M a t i l i j a Wonderschool

Our Teachers

Claudia Vera Rosas, M.Ed.

She, her, ella

Founder, Director and Lead Teacher

Our director and founder was born in Mexico City and immigrated to Los Angeles (Tongva land) when she was ten-years old. From an early age, Claudia developed a love for children and a strong interest in education and social justice. Claudia learned from her mother, an immigrant and single mother, who for many years worked as a baby-sitter, how to care for kids with patience and dedication. For over ten years, Claudia has served the Los Angeles community, working with children and youth from pre-school to high school as an arts educator. She is a founding teaching artist of the UCLA VAPAE MASA Program, a program that provides free arts education to families within the Los Angeles area (MASA).

Claudia holds a Master’s in Early Childhood Education from California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA) and a Bachelor’s degree in Art with a minor in Visual and Performing Arts Education from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). She also studied photography at La Academia de San Carlos, a prestigious art academy in Mexico City and the first art museum in the Americas. Besides her academic training, our director has also completed the Indigenous Sustainable Food Systems Design Course with the Traditional Native American Farmers Association. And, she is currently studying backstrap weaving with the Nuestra America Tejida collective.

Prior to teaching in Los Angeles, Claudia traveled throughout Latin America for seven years, volunteering and teaching environmental awareness through art to children. Although raised in two major cities (CDMX and LA), Claudia developed a strong connection to nature through gardening with her grandmother and mother. She loves birding, hiking, camping, weaving and gardening with her daughter, husband and nephew.

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Claudia Vera Rosas, M.Ed.

She, her, ella

Fundadora, Directora y Maestra Principal

Nuestra directora y fundadora nació en la Ciudad de México y emigró a Los Ángeles (territorio Tognva) cuando tenía diez años. Desde temprana edad, Claudia desarrolló un amor por les niñes y un gran interés por la educación y la justicia social. Ella aprendió cómo cuidar a les niñes con paciencia y dedicación de su mamá, una mujer inmigrante y madre soltera, quien durante muchos años trabajó como niñera. Durante más de diez años Claudia, ha servido a la comunidad de Los Ángeles, trabajando con niñes y jóvenes desde el preescolar hasta la escuela secundaria como educadora de artes. Ella es una de las artistas docentes fundadoras del Programa UCLA VAPAE MASA, un programa que ofrece educación artística gratuita a familias dentro del área de Los Ángeles (MASA).

Claudia obtuvo una Maestría en Educación Infantil de la Universidad Estatal de California, Los Ángeles (CSULA) y una Licenciatura en Arte con especialización en Educación en Artes Visuales y Escénicas de la Universidad de California, Los Ángeles (UCLA). También estudio fotografía en La Academia de San Carlos, una prestigiada academia de arte en la Ciudad de México. Además de su formación académica, nuestra directora se graduó del Curso de Diseño de Sistemas Alimentarios Sustentables Indígenas con la Asociación de Agricultores Tradicionales Nativos Americanos. Actualmente está estudiando tejido de telar de cintura con el colectivo Nuestra América Tejida.

Antes de enseñar en Los Ángeles, Ella viajó por América Latina durante siete años, trabajando como voluntaria dando clases de educación ambiental a través del arte a niñes. Aunque ha vivido en dos ciudades importantes (CDMX y LA), nuestra directora desarrolló una conexión con la naturaleza a través de practicar la jardinería con su abuela y su madre. Le encanta la observación de aves, el senderismo, acampar, el arte textil, y hacer jardinería con su hija, su esposo y su sobrino.

Testimonials

Ms. Claudia has been my 6-year old’s teacher for the past 4 years; I enrolled my 1-year-old with her last year. I trust Ms. Claudia with my kids’ safety, development, and care 200%. Ms. Claudia truly loves the kids in her care. She sees each child’s unique gifts and cultivates an individualized approach with each child to meet each child’s unique needs. Ms. Claudia is an artist as well as an educator, so she engages the kids in an incredible array of arts activities that achieve broader lessons and developmental goals through creative expression.

Claudia is connected with her heritage and brings that wisdom to her teaching. For example, in addition to painting and drawing, they learned to weave in the indigenous tradition. Some examples of the impact of her teaching: my kids love nature. They have a true respect and reverence for the environment and the natural world. My daughter picks up bugs in her hands, loves playing in the earth, and has respect for all beings, down to the tiniest bugs. Ms. Claudia’s enthusiasm for nature is contagious in the best way. She is genuinely excited when she spots this or that species of bird, or finds mushrooms growing under a tree. I am so grateful my kids have absorbed this enthusiasm and regard for nature from her. Another example: the other day my little one, now about 2, was starting to get upset about something, a tantrum was arriving, and she looked at me and started taking deep breaths to calm herself – something she learned at this school. It was incredible seeing a child not even two doing a better job regulating her emotions in a mindful way than most adults can.

