Morning Bird Preschool...
where imagination takes flight
PHILOSOPHY
Morning Bird Preschool is a small, home-based school in east Petaluma that is licensed for up to six children. Our play-based school is inspired by several different educational philosophies such as Waldorf, Reggio-Emilia and Montessori. Most of our play materials are wooden, many are handmade, and all are intentionally selected for our school's imaginative play.
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We believe in educating the whole child and nurturing each child's unique self. We encourage creative thinking, self expression and laughter.
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At Morning Bird, we focus heavily on four essential elements:
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Play
Nature
Art
Storytelling
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PLAY
"Play is the highest form of research." -- Albert Einstein
Research shows that play is the number 1 way that young children learn. It provides the foundation for critical thinking, self regulation, and academic success. At Morning Bird, we spend the majority of the day engaging in self-lead play. Our play materials have been intentionally crafted and selected for optimum creativity and open-endedness. We have a dramatic play area, doll house, building blocks, handmade stuffed animals and dolls, and more. Play enables children to learn about real life, work things out, cooperate with others and express themselves.
nature
"And at the end of the day, your feet should be dirty, your hair messy, and your eyes sparkling." -- Shanti Devi
Being connected to nature is vital to the emotional, mental and physical wellbeing of young children. At Morning Bird, we spend time in nature every single day, no matter the weather. "There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing." We have a spacious sand box, grassy area, play structure, stumps, logs, sticks, rocks, chalk boards and easels. Spending time outside provides clarity and calmness, nurtures the imagination and connects us to our earth.
ART
"I dream of painting and then I paint my dream." -- Vincent van Gogh
Art is an essential ingredient for creative expression. At Morning Bird, we have opportunities to artistically express oneself every day with access to paper, crayons, paint, chalk, tape, stickers, glue and scissors. During our afternoon enrichment, we may do extensive art projects which children take pride in taking home unique masterpieces. Art is everywhere, and we often do indoor and outdoor creations.
STORY-TELLING
"There is no friend as loyal as a book." -- Ernest Hemingway
Storytelling is one of the oldest tools for helping children understand the world. Stories engage children. They help in behavioral issues, they teach lessons, they spark critical thinking, and they fuel the imagination. We do a lot of storytelling at Morning Bird Preschool. Stories are told and read constantly throughout the day, and children are encouraged to tell their own stories. True learning takes place through the power of storytelling.
"If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need." --Marcus Tullius Cicero