Back to School Guide - 2026

A SPECIAL SECTION FROM MIRROR MEDIA GROUP

FREE FAMILY GUIDE

WESTSIDE

BACK TO SCHOOL A SPECIAL SECTION FROM MIRROR MEDIA GROUP

FREE FAMILY GUIDE

WESTSIDE 2026

BACK TO SCHOOL Backpacks, class lists, and first-day2026 feels — your Westside family’s guide to the new school year.

Backpacks, class lists, and first-day feels — your Westside family’s guide to the new school year.

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BROUGHT TO YOU BY YOUR LOCAL WESTSIDE PAPERS

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BACK TO SCHOOL 2026

August 2026

School of Rock: Back-to-School Enrollment Begins Former School of Rock student Jade Fink has taken music to a professional level after aging-out of the program and enrolling into USC Thornton School of Music. Now, she’s a touring bassist, exploring music as a career and living her dream.

While attending School of Rock, Fink said music gave her a sense of belonging, community and friendships, and for music to become a full-fledged career has been rewarding.

In a recent podcast interview, Fink shared her musical journey that started with School of Rock and said, “I didn’t always know that it was attainable, but being able to follow that dream and make it a reality is absolutely priceless to me.”

For Salmons, who has been a general manager for 15 years, seeing former students move into professional music experiences is exciting, but also, a testament to the foundation of the program.

“Students aren’t competing with each other in our program. They are collaborating, working with each other and one-on-one with instructors to become the best musicians they can be,” Salmons says. “There’s nothing like standing on stage with someone that you met when they were 9 or 10, and watching them

West LA RecordBreaking Camp Season Nears End August signifies the end of summer for most kids, but the music doesn’t stop at School of Rock.

School of Rock is a performance-based music education program with several locations across Los Angeles. The program combines one-on-one instruction with group rehearsals, helping students — as young as 4 years old — develop musical proficiency and essential life skills.

Two schools in Los Angeles — Venice and West LA — saw record-breaking attendance this summer, partly due to a paralleled restructuring of the camp programs. The change allowed a child, who might have been picking up an instrument for the first

time, to attend camp the same week as a more experienced sibling or friend while receiving instruction appropriate for their ability.

Combined, nearly 250 students have spent the summer honing instrumental skills and learning music theory and technique in a highly supported, confidence-building environment.

“We’ve had more kids getting their first musical experience at School of Rock in a summer camp between our two schools this summer than ever before,” says Justin Salmons, School of Rock West LA’s general manager. “This has been our biggest season yet, so we’re super excited to see so many kids coming through, curious about music and finding passion for it.”

“We’ve been able to really meet every single camper where they are and provide an awesome musical experience,” Salmons says.

LONG-TERM IMPACT

become not only amazing musicians, but amazing young adults.”

This year, School of Rock Venice celebrates its 11th year in business while West LA celebrates its 16th anniversary in December.

YEAR-ROUND PROGRAMMING School of Rock operates year round.

New and returning students are invited to join School of Rock’s upcoming fall and winter season that runs roughly September through January.

Venice students will explore Closing Time and Stadium Anthems, Midwest Emo, Jam Bands, Progressive Rock and Green Day’s American Idiot. West LA will explore Grunge, Paramore, Southern Rock, Garage Blues and Yacht Rock.

School of Rock’s tiers of programming include Little Wing, for ages 4 to 5; Rookies, for ages 6 to 7; Rock 101, for ages 8 to 13; and Performance, for ages 8 to 18, in addition to AllStars, Songwriting and adult programming.

To learn more, visit https://www. schoolofrock.com/locations/westla or https://www.schoolofrock.com/locations/ venice.

August 2026

BACK TO SCHOOL 2026

A New Chapter Begins AN EXCEPTIONAL EDUCATION AWAITS

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August 2026

Beyond the Bell: Why After-School Activities and Sports Are Vital for Kids When the school bell rings, the learning shouldn’t stop. For many children, the hours between school and home are an opportunity for growth, exploration, and development. Afterschool programs, including sports clubs, arts initiatives, and academic groups, are not merely childcare solutions; they are essential environments for building the foundation of a healthy, successful life.

