Hortensia's Way Wonderschool

Our Teachers

Hello! I am Hortensia Sowunmi, the founder of Hortensia’s Way Wonderschool. I was inspired to start my own program because it has always been my dream to design my own space where children can blossom and grow. I have 25 years of experience working with young children.

I am originally from Senegal in West Africa and the most important thing in my life is my family. I am a proud mother of 2 boys that are 19 and 12. My boys keep me busy!

Prior to starting my own program, I worked as an assistant in a Montessori Program in Berkley for 5 years. My program is inspired by the Montessori techniques I learned at the Model School in Berkley with Dr. Daisy Mante.

I also worked at Sheltons Primary Education Center for 14 years. I am so grateful for how supportive the principal was and how they helped me take classes and go to trainings. I ended up working in both the preschool and kindergarten classrooms.

During my free time I like to be very active. I love the outdoors and hiking!

Assistant Teacher

Ms. Rachel is the assistant in our program and has been with me with the past 5 years. She is extremely dependable and the students love her!

Testimonials

“I chose to send my daughter here after glowing recommendations from my coworkers and I have not been disappointed. My two year old has grown by leaps and bounds in a few short months. My daughter consistently speaks in three word sentences, can name most objects and is starting to use adjectives. Hortensia provides a warm, nurturing environment where children thrive. Daily the children are fed nutritious meals. My child is meeting all milestones and enjoys going to this daycare. I have never had a problem with anything or anyone at this home daycare. One of haywards best kept secrets is now out…” - Deanna G.

“I have two children and my oldest one has been going to Hortensia’’s preschool for over 2 years. She will be going to kindergarten in the fall and this week is her last week. Although she is excited to go to kindergarten she is so sad that she will not see Hortensia every day. Hortensia is so caring and natural with the kids. You can see that she truly cares and treats them as her own. She has a robust curriculum to make sure that the kids learn and are ready when they go to Kindergarten. She also balances this with the right number of field trips to the zoo, library or the park. This preschool has taken off the stress out of picking up my kid. She is understanding and does not fret it if you are a  few minutes late. I recently went back to work after taking my maternity leave for my second baby and I am definitely sending my little one to Hortensia’ s once my husband also finishes his paternity leave. This is the first review I have ever written for anything but I feel so strongly about this preschool and the quality of care your child will receive here that I had to write this so other parents would know. This is an excellent preschool that will exceed all your expectations.” - F.B.

“Words cannot fully express the gratitude and admiration I have for Hortensia. Our family has known her for over seven years, starting with my niece, and over time, she has become so much more than a caregiver—she is family. Hortensia has an incredible ability to truly understand each child, recognizing their unique personalities and tailoring her approach to their individual learning styles. Thanks to her dedication and proactive teaching, I wholeheartedly believe my child is excelling in reading beyond their age level. Her daycare is more than just a place for childcare—it’s a community. The bonds formed here extend far beyond the walls of her home; the children celebrate birthdays together, and parents have built lasting friendships. My daughter constantly asks for Hortensia, a testament to the love, care, and sense of belonging she fosters. Hortensia has been an integral part of our village, our community, and our chosen family. If I could keep my children with her until high school, I absolutely would!” - Lisa Lee

Philosophy

At Hortensia’s Way Wonderschool, we believe that children grow, learn, and thrive by feeling safe, loved, and nurtured. It is our goal to provide an environment that engages children with developmentally-appropriate activities and materials. In our program, children will feel supported as they engage with new ideas and learnings.

Our goal is to nurture and cultivate the learning and developmental stages of children. We strive to offer an optimal approach to education and care based on the varying level of human development. Our preschool children are exposed to an integrated approach to education and social learning. The Montessori method is blended with traditional teaching to offer children a variety of educational opportunities. We focus on techniques to support learners with multiple intelligence. We also offer a thorough pre-k academic curriculum for older preschoolers to equip them with a strong foundation for success in kindergarten and beyond.

Overall, I believe it is so important to nurture and support each child. When I was looking for care for my child it was so difficult to find a place where I felt comfortable. I hope to eliminate that concern for parents where they know their child is cared for. I hope each child feels that they are at home.

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Location

Hortensia’s Way Wonderschool is located in a inviting, charming single family home nestled in the serene and beautiful Hayward Hills.

We’ve 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 dramatic play area (for self-expression and empathy), block area (for gross motor skills and problem solving), and art area (for expressing emotions and ideas).

Children will have some outdoor time everyday in my private yard or outdoor space. Children need space to run, jump, and move!

At Hortensia’s Way Wonderschool, I want to provide an enriching environment where children feel free to explore and play.

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About our program

Most days at Hortensia’s Way follow a similar schedule. However, our summer schedule is more flexible and filled with lots of fun and educational projects and field trips. Students will be engaged in hands on activities and projects on a daily basis.

Meals

It is well documented that good nutrition is vital for children’s physical development and emotional health and for developing intellectually alert and capable minds. At Hortensia’s Way, your child will enjoy and benefit from freshly prepared healthy, nutritious and balanced meals. We cook home cooked meals from Monday to Wednesday. All meals are healthy and represent the same things I would feed my own families. Some examples of the food include quinoa, rice and different stews. We also provide a hot breakfast.

In addition to good nutrition, maintaining a clean and safe environment for our infants and preschoolers is at the very top of our priorities. Our facility is well staffed in order to ensure that we continually maintain a clean and sanitized environment throughout each day apart from our regularly scheduled deep cleaning during school breaks.

Admissions

Join the Hortensia’s Way 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 Hortensia’s Way 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 at https://www.wonderschool.com/application/3474– 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.