Summary
Contact Info
Cow Hollow School
65 Funston Avenue (The Presidio)
San Francisco
, CA
94129
www.cowhollowpreschool.org
Tel:
(415) 921-2328
Director:
Darcy Campbell
Dccowhollow2@aol.com
General Approach to Learning
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Play-based with some structure |
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| Predominantly teacher-led instruction |
Application Information
| Applications accepted |
Upon birth |
Key Statistics
| School year |
09/2008 - 06/2009 |
| Summer Program |
06/2008 - 08/2008 |
Kindergarten Placement
Parent Ratings
| Parents at this school would recommend this school to other parents. |
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| Quality of teaching |
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| Development of social skills and work habits |
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| Home-school connection |
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| Parent community |
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| Discipline |
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| Facilities |
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| Health |
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| Safety |
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| Handling of separation |
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Survey Information
Number of parents surveyed:
22
Director survey: Yes
Savvy Source survey: Yes
General Info
Basic Stats
% of teachers with:
| - Teaching credentials |
50%
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Transportation and Drop-off Policies
Transportation
Dropoff Procedure
Features of the Preschool
| Provide a kindergarten and elementary school program |
No
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| Affiliated with a religious institution |
No
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| Teach religious concepts |
No
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| Some experience serving children with special needs |
No
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Accreditation, Membership & Awards
| Accreditation by the National Association of Young Children |
No
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Other Accreditations
Facilities
| CONDITION OF FACILITIES RATING (4.1) |
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| Building, bathrooms, hallway |
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| Classroom equipment and furniture |
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| Outside play equipment |
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Facilities Include:
| Classrooms (with bathroom attached) |
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| Classrooms (with kitchenette attached) |
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| Art room |
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Presidio's 1,400 acres in our backyard
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Playground
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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?
At CHS we are committed to improving the health of our children, staff, parents and the environment. Through our Healthy School Initiative, we recommend and implement strategies to promote cleaner air, water and food; reduce waste and promote sustainability; and encourage the use of environmentally responsible materials. Our goal is to further enhance our program by guiding the children to be stewards of the earth and its resources, helping them care and become responsible members of their community, and to heighten their awareness of how people affect and are affected by their environment.
Parents' Comments
Parent #1
If you want you child to feel valued as an individual and a learner, then this is the school for you.
Parent #2
This is a beautiful school that cherishes children. The teachers make a commitment to know and respect your child and I believe they have gone above and beyond to meet that commitment. Strengths include the phenomenal director; the low ratio of adult/children; the dedicated teachers; its music program led by a classically trained opera singer who holds a doctorate in musical education and is a parent(!); the location in the Presidio which gives the children amazing access to the nature around us. I love that the kids go on walks to Crissy Field and have learned so much about the Presidio from being a part of it. One of its positives (being a co-op) can be a negative as the parent participation requirement means that two-career families that need extended care may not view CHS as a viable option and there are more families in which a parent stays at home. On the other hand, because we all commit to be part of the classroom, the parent association is vibrant, active and visible.
Parent #3
The school is a parent participation school so you are required to work in the classroom in the 2s and 3s year. You are also required to go to a certain number of parent education nights as well as a parent workday at the school. My point is that there is a lot of participation required at the school and it ended up being a lot more work than I imagined so do not take the parent participation piece lightly!
Parent #4
This is a perfect preschool. It is how schools should be. The teachers are wonderful and there is a nest at Cow Hollow School built on care, love, and extraordinary teaching talent.
Parent #5
The Director is absolutely top-notch. This is the first year that the school is in this new facility and expanding. There are many new teachers who are still learning about the school philosophy. It is in a growing phase. We are enjoying it so far. The parent community is very warm and welcoming. It is a co-op so parent involvement is a requirement. It is a Reggio Emilio play based school so there is limited structure.
Parent #6
It's a fabulous school and we can't wait until we are in the new building. I don't have anything negative to say about my experience although it was hard developing community as a parent the first year. This is changing and I feel that next year will be great for me as a parent as well as for my child. My child has really blossomed in this environment.
Parent #7
As mentioned previously, Cow Hollow Preschool has outside music, art, language and tumbling specialists who visit the classroom regularly. While the school doesn't have an art room per say, there are daily art oriented projects throughout the classroom. All and all, Cow Hollow Preschool is probably the hottest new preschool in San Francisco right now and with good reason; the teachers are fantastic, the curriculum is project-oriented, inquiry-based and inspiring, and the children are curious, stimulated and engaged. The school is unique in that it has a deep-rooted sense of community. Because it's a parent-participation preschool, all the families are engaged in the process as well as interested in being part of the educational development of their child(ren). Inevitably the program makes parents better parents. The school is not only committed to supporting, teaching and encouraging children - but the Director and the teachers teach parents how to better understand and support their own child(ren). The Preschool has an excellent professional teaching staff with vision, determination and experience. The children of Cow Hollow Preschool think of their school as a magical, safe, inspiring, social and curious place!
