FAQs

In addition to core subjects (math, language arts, science, social studies), students participate in art, drama, Latin, library, music, Spanish, STEAM, and physical education. Instruments are introduced in kindergarten and the recorder is part of the program for first and second grades. String instrument instruction begins in third grade and wind instruments are added to the program in fifth grade. In Middle School, all students play in either the band or the orchestra. Students in fifth through eighth-grades are also able to choose an elective class every trimester.

100% of the teaching faculty holds multi-subject credentials and 55% have master’s degrees.

Yes, the following list shows field trips that students have taken during their years at Gooden. Uniquely, all field trip costs are included in tuition.

• AstroCamp in Idyllwild
• Bailey Canyon Wilderness Park
• California Science Center
• Catalina Island Marine Institute
• Getty Museum
• Historic Sacramento
• Holocaust Museum
• Walt Disney Concert Hall
• The Huntington Library and Gardens
• Museum of Contemporary Art
• La Brea Tar Pits
• Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden
• Local theatre productions
• Leo Carrillo Tide Pools
• Mission San Juan Capistrano
• Museum of Contemporary Art
• Natural History Museum
• Pali Mountain in San Bernardino
• Pasadena Humane Society
• Sacramento
• San Juan Capistrano Mission
• Sierra Madre Library and Fire Station
• Washington D.C. and New York

Students participate in community engagement at all grade levels and are fortunate to have the opportunity to connect meaningful community service with curricular integration. Student reflection is an important component of this program, enriching their learning experience. Community engagement teaches civic responsibility and strengthens communities. Examples of the projects that students have been involved in during recent years at Gooden have included:

• American Heart Association
• Episcopal Relief and Development
• Friends in Deed Food Pantry and Women's Room
• Hillsides Home for Children
• Make-A-Wish Foundation
• Monte Vista Grove Homes
• Opportunity International
• Pasadena Humane Society
• Ronald McDonald House
• Susan G. Komen, Race for the Cure
• UNICEF

Yes! While students attend chapel twice per week, being a member of the Episcopal faith is not required. Students of all faith traditions are welcomed and respected within the school community. 
Episcopal schools have been established, not solely as communities for Christians, but as ecumenical and diverse ministries of educational and human formation for people of all faiths and backgrounds. Our independent school, like other Episcopal schools, is populated by a rich variety of human beings, from increasingly diverse religious, cultural, and economic backgrounds. Episcopal schools invite all who attend and work in them – Episcopalians and non-Episcopalians, Christians and non-Christians, people of no faith tradition – both to seek clarity about their own beliefs and religions and to honor those traditions more fully and faithfully in their own lives. Above all, Episcopal schools exist not merely to educate, but to demonstrate and proclaim the unique worth and beauty of all human beings.

Gooden graduates are accepted to local, and boarding, high schools including (but not limited to):

Alverno Heights Academy
Arroyo Pacific Academy
Besant Hill School of Happy Valley
California School of the Arts (CS Arts) San Gabriel Valley
Campbell Hall
Damien High School
Don Bosco Technical Institute
EF Academy
Episcopal School of Los Angeles
Flintridge Preparatory School
Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy
Harvard-Westlake School
Holy Family High School
Immaculate Heart High School
La Salle High School
Loyola High School
Lycee International de Los Angeles
Maranatha High School
Mayfield Senior School
Midland School
Notre Dame High School
Polytechnic School
Pomona Catholic School
Providence High School
Sequoyah High School
St Lucy's Priory High School
St. Francis High School
The Thacher School
The Waverly School
The Webb Schools
Westridge School

Every parent is a member of the Gooden Family Association (GFA) and is encouraged to participate in the life of the school by volunteering in the many opportunities that enrich the community and educational experiences for all students. There are no required volunteer hours.

No, the school does not have mandatory volunteer hours but it is suggested that every family volunteer their “Gooden 20” (20 hours of volunteering during the year). We encourage family involvement in their child’s education. There are many different opportunities for participation, and volunteering is a great way for parents to meet other parents across all grade levels.

We are! Students as young as third-grade are invited to join our cheer team. Fifth through eighth-grade students have the opportunity to participate in basketball, soccer, flag football, volleyball, cross country, and track and field. Gooden is a member of the Foothill Canyon League and our teams play other similarly sized local schools.

The Gooden School’s student body is 46% ethnically diverse and 26% religiously diverse.