Basics
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Our Teachers
Our Director, Jennifer Hayward believes preschool to be the place where young minds develop a love for learning and young hearts develop a sense of acceptance and community that extends beyond the walls of their home. She founded Hearts & Minds Preschool in 2013 to nurture this development. Jennifer received her Masters of Education from Teachers College of Columbia University and has 20+ years as an early childhood educator. She continues to bring her expertise to the classroom as a teacher and as the director of a highly qualified teaching team.
Philosophy
Hearts & Minds is a preschool program that nurtures young children as they become confident explorers of the world around them. We are a play-based program that offers an engaging, developmentally appropriate curriculum in an environment where your child will flourish and thrive. Children are naturally inquisitive and capable of informing their own learning. This is the guiding philosophy at Hearts & Minds Preschool. It is the role of the teacher to curate a space that enables young children to safely explore their interests through intentionally designed projects and self-guided experiences. Our experiential learning is constructed through art, music, exploration of the natural environment and play. Our balanced curriculum and low student to teacher ratio allows teachers to focus on each child’s social-emotional, cognitive, language, literacy and physical development.
Location
Located in the parklike neighborhood of Ingelside Terraces in San Francisco, we are in close proximity to multiple libraries, parks and playgrounds. Our program includes regular community walks and field trips supported by the resources of our neighborhood, we provide real-world learning opportunities for our students. We are conveniently located near commuting routes on the 280 as well as municipal transit lines.
About our program
At Hearts & Minds Preschool in San Francisco, children thrive in a supportive setting that fosters their growth. Our hands-on approach to learning empowers kids to explore and create. With a special emphasis on subjects like science, art, nature and language, we are dedicated to nurturing each child’s individuality. Hearts & Minds offers the following enrichment programs throughout the month in addition to our daily curriculum: Yoga, Music & Movement, Cooking Class, Art Studio, Spanish Class. Throughout the year we collaborate with onsite Insect and Science Labs, and we travel off-site to foster real-world learning experiences throughout San Francisco. Our parent/family connection is an essential component of the Hearts & Minds program. Families have the opportunity to connect at both formal school events, such as back to school nights and performances, as well as informal, family hosted events like park meet-ups and birthday parties. We love to have family members visit the school as experts in a field we are exploring or to create deeper connections as we learn each others family traditions.