Summary
Contact Info
Baby Steps
20 Crestlake Drive
San Francisco
, CA
94132
Tel:
(415) 661-6124
Director:
Pat Sullivan
BabyStepsNature@aol.com
General Approach to Learning
 |
Play-based with some structure |
|
| Predominantly teacher-led instruction |
|
Reggio-Emilia |
Application Information
| Applications accepted |
While child is in utero, upon birth, after a phone conversation with the appropriate person at the school, after a face-to-face meeting at the school |
| Deadline for applications |
Rolling |
Key Statistics
| Student/teacher ratio |
4:1 |
| Age cutoff for enrollment |
2 months |
| School year |
Year round program |
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:
4
Director survey: Yes
Savvy Source survey: Yes
General Info
Basic Stats
| Student/teacher ratio |
4:1
|
| Average tenure for teachers |
3 yrs.
|
% of teachers with:
| - Teaching credentials |
33%
|
Transportation and Drop-off Policies
Transportation
Dropoff Procedure
Features of the Preschool
| Provide a third year |
Yes
|
| • Yes. |
|
| Provide a kindergarten and elementary school program |
No
|
| Affiliated with a religious institution |
No
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| Some experience serving children with special needs |
Yes
|
| • We have worked with several children with ADHD and some with specific learning disabilities. In those cases, we have consulted with parents and pediatricians about how best to handle the needs of the child. |
|
Accreditation, Membership & Awards
| Accreditation by the National Association of Young Children |
No
|
Other Memberships
Facilities
| CONDITION OF FACILITIES RATING (3.9) |
|
| 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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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?
We believe in continuity of care. We encourage our parents to keep their children in our care from our infant care program through preschool program to our prek curriculum. As each child grows, they experience being in a mixed age school, helped and encouraged by the older children and then when they become older children themselves, they scaffold their younger classmates.
Parents' Comments
Parent #1
The strength of baby steps is the amount of time the children spend outside. When you live in a big city it requires special effort to teach kids about nature, and they get that at babysteps. My 3 year old knows more about birds, squirrels, butterflies, spiders, etc than most adults!
Parent #2
My son learned to write his first and last name, knew how to identify several native birds and came home exhausted every night! He learned more at Baby Steps than he has learned anywhere since!
Parent #3
Baby Steps' best attributes: outdoor play space, conscientious caregivers, flexibility in scheduling, diversity. Weakest in: healthful lunch and snacks, communication with the parents, cohesive parent community.
School Philosophy & Day in the Life
School Philosophy and Mission
We are a natre and outdoor education preschool. Our emergent curriculum is designed around a natural theme. Our teachers incorporate their love and respect for nature in all our curriculum. Nature walks, observations, field trips, research and exploration gives all our little nature scientists the room to expand their critical and creating thinking skills!
Typical Day-In-The-Life At This School
In good weather we spend as much as 75% of our time outside, running in the meadow just beyond the yard, walking through the grove of eyucluputus to the playground or the library and lots of time to spend sitting in the sandbox and creating new worlds. We always have a project we're working on, birdwatching and tallies, squirl diet and behavior, gardening, animal safari hunts, etc. In the afternoon, while the youngest sleep, older children practice writing, reading and working on the developing the skills they will need for school.
Quality of Teaching
Teachers Are:
| OVERALL RATING: (4.5) |
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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
All the children are unique. Our low teacher ratio enables us to provide individual instruction to each child, to hear each voice and to help them develop the social, emotional, cognitive and physical skills they will need to move on to elementary school and beyond.
Parents' Comments
Parent #1
Pat, the main teacher at Baby Steps, is an insightful, accredited educator who has 20 years experience in teaching children. She is phenomenal at identifying positive attributes of your child as well as indicating areas that need a little more attention.
Parent #2
This teacher is new to the field and works with the head teacher to develop skills.
Home School Connection
Home-School Connection
| OVERALL RATING (4.5) |
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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
We communicate with our parents on a daily basis, at pick up and drop-offs, with special emphasis on the positive things their children have done during the day. Parents are free to talk to the director at any time about any aspect of the school.
Separation
|
|
-
Pre-entry meetings with parents at school
|
|
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Small group sessions
|
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Extra staff dedicated to handle separation
|
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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
Parents are allowed to call in as many times as they want for updates on how their children are doing. They are also welcome to stay in the classroom for a while, provided this isn't contraindicated. Parents are encouraged to give us as much information about the child's behavior, moods, likes and dislikes as possible to speed up the process of "getting to know" the child. Favorite comfort items, pictures of mom and dad and familure foods often helps the transition. We encorage the child to attach to one specific teacher initally.
Parents' Comments
Parent #1
There isn't a lot of structure to the home-school connection. But I find that I always get great updates. Some parents seem to rush in and out, so they probably have less of a connection, but I try to stay a few minutes to give the teachers a chance to tell me about my daughters day.
Parent Community
| COHESIVENESS RATING (2.7) |
Parents:
Modes of Communication Between School and Home
Discipline, Health and Safety
Discipline
| OVERALL RATING (4.2) |
|
| 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
| |
Overview
Director's Description of Approach Toward Discipline
Generally, we use a 'time out' approach. If the problem requires parental involvement, we involve the parents immediately via a parent conference, instead of waiting for the problem to escalate.
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.'
The typical scenario is that one where a child learning to socialize with his classmates has to understand the concept of sharing. We discourage aggressive behavior and insist that our children find ways to communicate with each other and take turns.
Parents' Notes on Discipline, Health and Safety
Parents' Comments
Parent #1
One excellent attribute of Baby Steps is the amount of time that the children spend outside. The back gate of the play area opens onto Stern Grove, and there is a large area for the children to play ball games as well as take nature walks.
Parent #2
Great outdoor play space and free access to the park every day! It's just beyond the back gate!
Parent #3
The kids spend most of their time outside, which is equipped with picnic tables, a large sandbox with toys (covered nightly), and a play apparatus. The facility backs up to Stern Grove park, so nature walks are common.
Health
| OVERALL RATING (4.5) |
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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 (4.3) |
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| Screen and identify all visitors
|
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| • staff members are fingerprinted and screened by the department of justice |
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| Parents may not bring sick children to school where they may infect others |
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Ages, Schedule & Tuition
Ages, Class Size, Days & Tuition
| Ages |
Class Size |
Days |
Tuition |
From
6 years
to
7 years
11 months
|
|
|
$350/Month |
From
3 years
to
5 years
11 months
|
|
|
$200/Week |
From
2 months
to
2 years
11 months
|
4 |
|
$300/Week |
Extended Care
Notes on Schedule and Extended Care
Notes
Tuition includes all single day school holidays when Baby Steps is open. Spring Break, Holiday Camp and Summer Camp requires seperate registration and tuition.
Calendar Year
School Year
Application & Admissions
Application Process
Admissions Process
Director's Comments
Comments
We do not offer financial aid, but we are able to advise parents about how to apply for financial aid from other sources.
Kindergarten Placement & Tips
Director and Parents have not yet submitted this information to the Savvy Source.
