Niños Preschool Program Wonderschool

Our Teachers

I’m Veronica Vera, the Founder and Director of Niños Preschool Program Wonderschool. I graduated and received a teaching certificate from Santa Monica College, and have worked in the field of early childhood education for 20 years. During those years, I worked as a teacher and director. As a parent, I understand that each parent looks for the right environment for their children.

Our lead Teacher, Ana, has BA, she immersed in the field of pedagogy within elementary education in Guatemala, where her graduated with honors as an elementary teacher. Throughout the years of experience, she has had the privilege of working with children of all ages, and se deeply value the opportunity to contribute to their development and well-being. This journey fills her with immense pride. My assistant, Jackie, has 20 years of experience working with kids. As well as our outdoor play like plants, building, dramatic play, and sports.

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Testimonials

“I love this school.  My four-year-old daughter has been going for about nine months and the amount she has developed is substantial.  It was very important for us that she be in a Spanish-immersion school, and the amount of language she has picked up in this short time is nothing short of amazing!  

We had her in another preschool temporarily before this one, and had a terrible experience.  It was definitely not the right fit in many ways, and more importantly, she had absolutely no personal connection to any of the multitude of teachers that were around her. That is one of the most distinguishable differences with Niños Preschool Program.  

Here she has as much individual attention as any child would need, while at the same time her social relationships are being developed very carefully. Even when there are squabbles that are typical of this age group, my daughter always feels comfortable talking to any of the teachers about whatever she may be feeling. As a parent, I’ve always felt Veronica and Gustavo, the owners and head teachers, are extremely approachable and active in addressing concerns, if not proactive.

My daughter now sings songs in Spanish and English, teaches me moves from the weekly yoga class, and brings home paintings and drawings every week.  They have music class, and cook/bake together on Fridays.  She seems very attached to all her teachers, and I have complete confidence in their ability to nurture and care for her.  

Some parents have made much ado about the big move to the new school, and I just don’t see why.  The new place is much bigger, with more room for activities and play, and my daughter has been even more excited to go to this place than she was even with the last one.  The transition was perfectly smooth, in my opinion.

As far as being in contact with the younger toddlers/babies, yes, there seems to be a lot of interaction but I don’t have any concerns about it.  I appreciate that she is learning how to interact with other kids of all ages, and actually wish I could have had my her at Niños from her infant age on upwards because she would have developed good social skills much earlier than she did being exclusively in my care.

Niños also offers classes for parents periodically to nourish parent/child connections and address child development concerns.  I really enjoyed these, the times I was able to participate.

Great school.

-Abby M.

Ninos Preschool Program is a GODSEND. I have been 100% happy with everything relating to the program.

18 months ago, my daughter was in a daycare program that unexpectedly closed down.  We were not expecting to have to put her in pre-k for another year and a half and after visiting several schools in a short period of time I was completely overwhelmed and totally hopeless. All the other preschools I looked at had major issues with regard to caregiver/child ratio, quality of the food, disciplinary policy, the level of education required for each caregiver, and cost. I was also looking for somewhere that would speak to her in English as well as Spanish as it is very important to me my daughter retain her Spanish.

Ninos Preschool Program is in a little hidden, residential neighborhood. I called and was able to visit the school that same day. I was blown away by the cleanliness of the space, the amount of books that were available for the children (in Spanish and English), and the fact that they had computers.

Most important I was ecstatic to hear about the level of individual attention each child gets. Every other school I visited had 8-12 students per caregiver (which is allowed by the state by the way) and NPP had 4 children per teacher. Veronica (the founder and head teacher) explained that the Reggio method she uses stresses the small caregiver/child ratio in addition to the importance of play through organic materials. In laymen’s terms, my daughter plays outside a lot. Specifically they handle a lot of plants, nuts, dirt, and clay and use these things to learn and create art. Almost everyday my daughter comes home with a very creative collage or art piece.

Veronica has a vegetable garden the children are able to participate in tending to, she has people come in to teach music, art and yoga to the children and during the holidays she has visitors coming in to talk to the children about different traditions. What’s additionally special is the emphasis on the health of the entire family unit.  The school frequently offers enrichment classes on parenting focusing on such topics as how to navigate through big changes.

