Preschool

We offer a warm, caring place for your child to grow, learn, and discover. Our preschool is open to all children between 18 months and 5 years of age and is individualized, allowing children to progress at their own pace. We strongly embrace cultural diversity and have an ever-growing calendar of cultural events and activities.

Curriculum Overview

Our Emergent and play-based curriculum incorporates current brain research and best practices in the field of education that are designed around habits and mindsets children need in our ever-changing world. We utilize child-centered, teacher-facilitated, and inquiry-based approaches that foster physical, emotional, and cognitive growth in each child. Together, these multi-modal learning approaches meet the needs of different kinds of learners, teach skills and concepts within children’s highest level of interest, and promote critical thinking and a life-long love of learning.

Child-Centered

Teachers keenly observe children’s interests and may even set out provocations to “provoke” interest. Teachers then work with children to design thematic studies and investigations around what is most interesting to the children (dinosaurs, outer space, robots, insects, etc.) Helping children to be active participants in shaping their own learning and the topics the class will explore increases motivation and provides opportunities for deeper, more meaningful, and memorable learning experiences. This small shift from having prescribed units of study promotes lifelong curiosity and is a skill set that transfers to children’s entire future as a learner.

Teacher-Facilitated Learning

As the class explores topics centered around children’s interests, our teachers are intentional in their lesson planning, always incorporating the children’s developmental learning objectives into their curriculum (e.g. cognitive, math, language, gross/fine motor, social-emotional, etc.).

Teachers help children reflect on what they already know, would like to learn, and eventually reflect on what was learned (using a KWL process). All of this helps to stimulate curiosity, lead to discovery, build self-esteem, and encourage mastery. Children build a mindset understanding that they can learn from one another, from active exploration, from books, from research, and through play and experimentation.

About the Curriculum

  • 1. Personal Interaction
    Teachers build personal relationships with every child on a daily basis, helping to promote physical and emotional well-being, as well as providing an opportunity to develop interpersonal skills.

    2. Experiential Learning (Learning Centers)
    Learning centers are available during open classroom time. Learning centers provide opportunities for the children to make choices among interesting activities, work at their own pace, and explore materials in novel ways. Learning centers include arts & crafts, manipulatives, cooking, dramatic play, STEM (science, technology, engineering, math), sensory, computers, music and movement, block play, language/literacy, etc.

    3. Group Participation (small formal/informal groups)
    Children are exposed to new skills, concepts, age-appropriate activities, and opportunities for cooperative learning. Group participation is an important time for teachers and children to discuss and research new topics of interest. Classes often start the day with morning group time activities. Depending on the age group, group time activities provide exposure to new skills, concepts, simple problem solving, reading and math readiness, discussion of current events, ongoing projects, opportunities for cooperative learning (e.g. music, songs, stories, body movement, and group discussions) and mindful practices.

    4. Project Approach (children-oriented projects)
    Children learn and absorb enthusiastically when projects interest them. Our teachers observe the children’s interests, follow their thoughts, and launch projects that incorporate all aspects of skill attainment. Teachers also facilitate and document the progress of the project to share with the children and their families.

  • Our inquiry-based learning approach encourages children to explore their curiosity and seek and acquire knowledge through a variety of sources (internet, books, peers, teachers, and the community). The approach process can span multiple weeks per topic and teaches children life-long skills on how to learn, starting with what they “Know,” progressing to what the children “Want to Learn” and how to gather that information, and completing the inquiry lesson with what they “Learned” about a topic of interest.

  • We provide a caring and loving environment for children to learn and grow. Each child’s unique traits are appreciated and respected, which helps them to build self-reliance and self-esteem. Through daily interactions, character building, peer collaboration, self-reflection, mindfulness practices, and emotion validation, children develop problem-solving, interpersonal, intrapersonal, executive functioning, and self-regulation skills. Strengthening and nurturing the child's social-emotional development guides them to become self-aware, self-sufficient decision-makers and responsible members of the community.