Parent #8
The school has a very good parent involvement component. The children are happy and well cared for. However, they have limited experience in the kindergarten placement process. Though each year more is learned. There is very poor out door space. The Director is involved in teaching college courses and spends less time with the children. The teaching staff of two others will have one new teacher for 2005-2006 and the other teacher has one year teaching at Cow Hollow as her first job out of college.
School Philosophy & Day in the Life
School Philosophy and Mission
The school supports the belief that children learn through play, exploration and discovery within the context of nurturing and reciprocal influences of children, parents and teachers. Our curriculum is based on the constructivist philosophy in which children construct knowledge and understanding from authentic experiences-they are encouraged to explore possibilities, invent solutions, collaborate with others, and try out ideas in the context of meaningful experiences. These real-life experiences make connections that inspire and provoke, and foster inquiry and critical thinking.
Typical Day-In-The-Life At This School
At the beginning of each day the children gather with the teachers and teaching parents to greet one another and share in a group experience that may include conversation about the encounters and experiences from the preceding days, information about projects and daily activities, stories and songs. We remember, share, reflect, offer and establish meaning together. The children pose problems to the community and collaborate on potential solutions and mutual understanding. Parents are encouraged to join and share with the children at this time. Children explore the classroom, continue previously started projects and work in small and/or large groups. The structure of activities, resources, and interactions within the classroom are organized in such a way to provide children with comfortable and familiar routines, yet at the same time, there is an emphasis on play and child-initiated projects. A variety of rich and authentic materials such as paints, scissors, shells, wood, fabric, clay, collage materials of interesting color, size and texture are available. Snack is intended to provide, in addition to wholesome nourishment, an opportunity for children and adults to gather together. Snack is a wonderful way for parents to introduce family food traditions, cooking methods and ideas. Frequently the older children collaborate and reach conclusions on what their snack should be. They create shopping lists, go to local markets and help prepare their own food. Children engage in active play, movement activities and dance, both outdoors and inside the school. We also take advantage of the beautiful Presidio on a daily basis. A trip to Crissy Field, a nature hunt for shapes, a tree investigation, the discovery of a sow bug in dirt, overturning a stump, impromptu trash pick-up with a discussion of what belongs in nature/what doesn't are experiences that honor the child's sense of wonder, curiosity, and belonging. We employ an outside Music Specialist to introduce instruments, rhythm, patterns in music, and songs to the children. Music is also integrated in the children's project work throughout the day. During the course of the school year we will have various guests, programs and fieldtrips connected to the children's project work. Some of these may include: acrobatic-gymnastic exercise classes, language classes, visiting musicians and artists, and trips to museums.
Quality of Teaching
Teachers Are:
| OVERALL RATING: (4.7) |
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| Full of energy and seemingly happy in job |
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| Patient and affectionate with children |
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| Talks with children and listens carefully when they are talking with him/her |
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| Praises children for accomplishments and good behavior |
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| Provides feedback on what my child does during the day |
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| Shares insights on my child that are helpful and accurate |
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| Identifies my child’s strengths and weaknesses |
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| If necessary, provides additional support to my child during pickup and drop-off |
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| Resolves disputes quickly, calmly and fairly in a manner that allows children to learn from the dispute |
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| Notices children who are not on task and/or engaging with other children appropriately and quickly reengages them |
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| Manages the energy level of the children so that all children feel safe and able to learn |
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| Provides additional support to a child when s/he is clearly failing in her/his efforts |
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| Strikes the proper balance between active and quiet play for children |
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Director's Comments on Individualized Teaching
Individualized Teaching
Description of how teachers work with children who are
"behind," "excelling" or "different" from the majority of students
Because of our low teacher-child ratios, small class-size and teaching parents in the classroom, we are able to carefully identify children who might need attention and provie necessary guidance.
Parents' Comments
Parent #1
Cow Hollow is a play based learning preschool with co-parents for the first two years. Then in Pre-K there are two teachers. The children have work/play stations set up at the beginning of the day and rotate through them. Either guided by one of the teachers or a parent.
Parent #2
All three teachers are very sensitive and aware with the children. It helps that there are always at least two parent volunteers in the classroom to monitor the children.
Parent #3
This school does not use praise... rather the children are encouraged to be proud of their own abilities and accomplishments. The teachers notice that an improvement has happened or that behavior is appropriate and comment upon it but there's no just plain undescriptive 'good job'. 'Praise' is much more deliberate here.
Parent #4
The teachers are very supportive, engaging and enthusiastic. During the transition period, they have been very supportive.
