About Us
Our Story
Our Legacy
Founded by Trailblazers, Rooted in Community.
The Plymouth School was established in 1972 by five courageous and visionary women—Penny Cox, Sylvia Johnson, Carol Townsend, Gayle Smith, and Ruth Traub (pictured above).
As early childhood educators and young mothers, they recognized a growing need in Los Angeles for a nurturing, play-based preschool that reflected the values of a big-city community while supporting children's social and emotional growth. Their pioneering spirit led them to create Plymouth as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit school, and their legacy lives on in everything we do today.
We are proud to be a multi-generational school, having served multiple generations of families in our neighborhood for over 50 years. Plymouth remains a cherished educational haven rooted in joy, trust, and excellence—welcoming new families while continuing to nurture the children and grandchildren of those who first walked through our doors decades ago.
Philosophy
At the heart of our philosophy is a play-based, mixed-age classroom model. Research shows that mixed-age play supports all areas of development—young children benefit from the guidance, language, and leadership of older peers, while older children build empathy, creativity, and collaboration by mentoring younger classmates. Rather than “dumbing down” play, older children lift their younger peers up, continuing their own development while cultivating compassion and confidence.
“Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children, play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.”
Fred Rogers
Why Play-based Learning?
"Early learning and play are fundamentally social activities and fuel the development of language and thought.
Explicit instructions limit a child’s creativity; it is argued that we should let children learn through observation and active engagement rather than passive memorization or direct instruction.
To encourage learning, we need to talk to children, let them play, and let them watch what we do as we go about our everyday lives.
These opportunities foster the development of executive functioning skills that are critically important for the development of 21st century skills, such as collaboration, problem solving, and creativity."
- The American Academy of Pediatrics, "The Power of Play: A Pediatric Role in Enhancing Development in Young Children"
