Greenwood Family Wonderschool

Our Teachers

Hello! I am Marisela Norris, the founder of Greenwood Family Wonderschool. Originally from Uruguay, I have been working with young children for 12 years here in Los Angeles, both as a nanny and as a teacher in a family child care program. I am a native Spanish-speaker and proud to offer a bilingual Spanish program for young learners.

I was inspired to start my own program because I always wanted to design my own space where children can blossom and grow. My favorite part of working with children is coming up with creative activities and games to do with them, including field trips and outdoor adventures.

In my spare time, I enjoy watching soccer and cheering on my favorite teams from Uruguay!

Family and community are everything to me; I am excited for you to be part of our Greenwood Family Wonderschool community!

Philosophy

Welcome to Greenwood Family Wonderschool! We are a licensed child care provider in Los Angeles, California for children ages 3 months to 5 years old.

Play-based Learning

We believe children should be allowed to explore and discover at their own pace. Our experience is that children learn best through play and first-hand experiences when given developmentally appropriate activities to choose from in a semi-structured environment.

We also believe focusing on the process of learning is important for growth and development, so we encourage each child to think independently.

Bilingual

Our program is Spanish bilingual, so we use Spanish in addition to English throughout the day.

Whole Child Development

The Greenwood Family Wonderschool teaches to the “whole child”. This means we see children as interconnected beings and emphasize physical, emotional, social, and cognitive growth.

Our responsibility as adults is to assist the child in reaching their fullest potential. We provide opportunities to create, explore the environment, problem solve, and practice social skills.

At Greenwood Family Wonderschool, we will treat your child with love and respect so you can go to work knowing your child is receiving quality child care and a good start on their education.

​

Location

Greenwood Family Wonderschool is located in a bright, beautiful, newly-remodeled home in a quiet neighborhood where Inglewood meets Ladera Heights. We are located very close to the 90 and the 405.

When we renovated our home, we did so with a child care program in mind, and have paid attention to every possible detail to make our home safe, inviting, and full of discovery for little ones. From our dramatic play area to our music and art areas, our toys and materials are natural and wood-based. We have multiple cozy reading corners filled with books. Outside, we have a wonderful play structure, plenty of green grass, picnic tables, sensory tables, and even a path around the perimeter we built specifically for tricycles!

At Greenwood Family Wonderschool, we want to provide an enriching environment where children feel free to explore and play.

​

About our program

Our curriculum focuses on the holistic development of the child – intellectually, emotionally, and personally. Its main goal is to mold an individual for the world ahead. This is delivered to the children through our educated and experienced staff who provide a loving, happy, clean, and safe environment.

Parent communication and family support is paramount. We keep parents up-to-date on their child’s progress and are happy to answer any questions around child learning and development.

Some of the values ingrained in our curriculum include:

Positive Self-concept

Our children develop a positive self-concept through a balance of self- and teacher-directed activities, opportunities for solitary play, as well as group activities. Our staff serve as positive role models and provide care that is supportive and nurturing. We make sure each child has a positive and fun day at school.

Individuality

We assess each child individually and offer activities to foster their growth in all three areas: socio-emotional, physical, and cognitive. We provide developmentally appropriate instruction and exploration to prepare each child for kindergarten.

Role Modeling

We teach as well as play, to let them understand that adults are smart and caring people who appreciate what it means to be a child. We treat each of the children in a respectful manner and they learn to model that behavior to others in their lives.

Ultimately, we hope the Greenwood children will grow up to cooperate at times when it is not easy; we hope they will learn to solve their own problems, relate successfully to each other, and take responsibility for themselves.

Admissions

Join the Greenwood Family 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 Greenwood Family 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.