2725 Abbot Kinney Blvd #309
Venice, CA 90291

Venice High has been recently remodeled and many buildings and the track/gym are new. The school has many programs that students can participate in. There are two magnet programs as well. There are clubs and many sports. This is our local school and it’s diverse and seems to be improving every year. We chose the Global Studies and Language magnet to study a language for four years. Staff have been great when needing to communicate.

Coeur d'Alene is a gem of a school. Despite it being part of the 2nd largest school district in the country (LAUSD), it feels like an actual community because for the majority of the families, it is their local public elementary. Many families walk, scoot, bike to school and there's even a local bus dedicated to the Marina del Rey area. When we walk around our neighborhood in MDR, we run into so many classmates. Play dates are a 3 min walk away. It also feels like a community because it's a small and intimate setting where students, teachers, staff, and parents thrive. If you want to be involved as a parent, you are welcomed with open arms and you can make an immediate impact by volunteering in the class, with fundraising, beautification, enrichment... if you care about it, you can shape it. We have had such exceptional teachers and enjoy a wonderful learning environment. This is our principal's first year and she's hit the ground running, doing more for the school in ~7 months than her predecessors have done in years. She's a seasoned administrator who is working to hold everyone - teachers, staff, parents, students - accountable, while making sure the kids stay engaged. The school has tours once a month on Tuesdays, and the principal is now offering Saturday tours for parents who can't make workday tours. She is working to meet parents where they are - so take a tour so you can see for yourself. To our family, it felt like home after the first semester. The friends my kid is making, and the friends I am making by being an involved parent, are lifelong!

Next year will be our fifth school year at Mark Twain! Our oldest daughter went through Mark Twain and is currently in Venice HS, and our youngest will be starting 7th grade. We've loved this school and feel extremely lucky that this school is down the street from us. Our older daughter that culminated from Mark Twain last year actually misses it and her Mark Twain teachers. She had some outstanding, talented teachers that made an impact on her, and she felt really challenged academically in the IHP program. Every year that we've been at the school, it has gotten better in terms of the communication from the administration to the families, the ease in navigating the website, the new and fun events that are hosted at the school (school dance and movie nights), clubs (Science Olympiad or tennis clinic) and the garden education program! More and more families from the neighborhood are opting to go to Mark Twain instead of other schools, including private school. Back in 2020, it was easy to get into the school through the Magnet program if you were out of the school boundaries - but now so many families from all over are trying to get in however they can so it's gotten much harder and the school has reached capacity. That definitely says something about the reputation of the school. I'm a super active parent at Mark Twain and always feel welcome to help at the school. Dr. Ford, the principal, is super approachable with any new ideas parents might have. For example, the Spring dance, movie nights and tennis clinics were all ideas that parents wanted to bring to the school and have made happen. Dr. Ford welcomes all parents to attend her monthly "Tea and Me" event she hosts in the library for parents that have issues or questions. My advice for incoming families is to get involved and have their students participate in after school sports (also a program some very amazing parents helped bring to the school years ago - and current parents still help organize) or clubs if they can! It makes it a much more enjoyable experience.