Language: my kids can communicate in English and Spanish. Their language and communication are benefitting so much from the skillful bilingual educational setting Ms. Claudia creates. Most importantly for me are the values that Ms. Claudia helps to teach and instill in our kids. She is someone whose moral compass I trust wholeheartedly. My kids are engaged in the world in a developmentally appropriate way and are encouraged to think critically about the world around them, and to approach it with compassion, kindness, and understanding. I have learned so much about skillful parenting from watching how Ms. Claudia supports kids to work through conflict between them. She teaches them to recognize and name their emotions, acknowledge and name harm, and to articulate what they need to heal. I have seen how the kids learn how to engage and resolve conflict between them in a way that is compassionate and kind. These are invaluable skills I am so grateful they are learning early in life.

I believe that this is a calling for Ms. Claudia, not a job or a business. She is deeply invested in developing our kids because this is the change, the unique gift, she gives to the world. I am so grateful to have Ms. Claudia and this school in our lives.

Sheena Wadhawan

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Ms. Claudia is an amazing, dedicated, passionate, and loving educator. I am so grateful that my child has had the opportunity to benefit from having Ms. Claudia as a teacher. Ms. Claudia has taught my child to love nature, birding, and just being outdoors and active. I have seen my child’s physical confidence grow as she has had the opportunity to spend so much time playing outside during her time at Matilija. Ms. Claudia’s joy for educating and creating a nurturing environment for children is such a gift. Our family is so fortunate to be on the receiving end of all Ms. Claudia and Matilija has to offer.

Amy Goldman

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My kids were students of Claudia Vera-Rosa’s for about four years, as the two of them went from preschool into elementary school. The first word that comes to mind when I think of their time under her care is “magical.” Claudia is so incredibly sensitive and respectful of children at this age - she gives them dignity, respects their interests and curiosity, keeps them safe and secure, and provides a stable, loving and playful environment for their exploration. She is never afraid to follow their interests and let the day unfold at their pace. I think the best example of this I can think of is that there were days when the plan was to go for a longer hike, and not 200 yards down the trail, the kids spied an attractive little hideout under the low branches of a Coast Live Oak and wanted to play there instead of walking on. Claudia gracefully adapted the day’s plan to allow their play to run its natural course under the tree, where they might spend hours lost in their magical (there’s that word!) little world, playing make believe, looking at insects and birds and plants and trees, and experiencing life as it should be for kids this age - learning through play! My children ADORED her, and so do I. I will always be grateful that we found each other and they had this beautiful chapter of childhood under her care.

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Amy Miller

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I enrolled my child in Matilija for summer camp in 2021 and they’ve been with Claudia and the Matilija family ever since. To say that the program has had a positive effect on the little one’s development would be an understatement of the effect it’s had on our family. I trust Claudia and the crew with my child’s safety, development, and care. It’s clear to anyone who spends a bit of time with the group that Claudia truly loves the little ones and has a gift for being able to tap into and hone in on each persons gifts. All of this is set to the tune of land based education /a very Los Angeles version of forest school which is no easy feat. The care that Claudia puts into the recognition of honoring ancestral land and recognizing plant/animal/spirit life is like no other. I can tell you by being at the site each morning and afternoon and of course most visibly through my child that it’s become a central part of how they view the world and themselves in the world ie not a person in the land but a person in relationship to land bodies etc. I have worked in the intersections of arts and culture, education and social justice for a little over 20 years. Over the last few years, I’ve taken my role or rather my need to reconsider how I learn and practice nonviolent and/or decolonial forms of communication and parenting as something more central to my everyday. These practices and my coursework came before meeting Claudia and I could not have hoped for a better fit. I can see in the way that Claudia speaks to the children as whole people, not in need of instruction but attune to guidance. For example, some of the little ones will have different experiences at drop off. She is always sure to give them extra attention while making sure that their attention might be drawn to something in the environment or something that another participant is doing. Some other examples of the impact of the program I’d love to share: my little one always seems to impress someone we know with an observation they’ve made. Recently, they shared a story that Claudia had shared with them about being attune to the creatures in times of need. It was at that moment I realized they could tell the time of day a certain flock of birds flew by, which really blew my mind, pun intended! The relationships the group has built are amazing to behold-so caring and genuine. It’s especially unique to see the range of ages from Tita on staff, who is my little ones favorite to paint with. The littles also range in age 2-5 each working in nonlinear and organic ways of caretaking one another. I’ve grown accustomed to seeing them looking out for one another and encouraging each other that I don’t think takes place in many “learning settings or institutions .” If you are looking for a way to frame how nature, land and community is a classroom, then look no further… I don’t know what we’d do with them!