The program also has a huge emphasis on multiculturalism and is bilingual in nature. The children are constantly exploring other cultures including tasting the food, listening to music and stories. As if that isn’t enough to sell you on the program, NPP also provides meals for your child. Almost 100% organic and extremely healthy. Your child will not be eating fish sticks and frozen veggies. They will be eating things like vegetable soup, lentils, brown rice and plenty of fresh vegetables.

Last but not least, I cannot say enough about Veronica. She is not only invested in your child’s growth and learning experience, but she goes above and beyond to care for and ensure that parents and families as a unit are thriving and healthy. I am constantly receiving guidance and feedback on how my daughter is doing, and even getting pictures sent to my email of my baby at school!

2 months ago I also enrolled my then 3 month old in the program and I am confident she will have the same experiences my older daughter has had.  She is one of 2 babies and with one teacher dedicated to the infants am confident she is getting all of the attention and care she needs.  

I am grateful to have this program in my family and am excited that it will continue to be a part of our family for some time to come.

-Kat H.

An excellent school and wonderful, gentle introduction to Spanish immersion.  This is a play-based, tactile, experiential school that uses a variety of creative techniques to teach but also mixes in a fair bit of book-based learning.  As other reviews have noted, there is regular (weekly or sometimes twice a week) music, yoga and soon - cooking! - class, along with circle time, arts and crafts and lots of PLAY! This school really understands what is developmentally appropriate for young children, but also customizes its curricula based on age, with older (4+ kids) being asked to do more academically.  There is an amazingly low student-caretaker ratio, a big garden, sandbox and bike area, an indoor playroom, an arts and crafts area, and lots of toys and things to TOUCH.  There is a constant mix of new activity - so important for stimulation. The school’s director, Veronica Vera, understands child development and her team (including husband Gustavo) are professional but also very warm and loving towards the children and do make an effort to understand and tailor learning to each child’s particular needs. There is a discernibly warm and caring feeling from the moment you enter.  You won’t be disappointed!

-Gwen D.

It’s hard for me to characterize in words how deeply I love and respect Ninos Preschool Program. My son started here when he was just 5-and-a-half-months old, and as happy and loving he was then, I feel like Ninos has only fostered his charming personality and growing brain even more. There is almost nothing more I could ask for in my son’s child care than this program.

The social skills my toddler has learned here have been incredible. When he was 14 months old I took him to a Mommy-And -Me yoga class, and he, being the average toddler, took a little girl’s raccoon that was laying on the ground. When I saw her face, I asked if he would put it back where he found it, and without question he brought it back to her mom! I couldn’t believe it; I thought he’d want to guard it for himself. He hears children crying and his instinct is to go to them and hug them. Ninos has been very communicative to us about his social developmental needs (like hitting and biting), and have discussed things with us so that it’s a two-front solution. I should note that Ninos helps to work with your child to overcome these issues with love; they don’t just cast the child aside and send them home. He has not been shy meeting new people and is well-adapted in many social settings outside of school. He absolutely learned wonderful ways to interact with people in his time there.

The program is bilingual (English and Spanish), and he really learned two languages. He likes to sing and read in Spanish, too! If only I spoke it… I should note that I expected the bilingual program might slow down his speech, but not so. I guffaw at the weekly emails I get from a national site telling me my 19 month-old should have a vocabulary of 30 words and say two word sentences. A week before I got that email, my son said “I want to do it” and he clearly spoke over 100 words. I have no idea how big his vocabulary is in Spanish because I don’t speak it, but I know it’s not small. He’s now 2 years old and very verbal.

The activities they do at Ninos are engaging. An art teacher, music teacher, and yoga teacher all come to the school on a weekly basis. I’ve sat in on the music lesson and art teacher session, and met the yoga teacher. (Parents are welcome to come any time.) They’re stimulating, engaging, and fun sessions from what I can tell. And the music teacher, Mr Bob, started his session with a song called “Start the Day with Love.” Programmatically, I’m not sure what else I could ask for.

