Guide to the Westland School Collection

Special Collections & Archives

2019-05-24

University Library

California State University, Northridge

18111 Nordhoff Street

Northridge, CA 91330-8326

URL: https://library.csun.edu/SCA

Contact: https://library.csun.edu/SCA/Contact

© Copyright 2020 Special Collections & Archives. All rights reserved.

Contributing Institution: Special Collections & Archives

Title: Westland School Collection

Creator: Westland School

Identifier/Call Number: SC.WSC

Physical Description: 11.73 linear feet

Date (inclusive): 1949-2014

Abstract: The Westland School is a private elementary school founded in 1949 by Lory Titelman, and Marie H. Briehl. The guiding philosophy of the School is based on the concepts of John Dewey and Progressive education, a pedagogical movement that began in the late nineteenth century. The Westland School Collection broadly documents a re-emergence of the progressive education movement, focusing on its development between 1949 and 2014 in Los Angeles, California. The collection consists of documents, photographs, publications, scrapbooks, and video recordings that focus on the history and daily life of administrators, staff, and students.

Language of Material: English

Conditions Governing Access:

This collection is open for research use unless otherwise noted.

Arrangement of Materials:

Series I: Administrative Files and Publications, 1949-2014

Series II: Student and Staff Life, 1949-2010

Series III: Official Portraits, 1990-2007

Historical Note:

The Westland School is a private elementary school founded in 1949 by progressive education advocate, Lory Titelman, and Marie H. Briehl, pioneering specialist in the psychological development of the child. The Westland School opened in October, 1949, in a B'nai B'rith building on the corner of La Cienega and Olympic Boulevards in Los Angeles. Over the next sixteen years the school moved several times, finally settling on its current and permanent location in Bel-Air in 1965. Since its inception, the School has been owned by a non-profit corporation whose voting members are administrators, parents, and teachers.

The guiding philosophy of the School is based on the concepts of John Dewey and Progressive education, a pedagogical movement that began in the late nineteenth century. Curriculum is focused on programs that emphasize experiential learning, problem solving and critical thinking, collaboration and development of social skills, and social responsibility. The School currently has about 130 students that are distributed into groups rather than grades, which may comprise of students of varying ages. The Westland School is accredited by the California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS).

Preferred Citation:

For information about citing items in this collection consult the appropriate style manual, or see the Citing Archival Materials guide.

Processing Information:

Masud Helmandi, 2018

Scope and Contents

The Westland School Collection broadly documents a re-emergence of the progressive education movement mid-century, focusing on its development over a seventy year period in Los Angeles California. The collection includes founding documents and internal records, as well as material which focuses on the daily activities of students and staff. The collection has been divided into three series, Administrative Files and Publications (1949-2014), Student and Staff Life (1949-2010), and Official Portraits (1990-2007).

Series I, Administrative Files and Publications, documents the organization's founding and daily activities through bylaws, meeting minutes, procedural documents, forms, and correspondence. Also included are documents and photographic materials which detail school history, curriculum and program planning, marketing and public outreach, facilities development, construction, and renovation. The series is arranged alphabetically by topic.

Series II, Student and Staff Life, documents important events such as anniversaries, reunions, graduations, fairs, student work, creative play and performances, music, science and math activities, field trips, parent participation and special visitors. The series includes both records and photographic materials, and is arranged alphabetically by topic.

Series III, Official Portraits, consists of professional photographs, slides, and negatives of students and staff. The series is arranged by name and date where possible.