The Power of Holistic Development After-school activities provide a structured, supportive setting that complements traditional classroom learning. They focus on the ‘whole child,’ nurturing aspects of development that are equally crucial for success: 1.

Building Social Intelligence: Sports teams, drama clubs, and student government groups provide invaluable practice in social interaction. Children learn how to collaborate, negotiate conflicts, lead effectively, and resolve differences. This social literacy is paramount in adulthood, forming the basis of healthy relationships and effective workplace collaboration.

Participation helps kids understand that their contribution matters, fostering a sense of belonging.

2. Boosting Academic Achievement: While it might seem counterintuitive,

structured activities often lead to better classroom performance.

Programs that align with academic interests (like robotics or chess clubs) reinforce classroom concepts. More broadly, the discipline, concentration, and problem-solving skills learned through challenging hobbies—like mastering a musical instrument or strategic thinking in soccer—directly translate to improved focus and analytical thinking in academia.

Many studies show that participants are less likely to experience academic failure.

3.

Enhancing Physical and Emotional Health: Sports clubs and dance groups combat sedentary lifestyles, reducing the risk of chronic diseases. Physical exertion releases endorphins, improving mood and reducing stress. Beyond the physical, after-school activities provide a crucial emotional outlet. For a child navigating the complex pressures of adolescence, a supportive group environment can offer a safe space to manage stress and build resilience.

4. Fostering Character and Self-Esteem: Overcoming challenges on the field or mastering a difficult piece of music builds confidence. Succeeding after failure (e.g., scoring a goal after missing many) teaches a growth mindset—

that persistence and effort are keys to improvement. These experiences build essential character traits like dedication, empathy, and integrity.

Conclusion: An Investment in Potential After-school programs are far more than extracurriculars; they are incubators for potential. By offering diverse avenues for personal expression and skill acquisition, we equip children with the resilience, creativity, and empathy they need to thrive in an increasingly complex world.

When we invest in these activities, we are investing in happier, healthier,

and more capable future generations.

Understanding the Dimensions of After-School Impact This graphic illustrates the holistic structure of an after-school environment, showcasing the four essential development pillars that structure the experience of a typical participant.

Each pillar contributes to a central core of ‘Positive Youth Development,’ demonstrating that the environment created by the program is just as critical as the specific skills learned.

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August 2026

BACK TO SCHOOL 2026

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BACK TO SCHOOL 2026

August 2026

ASTEME Academy Inspires Children to Love Learning As students prepare to return to the classroom, ASTEME Academy is excited to continue sharing its mission this upcoming school year: to inspire kids to love learning.

ASTEME Academy is a progressive school where academic learning is combined with student choice, socialemotional development and opportunities for children to discover their interests.

The school features project-based STEM curriculum, whole-child and social emotional learning focus and partnership with parents.

Serving students from transitional kindergarten through eighth grade, ASTEME Academy believes when children truly love learning, they become lifelong learners, creative thinkers and

compassionate problem solvers.

Three conditions must be met for this to happen: • First, students must feel confident.

A child who feels seen, valued and supported is a child who is ready to learn.

• Second, students must be empowered to explore their passions. Giving students ownership over their learning nurtures intrinsic motivation and confidence.

The academy’s curriculum is designed to cast a wide net — offering space to dive deeply into what excites them while introducing new areas of curiosity.

• Third, students must understand why they are learning what they learn.

Relevance transforms engagement.

ASTEME connects every lesson to the real world so students see meaning and purpose in their studies.

Alongside core academic classes, students pursue passion projects, teach peers about subjects they care about and explore new interests through electives.

ASTEME offers a choice of more than 60 electives each semester. Individual students can take seven different electives per semester and parents may choose to get involved and teach subject matter important to them.

With an average student-to-teacher ratio of 8-to-1, the school emphasizes

individualized learning and encourages students to become active participants in their education: gaining the confidence to ask questions, make mistakes and advocate for themselves.

