Summary
Contact Info
A Child's Garden
90 Paradise Avenue
San Francisco
, CA
94131
Tel:
(415) 333-9169
Fax:
(415) 333-9395
Director:
Michele Lundy
michelelundy@gmail.com
General Approach to Learning
 |
Play-based with some structure |
|
| Predominantly teacher-led instruction |
Application Information
| Applications accepted |
After a face-to-face meeting at the school |
| Deadline for applications |
Rolling |
Key Statistics
| Student/teacher ratio |
6:1 |
| Age cutoff for enrollment |
2 years and 6 months |
| School year |
Year round program |
Kindergarten Placement
Parent Ratings
| Parents at this school would recommend this school to other parents. |
|
| Quality of teaching |
|
| Development of social skills and work habits |
|
| Home-school connection |
|
| Parent community |
|
| Discipline |
|
| Facilities |
|
| Health |
|
| Safety |
|
| Handling of separation |
|
Survey Information
Number of parents surveyed:
8
Director survey: Yes
Savvy Source survey: Yes
General Info
Basic Stats
| Student/teacher ratio |
6:1
|
% of teachers with:
| - Teaching credentials |
50%
|
Transportation and Drop-off Policies
Transportation
Dropoff Procedure
Features of the Preschool
| Provide a kindergarten and elementary school program |
No
|
| Affiliated with a religious institution |
No
|
| Some experience serving children with special needs |
No
|
Accreditation, Membership & Awards
| Accreditation by the National Association of Young Children |
No
|
Other Accreditations
Other Memberships
Facilities
| CONDITION OF FACILITIES RATING (3.5) |
|
| Building, bathrooms, hallway |
|
| Classroom equipment and furniture |
|
| Outside play equipment |
|
Facilities Include:
| Classrooms (with bathroom attached) |
|
| Classrooms (with kitchenette attached) |
|
| Art room |
|
|
Playground
|
|
Director's Comments
Question to director: Do you have any additional thoughts on what parents should consider when looking at your school? Is there any advice that you would like to provide to prospective parents?
Our goal is to nurture the development of the whole child physically, emotionally, socially and intellectually. Children's learning does not occur in narrowly defined subject areas but in an integrated process; an activity that stimulates one dimension of learning affects a broad spectrum of other learning areas as well. We are committed to providing an atmosphere, which encourages self-expression and creativity for each child while building self-esteem and independence. Our low child to teacher ratio and small group of children allow more individual attention and a closer personal relationship with the teachers.
Parents' Comments
Parent #1
Child's Garden is a fantastic preschool and my son has really thrived there. The director has created a wonderful, warm environment in which children can grow and learn. It is play-based, so children are able to follow their interests, but with enough structure that they learn how to listen, follow rules and develop new skills. They take a lot of field trips and usually visit a different local park every day.
Parent #2
My child did not do well in a highly structured, academic environment, because she was unable to sit still, and so I moved her to "A Child's Garden". She gets out nearly everyday to the park, kindergym, the library, the ballet, museums etc. She has learnt more from these daily trips than from any other care situation she has been in. Every day she has art projects and paintings to show me and is very excited about her experiences. The kids have a predictable daily routine in which the children are offered a choice of activities. She gets a lot of attention in a very small group of children who have now all become her close friends.
Parent #3
I have two boys at this school and they have been there for 1 1/2 years now. We really like the school. They go on a trip to a park 4-5 days a week. They also go to Kindergym, trips to the library, china town, chabot space ctr, Elkus ranch, the velveteen rabbit and more. There is a maximum of 12 children and there is usually around 8-10 kids day. I looked at many preschools and this one was the only one where they went out (off property) to different parks to play almost every day. The school is play based learning and my children learn about planet's one week by painting art projects, posters and books on planets and a trip to Chabot. The next week is chinese new year and they will go to china town and make chinese dragons from egg shell boxes. I am surprised and thrilled about how my children learn even though it's thru play and not a structured curriculum. For us it's perfect and provides what we wanted for our kids at preschool age.
The school is small so my oldest son doesn' t have as many boys his age as he would like, but he loves all the kids at school and plays with all ages so I see this as a small minus. He will have plenty of time at kindergarten to branch out.