Conditions Governing Use:

Copyright for unpublished materials authored or otherwise produced by the creator(s) of this collection has been transferred to California State University, Northridge. Copyright status for other materials is unknown. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Audiovisual materials

Documents

Photographs

Scrapbooks

Video recordings

Administrative Files and Publications, 1949-2014

Box 1, Folder 1

Anniversary Journal, ca. 1969

Box 1, Folder 2

Anniversary Journals, 1980 March 21, ca. 1985

Box 1, Folder 3

Articles on Education, 1961-1982

Box 1, Folder 4

Articles on Education, 1984-1990

Box 1, Folder 5

Articles on Education

Box 1, Folder 6

Articles on Education

Box 1, Folder 7

Bank Book, 1953

Box 1, Folder 8

Board of Directors Meeting Minutes, December 1949, September 1953-November 1954

Box 1, Folder 9

Board of Directors Meeting Minutes, January 1955-December 1957

Box 1, Folder 10

Board of Directors Meeting Minutes, January 1958-February 1959

Box 1, Folder 11

Board of Directors Meeting Minutes, March 1959-May 1959, June 1960, July 1961

Box 1, Folder 12

Buildings and Grounds, 1960-1994

Box 1, Folder 13

By-Laws, Procedures, and Forms, 1979

Box 1, Folder 14

Certificates of Appreciation, 1995-2001

Box 2, Folder 1

Charles Chaplin, "City Lights" Benefit Show, 1949

Box 2, Folder 2

Construction and Renovation Photo Album, 1988

Box 2, Folder 3

Construction and Renovation Photo Album, 1988

Box 2, Folder 4

Cookbook, 1996

Box 2, Folder 5

Demolition and Construction, 1996-1997

Box 2, Folder 6

Emergency Procedures

Box 2, Folder 7

Informational Brochures, Pamphlets, and Booklets, 1949-ca. 2005

Box 2, Folder 8

Language Arts, 1986-1990

Box 2, Folder 9

Lory Titelman Scholarship Fund, 1977-2007

Box 2, Folder 10

Math Materials, 1987

Box 2, Folder 11

Newspaper Clippings, 1985-2006

Box 2, Folder 12

Oral Interview Transcriptions, 1992

Box 2, Folder 13

Postcards, 1994

Box 2, Folder 14

Pre-1996 Construction, 1965-1996

Box 3, Folder 1

Reading Program, 1978-1979, 1984

Box 3, Folder 2

Receipts, 1980

Box 3, Folder 3

Scholarship Dinner Dance, 1963

Box 3, Folder 4

Social Studies Curriculum and Notes, 1988-1990

Box 3, Folder 5

Social Studies Slides, Indigenous Cultures

Box 3, Folder 6

Staff and Director Job Descriptions, 1957, 1967

Box 3, Folder 7

Staff Notes and Memoranda, 1949-1998

Box 3, Folder 8

Teacher Evaluation Guidelines

Box 3, Folder 9

Westland Annual Giving, 1993

Box 3, Folder 10

Westland School Evaluation and Comments, ca. 1999

Box 3, Folder 11

Westland School History

Box 3, Folder 12

Westland School Philosophy, 1949-1964

Box 3, Folder 13

Westland School Yearbooks, 2000-2005

Box 3, Folder 14

Westland School Yearbooks, 2006-2014

Box 3, Folder 15

The Westland Way Newsletter, 1995-2000

Box 3, Folder 16

The Westland Way Newsletter, 2005-2009

Box 3, Folder 17

The Westland Way Newsletter, 2010-2012

Box 4, Folder 1

West Press: The Westland Magazine, 1971-1972

Box 17, Folder 1

Aerial Map View of Westland School

Box 17, Folder 2

Newspaper Clippings, 1985-2006

Box 17, Folder 3

Westland School Folder, 2005

Box 17, Folder 4

Westland Way Newsletter, 2001-2004

Box 18, Item 1

Construction and Renovation, Pond Pix, Sequences 1-12, 13-23, 24-31

Box 18, Item 2

Westland Way Photos, J. Crandell, 2005 October 7

Box 18, Item 3

Westland Way, Spring 2008

Box 18, Item 4

Westland Way, Volume 10

Box 19, Item 1

Welcome to Westland, video recording, 1999 November 1

Box 19, Item 2

Westland School Presentation Reel, video recording

Box 21, Folder 1

Class Rosters and Group Lists, 1951-1960

Conditions Governing Access