome to Lunada Bay Elementary School, home of the Dolphins!

Lunada Bay Elementary is beautifully situated on the coast of the Pacific Ocean above the bay for which it was named. Built in 1957, the school has been the heart of the Lunada Bay community in Palos Verdes Estates for over fifty years. Lunada Bay Elementary is successful because of excellence in teaching, powerful parent support, implementation of technology that supports and extends learning, and an outstanding arts program.

All schools in Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District are highly successful academically, as is Lunada Bay due to a highly qualified staff that continually focuses on improvement of craft and the changing needs of today’s learner. Beginning in kindergarten, children are instructed and continually assessed formally and informally to determine the appropriate supports and/or extensions necessary for continued success with appropriate challenge. As students proceed into primary and intermediate grades, programs that address California State Standards and the incoming Common Core Standards are evaluated and the onus of responsibility shifts from the teacher to the learner through a stimulating environment that focuses on differentiation, intervention, and inclusion of our visual and performing arts program. Integration of technology is carefully planned and evaluated to determine effectiveness and efficacy that goes beyond novelty. All changes in delivery of instruction and integration of technology are shared with parents to maintain transparency and continue the open and trusting partnerships with families that ensure our students are highly successful and confident.

As early as 2000, Lunada Bay was prescient in its approach to instruction and learning. Utilizing experts from UCLA’s University Elementary School, administration and staff examined the processes and initial skills necessary for moving students into the 21^st Century. Pedagogy was examined to address a need to change from information provider, “sage on the stage,” to learning facilitator. This vision into the future included, and continues to include, integration of technology as a tool to facilitate learning. Lunada Bay Elementary, though quaintly nostalgic on the outside, uses SMARTBoard® technology in every classroom. A minimum of four desktop computers and six iPads® are used in every classroom and laptops can be checked out and used as needed. A thirty-eight-station computer lab is currently under construction. Our library houses Mac and PC computer stations and a complete science lab is available for hands-on experiences for all students.

Parents of Lunada Bay students have high expectations for their children and the school that educates them. Parents and teachers mutually respect one another’s interests and expertise, ensuring that the best interest of students is the cornerstone for all programs and pedagogy at Lunada Bay. The Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) is critical to the continued success of the school, and parents at Lunada Bay contribute generously of their time and resources.

Lunada Bay offers an extensive fine arts program that supplements vocal and instrumental music programs and Art at Your Fingertips provided by the Palos Verdes Arts Center. Each year, students in every grade study for twelve weeks with a professional, working artist from the Los Angeles area. This experience fosters teamwork, promotes brain connectivity, and increases self-esteem while exposing students to a wide variety of visual and performing arts.