Pennekamp Elementary School

Aurelia Pennekamp Elementary School is one of five public elementary schools in the Manhattan Beach Unified School District, serving grades K-5. Located on Rowell Ave. in East Manhattan Beach, it primarily serves residents who live east of Sepulveda, south of Manhattan Beach Ave.

Originally named Curtis Street School was renamed Pennekamp Elementary after Aurelia Pennekamp, who was hired by the district in 1926 as a part-time nurse and was employed full-time in the 1940s. It currently serves around 450 students.

Pennekamp strives to help each child meet their highest academic, social, and emotional potential. The school aims to provide personalized learning to support student growth in reading, writing, and math through Reader's and Writer's Workshop and Cognitively Guided Instruction in math.

Pennekamp was named a California Distinguished School in 2014 and 2023, and it was named a National Blue Ribbon School in 2021. In 2016, Pennekamp was also named a California Gold Ribbon School. GreatSchools.org gave it a 9/10 rating, including a 10/10 for test scores.

Recent construction at Pennekamp included a large two-story building created from modular units, and an additional construction project is underway.

Looking around Pennekamp, you will immediately notice the dragon mascot. The principal, staff, and parent community are committed to creating a safe and engaging learning environment by teaching students positive behavior expectations through their motto "Every Dragon ROARS." When a Dragon ROARS, they are: RESPECTFUL - ON TASK - ACCOUNTABLE - RESPONSIBLE - SAFE. Ask any student, teacher, or parent about how a Dragon ROARS and they all will be able to tell you.

Work with Dave Fratello

Looking for help with your home search or sale? MB Confidential producer Dave Fratello is an active local broker with Edge Real Estate Agency. He and the team would be honored to help!

Edge is a full-service, boutique real estate agency representing buyers and sellers. We are experts in residential real estate in Manhattan Beach and nearby South Bay real estate markets.

We’re different because we uniquely blend online savvy, tech proficiency, marketing expertise, local knowledge and experience with negotiations and transactions in this area. For any question or a free consultation, reach out to Dave today!