Basics
Parents also searched for
Our Teachers
Click here for quick video about our teachers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-l6ts7s6ULY&t=1s
Philosophy
CASITA AZUL PHILOSOPHY Casita Azul believes children are protagonists in their own learning. We value and nurture the whole child in all their capacities. We will foster an environment where children are able to express and communicate through their own language of learning. We believe that children experience the greatest growth and learn the Spanish Language in a context of a relationship with their teachers. We first build relationships where children feel loved and secure. We strive to provide a warm, caring, comfortable and safe environment for our children. Together, we will establish routines that are predictable and consistent. All children will be treated with gentleness, honesty and respect. We will encourage them to treat others in this manner. Our classrooms cultivate an unbiased atmosphere see society through a lens that celebrates diversity of thought and culture. We believe teachers and educators are important role models. Therefore, we use modeling as a vital tool in our classrooms. To maintain an atmosphere where children feel comfortable and confident, we use constructive guidance and positive reinforcement as tools for discipline.
About our program
Laura Paz is a Honduran native who immigrated to the United States to complete her Psychology degree. She has worked in the social work field with the Multnomah County Health Department for over 12 years.
In 2015 when Laura got pregnant with her daughter, Elena; her mother, Gertrudis Munoz or “Abuela” (as all the children in our schools lovingly call her) moved to the United States to help care for Elena. As Abuela helped raise Elena, Laura got to experience the beauty of raising a child the same way she was raised – with Latin American roots, her native tongue and the songs she grew up listening to. The concept of it takes a “village to raise a child” was experienced firsthand.
When it was time to send Elena to pre-school, Laura noticed the lack of Spanish Immersion programs. After touring several schools and noticing that they felt sterile and lacked a family feel, the idea was forged to create a Spanish immersion School with the following components:
- A school that felt like a home away from home, where we would first and foremost provide love and safety for children, where children were welcomed with open arms and where parents would feel as though they were an extension of our family.
- A Spanish Immersion Program: As parents and grandparents of bilingual children in the United States we have observed some of the advantages of bilingualism. Based on current research, being bilingual has profound effects on the brain. Children who are bilingual outperform their monolingual counterparts in School. Bilingual children are also better at learning social cues and have shown more development in the area of emotional intelligence.
- A multigenerational program created by Latina Women that employs People of Color with the purpose of promoting diversity, fostering inclusion and awareness around multicultural education while taking a culturally responsive approach to teaching. With those principles in mind Amanecer Academy and Casita Azul were created in 2018 and have now expanded to 4 Schools – two located in Bethany, one in Rock Creek and one in Beaverton. We continue to grow but our intention remains.
Welcome to our Casita Azul and the Amanecer Academy Family.
LAURA PAZ - Owner