Congruent with our ecological view and our understanding of bi-directional influences, we believe in “guided participation.”  It is a non-traditional teaching method that stresses reflection and observational skills on the part of the educator to reach the child.  Guided participation is a relationship-based method in which the teacher engages with the child to help him/her acquire or expand on his/her knowledge of world. It is a collaborative and active process between the child and the teacher.

We believe that when a child “misbehaves” it is because he/she lacks a certain skill: for example, the cognitive ability to understand the cause and effect relationship of their actions towards an object or individual.  Discipline is seen as an opportunity for us to “teach” (using our guided participation approach) the child the skill they are lacking.

We believe that children learn important interpersonal and social skills through conflict.Therefore, conflicts are not avoided.  They are handled according to the age, cognitive level, and emotional maturity of the individual children.  We support our children in their conflict resolution efforts with a non-judgmental approach in which we honor feelings and decision-making.  In many cases, children lack the verbal ability to communicate their needs.  Sometimes, the child needs to learn negotiation skills.  Our teachers support the children verbally by describing the situation, allowing each child to share their side of the story, acknowledging feelings, prompting verbal exchanges and encouraging ideas to solve the conflict.  As children get older, they learn to communicate effectively and solve conflicts successfully with little or no intervention from the teacher.

No, children can be on the way to potty learning. We will work with families and child though the process.

Our morning program meets from 9:00am to 12:00pm Monday through Friday, and our afternoon program meets from 1:15pm to 4:15pm Monday through Friday.  We also offer an optional Enrichment Program with class subjects that change throughout the year.  These classes meet from 12:00pm to 2:30pm Monday through Friday.

We follow a schedule similar to that of the Los Angeles public schools.  Our regular school year runs from September to June, with vacation days on national holidays and a 2-week break in the winter and in the spring.  During the summer, we offer a camp program which has a separate registration process from the regular school year.

First, parents sign up to take a tour of our facility with our director Veronica Cabello. Then, you may arrange to bring your child back for a 1-hour “playdate” with our teachers and students.  After the playdate, if you think that our preschool might be a good fit for your child and family, you may turn in your completed registration application.  We will review your application and then let you know in a timely manner whether you have been admitted to our program.  Admission to our program is NOT on a first-come first-served basis; it is based on a variety of factors, including our desire for gender balance in the classrooms and our mission to create a diverse population of children and families.

We have an open door policy so that parents are welcome on our campus any time during the school day.  We encourage parents to volunteer their time in the classrooms or to bring special activities and projects in to share with their child’s class.  Hours should be arranged with the child’s teacher ahead of time.  Parents may also sign up to be a member of our Parent Action Committee (PAC), which gives parents the opportunity to get involved both in and out of the classroom in many ways, such as fundraising, event planning, and more.