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San Francisco, CA
Buen Dia Family School

Parents at this school would recommend this school to other parents.

Review this preschool

neighborhood: Mission ·  Telephone: (415) 431-3535  · Website: www.bdfs.org

• Summary
• General Info
• School Philosophy
  & Day-in-the-Life
• Curriculum &
  Teaching Approach
• Quality of
  Teaching
• Home/School
  Connection
• Discipline,
  Health & Safety
• Ages, Schedule
  & Tuition
• Application &
  Admissions
• Kindergarten
  Placement&Tips

General Approach to Learning

	Play-based
	Play-based with some structure
	Predominantly teacher-led instruction
	Montessori
	Waldorf
	Co-op
	Reggio-Emilia

source:

Savvy Source's Comments

At Buen Dia Family School, the Director and Teachers form relationships with each family that empowers the child and promotes self-esteem. We feel that if children learn to see themselves as competent individuals in these early years, they will be confident and better able to meet the challenges presented in everyday life. A curriculum which emphasizes the value of self-esteem, the importance of personal discovery and the respect for individual differences is especially critical in San Francisco, where 53% of families (according to San Francisco Unified School District) are non-traditional and where there is great ethnic diversity. Many educators believe that young children begin to develop awareness both of differences and of socially prevailing biases by the time they are three. With this in mind, Buen Dia is committed to providing a flexible curriculum responsive to the needs of children. Although there are structured activities during the day, we believe that allowing children to explore their environment in their own way is closer to the basic nature of early learning. As teachers we examine our own perceptions and attempt to interact with children in an open and accepting manner. The Buen Dia program integrates not only materials and activities that are sensitive to the uniqueness of each child but also fosters a conscious way of being, talking and acting according to the needs of each child. The teachers try to make the children feel good and
comfortable about themselves and the characteristics of their cultures and families that make them special. For this reason, the parents are part of the 'Buen Dia Family' too, and constitute the best resource to enrich our program. At the beginning of each year, we start with an activity we call 'Personality Bags/Bolsas de Personalidad'. Each child brings a bag to school with some special things to share at group. This is a way to learn about them and to validate who they are. We also have a family unit called 'Nuestras Familias'; each child brings in labeled photos of his or her family which are displayed on a giant poster in the school so that everyone can see all the kinds of families there are. Throughout the year we celebrate many holidays in nonreligious ways and encourage parents to participate in a variety of ways - from making a group presentation regarding a celebration of another interest to making snacks with the children as well as working on fundraising projects. To give each child an opportunity to act out his or her own story, we offer a dramatic storytelling project at a grouptime session. The author of the story directs it and chooses his/her own role as well as those the other children will play. This is an empowering process that enhances each child's sense of worth and love of storytelling, especially since the stories are not censored. This activity is fun, nurturing and encourages the children to work together and appreciate each other's ideas. We also have many small group activities that strengthen self-confidence and promote awareness of cultures and lifestyles. A primary goal is to take collective responsibility for the children's growth and development. We respect the experience of each child and try to center our
curriculum around the ideas and interests of the children. Extracted from the Buen Dia Family School Web-Site

Social Skills & Work Habits

OVERALL RATING (5.0)
This school has increased my child's:
Ability to listen and follow directions
Ability to sit still for longer periods of time
Ability to be a part of a group of children
Self-sufficiency and independence
Awareness of others’ feelings
Cooperation with other children

source:

Curriculum and Teaching Approach

Savvy Source's Comments

Preschool life at Buen Dia is based on a philosophy of structured freedom. The daily routine provides a framework within which the children alternate between activities that they choose to participate in and those which everyone participates in together, either in large or small groups. Daily activities emphasis is in four areas: art, language development, block building, cooking and science, music and outdoor play. Each day of the week has a special activity at group time. Monday is sharing day, when children have an opportunity to share with words. Each child is encouraged to bring something from home to share with their peers. On Tuesdays, some of the children go to KinderGym at the University of California, San Francisco and some of the children have music with a performing arts specialist. Wednesdays the children have Spanish group. Thursdays and Fridays the children meet in small groups of age mates with whom they engage in science experiments or mini-field trips. Each month of the school year is punctuated with special projects and events that include the children's families. Special projects encourage the children to share who they are as individuals and as members of a family with their classmates and teachers. For example, the school year begins with the children putting together a display about what they did over summer vacation and sharing their 'Personality Bags' with the school. Special Annual Events provide opportunities for the children to share their experiences, their families and their diverse cultures with the school community, as well as expose the children to a variety of cultural traditions important to the wider community. For example, in November, the children bring organic vegetables of their choice to make 'Friendship Soup'.? In February children celebrate the Lunar New Year by making a huge dragon with which they parade around the block accompanied by live music. In May the children serve their parents breakfast for Parents Appreciation Day. In preparation, the children paint aprons, cook food, paint placemats and menus, and set and decorate the tables. Each school year culminates with a graduation ceremony in which all children are honored for their contribution to the school community that year. In anticipation, the children make props and sets, write stories, and create books of stories and writings. On graduation day, the children put on a dramatic performance of their stories (read aloud by teachers), which incorporate acrobatic and dance feats of their imagination accompanied by live music played by the teachers. Throughout the year we celebrate many holidays in nonreligious ways and encourage parents to participate in any way they can--from presenting a special group on Dia de los Muertos to making different snacks with the children for Passover, or planting a tree in our yard for Earth Day. Buen Dia's celebrations reflect the parent population and the greater community in San Francisco, with the hope of honoring the children's reality. Extracted from the Buen Dia Family School Web-Site

Parents' Comments

Parent #1
Each day, there is at least one structured session in a particular area (science, dance, yoga, etc.) and the rest of the day, children are free to select among activities in a number of areas.

Parent #2
Buen Dia balances free play and structure in a way that allow the children not to experience too much of the structure but parents know what the routines are for the each day. Some teacher encouragement but they do not force any of the kids to do something they are not inclined to do.