Play.   Explore.   Discover.

Bella Vita is happy to announce preschool class enrollment for the 2007-2008 school year. We are excited to continue implementing a Reggio-inspired early childhood education program -- one of only a few such innovative schools in the Bay Area.  We aspire to help you cultivate la bella vita, the beautiful life, of your child and family.

Philosophy

At Bella Vita, our philosophy is to offer an intimate preschool experience where each child's innate gifts are recognized and nurtured. Building relationships between teachers and children, amongst children, and within the school community is emphasized. In accordance with Reggio principles and child development theories, we believe strong relationships provide the stable foundation from which all learning can blossom, be it social, emotional, intellectual, spiritual or otherwise. Social interactions offer an invaluable opportunity to learn from others' perspectives.

Children are inherently joyful and curious investigators of the world. Our job is to provide a rich and safe environment where they may freely and happily explore in their own unique ways. This means providing opportunities to experiment with diverse mediums and forms of self-expression. We value thoughtfully created indoor spaces offering varied natural, open-ended materials and activities. Outdoor exploration is also considered vital. We strive to honor the natural imaginative, inquisitive and developmental process of children. By maintaining an ongoing dialogue with parents, we hope to collaborate with families to best meet each child's and family's needs at school and at home.

Bella Vita

302 Almendra Ave

Los Gatos CA 95030

408 234 9909

julianascalise@comcast.net

Cultivating the "beautiful life" of children and families

Curriculum

Our program is play-based and developmentally oriented. Beyond self-directed play, children also participate in small-group activities and teacher-facilitated learning projects. Curriculum is designed throughout the school year in response to the particular group of children in each class. Teachers actively observe the children's play to discover what inspires and excites them. In-depth projects are developed around materials and themes for which children show great enthusiasm.  At the same time, projects intentionally but subtly incorporate a wide variety of learning areas, including language, math, science, art, music, movement, as well as social, emotional, moral and spiritual awareness. By creatively designing projects, teachers seamlessly infuse learning into the children's play. Teachers may for example incorporate teaching math, science, language, art etc. through play activities related to trains, dolls, cooking, gardening or worms, depending upon the expressed interest of a particular group of children.

Program Details

Our program is designed for children ages 2-6. Younger children may be accepted on a case-by-case basis. Classes are exceptionally small and personal, with a maximum of 8-10 students and 2 teachers per class. Students benefit from both mixed-age interactions, as well as age-specific small group activities.  We provide diapering for children who require it.  We also offer a snack. Though we are structured as a drop-off program, parents are welcome to stay during any and all classes.