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Irina Contreras

After two years at Matilija , our child has come away with a love of learning, and a deep fascination, care and respect for nature. The many benefits of land based education present in our kid as a cheerful, wholehearted, and confident approach to obstacles and challenges- be they an unfamiliar climbing terrain, a sudden downpour of rain, or a conflict with a friend. He is prepared, and has practice being his curious playful self in a wide variety of settings and circumstances. This knowing gives him courage and adaptability. He can identify plants that are safe to eat and ones to avoid, and can talk compassionately about the cycles of life. At Matilija he honed language around restorative justice and conflict resolution that the whole family uses both in our household, and out in the world. We are forever grateful to the Matilija community, the lasting friendships we have forged continue to buoy and enrich our lives.

Alexa Coblentz

Philosophy

Matilija takes place on the unceded ancestral land of the Tongva People. Through an approach grounded in both land-based and play-based early childhood education, we aspire to enhance your children’s comprehension of history, their connection to our planet and its inhabitants, and their early awareness of our past and the potential for positive futures. M a t i l i j a Wonderschool is a bilingual Spanish and Nature immersion play based program. We work with children, parents, and staff to create a high-quality early educational environment where the emotional well-being of each child is fostered, culture and language are embraced, and innovative approaches toward education are supported.

We believe in giving our students a joyful environment where they can learn and grow. In our program, the foundations of learning are empathy, love, curiosity and respect for the whole child. We strive to provide a supportive, safe learning environment to encourage discovery, inquiry and experimentation. Through experiential learning, including play with all five senses, children control the direction of their learning and will have endless ways and opportunities to explore their environment and express themselves. At M a t i l i j a, teachers and students collaboratively explore and learn from their surroundings.

We believe the earliest, most memorable learning experiences come from connecting with the wonders of nature – from experiences like conserving bugs, making mud pies and learning about trees. When we give our students opportunities to experience the beauty of nature in a safe and guided manner, we empower them with a foundation of knowledge and skills that comes from the natural world around them.

Our experienced teachers hail from many different backgrounds and cultures, bringing diverse perspectives into our program and into the student experience. We strive for our program community to represent the diversity of Los Angeles and the world. In our program, we appreciate difference and celebrate the individuality of all children and families. This includes teaching our kids in gender inclusive language and practices.

We guide and support children through problem-solving opportunities, promote nature and project-based learning, and learn alongside the children as part of a true educational community. Child-centered at its core, our program supports kids as they discover their full potential and learn from their natural curiosity and surrounding nature.

At M a t i l i j a Wonderschool, we believe that children grow, learn, and thrive when they feel 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 genuinely cared for and cherished.

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Matilija se lleva acabo en la tierra ancestral no cedida del pueblo Tongva. A través de un enfoque basado tanto en la educación de la tierra como en el juego, aspiramos a guiar la comprensión de la historia de sus hijos, su conexión con nuestro planeta y sus habitantes, y su conciencia temprana de nuestro pasado y el potencial para un futuro positivo.

M a t i l i j a Wonderschool es un programa de inmersión en español y en la naturaleza basado en el juego. Trabajamos con les niñes, les madres, padres y el personal para crear un entorno de educación temprana de alta calidad donde se fomenta el bienestar emocional de cada niñe, centramos la cultura y el idioma como herramientas de aprendizaje, y nos enfocamos en métodos innovadores de la educación.

Creemos en brindarles a nuestres estudiantes un ambiente alegre donde puedan aprender y crecer. En nuestro programa, las bases del aprendizaje son la empatía, el amor, la curiosidad y el respeto por les niñes en su totalidad. Nos esforzamos por proporcionar un entorno de aprendizaje seguro y de apoyo para fomentar el descubrimiento, la investigación y la experimentación. A través del aprendizaje experiencial, que incluye el juego con los cinco sentidos, les niñes controlan la dirección de su aprendizaje y tienen infinitas formas y oportunidades para explorar su entorno y expresarse. En M a t i l i j a, les profesores y les estudiantes exploran y aprenden de forma colaborativa de su entorno.

