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Our Teachers
My name is Akhila and I am the director. I was inspired to have my preschool because of my passion for teaching young children. I feel I can make a huge difference to young children through my unique and supportive style of teaching. I get deep satisfaction knowing that children have learned something new each day. Watching them grow and the joy that comes with it is what I enjoy the most. A little about my background and experience, I have been a lead preschool teacher for the past 14 years, I have taught at a high achieving academic private schools and public schools both. Have a California Child development teacher permit, CPR certified and tons of knowledge about child-development. Have a deep understanding of children’s social -emotional development, that I have gained through my experience and education. It’s my goal to combine my range of experience with my ability to be a compassionate, enthusiastic and intelligent teacher who will make a positive contribution to the lives of your children. This passion of mine has led me to start my own program, designing my curriculum, environment and space that children can thrive in.
Philosophy
After 15 years of working in preschools in California and Washington I started Little Scholars Academy to offer the best from each, combing elements of Montessori and play based emergent curriculums like Reggio Emilia and High-Scope.
-Philosophy-
When a child explores a new object, interacts with others, or tries something for the first time, they are learning about the environment, people, and concepts that they’ll continue to build competence with for the rest of their life.
At Little Scholars Academy we provide children with a unique and enriching educational experience. We combine academics with a robust social-emotional program, fostering the development of the ‘Whole Child’. We firmly believe that learning is a lifelong journey, and it is our responsibility to lay a strong foundation upon which children can grow and develop cognitively, physically, emotionally, and creatively.
-Environment-
The design of our space is influenced by Montessori and modified to incorporate a Reggio Emilia approach to learning. Every decision in the development of the space was intentional with students in mind. We want our students to access tools and toys independently therefore all storage is an appropriate height, clearly labeled and visible.
We believe in the importance of a clean open space to encourage active learning. We gravitate toward natural colors and limit the amount of visual toys and supplies present in the preschool. Instead we rotate new objects for activities based on the curriculum and learning goals for that given day.
-Daily Routines-
A consistent framework for the day provides a balanced variety of experiences and learning opportunities and helps children feel safe and secure. Children engage in both individual and social play, participate in small- and large-group activities, assist with cleanup, socialize during meals, develop self-care skills, and exercise their small and large muscles. The most important segment of the daily routine is the plan-do-review sequence, in which children make decisions about what they will do, carry out their ideas, and reflect upon their activities with adults and other children. These higher-level thinking skills are linked to the development of executive functions, which are needed to be successful in school and life.
Location
The Little Scholars Academy is located in the heart of San Francisco, on a tree lined street with easy access to transit, everything from the San Francisco Library to Glen park are just a walk away. We’re steps away from bart station and a block away from Hwy 280 on-ramp, Yet in a peaceful, quiet location if you’re looking to commute from the south bay or east bay.
About our program
Activities
Circle Time: During circle time, we focus on fostering essential life skills, including active listening, observation, and effective communication. Through engaging activities like singing songs and practicing calendar skills, children learn while having fun. Language Arts: We place a strong emphasis on phonemic and phonetic awareness, laying a solid foundation for language and literacy development. Children explore letters and the alphabet through diverse mediums, including reading, music, movement, art, and hands-on lessons. Mathematics, Science, and STEM: Our curriculum encourages students to think critically, solve problems, recognize patterns, develop number sense, and engage in various STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) activities. Science lessons involve hands-on experiments, allowing children to make predictions, conduct experiments, observe, and review their findings. Social Studies: Our Social Studies activities are thoughtfully designed to help children explore and understand themselves and the world around them, fostering a sense of curiosity and global awareness. Handwriting: We pay special attention to fine motor development by introducing pre-writing exercises and progressively teaching alphabet letters in an order that aligns with their level of difficulty.
Schedule
Academic School Day: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Services we offer: We recognize that each of our families has unique scheduling needs. That is why we offer flexible scheduling to meet your daily, weekly, and monthly needs. Contact us today to learn more about how can we work our schedule around your family’s needs
Academic School Day: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm Before Care: 8:00 am – 9:00 am After Care: 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm Students to Teacher Ratio 1:4 (some days the ratio will be 1:2, especially during planned field trips) Age Range: 24 months – 5 years old Snacks: Two nutritious snacks in the morning and afternoon (orgnaic lunch will be provided starting Summer 2024) Quiet/Nap Time: It is required by law to provide a rest period for Preschool – Pre-Kindergarten students. All students will be given their own cots and naps are scheduled between 1-3pm.
Field Trips
We offer wonderful and exciting field trips within the City of San Francisco. We take students to the Open Gym at the Glen Canyon Recreation Center every Wednesday & Friday. Field trip to the neighborhood library for storytime once a week. Quarterly trips to: Academy of Science, Exploratorium, San Francisco Zoo, Aquarium, Discovery Bay
Conferences
At Least two parent-teacher conferences per year to discuss the child’s progress in the program
Parent to teacher communication
We will have a private class whatsapp group for parent to communicate and ask questions. We will also post occasional pictures and videos of students and fun activities.
Parent involvement-
Every Friday we offer parents the opportunity for parents to drop in to be a surprise reader and read a book to students. This is not mandatory or required but an option for parent that would like to drop in.