Cultivating curious, confident and compassionate humans who think independently is central to ASTEME Academy. Throughout the school year, students are encouraged to provide feedback, respectfully disagree with adults and speak up when they need additional help or more challenging work.

“Part of being progressive is letting the kids take the lead, actually helping them find their voices,” says Allan Yu, head of school. “We do academics really well,

but also do the social-emotional learning piece really well because we believe it’s just as important, if not more important.”

As technology, artificial intelligence and the workforce continue to evolve, Allan Yu, the founder of ASTEME, believes skills such as critical thinking, collaboration and self-advocacy are becoming increasingly important.

These skills learned at a young age will help students flourish in their academic and life pursuits as they transition to high school and beyond.

ASTEME is located at 1651 Westwood Boulevard in Los Angeles. To learn more about ASTEME Academy, visit asteme. com.

NOW ENROLLING TK - KINDERGARTEN Where curiosity blooms and a love of learning begins

Scan to join us for a virtual open house E ACADEMY ASTEM

August 2026

BACK TO SCHOOL 2026

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Westside Waldorf School Honors Childhood Through Nurture, Grow, Become Approach Children who are fully children become adults who are most fully themselves.

That’s the driving value behind Westside Waldorf School, an independent, non-profit private school in Santa Monica that serves children from parent-child programs through eighth grade.

“We honor the fact that children need to have safe spaces within which they can experience a lot of freedom to know themselves fully,” says Anjum Mir, school co-director, and early childhood educator.

Westside Waldorf School has rigorous academic benchmarks that transfer beautifully to high school and it is equally committed to preparing children for long-term success by teaching them how to learn and by nurturing the inner life they will carry into every classroom and challenge beyond.

To balance academics, the school emphasizes play, movement,

creativity, nature, and meaningful human relationships in a screen-free environment.

During an interdisciplinary main lesson in Westside Waldorf School’s grades program, students reinforce math, science, and history lessons by moving, drawing, singing, and speaking, in addition to reading and writing. Students also study Mandarin and Spanish and participate in music, movement, woodworking, handwork, and other practical and artistic subjects.

The school has an intentional approach to media and technology use. Students remain screen-free through seventh grade. To prepare them for limited and appropriate use of screens as a learning tool, they begin a cyber civics course in media literacy starting in fifth grade. The school has media guidelines to support parents with an age-appropriate and healthy screen culture in their homes.

Westside Waldorf School’s goal in limited screentime is not to reject technology, but to help children first strengthen capacities that are distinctly human, including compassion, understanding, creativity and discernment, before introducing technology as a tool for human

betterment.

Westside Waldorf School’s hands-on, multidimensional approach to learning allows students to lead with curiosity, presence and wonder, and find meaning in what’s difficult. These capacities, the school believes, develop slowly, steadily and irreversibly when childhood is given the time and space it requires.

“We want children to understand their humanness,” Anjum says. “The things that students carry forward are not the facts and the figures. They are the impressions of the human beings that held them.”

Formerly located in the Palisades, Westside Waldorf School’s grades campus and the full early childhood campus are now both located in Santa Monica. Families who once traveled between Santa Monica and the Palisades can now reach both campuses within minutes.

Parents find their children who are enrolled at Westside Waldorf School to be exceptionally excited for school as they learn at a developmentally appropriate pace.

“We don’t give them anything before they are ready for it,” Anjum says. “And when they are ready for it, they just soak

it in.”

The best way for parents to understand Westside Waldorf School is to visit and experience its nature-centric campus.

“We talk a lot about what we do, but to actually come on a tour and experience it and see what learning in this way can look like, is really important,” Anjum says.

To schedule a tour or learn more, visit https://westsidewaldorf.org/visit.

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BACK TO SCHOOL 2026

August 2026

Nurture, Grow, Become.

Three developmental phases.

One continuous journey.

Readiness starts early. Experience where it begins, firsthand.

Schedule a tour at westsidewaldorf.org/visit or call (310) 454.7064.

Early Childhood Campus 1439 15th Street, Santa Monica Elementary & Middle School Campus 2601 Colorado Avenue, Santa Monica