  • Each week, your child’s teacher will post lesson plans in the classroom. We encourage you to review these lesson plans regularly and use them to guide conversations with your child about his or her school day. Highlights are shared through private online class groups. Each day, experiences in all four modes (personal interaction, experiential learning, group participation, and child-oriented projects) are provided. These experiences help children to explore as their interests lead them with the teachers as their facilitators. Activities will encompass each of the following content areas:

    1. Self-Image and Self-Awareness

    2. Problem-Solving Skills

    3. Language Development

    4. Multicultural Awareness

    5. Animal and Nature Exploration

    6. Gross and Fine Motor Development

    7. Creative Expression

    8. Reading and Math Readiness

    9. Science and Social Studies Concepts

    10. Introduction to Research With Technology

  • Our program includes emphasis on anti-bias education in four key areas:

    Identity: We nurture each child’s construction of positive personal and social identities. We focus on self-awareness, confidence, and family pride.

    Diversity: We promote each child’s comfortable, empathetic interaction with people from diverse backgrounds. We express comfort and joy with human diversity, use accurate language for human differences, and support the development of caring connections across all dimensions of human diversity.

    Justice: We foster each child’s capacity to critically identify bias and nurture each child’s empathy for the hurt bias causes. We help children recognize unfairness (injustice), have language to describe unfairness, and understand that unfairness hurts.

    Activism: We cultivate each child’s ability and confidence to stand up for oneself and others by giving children opportunities for empowerment and the skills to act, with others or alone, against unfair actions.

  • Preschools at both campuses feature built-in enrichment programming taught by specialist teachers. The Oxnard Campus preschool includes Animal & Nature Studies, taught at the on-site Science & Nature Center. The Collins Campus includes Music class, as well as field trips to the Science & Nature Center All the preschool classes take part in activities in our outdoor classrooms. In addition, ETK classes include Physical Education taught by a dedicated specialist.

  • Extracurricular classes such as gymnastics, dance, computer, martial arts, music, cooking, Spanish, Yoga, tennis, and art are available for a small additional fee to all interested students. These classes meet once a week on campus. The current class offerings and registration forms are available on the Extracurricular Programs page.

Sample Daily Schedule

Programs by Age Group

  • Our Toddler Option program is for children 18-36 months; classes are capped at twelve children with two teachers. Full of creativity, the program is designed to offer an outlet for all that energy packed into the life of a toddler. Group time, art, sensory, and outdoor play provide the stimulation necessary to develop healthy and happy children. Exploring books, being read to, listening to stories, and learning songs and rhymes set toddlers on a path to literacy.

    Our toddler teachers are exceptionally warm and caring, enabling each child to successfully transition into a daily routine and giving them the nurturing attention they need. Our well-trained staff develop a routine that will make the home/preschool transition as easy as possible for your child. When children show interest and readiness, potty training is incorporated into their daily routine with a relaxed attitude, enabling each child the opportunity to progress at his/her own rate of development.

    Toddlers are provided with an environment where they feel safe and secure and can thrive. We stimulate their curiosity by introducing new skills and concepts, building a strong foundation for their next stages of development.

  • Our Terrific Twos program is full of creativity and movement and is designed to meet the developmental needs of a growing two-year-old. The program provides challenging opportunities to advance children’s skills as they transition into their third year of life. Group time, art, stories, music and movement, science, and playgrounds equipped with all the things growing two and three-year-olds love, helps give them the stimulation they need to develop and grow into a healthy and happy preschooler. Our teachers are warm and caring, enabling each child to successfully transition into a daily routine that stimulates their independence while still giving them the nurturing attention they need.

    Language development is part of everything that goes on in the daily routine and is facilitated through rich hands-on activities. Children are introduced to new cognitive, fine motor, and gross motor skills through nursery rhymes, songs, finger plays, and art projects. Teachers ask open-ended questions and help children find solutions and accomplish tasks with increasing independence.

    Transitioning between the home/preschool environment is a key area of focus during your child’s first few weeks of school. Teachers establish a partnership with each family to build routines and provide children with lots of one-on-one time and TLC. “Potty training” is incorporated into their daily routine with a relaxed attitude, enabling each child the opportunity to progress at their rate of development.

