Gooden Blog

At The Gooden School, “Great Minds, Gooden Hearts” is brought to life every day through curiosity, compassion, and creativity. Students are not only growing academically but also learning to approach challenges with integrity, kindness, and purpose. This season, classrooms across campus have been filled with examples of Great Minds and Gooden Hearts in action.

From our youngest learners to our middle school leaders, innovation and discovery are thriving.
 

In art, students are studying influential creators such as Paul Klee and Leonardo da Vinci, using their works as inspiration for projects that blend imagination with technique. Whether experimenting with color theory or sketching inventions, students are learning to see the world through both an artist’s and a scientist’s eyes.

Our drama students showcased their creativity and teamwork through participation in the DTASC (Drama Teachers Association of Southern California) competitions. Their performances not only built confidence and collaboration but also highlighted the power of storytelling and expression, which are hallmarks of a Gooden education.
 

In second grade, young explorers brought geography to life by building 3D maps of mountains and rivers, connecting hands-on craftsmanship with real-world understanding of landforms and ecosystems. In middle school science, students investigated the different stages of matter, observing solids, liquids, and gases through engaging experiments. To deepen their understanding of how matter changes from one state to another, students even made pancakes, a delicious, hands-on way to explore how heat transforms ingredients and demonstrates the properties of changing matter.
 

Meanwhile, in middle school math, students combined creativity with real-world problem solving by exploring financial responsibility through pet ownership. Each student proposed the type of pet they would like to own, researched the costs associated with caring for it, from food and supplies to veterinary visits, and then used the 3D printer to create a model of their chosen pet. This interdisciplinary project blended budgeting, research, and design thinking, making mathematics meaningful and memorable.
 

Our 7th graders also put their hearts into action through community service, volunteering at the local food pantry, Friends in Deed. They helped unload trucks of food and supplies that will be donated to families and individuals in need, demonstrating compassion and civic responsibility in a tangible and meaningful way.
 

Kindergarten and third grade each held their first publishing party of the school year. Kindergarteners hosted a special event for staff to share their emerging writing and drawing skills, while third graders dazzled parents and teachers with imaginative stories about fictional pets, proudly showcasing their creativity and growing confidence as authors.
 

Across all grade levels, students are thinking deeply, creating boldly, and leading with heart. At Gooden, academic rigor is paired with joy, empathy, and purpose, reminding us that when Great Minds and Gooden Hearts come together, learning truly knows no bounds.