Tarzana Elementary School

Here is where I stole stickers from my first grade teacher and got caught when I oh so intelligently decided to show them to all my friends the next day. Go figure, here is also where I got classified as ‘gifted.’ I ate many a cupcake to celebrate my classmates’ birthdays, crossed the Charlie Brown painted bridge that kept students from walking in the street to reach the ice cream truck, giggled with my friends during the Sex Ed lesson that presented me with my first maxi pad and deodorant stick, and got pummeled by hugs from my cheering female classmates after beating the most athletic boy in our class at a handball tournament.
So basically, I had the typical generally wholesome educational experience you would hope your child receive in elementary school.
To its credit, Tarzana Elementary had some of the most dedicated, genial and most effective teachers I have ever known. They were confidence boosters, taught values as well as math and handwriting and worked very hard to make learning fun and engaging. I stayed after school until my mom could pick me up and during that time there were always adults to facilitate a game of kickball or baseball and make sure nobody got hurt.
An older boy decided to bully me after I first transfered and when my parents complained to the school he was immediately disciplined and still couldn’t look me in the eye when our paths crossed many years later. That first experience was pretty telling about the involvement the people running and working in this school chose to have in the lives of their students and the environment they were trying to foster. I am happy to say at least with this little girl, the efforts had a lasting impact.