Welcome to Little Fawn!

We’ve given a lot of thought to what we want for young children and their families, and would like to take this opportunity to share with you some of these intentions.

LITTLE FAWN PHILOSOPHY:

We believe that all children have the right to love and to be loved.

We believe that parents are the most important people in young children’s lives; we partner with parents to develop a shared appreciation of each amazing, unique child. Not so very long ago, communities took on the responsibility of raising children together as families lived nearer to one another and day to day support was more available. We are a very small program and make every effort to build a close-knit community that emulates the value that each of the children in the group is “our child.” We welcome families from all walks of life and strive to create a school environment that is as diverse as the great city of Oakland.

We believe that the early years of live are vital to the development of the mind, body and spirit of a healthy human being; they should be relished and never hurried.

We believe children have tremendous sensing abilities and deserve to have pleasant qualities in their environment: beautiful, natural materials, the aroma of tasty things in the air, healthy, wholesome and delicious things to eat on their plates.

We believe children have the right to challenging and interesting curriculum. We believe that young children have fascinating ideas and tremendous abilities.We believe they have the right to express themselves in many ways, through many mediums. These may include (but are not limited toJ) speaking, singing, dancing, acting, story writing, drawing, sculpting with clay and painting with watercolors, laughing with friends, nursery rhymes, natural sciences, developing an understanding of mathematics, cooking, playing, puppetry, poetry, playing games and digging in the sandbox.

We believe that one of the ways children learn is through imitation and modeling. Therefore, caregivers participate with the environment of the classroom and outdoors engaging in cooking, gardening, and cleaning and setting a positive example of being in the world. We believe that as privileged caregivers we have the responsibility of behaving in the ways we want children to behave: in speaking with respect and kindness, in sharing a responsible work ethic, in providing a positive attitude toward plants and animals and generally working toward peace in the world.

We believe that each child has an individual sense of self-worth that should be respected and nurtured in a loving and peaceful environment. Concurrently, we believe people learn through interactions with other people and gently guide the children (both in individual and group work) in the development of multiple intelligences.

We believe in education for peace.

Mostly, though, we just relish in the opportunity to develop relationships with the children and families who come together to grow and learn during this wondrous time of life.

Welcome to our play school.

CONTACT INFORMATION

If you'd like to contact us, please call 510.338.0002. Or you may e-mail littlefawnplayschool@gmail.com. We are located in Montclair about a mile from the village on Paso Robles Drive.

ABOUT THE TEACHERS

Heather and Sara are both experienced teachers. Between the two of them they have been teaching for 33 years.

Heather has a degree in Montessori Education as well as a Masters Degree in Early Childhood and Child Development. As a parent she has found inspiration in Waldorf. She has been working with young children for 18 years in many realms: as a classroom teacher, an administrator, a teacher mentor, an Associate Professor, an editor for the National Association of Young Children and as a consultant for San Francisco Public Schools. She is pictured here with her two young daughters.

Sara has been teaching for 15 years. She has worked with children of many ages for 10 years as a dance and creative movement teacher and brings a wealth of talent to Little Fawn. She has also taught cooking and nutrition for K-5th grade and has worked extensively as a preschool teacher. She has a degree in Early Childhood Education and is pictured with her son Ellis, our youngest Little Fawn.

Please click on COMMENTS to read more about Sara and Heather

They are very pleased to be working together in this joyful work with young children at Little Fawn Play School. Everyday is truly a delight.

ABOUT LITTLE FAWN PLAY SCHOOL

Little Fawn is a new nursery school located in Montclair in Oakland, California. It is a homey, cozy, sweet space nestled in the woods. A deer path runs through the back yard; this is why we chose the name.

Little Fawn is a place where the magic, mystery, and joy of childhood is deeply valued. We believe that the culture of childhood is a special time that may never be re-lived and is fundamental to the healthy development of mind, body and spirit in the human being. Our program is a familial one- small, warm and nurturing. The pace is slow by design, and play is considered at the heart of the work of young children. Children muck around in the mud, dig in the garden, knead bread dough, prepare and enjoy organic-ish snacks and a warm, delicious lunch together and develop close and loving relationships with their friends and teachers. Children are encouraged to express their ideas through many mediums in the arts. Our curriculum is steeped in the fundamental importance of nature, the changing of the seasons, and filled with traditional nursery rhymes, songs and stories. We will also celebrate festivals and share fellowship as a larger community on a regular basis. We value the importance of rhythm, in daily life and over the course of the year, and building a strong community is central to our program. We are committed to the value of education for peace, both for the children and adults who are a part of Little Fawn.

We are open Tuesday through Friday from 8:45-3:00. Our tuition is approximately $8.00 per hour and varies depending upon late day (past 1:30) needs and the number of days a child attends school.

Please give us a call at 510.338.0002 and come and play!

LICENSING

Little Fawn is a program licensed by the State of California. The Facility Number is 013420474.