Nini's Jolie Jardin

Our Teachers

​ Hello! I am Nini, the founder of Nini’s Jolie Jardin. I was inspired to start my program because it has always been my dream to design my own space where children can blossom and grow. I have over 14 years of experience working with young children.

Why I like working with Children:

I have a passion for children and I want to make a difference in each child’s life from the beginning. I enjoy working with children, helping them learn and discover new things. I’m eager to be part of children’s growth and development. I’m passionate about helping children grow to be healthy and happy. My approach to teaching is hands-on and reinforces independence while allowing children to explore and have their self-discovery. Since I had my son, I knew that working with children would be my career. 

My Education & Experience: 

I have an Associate in Science Degree in Early Childhood Education and a Teacher Credential in Child Development. I have been working with children for over 15 years and I have both Montessori and Traditional teaching experience. I worked as a Family Life Education Specialist at Contra Costa College Early Learning Center; I worked as a kindergarten and pre-k teacher at Small Word Montessori School; I also worked as an infant-toddler and preschool teacher at CCLC Clif Base Camp to name a few. I received a French education in Senegal West Africa and I speak, read and write fluent French. 

What I like to do in my free time:

I enjoy traveling and trying new food. I like to practice Yoga, read, and spend time with friends and family. The best of all is spending time with my son!

Testimonials

“Both our son and daughter were fortunate enough to have Ms. Nini as their preschool teacher from about 2012 through 2016. I am deeply grateful that they both had her as their teacher at this important time in their early lives.

Ms. Nini is an incredibly compassionate and nurturing educator while still maintaining order and a safe learning environment. I was always amazed to see how well she handled kids at all different levels of growth and maturity. And at the end of the day what matters the most is that both our kids adored her and even years after they left her would run to her for hugs whenever they saw her.

And she probably taught us as much as she taught our kids. Whether it was helping us through milestones like potty training our giving us sound and relevant advice to reinforce good behavior, she might have taught us as much as our kids. :)

We wholeheartedly recommend Ms. Nini to anyone looking for top notch, professional, and caring early childhood education.” - John K.

Philosophy

At Nini’s Jolie Jardin, we believe that children grow, learn, and thrive by exploring the world around them. It is our goal to provide an environment that engages children with developmentally-appropriate activities and materials. In our program, children will feel genuinely cared for and cherished.

We follow an emergent curriculum–our weekly activities and themes are updated based upon the current interests and learning goals for the children in the program. I draw on aspects of both the Montessori and Reggio Emilia philosophies for our materials and learning activities.

We are a bilingual program – daily care and activities will be provided in both French and English. Learning a second language at a young age encourages your child’s intellectual and social development. We aim to have more French than English on a daily basis, but will work with each family to transition children into learning French.

Our program is mixed age meaning we range from infants through five years old. Studies show that there are great learning and social-emotional growth opportunities for children to be part of mixed age. For example, younger children learn skills from older children while older children learn empathy, leadership, and other from engaging with and modeling behaviors for younger children.

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Location

Nini’s Jolie Jardin is located in a warm welcoming home in the South Shore neighborhood of Alameda with a water-view.

We’ve thoughtfully designed our care environment with play and learning areas that allow children to explore various developmentally-appropriate activities based on their interests. Some of our favorite areas include reading / cozy area (for literacy, relaxation, and respite), art area (for expressing emotions and ideas), sensory area (for spatial awareness and learning through the five senses), and music and movement area (for physical activity and cultural learning).

Children will have some outdoor time every day in the yard, at a local park or playground. Connecting with nature lets children gain deeper knowledge of themselves and the world.

At Nini’s Jolie Jardin, we seek to provide an environment that supports the cognitive, social, and emotional growth of each child.

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Admissions

Join the Nini’s Jolie Jardin community in four easy steps:

1. Explore our website

We’ve provided information about our philosophies and offerings to help you decide if our program may be right for your family.

2. Tour our program

Come see what makes Nini’s Jolie Jardin unique. If we are currently hosting tours, you can request or schedule a tour at the top of this page. If we are not currently hosting tours, you’ll see a “Request Info” button at the top of this page; if you submit your information using this button, we will notify you when we start host tours again in the future.

3. Submit an Enrollment Application

If you would like to enroll, please submit an application. Please note that we require tours for all prospective families. Please do not submit an application if you have not visited the program.

4. Enroll

After reviewing your application, we’ll send an enrollment invitation. Upon accepting your invitation you’ll pay your enrollment fee, fill out enrollment documents and review our Parent Handbook.