Our School

The mission of Malibu Elementary School, in partnership with family and community, is to prepare all students to meet today's challenges and tomorrow's expectations.

Malibu Elementary is a school where learning is expected and respected. Our community of learners includes students, parents, staff, administrators and business partners who actively accept responsibility for success. We provide a warm, safe, orderly and trusting environment. We nurture the foundation of success in each other and believe that each child deserves our best. Through meaningful and varied experiences, we continuously pursue academic excellence.

In September 1962, Malibu Elementary began its operation at Plaza Elementary School. There were eleven "half day classes". The building, now located at 3632 Edinburgh Drive, was first occupied in January 1963. Ruth J. Bridges was the first principal. The official school mascot "Malibu Surfers" was adopted and remains to this day. The school zone included all of Malibu, King's Forest subdivisions and part of Birchwood. The original school colors, red and white were permanently modified to red, white and blue following the events of September 11, 2001. These colors also coincide with the middle and high school that most Malibu students will attend. The enrollment of the student body was three hundred sixteen (316), with grades first through seventh.

In 1973 kindergarten was added. The largest enrollment was in 1974 when the membership rose to 1,050. The gymnasium was built in 1990 and has housed an after-school Parks and Recreational program for many years. The gym is used nights and weekends for community activities. In 1994 Principal Susan Clark began a computer lab, housed in a renovated room. Malibu evolved from seven (7) Apple Computers, with bi-weekly classes to an up-to-date technology program with a full time Computer Resource Specialist.

Special services have been and still are offered at Malibu include: Speech, ESL, OT, PT and Special Education teachers for the inclusion program. In 2007 the division's new BRIDGES program, designed to support K-1 students with autism spectrum disorders began at Malibu. In 2012 the program was modified and is now the Highly Supportive Classroom. Early Discoveries, a program for pre-school age children was housed behind the school for a number of years and is in now inside the building.

Students are encouraged to participate in SCA, Computer Club, Dinner Theater, STEM Club, Chorus, Strings, Morning News Team and Newspaper Club. Malibu students also compete in school wide events such as the Reflections Contest. Community members participate in Lunch Buddies, serving as mentors to selected students. The reading program sponsors a variety of events such as Literacy Night, Dinner Theatre Night, Readathon and Surflings.

Malibu completed a two-year renovation on November 21, 2003, that provided a state-of-the-art Media Center with over 12,000 volumes, a large Technology Center, Science Lab, spacious Cafeteria, extra-large Music and Art rooms, air-conditioning for the gym and upgraded all classrooms. All computers are internet-accessible. Additionally, the school has five mobile computer stations, and an iPAD cart with 30 iPADs.

In 2005 Malibu was selected as the top elementary school in the state for reading and awarded the Virginia State Reading Association Exemplary Reading Program Award. The school was also awarded the prestigious International Reading Association Exemplary Reading Award and a Commendation from the Virginia Beach City Public Schools school board. Malibu's Destination ImagiNation teams placed first in Virginia Beach and competed in the Global Finals in 2010 and 2013 at Knoxville, Tennessee. In 2014, Malibu's STEM Team competed for the first time. The team won Best All Around Elementary School in the STEM Robotics Challenge for the entire school division and a Second Place SRC Portfolio Award.

Malibu has been an accredited school since the introduction of Standards of Learning testing. Former Malibu principals are: Ruth Bridges, Anna Margaret Rhodes, Jim Payne, Raymond Alexander, John W. Prine, Margaret Nicolls, Susan Clark, Barbara Tourgee, Kathleen Hwang, Pam Bennis and Mike Maloney.