The Gooden School has such a quaint, small-town feeling to it that you’d swear you were on a movie set. This is an Episcopal school with regular chapel services for the children held in a beautiful, old stone church across the street.
   
      Head of School Jack Towner, a soft-spoken and personable man, showed me around the school with pride. This is not a place where you’ll find huge group tours alongside parents wielding cellular phones; it is more personal and applicant-specific than the larger schools. The staff was warm, friendly and a little bit curious about what a parent from Hollywood was doing wandering around their quiet little village (a southern California version of “Mayberry RFD”).

Here is the Gooden Philosophy taken from the school literature:

    “The educational program is built on high standards of academic excellence in a caring, Christian environment. Classes are small, which allows each child to receive individual attention. This warm, supportive atmosphere fosters a special relationship between student and teacher.

    Gooden is affiliated with the Episcopal Church, and our principles and standards of behavior reflect a Christian outlook. While participation in chapel services is required, membership in the Episcopal Church is not expected. Children of many faiths and backgrounds attend the school.”