Donald M. Cleland A History of the Santa Monica Schools 1876-1951, Santa Monica Unified School District, February 1952 (Copied for the Santa Monica Library, July 22, 1963). 140 pp., 1951, 1950s, 1922, 1915, 1907, 1903
Currently, Washington School has an average enrollment of nearly 420 children from kindergarten to grade six. There is a faculty of fifteen including a full-time principal and remedial teacher. The school is to have a new cafeteria-auditorium building from the bond funds voted in 1950. This addition should complete the facilities of the school, and as there is limited space available, the growth of the school is restricted to its present site. [51. From Personal Interview with Sadie Jenkens (secretary to the Superintendent of Schools since 1921), May 2, 1951; Santa Monica.] pp. 48-52,
Summary
Thus by the beginning of the twentieth century, the scope of the Santa Monica schools had encompassed the full twelve grades. The board of trustees and the patrons of the district had been able to provide adequately for all the children who desired to attend the schools. The original Santa Monica School had had so many changes due to the early growth of the community, that the original section was hardly recognizable to the very early pioneers. From a humble beginning in two rooms, it had virtually burst at the seams on subsequent occasions so that at one time four rooms were added in one wing and later another wing, containing two rooms, was built.
As the town continued to grow and little children, especially, were required to walk long distances to school, the parents petitioned the board for the establishment of small schools in outlying area. In turn, the board had established the South Side School in Ocean Park, the Canyon School in Santa Monica Canyon, the Calabasas School and the Garripatas Canyon School. As new schools were added, they were established first in rented buildings and, as the need became apparent, the board purchased property and erected permanent buildings thereon. Almost identical one-room schoolhouses were built in the South Side and Canyon areas. The original Canyon schoolhouse is still in use as part of the present school, now associated with the Los Angeles City Schools.
The South Side School is the only one remaining of these early schools operating as an elementary school in Santa Monica. In 1904, the name of the school was changed to the Washington School. The school still serves the Ocean Park area and provides for kindergarten and grades one to six. The building, then an eight-room structure, was destroyed by fire in 1908, but was rebuilt as a twelve-room school. This, in turn, was seriously damaged during the earthquake of 1933, so that again, in 1934, it was rebuilt with a new four-room primary unit and modern upper grade rooms. It continues as a fourteen-room unit today. p. 55
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It is perhaps worthy of mention that Nettie Rice has served the Santa Monica City Schools for a longer period of time than has any other teacher in the system. First employed by the Board in 1903, she was assigned to teach second grade in the South Side School. After four years in this position, she was appointed principal of the Garfield School, in which capacity she served from 1907 until 1922. From 1922, when she returned to the classroom until her retirement in 1951, Miss Rice was a teacher in the Lincoln Junior High School. [56. Pearl, op. cit., p. 34.] Her devotion to her work and her selfless service to both her day and evening classes have won for her the admiration and esteem of the entire community.
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Since June 1951, driver education has become a requirement for graduating [from Santa Monica Schools] and must be taken by all student in the junior and senior years. [69. Student's Manual, p. 10.]
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More recently classes in many other areas have been added to the adult education program at the request of individuals in the community. Some of these are upholstering, jewelry making, driver education, minerals and gems, public speaking, hooked rug making, and wood carving. The adult education program offers classes in orchestra, civic opera, community chorus, civic band, and vocational orchestra. [58. Bulletin of Information and Announcement of Courses, 1950-51, Santa Monica: Santa Monica City College, 1951, pp. 74-77.]
Over a period of years many adults have enrolled in one course of a recreational or semi-vocational nature, only to become interested in more academic subjects and to pursue those until they have completed the requirements for a high school diploma. Moreover, within the last four years the adult education program has approved courses leading to graduation with an associate of arts degree from Santa Monica City College. [59. Ibid., p. 77.]