Wilshire Private School: Voted Best Private School in Los Angeles! For Grades Kindergarten through Sixth Grade in a multicultural community!

The basic goal of WPS is to offer a top level academic and fine arts education for all children. While sponsored by the Korean-American Community, WPS is not a Korean nor even a Korean-American School, but a top school with a large Korean-American population. This school reaches out to all ethnic backgrounds. The world today must meet the challenges of reaching all cultures on an equal level and learn to work as one! WPS is working hard towards that very goal! Everything is in English, and for ESL students, an intensive English Literacy Program sees most of our students well-versed in English within a period of 12 weeks! Korean-American parents who feel uncomfortable in speaking English are welcomed by many translators who are happy to help parents navigate the complex world of private school English. Korean-American parents have the option of signing their children into Korean Language/Social Studies class that will enhance their cultural understanding and appreciation.

Nevertheless, WPS is seeing a growth in the African-American and Hispanic student enrollment. Our school is generally “color-blind” in welcoming students of different cultural backgrounds. Students can be seen interacting with each other regardless of gender, ethnicity, religious belief, or age.

Wilshire Private School was recently awarded the USBLA’s “2008 Best Private School in Los Angeles” award and we are very proud of this accomplishment. WPS is presently a member in the NAIS. As well, WPS has joined the CAIS and the Independent School Alliance for Minority Affairs. We are accredited through WASC. Our students have won top awards from the Southern California Math League Competitions. WPS is also enrolled in “Word Master’s Challenge” for competition in vocabulary and language arts competency. Recently, WPS became a charter member of the newest local organization called “Hollywood Wilshire Sports League.” We are confident in our students continuing to win awards and competitions.

Our teachers are highly qualified, beginning with our experienced Kindergarten Teacher, Mrs. Maleka Gramling who is a Harvard University Graduate, cum laude. Other teachers on the staff have won various awards including “Teacher of the Year.” Our Korean Language Teacher, Mrs. Soo Jung Park, was recognized in South Korea as “Teacher of the Year.” The Assistant Head of School, Mrs. Shirley Oxley, was recently awarded “Teacher of the Year” and “Woman of the Year” recognition. Several teachers also hold Master’s Degrees or PhD’s.

The Head of School, Mr. Miller, holds a Master’s Degree in Education. As well as holding religious degrees from his past 34 years in the field of Christian Education, Mr. Miller has taught in all grade levels and spent nearly 20 years in the field of administration. He also has served on the Board of Supervisors for LCMS Educational Department. Mr. Miller has been recognized as “Teacher of the Year” on two occasions and “Principal of the Year” finalist, among other awards. He holds a membership on the National Association of Elementary School Principals which provides top level support in his work at Wilshire Private School.

Mr. Miller began at WPS in 2006 and has brought about significant changes in the school. Today, WPS has top qualified teachers, a new and strong curriculum, comprehensive educational expectations, and top fine arts. Our teachers are tough, thorough, and loving! Their students will achieve their potential!

We offer a top program in the newest curriculum available. Our upper grade students have recently scored in the top 5% nationally in the ERB CTP IV Exam in writing skills and top 10% in Language Arts and a total school score of top 10% in Math. We are entering our students this year in competition sponsored by the National Geographic, Southern California Math League, and the Word Masters Challenge. Character Education has become an integral part of our discipline program as well as the awarding of behavioral “tokens” for good behavior that can be “cashed” in at our Student Store.

For Kindergarten applicants, we do not have a strict cut-off date for age. We assess the student, not the student’s age. For other age groups, we do the same. Our assessment is informal and streamlined to reduce possible stress of the student or the parents.

The P.T.A. of Wilshire Private School is a strong support group for all aspects of school life. Projects include a new Kitchen Area designed to upgrade our food service program for the students. As well, many PTA members are hard at work serving in the area of Public Relations and acting as a support group for our parents who may be struggling in some area. No parent at WPS stands alone as long as the PTA is there to help out!

Scholarships for high achieving and deserving students are slowly being structured to also meet the needs of worthy students. One student is presently attending WPS on a partial Merit Scholarship and it is the hope of the KISC Board and WPS-PTA that additional scholarships are in place within the next semester.

Certainly, the economy has affected us all and we have struggled to maintain reasonable tuition rates for all parents. WPS benefits from donations from various organizations which help us to keep our tuition at lower cost than most schools. The 2009-2010 Kindergarten tuition will be at a very affordable $750 per month for a ten month school year! We do offer some limited tuition assistance for struggling families. Our goal is to not lock out families that want a good education for worthy children, but to offer a welcoming environment for their children.

KISC Board is a group of Korean-American-American Business people who, in 1973, came together to begin the long process of establishing a series of schools, including WPS, that would offer the type of education many Korean-American and non-Korean families wished for their children. Today, although economy is a factor, WPS remains a top contender for students in high levels of academics and fine arts.

There aren’t many schools, either public, charter, or independent that offer the wide range of fine arts that WPS makes available. Daily classes in music, hand chimes, instrumentals, and chorus are available. Additional classes in art history and art mechanics are also offered. Musical Theater, speech class, and support classes are all available to our students. Some of these classes are free and others are available for an extra charge.

The upper grades at WPS, grades 4, 5, and 6 are “Departmentalized.” Teacher specialists teach core subjects as students learn to move from classroom to classroom. Students receive a “mini-middle school” atmosphere as they grow through the grade levels. By the end of 6th grade, these graduates will be in demand at outside middle schools. To that end, Wilshire Private School enjoys a close relationship with the Ellen Richards Educational Services Group which works with each student and family in finding placement in the best middle School. The education group teaches weekly ISEE courses to prepare students for the upcoming ISEE Examinations for placement in middle schools.

Over the past few years, WPS graduates have all been accepted by Independent Middle Schools. Some of the middle schools our students have been accepted to are: Buckley, Marlborough, Oakwood, Harvard Westlake, Turning Point, Pilgrim, Campbell Hall, Ribet Academy, Immaculate Heart, Our Mother of Good Counsel, and Christ the King, among others.

Wilshire Private School has openings for students in nearly every grade. WPS does not differentiate in “entry level” grades, but will accept students on every grade level. The application process is stress-free and streamlined for all grade levels. Interviews are held with parents and separately with students. Students will take a small assessment analysis previous to acceptance into the school. Wilshire Private School already has been recognized as the “Best Private School in Los Angeles” by one national organization and it’s just a matter of time before many more begin to recognize our achievements and standing in the community.