Creemos que las experiencias de aprendizaje más tempranas y memorables provienen de conectarse con las maravillas de la naturaleza, de experiencias como observar insectos, hacer pasteles de barro y aprender de los árboles. Cuando les damos a nuestres estudiantes la oportunidad de experimentar la belleza de la naturaleza de una manera segura y guiada, les capacitamos con una base de conocimientos y habilidades que provienen del mundo natural que les rodea.

Nuestres maestras y maestros provienen de diferentes orígenes y culturas, y aportan diversas perspectivas a nuestro programa y a la experiencia de les estudiantes. Nos esforzamos por que nuestra comunidad represente la diversidad de Los Ángeles y del mundo. En nuestro programa, apreciamos la diferencia y celebramos la individualidad de todes les niñes y familias. Esto incluye enseñar a nuestres niñes en lenguaje y prácticas inclusivas de género.

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About our program

We are focused on giving children opportunities to connect, play and learn through nature. We offer a loving environment that gives children the freedom to explore the environment and themselves while playing and exploring together.

We encourage children to connect to nature and to each other. We believe we all share a home on this planet, and each of us has a responsibility to our space and to each other.

We emphasize natural materials and embrace the toys nature can provide in addition to more traditional activities like dramatic play, sensory art and more.

We strive to have open, collaborative relationships with parents in order to build a thriving school community. We encourage family involvement and we are always open to questions or concerns. In our program, we help children to:

• Develop cognitive growth and motor skills
• Develop problem-solving skills through hands-on activities and nature explorations
• Introduce language through songs, stories, books, conversations, and dramatic play
• Cultivate social skills and positive self-image and self-love through group play and cooperative learning across ages

Summer Camp

M a t i l i j a opens its doors to children ages 2-10 during the Summer.

Summer Program Breakdown

Ages: 5-10 Group Size 2 groups of 10 (5:1 ratio)

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Nos enfocamos en brindar a les niñes oportunidades para conectarse, jugar y aprender a través de la naturaleza. Ofrecemos un entorno amoroso que les da a les niñes la libertad de explorar el entorno y a sí mismes mientras juegan y exploran juntes.

Alentamos a les niñes a conectarse con la naturaleza y entre ellas y ellos. Creemos que todes compartimos un hogar en este planeta, y cada une de nosotres tiene una responsabilidad con nuestro espacio y con los demás.

Hacemos hincapié en los materiales naturales y aceptamos los juguetes que la naturaleza puede proporcionar, además de actividades más tradicionales como el juego dramático, el arte sensorial y más.

Nos esforzamos por tener relaciones abiertas y colaborativas con les madres y padres para construir una comunidad escolar próspera. Fomentamos la participación familiar y siempre estamos abiertas a preguntas o inquietudes. En nuestro programa, ayudamos a les niños a:

• Desarrollar el crecimiento cognitivo y las habilidades motrices.
• Desarrollar habilidades para la resolución de problemas a través de actividades prácticas y la exploración de la naturaleza.
• Introducir el lenguaje a través de canciones, cuentos, libros, conversaciones y juegos dramáticos.
• Cultivar habilidades sociales y una imagen positiva y amor a sí mismes a través del juego en grupo y el aprendizaje cooperativo a través de las edades.

Campamento de Verano

M a t i l i j a abre sus puertas a niños de 6 a 10 años durante el verano.

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Admissions

Join the Matilija 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 Matilija Wonderschool unique. Currently, we are only hosting virtual tours, you can request or schedule a tour at the top of this page.

3. Submit an Enrollment Application

If you would like to enroll, please submit an application at www.wonderschool.com/matilija-wonderschool-5877/apply – 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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Únase a la comunidad de Matilija Wonderschool en cuatro sencillos pasos:

1. Explore nuestro sitio web

Hemos proporcionado información sobre nuestras filosofías y ofertas para ayudarle a decidir si nuestro programa puede ser adecuado para su familia.

2. Visite nuestro programa

Venga a ver lo que hace única a Matilija Wonderschool. Actualmente solo tenemos recorridos virtuales; puede solicitar o programar un recorrido en la parte superior de esta página. Por el momento no estamos organizando recorridos presenciales.

3. Envíe una solicitud de inscripción

Si desea inscribirse, envíe una solicitud a www.wonderschool.com/matilija-wonderschool-5877/apply; tenga en cuenta que requerimos recorridos virtuales para todas las familias potenciales. No envíe una solicitud si no ha visitado el programa.

4. Inscríbase

Después de revisar su solicitud, le enviaremos una invitación de inscripción. Al aceptar su invitación, pagará su tarifa de inscripción, completará los documentos de inscripción y revisará nuestro Manual para les madres y padres.