Bilingual Preschool in the San Francisco Bay Area

Presidio Knolls School, San Francisco:
Located on Lombard Street, San Francisco, near the Bay, Presidio Knolls School is a non-profit Mandarin-immersion Reggio Emilia inspired pre-school. Our school comprises of a dedicated, generous group of parents and teachers who are committed to providing a multi-lingual, multi-cultural English and Mandarin Chinese environment where children can freely develop their gifts and interests. Since the inception of the school in February 2008, the faculty and parents have been working very hard to realize these goals. Teachers and staff members undergo extensive training before ever stepping into the classroom, and all our teachers receive ongoing training.

Education Programs:
Bilingual Mandarin Chinese and English programs:

- Preschool programs
- Kindergarten programs

Reggio Emelia Curriculum:
We offer a Reggio Emilia inspired teaching philosophy in a Mandarin immersion classroom. We have made great strides in implementing this teaching philosophy in a Mandarin immersion classroom. For example, we changed the entire layout of the school to give children more space and options to explore their personal interests and develop deeper relationships with each other. To facilitate language reinforcement at home, we have produced and published weekly videos of Mandarin songs and stories.

The teachers have also infused Chinese traditions, such as ancient poetry and festival celebrations, into the program to foster cultural awareness and expose our children to more sophisticated vocabularies. We teach Chinese traditions, such as ancient poetry and festival celebrations, into the program to foster cultural awareness and expose our children to more sophisticated vocabularies.

The classroom of Reggio Emelia curriculum combines some characteristics of both developmental programs (or play based programs) and Montessori. One central element in this approach is the emphasis on a child’s symbolic language such as drawing, dramatic play and writing. This is considered an extension of the “whole language approach”. This process is believed to develop forms of self-expression. The curriculum emphasizes five main components:

* Importance of the classroom environment: aesthetic features such as a conscious use of color, natural light, and space to foster creative learning.

* Value of parental involvement: parents are strongly encouraged to work with teachers to tailor lesson plans to each child's specific needs.

* Teachers as learners: teachers are dedicated to understanding the child's needs by using his / her interests to build and guide the curriculum.

* Long-term projects as vehicles for learning: a child's creative thinking is channeled through involvement in long term projects (such as growing plants from seedlings), giving them a better understanding of the learning process.

* Hundred languages of children: children are encouraged to express their understanding of the world through symbolic languages such as drawing, sculpture, dramatic play, and writing.

- School runs year round
- Hours: M-F 9:00am to 4:00pm with extended care 7:30- 9:00am and enrichment programs 4:00-6:00pm.
- 2 years 9 months to 5 years of age.
- Two, Three & Five Full-Day Programs

Outside the classroom, there are:

· Opportunities for parents to review classroom lessons with thier child(ren) at home by watching our weekly broadcast on YouTube.

We learn Mandarin at our school-by experiencing it.

· Field Trips to the Exploratorium and other museums, Presidio park, Crissy's Field, farmer’s markets, and other eventful places that supplement our children's educational development.

· Educational seminars for parents (topics include: "understanding childhood development” “collaborating with teachers to enhance a child’s learning experience” “choosing an elementary school”).

* We also offer Summer Camps.