Where Body, Mind and Imagination Thrive.
Growing Confident Minds. Building Brighter Futures.
An exceptional elementary education rooted in academic excellence, creativity, self-esteem and the development of the whole child.
Five decades of the Escuela legacy, founded by educator Dr. Sandra Roussell.
Escuela is a family in which each child is seen as having a seed of unlimited potential.
An Education That Goes Beyond the Classroom.
Children can be and do more than is commonly accepted. That belief led Dr. Sandra Roussell to create the Escuela Method: a comprehensive curriculum that brings proven techniques together to meet the needs of the whole child.
Today Escuela Plus is a private TK–5 school in Baldwin Hills, known for rigorous academics, intimate class sizes and an unwavering commitment to educating the whole child, under Head of School Christiane (Chrissy) Roussell Willis, Esq.
- Academic developmentAn accelerated, proven core curriculum
- Emotional growthChildren who feel seen, supported and safe
- CreativityCreative expression as a core value
- ConfidencePraise for real effort and accomplishment
- CharacterMoral responsibility and a code of basic ethics
- ImaginationCuriosity fostered in every grade
More Than Education. A Foundation for Life.
“You can be intelligent. You can ace test scores. You can even have sound critical thinking skills, but if you lack self-esteem, your progress from youth to old age will stall.”
Dr. Sandra Roussell, Founder
Mind
A proven, accelerated academic curriculum built on rigor and critical thinking.
Body
Engaging the whole person: healthy, active children who carry themselves with poise.
Imagination
Creative expression and cultural exposure that let curiosity lead the way.
Self-Esteem
Feeling capable of meeting or exceeding life’s daily challenges, and worthy of happiness. It is woven into every part of the curriculum: children learn a sense of agency, receive praise for self-effort, and are held to a code of basic ethics.
Our eight core values
At the heart of the school’s success.
An Environment Where Every Child Can Thrive.
Nearly everyone who visits Escuela Plus immediately notices the familial atmosphere, and our core curriculum serves as the foundation for each child’s future.
Every child is truly seen.
Small classes let teachers personalize learning and build meaningful relationships.
Academic Excellence
An intentionally advanced curriculum, typically one to two years above grade level.
Whole-Child Development
Growth that is academic, ethical, social and emotional, never one at the expense of another.
Creativity & Imagination
Creative expression and cultural exposure are core values in every grade.
Confidence & Self-Esteem
The cornerstone of the Escuela philosophy, practiced by every staff member, every day.
Supportive School Community
The feeling of family is authentic. Each student becomes part of our extended family.
Learning That Grows With Them.
From first phonics to the Fifth Grade Science Fair, each year builds deliberately on the last. Choose a grade to see what your child will learn.
Transitional Kindergarten & Kindergarten
Children learn to handle a full day away from home, relate kindly to peers, and speak clearly in complete sentences, while building the foundations of reading and math.
Language & literacy
Phonics and reading readiness, sentence structure and punctuation, neat letter formation, and sharing ideas about stories read aloud.
Mathematics
An introduction to basic addition and subtraction.
Science & social studies
Seasons, the five senses, plants, animal families, dinosaurs and the planets; nature walks and a class garden; the 50 states and the four directions.
Character & communication
Good etiquette, positive interaction with others and sharing relationships with classmates.
First Grade
Students learn to work both in cooperative groups and independently, and begin speaking with confidence in front of their class.
Language & literacy
Rhyming words, long and short vowels, meaning from context, sentence structure and paragraph writing.
Mathematics
Mastery of addition and subtraction, counting by 2s, 5s and 10s to 100, place value through 99, and halves, thirds and fourths.
Science & social studies
Animals, plants, weather and the human body; community safety, government and simple geography.
Speech
Clear pronunciation, oral reports and poetry recitation.
Second Grade
Skills become fluent. Students take notes from the board, read aloud with expression and begin writing in cursive.
Language & literacy
Capitals and punctuation in dictation, parts of speech, book reports, and composing paragraphs and stories.
Mathematics
Fluent addition and subtraction, rounding and estimating, telling time, and division with remainders.
Science & social studies
Animal life cycles and habitats, measuring matter, and basic U.S. history and world geography.
Character
Getting along with classmates, recognizing their own strong work, and knowing right from wrong.
Third Grade
Critical thinking deepens through myths, fables, speeches and biographies, and students give oral presentations to classmates and larger groups.
Language & literacy
Parts of speech and sentence structure; stories, essays, poems and analyses.
Mathematics
Multiplication facts from memory, beginning long division, mental two-digit math, equations, graphs, basic geometry and unit conversions.
