'Hidden Gem' in Huntington Beach

There’s something special in Surf City.

Tucked away in the middle of a housing tract in northern Huntington Beach is Golden View Elementary School. The TK-5th grade campus in the Ocean View School District offers something you might not expect at an elementary school in Orange County – a 2.5-acre farm complete with goats, pigs, sheep, chickens, turkeys, geese, and a tortoise. It also has a vegetable and fruit garden and fruit trees.

“It’s just a little hidden gem,” Principal Venus Moeller said in a recent phone interview. “You feel like you’re in a different world when you’re out [on the farm].” 

Golden View students spend a lot of time learning outdoors through the school’s environmental science program, which launched in 2018. Each week, students have two lessons outside, according to Moeller, who is in her first year as principal at the campus.

Students take an environmental science class with teacher Mackenzie Munguia and also have hands-on lessons with Dana Prante, the farm facilitator who has worked at the school for more than a decade. 

Munguia’s classroom is partially shaded by a tree, has tree stumps as seats, and a giant chalkboard. Paid with Title 1 funds, Munguia has covered topics such as erosion, biodiversity, waste disposal, and more in her weekly lessons, often tapping into the kids’ curiosity and questions with the subject matter.

“We observed what would happen in autumn, asking which trees would lose their leaves,” Munguia explained about a lesson on seasonality. She said students’ excitement increases when they are learning in the garden and farm.

“I think it’s really cool because the kids definitely take pride in their work out on the farm,” Munguia said.

Students have “farm chores,” which vary by grade level. They are responsible for feeding and caring for the animals, cleaning out their enclosures, getting eggs from the chickens, and more. 

“It’s just an amazing experience when you see a child’s eyes light up when they make a discovery,” Prante said. She shared that students recently harvested lemons from the school’s fruit trees and made lemonade for the school’s multicultural night.

Moeller said Golden View students develop a level of respect for all living things as they learn how to plant, compost, seed, and harvest as well as how to care for animals. 

Prante noted that for many students, the farm is their favorite place to be. Students volunteer to work on the farm and garden during lunch and recess, and on the weekends.

The farm serves as more than just a setting for interactive lessons supporting environmental science. According to Moeller, it also offers a unique space for social emotional learning, where students can meet with a counselor or seek a quiet moment in nature.

“It’s [also] a space and place to talk to students when I am addressing disciplinary issues,” Moeller said. “I think it helps them feel more at ease.”

Indoors, the environmental lessons continue. Recently the campus hosted its Environmental Showcase. Families were invited on campus to see projects students had been working on this school year, in addition to touring the farm and garden. 

For example, in Alissa Connally’s class, kindergartners studied drought and experimented with plants. Another class researched ocean pollution's impact on creatures.

“It’s important to know that our kids are learning about humanity and how to recognize problems and design solutions,” Moeller said.

Some other unique features at Golden View include an after-school 4-H Club run by transitional kindergarten teacher Marie Ford, a glass-enclosed aviary with chirping birds, and an opportunity for students to help train an adorable puppy to become a service dog.

'I just like getting my hands dirty'

Bobby Guillen, the president of the school’s Parent Teacher Organization, has been actively involved at Golden View since his 5th grader started at the campus years ago. When asked what first brought him to the school, Guillen does not hesitate: “It’s because of the farm.”

His son Dominic has thrived in the environment. Dominic's farm job is to help with composting. He said he collects food waste generated during the students’ daily lunch and brings it to the composting station near the garden. He admitted sometimes he gives food scraps to the cats that call the farm home. 

“All you see are smiles,” Guillen said of the campus culture.

Golden View parent Janeth Esquivel, the Vice President of the school’s PTO, said she lives in the Golden View neighborhood and loves that her two daughters can attend the school with a farm and garden. “The girls love volunteering,” Esquivel said, noting her family is at the campus most days of the week.

Esquivel’s eldest daughter, Aaliyah Ramos, a 5th grader at Golden View, said she loves working in the garden and with the animals. “I just like getting my hands dirty,” she grinned.

Golden View’s efforts have won it adoration from parents and students as well as recognition. It was awarded a 2024 Golden Bell Award for its “Environmental Innovation is Golden” program from the California School Boards Association. In 2020, the campus was named a California Green Ribbon School. 

School was Almost Slated for Closure

With all the accolades and praise, it’s hard to believe that the campus was almost slated for closure a few years ago. Faced with declining student enrollment districtwide, Golden View was one of four campuses the Ocean View school board was considering shuttering in a consolidation plan.

The district serves just under 7,000 students at campuses located in Huntington Beach, Westminster, and Midway City. It has seen enrollment drop by 2,600 students in the last ten years, according to the district.

At the board’s November 2023 meeting, Golden View teachers, students, staff, and families begged the board to spare their beloved school. 

"Golden View has an amazing farm. The farm makes the school even better than it already is," a student named Jonah told board trustees.

The board voted to keep Golden View open, but did approve the closure of Spring View Middle School. 

“I feel like people’s spirits are renewed since the board made its decision,” Moeller said. She said the school is also getting upgrades to its HVAC system, another sign the the future is bright for Golden View.

"I think we have a lot to be proud of.” 

Interested in touring the Golden View campus? Visit the school’s website here.

🐐 This story is part of a series Spotlight Schools is doing on schools in Orange County that feature farms and/or gardens. Does your campus have a farm or garden? Let us know! Email hello@spotlightschools.com