Preschool Profile: The Kids Place of Novato

The Kid’s Place of Novato is a Reggio-inspired school with sister campuses in Corte Madera and San Anselmo. It's located at 84 Martin Drive in Novato's Hamilton neighborhood. Their annual Fall Carnival and Open House takes place on Friday, October 28, from 4 to 7 pm.

We asked the staff at the Kid's Place of Novato to tell us about the programs offered at their campus. For more information on the Kid's Place, visit www.kidsplaceofmarin.com or call (415) 884-0594.

Please describe your school’s educational philosophy. What’s it all about?

Kid’s Place schools are Reggio inspired preschools, where we create an environment that fosters curiosity, wonder, discovery and the potential to grow through stimulating age-appropriate programs, learning materials and healthy social interactions. The curriculum focuses on activities that are success-oriented and instill a positive sense of self-esteem. This environment is essential in promoting awareness and responsibility for self, family, friends, and community.

We support the family structure and aim to help working parents and families to ease the stress and meet the daily challenges of raising healthy, active children. We have two other locations in Corte Madera and San Anselmo. Please look up our website and see what fun we have at Kid's Place.

What does a typical day at your school look like?

A Journey through a Kids Place in Novato:

• 7–9 am: Center Discoveries
• 9–9:30 am: Clean up and quiet reading time
• 9:30–noon: We divide into 3 different groups—Ocean Room (2-3 year old class), Jungle Room (3-4 year old class), Rainforest Room (4–5 year old class)
• 9:30–10 am: Outside Time
• 10:00–10:30 am: Snack and bathroom
• 10:30–11 am: Circle
• 11:00–11:45am: Art and activity time
• 11:45-12:15pm: Circle and bathroom
• 12:15–1 pm: Lunch and outside time
• 1–2:30 pm: Nap and quiet time
• 2:30-3:00 pm: Outside time
• 3:00-3:30 pm: Snack and bathroom
• 3:30–4:30 pm: Outside time
• 4:30–5 pm: Circle and game time
• 5–6 pm: Manipulative and dramatic play time

What programs does your school offer?

In Novato, we use Becky Bailey’s conscious discipline techniques and believe in collaboration and community with a respect for differences in families and cultures. Our preschool offers dance class, Spanish, French, and Triple P parenting classes’; additional fee-based classes include swimming lessons and soccer. We are licensed for 30 children in the school.

We are a year-round program but offer a summer program for incoming kindergarten and kindergarten age.

What is the process for admissions?

We are licensed for 30 children in the school. Come and visit our Fall Carnival and Open House scheduled for October 28, 2011 from 4–7 pm. We are a year-round school which offers many opportunities for extracurricular activities like gymnastics, French, cooking and science.

What makes your school special?

Our curriculum pays close attention to the many different ways in which children learn through the multiple types of intelligences spatial, logical/math, naturalist, linguistic, interpersonal skills, musical, bodily and kinesthetic; art, reading, literacy, writing, second languages, telling stories, science and discovery, dramatic play, designing, music, experimenting, predicting, animals, environments, plants and movement. We believe in sensory awareness and that greater sensory input the greater the physiological activity in the brain.

Teachers guide children using a child-centered emergent curriculum and treat each child with affection, comfort, and understanding. Children learn in an environment free from frustration and pressure. While some content will be determined by teachers, teachers will also constantly allow the curiosities of children to guide the content of their lessons and projects.

We have amazing teachers who love their jobs and are inspired everyday by our children’s unique personalities. This truly makes us a small preschool family with lots of support and comfort.