The area is enormous, easily bigger than any other home day care we visited. There is a large grass area, sandbox, play structure, tricycles, mini basketball hoop, vegetable garden as well as an indoor space with toys, books, and learning materials. They also have some fish for the children to watch, and in summer cocoons for the butterflies to learn from. There is no television or computer, and your child is sure to get lots and lots of exercise; yet another reason we love this place.

Ninos also provides meals–breakfast, lunch, and snacks. All meals are home-cooked and healthy; they never serve candy or fried foods or chips. Your child will enjoy yogurt, cereal, quinoa, vegetables, fruit, and other healthy and delicious foods.

Most of all though, I love the staff at Ninos, and how they love my child. I feel like Veronica and Gustavo, Hilaria, Lucy, and Kryssia are a part of my family. They love my child, and I love them for loving him. This is not a large-scale, commercial daycare center. This is a family run, in-home child care program and preschool that literally feels like family. It’s really hard to put into words what this means.

I can’t in good conscience say that this school is perfect–in fact the current location right next to the 405 freeway gives me serious health concerns with the noise and particulate matter (thankfully there’s no on/offramp, so traffic is not an issue on the street). Especially given the issue of lung development for young children, I must mention this proximity to the freeway and in the path of the winds that blow from the west.

That said, however, as my family has just moved to a different part of Los Angeles, I am still mourning the loss of Ninos in our life. It was a major factor in making us think that we wanted to stay on the Westside. But we can’t afford a house in this part of town, and in the long-term interest of our family, this means we’ve moved to the Valley. My son still talks about his teachers at Ninos, and we are constantly reminded of how much Ninos really offers. It’s a truly wonderful place!

-Courtney S.

I can’t speak highly enough of the love that NPP pour into each child!  It feels like a family, not a preschool.  They share our joy with each new milestone that our sons reach. They kiss and hug our kids–and carry them when they are having a fussy day.  My kids are always excited when we drop them off in the morning…and sometimes they don’t even want to leave when I pick them up!  

The staff are experienced, knowledgeable, caring, and hard working. They are positive, and know how to discipline kids really good. Veronica (owner) communicates with us on a daily basis, and the community of families there are wonderful, friendly and active. They bake together, they do art together, they take nature walks, they provide a bilingual experience, they read to the children, all of the materials and environs are gorgeous. Specifically I love that teachers encourage creative play and are constantly doing art projects.  

There are no screens or TVs in the daycare. They provide a small breakfast, lunch and snacks, and I suspect the hot lunch is probably the best meal our sons eat each day. It is a wonderful, loving, safe space for our kids.  Thank you so much, Veronica and Gustavo!

- Dorothee L.

Philosophy

At Niños Preschool Program Wonderschool , we will provide your children with a safe, inspiring, and motivating environment that invites creativity and exploration through fun, play, art, and communication. Our philosophy is influenced by the teachings of Reggio where children thrive when given time to ask questions, test theories, and explore topics that interest them; reading, writing, math, science and social development is taught through play.

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Location

Our program is in Culver City, at the end of a quiet street. We have both a full indoor and outdoor classroom, including lots of climbing structures, grass to run around in, a hand-built sandbox, and a garden that is cultivated by the children. Every morning we check to see if the strawberries are ripe for picking! We have a large outdoor space dedicated to art activities, and everything is made of wood and high-quality materials.

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About our program

Our goal is that our graduates enter kindergarten as self-confident, effective problem solvers.

Our program is Spanish immersion to encourage children to learn and grow in their language abilities. Our child-centered emergent curriculum is supplemented with weekly classes in cooking, yoga and music led by visiting teachers. We are also proud to serve only organic food for our meals and snacks.

Niños Preschool Program also prides itself on offering an anti-bias curriculum, one that recognizes and celebrates diversity. We talk about all kinds of cultures, family units and lifestyles. We celebrate all people and value each individual and their respective abilities. We believe that if children are to grow up with the attitudes, knowledge and skills necessary for living in a complex, diverse world we must enable and empower them to be confident in their self-identity and their interactions.

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Admissions

Join the Niños Preschool Program Wonderschool 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 Niños Preschool Program Wonderschool unique. Please schedule a tour or attend an Open House event.

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.

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