  • Our Thriving Threes program is designed to enhance children’s confidence and build their social and cognitive skills. With a slightly more structured routine than in previous years, children build on their pre-writing, pre-reading, and pre-math skills through art, crafts, music and movement, group time, and learning centers. In addition, science and nature are incorporated through our outdoor classroom where children have opportunities to explore, observe, and appreciate nature.

    Independence is fine-tuned as children become more self-reliant and are excited to “do it themselves.” Children gain increasing independence with life skills such as pouring their own juice, cleaning up, and taking care of their own belongings. Fine motor skills are also enhanced through cutting, drawing, painting, and manipulatives.

    Our educators create a warm and nurturing environment, which in turn helps children develop trusting and positive relationships with their peers. Problem solving, sharing, cooperation, and decision-making are incorporated into the daily routine giving children life-long skills and habits. Thriving Threes build the social, physical, and cognitive foundation necessary for the more academic years to follow.

    Children in the Thriving Threes qualify for the early application process into our elementary division and receive preference over outside applicants to the TK program.

    PLEASE NOTE: There is limited space in the Thriving Threes program for children who are not yet completely potty trained and able to handle bathroom needs on their own.

  • In the Early Transitional Kindergarten (ETK) program, children fine-tune the skills they will need to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally in our elementary program. Focus is placed on critical thinking, reading, writing, and math readiness skills, and the use of technology is expanded.

    Children master reading and writing readiness skills through a multi-sensory approach, which includes the Learning Without Tears program, Singapore Math Readiness, songs, games, and group activities. Individualized instruction is provided to help children develop proper pencil grip and letter/number formation. With the Singapore Math readiness approach, we incorporate mathematical concepts such as sorting, matching, classifying, and patterning with a variety of manipulatives to develop strong critical thinking, spatial reasoning, and numeracy skills. In addition to stimulating children’s imagination and creativity, art activities are designed to continue to strengthen children's fine motor development.

    In addition to daily classroom activities, ETK includes enrichment provided by specialist teachers in Music or Animal & Nature Studies (campus-specific) and P.E. to enrich their learning experience.

    Early TK vs. TK

    • Children who will turn 4 by September 1 can enroll in ETK or can apply for TK, which is part of the Elementary Division (Differences between ETK & TK).

    Kindergarten

    • Children in the ETK program automatically matriculate into kindergarten in the Elementary Division the following year and receive priority over outside applicants to Kindergarten.

Additional Program Information

  • Our educators are experienced and qualified in Early Childhood Education. They have been specially selected and trained in our emergent learning approach. We work with children and families to ensure a positive school experience. Their dedication, caring ways, and professional concern will nurture your child through these formative years.

  • Our campuses are filled with trees and natural outdoor areas. Preschool children have the opportunity to experience the outdoors with fun-filled learning experiences about animals and nature. The Oxnard Campus features an on-site Science & Nature Center nestled by our 500-year-old oak tree. There is an Animal & Nature specialist who guides the children as they learn about caring for animals and nature, which promotes appreciation, respect, and concern for our environment. A storytelling room is available in our library for children to enjoy story time in a unique, colorful, yet peaceful room. At the Collins Campus, the children enjoy the many outdoor classrooms: Our Forest, the Mini Ranch, and the Veggie Garden.

  • Teachers use iPads and mobile devices to aid instruction, which may include modeling ways of researching questions or delving deeper into topics the children are interested in. In ETK, we introduce children to early research techniques. All technology used in the classrooms is facilitated by the teachers.

  • Twice each year, teachers prepare progress reports based on what they are observing at school in the developmental areas in the age-level learning objectives.

  • During the fall semester, our special events include a parents’ Back to School Night, Halloween Costume Parade, Thanksgiving Feast, Winter Holidays celebration, and the presentation of our annual school wide Winter Show. Our spring events include the Mini March for Cystic Fibrosis, Spring Holidays celebrations, Open House, Parent Appreciation parties, and the ETK Promotion celebration. We also strive to expand children's horizons through many cultural celebrations, with a special focus on ones that may not be part of the dominant culture.