Ventana’s preschool reflects our belief that children learn through play, observation, and investigation. We value each child as an individual and competent learner, full of ideas and questions. Our teachers create open-ended, exploratory invitations that support curiosity and inquiry. Ventana School is strongly inspired by the Reggio Approach, and our teachers participate in on-going professional development so that our classrooms are places of growth and learning for all the protagonists: children, teachers, and parents.
Children should be 2 years old by September 1 of the year that they enter Ventana School. Children in diapers are welcome.
The schedule for all of our preschool classrooms is 9-3PM. We have 2, 3, or 5 day per week schedules and you can choose either a 10 month or 12 month program.
We have early care from 8-9AM and extended care from 3-5:30PM as an option for an extra fee for those families who need in this continuity of care.
Reggio-inspired Curriculum
Teachers pay close attention to children’s interests and use the classroom itself as a “third teacher” to engage and provoke the children’s meaning-making. Teachers observe children closely and then use their reflections to plan activities and provocations that lead to inquiry, collaboration, and critical thinking. Curriculum is not prepared months in advance, but rather it emerges and evolves, daily and weekly, in direct response to the children’s engagement and questions. Teachers skillfully weave all the necessary “academic” skills into playful experiences that span every corner of the classroom and spill out into our beautiful natural outdoor spaces on our campus. Numeracy, literacy, scientific reasoning, music, visual arts, and social-emotional skills are integrated into both spontaneous play and teacher-directed activities.
Parents at Ventana School
Parents are welcome partners in inquiry work at Ventana School. While we are not a parent co-op and parent participation is not formally required, we find that both working parents and stay-at-home parents are eagerly engaged in the life of the school at Ventana. Teachers engage with parents through emails, phone or video calls, weekly blog newsletters, online photo albums, and more. Parents sometimes come into the classroom as guest experts, offering insights on projects or inquiries in action. Parents also run the Ventana Parent Association (VePA), which plans educational and social events throughout the year, as well as providing other support for the school.