Parent #5
Cow Hollow makes a promise to "know and love" the children in their care. They not only kept this promise, but far exceeded my expectations in terms of their thorough, detailed, and compassionate understanding of my child, his strengths, personality, and needs.
Parent #6
Many of the teachers are students have been in the Master's program at SFSU where the director of CHS is a professor.
Home School Connection
Home-School Connection
| OVERALL RATING (4.6) |
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| Conducts an open house at start of school year |
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| Conducts a parent-teacher meeting at start of school year |
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| Conducts regular parent teacher conferences |
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| Provides summary of child’s learning at end of year |
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| Provides guidance on developmental goals for the following year |
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| Provides guidance on best Kindergarten and elementary schools |
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Director's Comments
Parent/Teacher Conference: Two conferences will be scheduled each year to discuss your child's progress (mid-year and in the Spring). Parent Education Evenings: This lecture series is offered as opportunities to disperse and gather information regarding parenting, teaching, concerns, questions, child development, etc. Topics include Conflict Resolution, Responsive Language, Observing Competencies, Encouraging Self-Esteem and Relationship Building. Home Visits: These optional visits have been organized to help make the transition from home to school more comfortable for the new younger children. Two weeks prior to school starting, the teachers will visit your home, at your convenience, to met your child, discuss routines and get to know your family. Classroom Journals: Online journals for each class are written weekly by the teaching team. They include an update on projects, curriculum, special discoveries and conversations that are guiding the children's learning experiences. Reading the journals each week with the children can act as a bridge from school to home and as a memory tool for your child's meaningful experiences. Family Books: To help bridge your child's home experiences to those at school, each child has a Family Book to fill out and decorate over the summer. The book will stay at school during your child's school experience (growing and changing every year) and will act as a tool to allow adults and children to make important connections and build relationships with your child. It will be used to promote memory, as a historical reference, and to encourage shared meaning making and compassion. Brown Bag Lunches: Parents and the Director will choose topics in advance for small roundtable discussions. Documentation: Gathering, organizing and presenting project work provides opportunities for the children to revisit their experiences, helps them appreciate the process of creating, and helps them understand the meaning of their experience and build upon it. The documentation process also exists to enable parents to learn more about their child's progress and development. CHS holds a Kindergarten Information Night to provide each family with a substantial packet of materials to inform, prepare and help guide parents through this process. In addition, we hold a Kindergarten Orientation, have regular parent meetings throughout the process, and share resources and information. Our school website serves as another vehicle for kindergarten information and parent discussions.
Separation
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Home visits by teachers
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Pre-entry meetings with parents at school
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Small group sessions
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Parents in classroom early on
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Abbreviated schedule at start of school year
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Director's and Parents' Comments
Director's Comments
Optional Home Visits help make the transition from home to school more comfortable for the new younger children. Two weeks prior to school starting, the teachers offer to visit your home, at your convenience, to met your child, discuss routines and get to know your family. The first day of school is shortened, and parents of the 2/3-year-old are required to stay to help with the transition. Throughout the school year, parents are welcome to stay with their child to help with any separation issues. The teachers work with parents to come up with solutions to help their child overcome separation.
Parents' Comments
Parent #1
Cow Hollow Preschool believes that parents' involvement is integral to the education process. Parents work in the classroom with the teaching team, attend an invaluable parent education series, and have open and frequent communication with the director and teachers so that they fully understand their child and their role in his/her education.
Parent #2
This is our first year at Cow Hollow so I can not fully respond to questions that start with 'at the end of the year'.
Parent #3
Uses specific supportive wording when talking with children. Problem solves with children control/sharing/problem situations; parents as teachers/learners in classroom. Teachers bring children's interests from home into classroom projects.
Parent #4
Cow Hollow Preschool is a co-op so there are always 2 teachers, 2 parents per class of 10 kids.
Parent #5
Cow Hollow School has the most comprehensive, thoughtful, well-researched educational philosophy of any preschool in San Francisco that we visited. This philosophy is articulately communicated by the school director, Darcy Campbell, and is put into practice every day in every classroom by every teacher. Parents are partners in every aspect of their child's experience, from the (moderate) co-op requirement at the 2 and 3-year-old levels to the frequent and detailed communication from teachers and staff.
Parent #6
Prior to school, CHS schedules a meeting with one of your teachers at your home. This was vital in helping our child transition to school. In fact, the home visit formed the foundation of a very strong bond that our child has with the teachers. The teaching teams also produce a weekly journal that documents what the children have done that week. The journal includes photos of the children taken during the week, quotes from the children about various activities, announcements about the coming week, and sometimes advice about particular issues. These journals are AMAZING. You can keep track of what's going on in the classroom and see and read what your child has been up to. At parent-teacher conferences, you also receive a comprehensive written report about your child. At the first conference it was a two page report about who our child was and how our child was developing. At the second conference it was a six page report covering the same areas, but in far more detail. It was pretty phenomenal and confirmed for us that the teachers really "got" our child.
