Jennifer Waida

Dirt is moving and the sounds of construction can be both heard and seen at the former of site of Marineland in Rancho Palos Verdes. The site of which was once the largest oceanarium in the world, will now house Terranea Resort. As I was out viewing Palos Verdes properties today, I drove by the Terranea Resort and Spa and was impressed with the progress made thus far. For those of you not familiar with the development, the Resort will include a resort hotel with 360 rooms, 50 for sale Casita units with 150 rentable keys, 32 for sale Villas with 32 rentable keys, and 20 for sale Bungalows with 40 rentable keys. The Resort will also feature a spa and fitness center, common area, meeting space, food and beverage outlets, retail space, a nine hole golf course and swimming pools.

At this time, the site grading and steel frames of the main hotel lobby are almost completed. You can also see many of the casitas and villas and they look very impressive. Plantings of native flora have occurred along the western and eastern bluffs and the public costal access trail is near completion. The new traffic sign at the main entrance to the site at Terranea Way was recently erected in correlation to the project. The developer, Lowe Destination Development, has placed a high importance on incorporating and paying tribute to the Peninsula's local history and natural environment as part of this development. Native plants will be used throughout the development and the buildings are influenced by Spanish and Mediterranean architectural style. Tribute is also being paid to the former Marineland, as 45 original trees from the aquatic park have been preserved and boxed to be later replanted throughout the grounds of the Terranea.

If you have an opportunity, drive by the resort and view the progress for yourself. For more questions about the resort or the casitas and villas, please feel free to contact me at jennifer@jenniferwaida.com or at 310-938-7864.

When I had my oldest son five years ago, kindergarten seemed like a world away. As always, life moves fast and now that first day of kindergarten is quickly approaching. The decisions now begin. Public school or private, what is best? My answer: the best school is the one you choose. For those of us that reside in Palos Verdes, we are blessed with many wonderful schools to choose from. We have an amazing public school system and wonderful private schools as well. As a realtor, it is always a pleasure to brag about our fine schools.

The Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District serves the four Peninsula cities and has a population of approximately 11, 900 students. The school district's reputation for having a high quality education system attracts many families to this suburban area and its schools. Students attend, one early childhood center, ten elementary schools, three 6-8 intermediate schools, two comprehensive high schools and one continuation school. PVPUSD schools continue to be recognized for outstanding achievement at the local, state and national level. Both Peninsula and Palos Verdes high schools were ranked in U.S. News & World Report magazine's list of the top 100 "gold medal" public high schools.Peninsula High came in at No. 89, while PV High was No. 93.

For those of you whose children will be entering kindergarten in the fall, there is an upcoming orientation. The Month of Februaryhas been designated as Kindergarten Round-Up Month in the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District (PVPUSD), for the 2008-2009 school year. Parent orientation meetings for new kindergarten parents will be held on Monday, February 4, at Vista Grande School and Tuesday, February 5 at Dapplegray Elementary School. Both meetings will begin at 7:00 p.m. Please attend one of these meetings to meet the principals, hear important enrollment information, and have your questions answered. You may also download the flyer at : http://www.pvpusd.k12.ca.us/news/jan08/kindergarten_flyer_0809.pdf.

In addition to our public school system, there is also a plethora of private schools to choose from. Private schools include Montessori schools, religious based schools and non-faith based schools. Most private schools have their open houses in late January and early February. Check with each school for open house dates. Most private schools will also schedule tours on an individual basis.

Every family and every child is different. What may be best for your friend, family member, or neighbor, may not be best for you or your child. Do your due diligence, tour the schools and find the best fit for you. The verdict is still out regarding which school our "little kindergartner" will attend in the fall. Whatever school we do choose, will be the best fit for him and our family.