Child Care, Preschool & Elementary School in San Francisco, California

Katherine Michiels Elementary School:
Located on Guerrero Street between 25th Street and 26th Street in San Francisco's Mission District, Katherine Michiels Elementary School (KMS) is taking the lead in developing a progressive curriculum where art, music, dance, Spanish, language, outdoor education and creative writing are core to an academic program that is project based and specific to each of our learners. Our unique curriculum takes inspiration from Mel Levine, Slingerland, Reggio Emilia Project Based Learning and similar techniques. Our program places a strong emphasis on social, academic and emotional development. We encourage children to take responsibility for themselves and others; and allow them freedom to develop a strong sense of self. KMS owns a camp outside of Yosemite where it offers outdoor education instruction to students. Scholarships are available.

Education Programs:
- Infant Program (ages 24 months to 3 years)
- Preschool (2 - 4 years).
- 2 Year Kindergarten (4 - 5 years)
- Elementary School (1st through to 5th grades).

Our Curriculum at a Glance:
KMS follows a progressive academic curriculum that incorporates skills-based AND project-based learning. Skills-based learning tailors lessons to each child’s individual needs and learning style. Project-based learning, fosters skills in open-ended inquiry, reflection and critical thinking.

The core of our curriculum is aimed at engaging youngsters across the spectrum of intelligence types, visual to verbal, spatial to kinesthetic, and providing each child with a range of tools for expression and discovery. Our infant care, preschool and elementary education programs incorporate a wide variety of the arts including dance, visual art, music, foreign language, the culinary arts . . . the list keeps growing.

Age-appropriate lessons, taught in multi-age classrooms, allow each child to progress at his or her own pace which can vary from subject to subject. Youngsters experience far less frustration over projects they need extra time with, and less boredom when they don’t have to wait for others to catch up. Because learning is most engaging, effective and enduring when it springs from exploration and discovery, students are encouraged to take appropriate risks in the knowledge that making mistakes is how human beings learn. As a consequence, our students learn self-confidence, gain good social skills, including respect for self, others, and the world around them.

KMS wants to empower students to be involved in their learning process. Thus, they are encouraged to initiate projects and/or activities that are of particular interest to them personally.

Our approach to learning is a continuum; lessons introduced during the student’s preschool years are developed and deepened through the fifth grade. Youngsters who begin with us as infants and toddlers benefit from this continuity in educational approach, gaining a strong foundation that will serve them well as they progress to middle school and beyond.

In addition to a rigorous academic program, the arts have been integrated into the curriculum:
* Students learn healthy, organic cooking in our state-of-the-art kitchen.
* A Spanish language and culture component is provided which offers educational travel immersion trips to Mexico.
* Students benefit from a variety of dance opportunities including instruction from professional dance troups in the San Francisco area.

Note:  Scholarships are available.