Parent Community
| COHESIVENESS RATING (4.6) |
Parents:
Modes of Communication Between School and Home
Discipline, Health and Safety
Discipline
| OVERALL RATING (4.8) |
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| 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
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Overview
Director's Description of Approach Toward Discipline
At the root of our guidance strategies rest the belief that all children are competent and capable learners. All children have a right to care-giving and learning experiences that develop a sense of belonging, usefulness, influence, competence and respect. The parents and teachers will guide children to safe learning and relationships through the use of learner empowerment strategies, positive guidance strategies, redirection, scaffolding, logical consequences and trust.
Director's Response to a Sample Discipline Scenario
Description of how teachers handle the following scenario: Child A and Child B are good friends and usually play together. One day, Child A decides to play with Child C and tells Child B, 'I don't want to play with you today. I'm playing with Child C instead.'
A teacher or teaching parent would encourage Child B to tell Child A how that made him/her feel, and then facilitate respectful language between the two children. The teacher or parent would make sure that Child A addressed Child B's feelings, and find creative ways to work out solutions, with the children's help.
Parents' Notes on Discipline, Health and Safety
Parents' Comments
Parent #1
Currently Cow Hollow has very limited outside space. (Savvy Source Comment: refers to old location and no longer applies)
Parent #2
The classroom is very thoughtfully laid out and stimulating for the children. We do not have an outside play structure but we do have a beautiful courtyard with flowers and an apple tree. In the courtyard there are balls, streamers, chalk, bubbles, water station, outside planting projects etc. (Savvy Source Comment: this comment refers to old location and no longer applies) Also, we have a very large indoor open room (The Great Room) where the children have either a music specialist or a tumbling class each of which happens once a week.
Parent #3
The school has very little outdoor space and tries to make do with this limitation. As a result there are no climbing structures, tricycles or other toys to better enhance gross motor skills. We hope the school finds more space in the near future. (Savvy Source Comment: these comments refer to the old location and no longer apply.)
Parent #4
They are in the process of building a brandnew school. The facilities will be spectacular, but since they haven't openned yet I chose not to comment yet.
Parent #5
We are moving to a renovated building in the Presidio this year! It will be beautiful!
Parent #6
Cow Hollow School is now in a beautiful building in the Presidio. It is absolutely warm and inviting.
Parent #7
Sometimes I have wished the teachers would actually be firmer in disciplining children in certain situations instead of so carefully talking it out. Occasionally I have felt the 'talking it out' approach, with certain issues such as hitting between children, etc. doesn't make a big enough impact with the children doing the hitting.
Parent #8
CHS is located in the heart of the Presidio near the YMCA. As a result, children often go on walks with their teachers/parents through the Presidio, as far as Crissy Field and often just around the nearby "woods" as the children call it. Our child calls it the "school in the forest." Being at a school in the midst of a national park has provoked the children's curiosity in the world around them. The children have grown a vibrant vegetable and flower garden, have done projects on everything from water conservation to learning about skunks and the like. The school is great about bringing the classroom into nature and nature into the classroom.
Health
| OVERALL RATING (4.9) |
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| Temperature and overall air circulation is comfortable |
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| Healthy and nutritious snacks are provided
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| Toys and furniture are cleaned regularly |
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Food Allergies
Medications
Safety
| OVERALL RATING (4.9) |
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| Screen and identify all visitors
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| Parents may not bring sick children to school where they may infect others |
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Application & Admissions
Application Process
Admissions Process
Director's Comments
Comments
In order to be considered for admission, you must have completed an application and learning tour by the February of the year for which you are applying.
Kindergarten Placement & Tips
Parents' Admission Tips
Advice from Parents to Prospective Parents on Admissions
Parent #1
It's important to get your application in early and to visit the preschool.
Parent #2
I studied the approach, attended an open house and did a letter to the director.
Parent #3
Continue to keep in touch with the preschool. They get so many applications and some applicants never even follow up.
Parent #4
Since Cow Hollow School is a co-op, the families that participate must be especially committed to the school's philosophy and willing to take on the resposibilities of partnership. I took several opportunities to express our family's excitement about the school to the school director. I think our sincere enthusiasm and commitment to the school's special vision helped our application.
Parent #5
Wrote a letter about what I liked about the school and what my child was like. The close observation of my child helped I think because the school does no interviews of parents and children but at the same time wants families who are happy in the co-op environment where they will be working with other children. Also made a point of meeting with the director, who despite her schedule, always seemed to be available.
