SCHOOL PROGRAMS

 

ARTS Program

Clover is fortunate to have been selected to participate in the Diestrict's Arts Program.  Visual arts, theater, and dance are provided to thirteen classrooms throughout the school year.  Expert  teachers provide high quality  grade level standard based instructiion in their area of speciality.

CLOVER’S GARDENS
Clover is fortunate to have many gardens around our campus. We believe that greenery provides not only a healthier environment physically by continuing the water and oxygen cycles of life, but it can also lend a calming, gentle respite from the sometimes rigorous challenges of book-learning. We believe  our garden and eco-pond project not only helps beautify our comapus, but also enhances our interactions with the sutdents and provides opportunities to incorporate the garden with our curriculum.

Traditional “Planting” Garden – Dedicated Many Years Ago
Over the years, Clover has used the main gardens for many purposes. At times we have had a Friday afternoon garden club, and children help plant, water, weed and maintain the gardens. At other times, each first grade class has adopted an area of the garden and taken full responsibility for choosing the plants, helping them to thrive, and always being on the alert for intruders (weeds and pests). At the end of the school year, the first grade usually has its Garden Party near the main gardens in celebration of spring and the amazing growth that our children have experienced in first grade.

Butterfly Garden - Dedicated Spring 2000
Thanks to a grant from the “Gardens for Kids L.A.” program, Clover was chosen as one of twenty-five schools to receive a grant and participate in this City-sponsored program. Our kindergarten classes enjoy watching the caterpillars make their chrysalids in the spring and then wait patiently (well, as patiently as kindergarteners can wait) for the transformation from caterpillar to butterfly. It’s a superb mix of science, nature, and beauty combined to make the learning experience at Clover a memory for a lifetime.

Literacy Garden - Dedicated May 2004
This tranquil space, enlivened by whimsical statuary and lush plantings representing a variety of works in children's literature, is destined to become a favorite retreat for our school community. The Wonder of Reading, a non-profit organization that supports libraries at elementary schools throughout Southern California, awarded Clover Avenue School the literacy grant that made this garden a reality. The back wall of the garden, rather than just a cold block wall, is a colorful collage of tiles hand-painted over the years by our Clover parents, students, teachers and staff. The collage keeps growing more beautiful every year. 
            
Eco-Pond - Finalized May 2005
Thanks to a grant from the Anne and Kirk Douglas Foundation, Clover has an eco-pond.                                                    

Native Plant Walkway – Replanted May 2006
Also thanks to a grant from the Ann and Kirk Douglas Foundation, Clover’s native plant walkway is undergoing a transformation. The plantings in this garden will reflect plants requiring limited watering which are native to Southern California.                                                                                                                                                                                                 
Trees, Trees and More Trees
Clover is fortunate to have the support of Tree People to help us maintain the many trees on the perimeter of our yard.   As the trees mature, we can look forward to enjoying more shady areas around the campus, and more shade to naturally cool our classroom bungalows.