Parent #4
providing activities that interest the children. The biggest weakness is that the children have no bounderies and I feel like the children run the school.
Parent #5
This is an excellent school - play-based with just enough structure. Lots of daily exercise for the kids. Positive discipline. Our daughter just flourished here!
Parent #6
On first glance this seems like a very active and robust program, but we have found it to be totally chaotic with no structure at all. Some structure for children is important - and even free play in most environments have supervision of some sorts. If your child needs one-on-one time, or wants to practice communicating with others this is not the school for you. It feels more like babysitting and not preparing for K or for maturity. It makes us sad to come to this conclusion especially since its an established school.
Parent #7
It's strength is its weakness: This is a very laid-back school with tons of activities. The teachers are very flexible with how issues are handled. For example, I was concerned with separation anxiety when my son started. On the one hand, they had almost no suggestions for me. That was frustrating. But on the other hand, when I came up with a plan, they completely supported me. They have a van to put all the kids into to take them on field trips. This van is the envy of all the home-based preschools, apparently. My son's first day of school was a trip to the zoo. They take the kids to Kindergym on Wednesdays, too.
School Philosophy & Day in the Life
School Philosophy and Mission
A Child's Garden Preschool is committed to providing a safe, nurturing, and stimulating learning environment for preschoolers. Our goal is to establish a space where they can begin to learn to function in group situations. The developmental program mixes structure and function in a thematic curriculum of art, music, language and science combined with free play: blocks, games, puzzles, outdoor toys and play structures. Each childâ??s individual style dictates his/her choice of activities, and spontaneous fun is integrated into the daily routines. Music, movement, storytelling, role-play and physical activity are mainstays of the program. In addition, the children may participate in UCSF's Kindergym, visits to neighborhood playgrounds, and outings to destinations which tie into the thematic curriculum. Parents are welcome to visit the program at any time and are encouraged to accompany us on field trips.
Typical Day-In-The-Life At This School
A Child's Garden Preschool day includes free-choice and teacher planned activities, snack, indoor and outdoor play, circle time, a trip to a park, lunch, naptime, snack, followed once again with indoor and outdoor play.
Free-choice activities are always available, for example: blocks, manipulatives, dress up, role play, self directed art activities (drawing, cutting, etc.) outdoor play, books, cozy corner, puzzles, playdough, waterplayâ?¦
Teacher-planned special activities include: special art projects, songs, music, dance, Spanish, gardening, cooking projects, small group activities, flannel board stories, special books and dictation stories, group murals, hands-on math, simple science and nature, circle timesâ?¦
Quality of Teaching
Teachers Are:
| OVERALL RATING: (4.3) |
|
| Full of energy and seemingly happy in job |
|
| Patient and affectionate with children |
|
| Talks with children and listens carefully when they are talking with him/her |
|
| Praises children for accomplishments and good behavior |
|
| Provides feedback on what my child does during the day |
|
| Shares insights on my child that are helpful and accurate |
|
| Identifies my child’s strengths and weaknesses |
|
| If necessary, provides additional support to my child during pickup and drop-off |
|
| Resolves disputes quickly, calmly and fairly in a manner that allows children to learn from the dispute |
|
| Notices children who are not on task and/or engaging with other children appropriately and quickly reengages them |
|
| Manages the energy level of the children so that all children feel safe and able to learn |
|
| Provides additional support to a child when s/he is clearly failing in her/his efforts |
|
| Strikes the proper balance between active and quiet play for children |
|
Director's Comments on Individualized Teaching
Parents' Comments
Parent #1
The activities are diverse and comprehensive. Lots of field trips. Children seem very happy with the teachers. Teachers seem to care and love the children. We're new to this school, so I'm a little uncertain of how focused the teachers are on specific instruction, how much they pay attention to strengths & weaknesses, etc.
Parent #2
The teacher is really good with the kids and I think she teachers them plenty of things. I have arrived early and found her playing a game where they are matching shapes and colors - like bingo. She reads and generally teaches in an unstructured format. The other teaches help to make sure the children have enough care and are well taken care of.
