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Our Teachers
Hello! My name is Gladys and I’m the proud founder of The Learning Caterpillar Wonderschool. I ran a successful in-home child care program in the city of Downey for about five years before I relocated to El Monte in the summer of 2019. I have nearly a decade of experience working with children.
I have always loved being an educator. I spent several years working at a high-quality Early Head Start program in Chicago where I learned many best practices in early childhood education. At this school, a colleague noticed my eye for design and my love and patience for working with kids. She inspired me to open my own in-home child care program to create a beautiful space where children could grown, learn and thrive.
Throughout my teaching career, I had the wonderful opportunity to instruct a diverse group of toddlers, preschoolers, and school-aged children. I have also participated in many professional Child Development courses allowing me to enhance my teaching techniques and implement engaging activities that facilitate all styles of learning. I love to incorporate fun hands-on activities to encourage students to be more engaged with each lesson.
I believe that ongoing education is important not only for young children, but for adults as well. I recently returned to school at East Los Angeles college with the goal of getting a Bachelor of Arts degree specialized in Child Development. I truly love what I do and want to continue working towards being the best at it.
I believe you will find my experience, knowledge and passion for my work valuable to your child’s growth and development. I look forward to meeting you and your little one(s)!
Philosophy
At The Learning Caterpillar Wonderschool, we believe that self-esteem is the critical component to optimal growth in your children. In order for a child to develop high self-esteem, we focus on developing the socialization and self-help skills needed to succeed in other areas of development. Just how well children learn to get along with others depends, to a large extent, on how they feel about themselves. If the adults who care for them have helped them to feel they are valued and competent, children are likely to be relaxed and friendly with others.
Play is the way children learn about their world, themselves, and others, and the way they develop the skills and knowledge they will need to succeed in their lives. All children learn and grow in their own special way. My motto is “Kids will be kids, and to be a kid they have to play, to play they sometimes get dirty, when they get dirty it means they are having fun, and when they have fun I have done my job!”
MISSION STATEMENT
The Learning Caterpillar Wonderschool is committed to providing your child with quality care by encouraging each child to express themselves through language, art, music, and physical activity. With the emphasis on learning through play, they are building socialization and self-help skills that build up their self-esteem, which is needed to succeed in all areas of life.
OUR VISION
Every child/family that comes through our doors will be treated with love and respect so that when they leave here they will be able to pass on the love and respect to others that they were shown.
Location
The Learning Caterpillar Wonderschool is located in a modern, clean and beautiful single family home in a very family-friendly neighborhood of El Monte. My program is walking distance to the Norwood Library, Lambert Park, and a few churches and schools. As my program is accessible through the 10, 210, and 605 freeways, we have interested parents from all over the San Gabriel Valley and surrounding areas.
Children will have some outdoor time every day in my private backyard. I believe that connecting with nature lets children gain deeper knowledge of themselves and the world. At The Learning Caterpillar Wonderschool, I establish a relaxed atmosphere that promotes socialization and real world connections.
About our program
At The Learning Caterpillar Wonderschool in El Monte, our dedicated team nurtures independence and emotional growth through interactive learning. Our hands-on approach sets us apart, focusing on early childhood education tailored to each child’s development.
Admissions
Join the The Learning Caterpillar 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 The Learning Caterpillar Wonderschool 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 – 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.