(Photo courtesy of Chatsworth Hills Academy)

Applications open for 2019-20 school year

CREATIVE thinkers. Active learners. Global citizens. 

These are a few ways to describe the students — and future leaders — at Chatsworth Hills Academy (CHA) in Chatsworth, California. 

Nestled amongst the natural scenery of the San Fernando Valley, CHA was founded in 1977 and is the only school in the area offering the prestigious International Baccalaureate (IB) program for students in Preschool through 8th grade. 

The institution is one of 617 schools in the United States to provide this rigorous, challenging and unique program of education in its Primary Years Programme (PYP) serving children ages 3 to 12.

Numerous studies throughout the years have illustrated the benefits of going through an IB program, which include independent thinking, cultural awareness through bilingualism, high performance on assessments, and effective communication and collaboration with peers.

From day one, small classes, close teacher-student relationships, and state-of-the-art technology are the standards upheld at CHA to foster an educational environment where students are encouraged to explore, create and have the freedom to excel.

“Our next generation of leaders will need a constantly changing set of skills and intellectual creativity to confront the many challenges that they will face. In order to prepare our students for a rapidly changing global environment, CHA blends academic excellence with a richness of opportunity outside of the classroom. Students develop the skills and acquire the knowledge to confront issues from many perspectives and solve problems creatively,” Head of School Hans Peter Metzger said. 

“Learning by doing” is one of the methods CHA uses to keep students engaged and apply their classroom lessons to real-life scenarios. 

An example of a unit of inquiry that fourth-grade students participate in is one wherein they become entrepreneurs and take a full-fledged business approach to start their own toy company, develop a product, gain launch approval from the “Board,” and actively sell it at a “trade show.”

But beyond the classroom, the Tribes Learning Community program ensures that CHA students develop the foundations of good citizenship and ethical decision-making to contribute to the school community and greater society.

CHA has 5 out of 5 stars on greatschools.org, and families have remarked how their children have grown and developed while at the school. 

One parent writes, “Our family has been part of the CHA family for 11 years now. Our children have each had many years of great experiences here that they would undoubtedly not receive anywhere else. The community of CHA is a wonderful place not only for the students, who have the opportunity to know pretty much every student and all of the faculty, but for the families and extended families as well. This is how the community aspect comes to be. There are opportunities for parents to be included and involved in their children’s educational journeys, as well as in other aspects of volunteering-with respect, consideration and value of everyone’s time. It’s a place unlike any other.”

CHA is now accepting applications for the 2019-20 school year, which can be accessed on its website (www.chaschool.org). A tour of the school is highly recommended and can be scheduled to witness a world-class education in your own backyard. 

Chatsworth Hills Academy is located at 21523 Rinaldi Street, Chatsworth, CA 91311. To learn more, visit www.chaschool.org. To schedule a tour, please email  [email protected] or call (818) 988-4037. (AJPress)