Parent #3
The head of the school has decades of experience to draw from. She is incredibly warm and patient, yet firm and consistent in disciplinary matters. She is also a great resource for advice on how to handle issues from potty training to speech development.
Home School Connection
Home-School Connection
| OVERALL RATING (3.5) |
|
| Conducts an open house at start of school year |
|
| Conducts a parent-teacher meeting at start of school year |
|
| Conducts regular parent teacher conferences |
|
| Provides summary of child’s learning at end of year |
|
| Provides guidance on developmental goals for the following year |
|
| Provides guidance on best Kindergarten and elementary schools |
|
Separation
|
|
-
Pre-entry meetings with parents at school
|
|
-
Extra staff dedicated to handle separation
|
|
-
Parents in classroom early on
|
|
-
Abbreviated schedule at start of school year
|
Director's and Parents' Comments
Parents' Comments
Parent #1
My son started mid-year when a space opened up. He's only been there three months now. It is possible that this school provides a lot of the services above, and I just don't know it yet. But the community in general feels very free-form and informal. If I have questions, I know I can get them answered. The teacher has much less feedback for me about my son than I thought. That's a little frustrating.
Parent #2
none
Parent #3
This is a small school and I feel the teachers work with each child based on their needs especially at the school year. They always attend to any child struggling with separation and I feel confident that they will be playing about 1 minute after I have driven away. They also let each child way out the wind and blow kisses every day which my kids love. I think this routine really helps.
Parent #4
A Child's Garden does a particulary good job with handling separation issues. Many parents, including myself, read a story to their child in the reading area before school. The school also has a large window that faces the street where children can wave goodbye and blow kisses. Because Michelle has been doing this for so long, she is able to provide excellent advice on how to handle separation or other child development issues.
Parent Community
| COHESIVENESS RATING (3.2) |
Parents:
Modes of Communication Between School and Home
Discipline, Health and Safety
Discipline
| OVERALL RATING (4.4) |
|
| Parents at this school, on average, believe that conflicts between children:
are handled extraordinarily well in a way that not only gives me confidence in the safety of my child but also reassures me that my child (and his/her peers) are learning the early skills needed to socialize effectively with one another
| |
Parents' Notes on Discipline, Health and Safety
Parents' Comments
Parent #1
This school is small. Everyone knows everyone. I worry very little about safety. The teachers have been there a long time. The school has been around a long time, and some of the toys really show it. So does the facility. This really bothered me at the beginning but now that I understand that the kids don't care, I don't even notice anymore.
Parent #2
This is a very mixed bag and upkeep depends of focus of director which is erratc
Parent #3
The facilities are a little funky, but it's worth it for the excellent care and attention! Lots of art time and a big playroom with lots of toys. Lots of little bins with educational toys, and the kids must put things away when they are done.
Parent #4
The director is consistently upgrading the school especially as it's been in place for 30 years. Last year she put in new flooring to two main areas and the bathroom. This year she is replacing the flooring in the remaining area (the art room) and painting. I feel she continues to maintain the upkeep so my children are comfortable and safe.
Parent #5
The director works continuously to maintain and update the facilities. Because she has been doing this for so long she has a wide variety of toys, books, educational materials, etc. There is something there for every child. The art area is particularly well stocked.
Health
| OVERALL RATING (4.6) |
|
| Temperature and overall air circulation is comfortable |
|
| Healthy and nutritious snacks are provided
|
|
| Toys and furniture are cleaned regularly |
|
Food Allergies
Medications
Safety
| OVERALL RATING (4.1) |
|
| Screen and identify all visitors
|
|
| Parents may not bring sick children to school where they may infect others |
|
Kindergarten Placement & Tips
Parents' Admission Tips
Advice from Parents to Prospective Parents on Admissions
Parent #1
Patience. By that, I mean, when the teacher called us and we called back and she didn't return our call for a week, that did NOT mean we didn't get in. She was just busy. I got so used to these deadlines on all these highly demanded schools, that when I was asked to deal in the normal world, I forgot how to act.
Parent #2
no
Parent #3
I looked at a lot of preschools and this one was the only one that takes the kids multiple times a week outside to play and learn. It's a nice small groups and I really like the environment.
