El Rancho School is a private, coeducational preschool through sixth grade founded in 1965. The park-like campus is located in a residential area of Carmichael at the eastern end of El Camino Avenue. Towering trees shade the play areas, the blacktop, lawns, and colorful flowerbeds. Many of the classrooms are adobe brick buildings in the style of the California missions.
At El Rancho School safety and security are paramount. The campus is fenced and gated, with closed-circuit video surveillance surrounding the school. A sign-out system for releasing children is supplemented with picture identification required for persons who the staff does not recognize.
We have wonderful teachers who gently guide and teach your child. We understand the personal qualities that a teacher brings to the profession are what determine if your child has a happy day at school. Only truly outstanding, tenderhearted, affectionate, patient, and gentle teachers are on the El Rancho staff. Teachers with special skills are used to supplement the program. They teach Spanish, P.E., music, gymnastics, art appreciation, and dance.
Preschool children are placed in classes according to their maturity and readiness skills, not their chronological age. Preschool children enjoy all the traditional activities including “dress-up”, playing in the playhouse, music, and art. The program is a blend of self-selection play activities and a carefully planned child development program that enhances the intellectual, social, emotional, and physical development of the child. Children are taught colors, shapes, number and letter recognition, letter sounds, and math concepts, like time, money, and addition. The children have many activities that aid in developing their fine and gross motor skills. It is unusual for children to learn to read in preschool. The students at El Rancho are introduced to phonics early, and by the time they have completed the pre-kindergarten, they are sounding out words, and have read their first books.
Our enrollment process includes a 2-hour visit for the child and parent. We cannot enroll children whose behavior on their visit includes swearing, running away, kicking, hitting, or disrespectful or hurtful behavior to others. El Rancho School is a place where parents are comforted to know that their child is playing with children who are not mean or hurtful to others.
Our kindergarten is a full-day program. The morning is spent focused on reading groups, phonics, writing, and math. The afternoons include read-aloud story time, science enrichment, physical education, character development, art, social studies, and free choice activities. With gentle, dynamic teachers, Park-like Elementary School in Carmichael, CA. an instructional program that works, and a parental reading partner at every child’s home, the kindergarten SAT10 reading test scores over the last 14 years have averaged the 97th percentile. In addition, the children have half-hour lessons by specialized teachers in art and Spanish.
The elementary school operates during a traditional school year. We offer before and after-school care as well as a summer camp session. The academic curriculum has a heavy language arts emphasis. We understand that students like school and learn best when their classwork is neither too easy nor too difficult. There are usually three levels of reading instruction being taught in each classroom. Students develop at their own pace, which prevents frustration or boredom. With class sizes averaging 15 students, the teachers and aides have plenty of time to individualize instruction and assist all students. Average SAT10 reading scores are the 91st percentile in Reading and the 87th in math.
By the time students are picked up after school, most of them have completed their homework. Our families report that the teacher-supervised study hall after school has enhanced their family time in the evenings. Many of our students participate in after-school activities on campus like private music lessons, playground play, choir class, dance lessons, or scouts.
The first through sixth-grade summer camp session is a blend of relaxed academics and fun thematic activities, taught by credentialed teachers. The one and two-week camps follow ‘fun’ themes, sports and recreational activities, and swim lessons. The first two weeks and the last week of the summer session do not include an academic component.
Every grade is important in your child’s education because each year’s skills build on the skills and concepts taught in the previous years. For over 50 years, El Rancho Elementary School has earned a reputation for developing high-achieving students who have a love of learning and books.
El Rancho School families are a diverse group of socio-economic, ethnic, cultural, religious, and racial groups, and all are welcome. What they have in common is their profound belief that the sacrifices they make now, to provide for their child’s education, will maximize their child’s opportunity to achieve a brighter future.