Open Minds Early School

Our Teachers

Karen, Director and Head Teacher

Karen was born and raised in Venezuela and education runs in her blood. Her mother ran an after school program for children and Karen grew up in that program, always surrounded by children and a love of education. Karen has experience teaching students from the pre-primary education to intermediate level, in both public and private schools in Venezuela and the United States.

After moving to the United States in 2011, Karen has focused on learning more about the U.S. education system. She has been studying Child Development at City College of San Francisco. Karen worked in a number of different early childhood education programs in the Bay Area, including teaching for two years at the Dr. Betty Shabazz Family Resource Center in San Francisco. Karen attributes much of her teaching style to her time teaching at the Family Care Center in San Francisco, noting, “This position has helped me rise up to the expectation of the children and teach them in a lucid, fun and interesting way. Thus with the children I am creative, patient and, most of all, nurturing in nature.”

Karen is very excited to offer Open Minds Early School to her community. Karen’s work is supported and inspired by her husband Jesus, her two sons, and her parents.

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Jesus, Teacher

Jesus Bolivar is an MIT Engineer and Economic Development graduate from Harvard. His passion for education comes from growing up in a family of teachers and entrepreneurs. The school he attended the first 15 years of his life was founded by his grandparents 50 years ago in Venezuela, I.E. Juan XXIII. This K-12 school is a source of support and inspiration for OMES.

Jesus is an advisor and supporter of OMES. His main motivation for starting OMES is to provide children in the Oakland community an environment where they can realize their potential, just like the Juan XXIII community did for him 30 years ago.

Check out Jesus’ LinkedIn

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Philosophy

Open Minds Early School is a new early childhood program for children located in Piedmont, CA. Our goal is to always have a stimulating and healthy environment for your child to explore and grow in. Our mission is to provide developmentally appropriate activities that also accommodate each child’s individual interests. Our staff is nurturing, compassionate, enthusiastic, loving, educated, and experienced.

Open Minds Early School is a Spanish Immersion School inspired by Reggio Emilia and Waldorf education philosophies. We set out to create the preschool experience that we always dreamed of for our children. We designed the classroom space and our curriculum based on scientific research in child brain development. Every activity in the classroom has a purpose that is connected with a specific developmental objective.

At OMES, we cook, sculpt, compose, dream, question and resolve together hence our school motto “Learning is living.” Children can be highly motivated, feel actively involved in their own learning and produce work of high quality when they have the time to engage in short and long term projects.

Our primary principle is to promote participation in age-appropriate activities, such as unstructured hands-on play, group story-time, and themed activities. Kids are encouraged to learn through play, though some we can add more academic content in response to demand.

Our research and experience in Child Development has led us to focus on five core aspects:

1. Second language training - Spanish Immersion
2. Health and Nutrition
3. Music, Rhythm and Creative Play
4. Community Building and Social Skills
5. Nature, Science and Logic

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Location

Our program is located in a single family home in Piedmont on the border of Montclair. We want our program to feel like a warm home away from home for your child–a place to learn and grow as an individual. Our space is designed to ensure open access between our indoor classroom and our outside space and garden. Inside we have a reading corner, a block area, and various toys for gross motor development and imaginative play. Outside we have easels for art, tools for gardening, and a water table for sensory exploration.

Directions:

Use 5601 Moraga ave for your GPS application, then go up the private roadway to the last house number 5609

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About our program

Our research and experience in Child Development has led us to focus on five core aspects in our program:

1. Second Language Training - Spanish Immersion - There is strong evidence that suggests learning more than one language at an early age can lead to improved cognitive abilities in the long term. Moreover, it helps create a world that is more inclusive as it allows children to comprehend other cultures better. We incorporate Spanish language throughout our day.
2. Health and Nutrition - At OMES, we emphasize teaching children about nutrition and learning the connection between nature and food. We create opportunities for kids to learn though gardening, engaging their natural curiosity and the source of their food.
3. Music, Rhythm and Creative Play - Children thrive on multi-sensory learning opportunities. Each of our five senses activates specific neurons in the brain. For young children, multi-sensory activities provide more learning opportunities than single-sensory activities because more of the brain becomes involved in the lesson.
4. Community Building and Social Skills - When building relationships is at the center of an early childhood classroom, the quality of student-teacher interactions and academics improves. Teachers and parents notice children using kind words with each other. They see children working together as a team towards common goals. There is a decrease in aggressive behaviors and negative attitudes. There is an overall improvement in the classroom climate.
5. Nature, Science and Logic - Logic and reasoning skills are an essential part of child development and early learning and a foundation for competence and success in school and other environments. Children’s ability to think, reason, and use information allows them to acquire knowledge, understand the world around them, and make appropriate decisions.

Admissions

Join the Open Minds Early School 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 the school

Come see what makes Open Minds Early School unique. Please schedule a tour by filling out the “Schedule Tour” form.

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. Do not submit an application if you have not toured.

4. Enroll

After reviewing your application, we’ll send an enrollment invitation. Upon accepting your invitation, you’ll pay your deposit (usually equal to one month’s tuition), fill out enrollment documents and review our Parent Handbook.