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Our Story
For generations, Methodist Preschool has been woven into the heart of Pacific Palisades.
Our campus was the oldest building in the town and for decades it served as a place where childhood unfolded slowly and beautifully. Families returned year after year, siblings followed siblings, and former students often stopped by to visit their teachers or find the tile they had painted years earlier.
MPS became a cornerstone of the community. Our classrooms welcomed babies and toddlers through Parent and Me classes and a vibrant preschool program filled with curiosity, creativity, and connection. Our teachers and staff called MPS their home, many serving families for years and building relationships that stretched across generations.
We are proudly non-faith based and have always welcomed families from all backgrounds. What united us was a shared belief that childhood should be joyful, thoughtful, and deeply respected.
Over time our little school developed a reputation across the Westside. Enrollment was strong and spaces were limited. Families often joined waitlists long before their children were old enough to attend, drawn by the feeling people experienced when they walked through our doors.
In January 2025, the Palisades fire changed our physical campus forever. Our community gathered at school that day not knowing it would be the last time we would see our beloved preschool building.
We lost the space and everything inside it, but we did not lose our school.
Just one week later, our community came back together. Teachers, families, and children reunited in a temporary space so that the children could return to the rhythm and stability they needed most.
Nearly ninety percent of our families had lost their homes in the fire. In that moment our role became something deeper than education. We became a place of comfort, connection, and familiarity for families navigating an unimaginable season.
Something remarkable happened when we reopened. Not a single tear came from the children. The tears belonged to the parents. The children knew they were okay because they were together again with their teachers and friends.
The search for a new home began immediately. After months of looking across Los Angeles, our leadership team discovered an unused preschool campus housed at Kardia Methodist Church in West LA.
The moment we stepped onto the property we felt it. This was meant to be.
There was even a familiar feature waiting for us. The classrooms had the same half doors we use each morning for goodbye hugs and kisses. At MPS we lovingly call them our “Kissing Windows.” Seeing them there felt like a sign.
Through happy tears, the decision was made.
Since April 2025, MPS has been laying new roots in West LA. Our team has worked tirelessly to transform the campus into an environment that reflects the spirit of the Palisades campus while embracing the possibilities of a new space.
Our Outdoor Classroom now features thriving garden beds that power our Garden to Table Program. Children harvest watermelons, strawberries, green beans, herbs, and more throughout the year. Our STEAM program is also full steam ahead as children explore building, engineering, and design with tools such as 3D printers and hands on materials that spark curiosity and problem solving.
While the address has changed, the heart of MPS has not. The same leadership guides the school, the same beloved teachers greet children each morning, and the same mission continues to shape our classrooms.
Today we are proud to serve families across the Westside while continuing to carry forward the legacy built in Pacific Palisades.
And our story there is not finished.
We are actively working toward rebuilding in the Palisades and look forward to sharing those developments with our community in the future. As we look ahead, we are excited about the possibility of MPS serving families in both the Palisades and West LA for generations to come.
Because the heart of a school is never just a building.
It is the people who fill it.
Our Philosophy
At Methodist Preschool, we understand that for many families this is the first time their child is stepping beyond home and into a school community. We hold this responsibility with great care, honoring the many “firsts” that unfold as children and families begin their journey with us. Our goal is to create a true home away from home—one where children feel safe, known, and deeply valued.
Relationships are the foundation of our program. Our passionate, responsive teachers foster strong connections with children and families, creating a supportive environment that encourages self-expression, thoughtful risk-taking, and a sense of belonging within the larger community. Learning happens through trust, collaboration, and shared experiences.
We believe children learn best when they are empowered to take an active role in their learning. Our teachers thoughtfully observe children’s interests and curiosities and use them to design developmentally appropriate, inquiry-based experiences. Teachers act as co-researchers alongside children, exploring ideas together and supporting the construction of meaning about the world around them.
Play is at the heart of our approach. Through play and exploration, children develop socially, emotionally, cognitively, physically, and linguistically. Academic foundations are introduced through rich, meaningful inquiry across a variety of subject areas, fostering critical thinking, problem-solving, and a deep love of learning.
We value families as essential partners in school life. When parents, grandparents, and caregivers engage as collaborators, children’s experiences become richer and more meaningful. We celebrate diversity and believe that learning alongside others helps children develop empathy, respect, and an appreciation for multiple perspectives.
Our thoughtfully designed environment reflects our commitment to inspire wonder, provoke curiosity, and support communication and creativity. Children are offered high-quality materials, tools, and resources because we see them as capable, creative thinkers deserving of engaging, complex experiences.
Our philosophy is inspired by the educational approaches of Reggio Emilia and the work of Maria Montessori, Lev Vygotsky, Richard Louv, Howard Gardner, and others who view children as active participants in their learning. Above all, our purpose is to nurture confident, curious learners and instill a lifelong love of learning that extends far beyond the early years.