Science & social studies
Ecosystems, human health and body systems; geography, the California missions and ancient civilizations.
Speech
Presenting with expression and gesture to the class and larger audiences.
Fourth Grade
Students research topics, write through the full writing process and begin preparing for algebra.
Language & literacy
Advanced parts of speech, bibliographies, research, and stories, journals, essays and poems; wide reading across fiction, nonfiction, poetry, drama and biography.
Mathematics
Multi-digit multiplication and division, geometry, area and perimeter, simple fractions and decimals, unit conversions and algebra readiness.
Science & history
Experiments that connect theory to everyday life; history from ancient civilizations through the Cold War.
Speech
Oral presentations to peers and larger audiences.
Fifth Grade
The capstone year. Students present from the front of the room, resolve conflicts through logic, and leave ready for competitive secondary schools.
Language & literacy
Sentence diagramming, outlines, letters, journal entries and essays, and the mandatory Poetry Contest.
Mathematics
Exponents, fractions and decimals in all operations, proportion, check writing, and perimeter, area, radius and diameter.
Science Fair
A model, an experiment and a written research report connecting theory to the real world.
History
Ancient Greece and Rome, U.S. history from the colonies through World War II and the Civil Rights Movement, the first five amendments, and a mythology project.
Where Every Day Is an Opportunity to Grow.
Children learn best in an atmosphere of respect, kindness and high expectations. Here is what that looks like across the school year.
Classmates in the classroomScience & discovery
From nature walks and a class garden in TK to the Fifth Grade Science Fair, with a model, an experiment and a research report.
Poetry & public speaking
Oral reports begin in First Grade and build to the Fifth Grade Poetry Contest.
Arts, music & movement
Creative expression is one of our eight core values, nurtured alongside academics.
School events
Families from five decades gathered for the sold-out Legacy & Leadership Reception.
@escuelapluselementary
See everyday life at Escuela Plus on Instagram.
Preparing Students for What Comes Next.
What happens after graduation is one of the first questions to ask of any elementary school. Here is our published answer, with its conditions stated plainly.
of qualifying Escuela graduates since 1973 were admitted to the city’s and country’s highest-ranking secondary schools.
Published by Escuela Plus Elementary. The figure covers only graduates who met all three conditions listed here. It does not describe every student.
A proven, accelerated academic curriculum
An emphasis on self-esteem
A supportive, familial atmosphere
Trusted by Families. Remembered for a Lifetime.
Escuela Plus provides an exceptional educational experience for its students. Dr. Sandra Roussell, the Head of School, is one of the nation’s leading experts in the Montessori method…
Your Child’s Next Chapter Starts Here.
We are delighted you are considering Escuela Plus. Admissions are rolling: applications are considered throughout the year for the following school year, based on availability.
- 1
Meet the Head of School
A prospective parent meeting with Head of School Chrissy Roussell Willis, Esq., to learn about our philosophy, curriculum and community.
All families - 2
Schedule a Student Visit
Your child spends a morning with the class at the grade level they are seeking to enter.
All applicants - 3
Complete the Required Assessment
Applicants to Kindergarten and above complete an entrance exam, scheduled through the school office.
Kindergarten – Grade 5 - 4
Continue With Enrollment
The school office follows up with your family on next steps and enrollment.
Final step
Plan your campus visit
Request a prospective parent meeting with the Head of School. We look forward to getting to know your family.
A day at Escuela Plus
Hours as published by the school.
| Academic day | 9:00 am – 3:00 pm |
|---|---|
| Before-school care | 7:30 – 8:30 am |
| After-school care, Mon – Thu | 3:30 – 6:00 pm |
| After-school care, Fri | 3:30 – 5:00 pm |
Morning visits and entrance exams begin the week of January 18, 2027.
Connected by Learning. United by Community.
Five decades of families, alumni and educators, and a community that keeps growing together.
Summer ProgramA summer that keeps them growing.
Engaging learning with the rigor and high expectations of the Escuela Plus experience, in a supportive setting where every child is met where they are.
- Academic enrichmentSpelling, reading, phonics, math, science and social studies
- Arts & musicArt, music and dance with specialist teachers
- Physical activitiesPhysical education and yoga
- Student experiencesSpanish, field trips and on-campus events
Open to students entering TK (from age 4½) through Grade 5. Children do not need to attend Escuela Plus during the school year. Specialist classes are subject to change; see the program page for current dates and tuition.
Explore Summer SunsplashCome Experience the Escuela Difference.
Discover an environment where curiosity is encouraged, confidence is nurtured and every child has the opportunity to thrive.
campusvisits@escuela.plus · 3740 Don Felipe Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90008