About Us

Welcome to the 2024 - 2025 school year!  We are excited to welcome new and returning families to Orangewood. This is the online home for Orangewood Elementary School, home of the Ocelots! We are thrilled you stopped by. Situated in the town of West Covina in San Gabriel Valley, Orangewood Elementary is only 19 miles east of downtown Los Angeles.

Here you will find a hardworking staff committed to making your child’s early years of education successful. We strive to encourage Orangewood students to be responsible, respectful, safe, prepared, and excited for a lifetime of learning.

Reflecting Southern California's rich, multicultural heritage, Orangewood Elementary is a multi-ethnic, TK-5th Grade learning community located twenty miles east of downtown Los Angeles in the San Gabriel Valley city of West Covina. Recognizing the power and potential of the IB curriculum frameworks to reinvigorate public education, West Covina Unified School District has embarked on the ambitious goal of creating a TK-12th grade continuum of IB learning. In July 2017, Orangewood Elementary earned recognition as an IB World School, creating the foundation for a district pathway of IB schools.

Students who read, write, think and communicate in two languages will be best prepared for college and career and well-positioned to compete in a global economy. Although all students at Orangewood study Spanish as an additional language, Dual Immersion Pathways are available, providing instruction in both Spanish and English and Mandarin and English with the goal of cultivating bi-literate learners. Students who continue their language studies beyond elementary school are eligible to earn the California Seal of Biliteracy for their high school diploma.

As part of Orangewood's commitment to providing a well-rounded curriculum, we incorporate technology and the arts to support our transdisciplinary units of inquiry. Striving to enhance learning through 21st century skills, we introduce the use of 1:1 tech devices beginning with iPads in kindergarten and moving up to Chromebooks in second grade. Coding and robotics are studied by all students, serving as an early bridge to our district Career Technical Education pathway. Additionally, beginning in TK, weekly dance lessons provide the opportunity for all students to explore, study and perform dance throughout their education.

Ultimately, the strength of Orangewood Elementary lies in our wholehearted approach to creating a principled, caring community that honors the uniqueness of each child. In 2018, 2019, and 2020 Orangewood’s commitment to kindness was validated with national distinction as a Capturing Kids’ Hearts National Showcase School. The enthusiastic involvement of our families and the promotion of student action are evident in our grade level "IB Scholar Spotlights” and the numerous collaborative projects undertaken in our Learning Garden and the broader community.