La Maison des Oiseaux is a California-licensed, in-home, French immersion preschool located in San Francisco's Castro District. We provide an intimate, nurturing, and stimulating environment where children can learn and grow. Large classrooms can be overwhelming for children but, with more attention in a smaller structure, their first school experience can be absolutely rewarding. Here, our group is small by design. The student-teacher ratio is generally 5:1 or less.
Days are typically filled with arts and crafts, French culinary activities, yoga, music, story-time, gardening, and physical activities. We incorporate French language and culture, as well as a range of lessons covering the alphabet, counting, and social skills. The program is for children ages 2 to 5 years old. Children do not have to be able to speak French or even potty-trained. We will help with both.
Days are typically filled with arts and crafts, French culinary activities, yoga, music, story-time, gardening, and physical activities. We incorporate French language and culture, as well as a range of lessons covering the alphabet, counting, and social skills. The program is for children ages 2 to 5 years old. Children do not have to be able to speak French or even potty-trained. We will help with both.
Typical Days
8:30am: Arrival and unstructured play-time
9:00am: Arts and crafts, music, culinary activities, gardening, and play-time
10:00am: Morning snack*
10:30am: Arts and crafts, music, culinary activities, gardening, and play-time
12:00pm: Lunch*
12:45pm: Story-time and nap
3:00pm: Afternoon snack, arts and crafts, music, culinary activities, gardening, and play-time*
4:00 - 4:30pm: Story-time, unstructured play-time, and pick up
* Parents are responsible for bringing lunches. We provide snacks and drinks.
9:00am: Arts and crafts, music, culinary activities, gardening, and play-time
10:00am: Morning snack*
10:30am: Arts and crafts, music, culinary activities, gardening, and play-time
12:00pm: Lunch*
12:45pm: Story-time and nap
3:00pm: Afternoon snack, arts and crafts, music, culinary activities, gardening, and play-time*
4:00 - 4:30pm: Story-time, unstructured play-time, and pick up
* Parents are responsible for bringing lunches. We provide snacks and drinks.
If the weather permits, children will play outside twice daily.
Hours of Operation
We are open Monday through Friday, 8:30am - 4:30pm, except for holidays and breaks. See the school calendar for details.
Enrollment
Enrollment is year-round (subject to acceptance and availability). Simply, follow these steps:
1. Contact us. Use the contact form to provide some basic information about you and your child (age, gender, languages spoken at home, preferred start date).
2. School Visit. Schedule a visit with your child. The visit will consist of a school tour, parent interview, and playtime/activities with your child. This will give you an opportunity to learn more about the program and see if it’s the right one for your child. No children will be accepted without an in-person meeting.
3. Application. If accepted, you will receive an application packet. A $250 non-refundable deposit is required to secure enrollment. The deposit will be applied toward the first month's tuition.
Since space is limited, spots are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. If you are looking for your child to start when we have an opening or at a future date, you can ask to be wait-listed. Steps 1-3 still must be completed to be placed on the wait list. When openings occur, currently enrolled families have preference over others to add days/times. Those who have been on the waiting list the longest have the next highest preference.
1. Contact us. Use the contact form to provide some basic information about you and your child (age, gender, languages spoken at home, preferred start date).
2. School Visit. Schedule a visit with your child. The visit will consist of a school tour, parent interview, and playtime/activities with your child. This will give you an opportunity to learn more about the program and see if it’s the right one for your child. No children will be accepted without an in-person meeting.
3. Application. If accepted, you will receive an application packet. A $250 non-refundable deposit is required to secure enrollment. The deposit will be applied toward the first month's tuition.
Since space is limited, spots are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. If you are looking for your child to start when we have an opening or at a future date, you can ask to be wait-listed. Steps 1-3 still must be completed to be placed on the wait list. When openings occur, currently enrolled families have preference over others to add days/times. Those who have been on the waiting list the longest have the next highest preference.
Tuition
Tuition is charged monthly and calculated by: number of scheduled days per week x daily rate(s) x 4 weeks. Daily rates are $70 for a half-day (8:30am - 12:30pm or 12:30pm - 4:30pm) and $105 for a full-day (8:30am - 4:30pm). There is a 2-day minimum for full-days and 3-day minimum for half-days. Tuition includes paid school holidays and breaks (see school calendar). In general, there are no make-up days. Exceptions will be made on a case-by-case basis.
A Little About Me
Bonjour! As a French maman, teacher, traveler, and former au pair, I wanted to create a program in a warm, home setting where children can learn French, discover different cultures, and develop at their own pace. Growing up in France, I learned to stretch my imagination through art and found some of the most amazing foods and flavors came from backyard gardens and local farms. Through our activities, I hope to share some of these simple wonders: learning to draw and paint; making and eating fresh-baked madeleines and bread; picking and smelling organic, garden-grown herbs and vegetables; and planting/watching seedlings grow.
After a number of years as an au pair helping raise multilingual children, I moved into the classroom. I taught in the preschool and kindergarten classrooms and supported the French language enrichment curriculum for the afterschool and summer programs at the French American International School (San Francisco) for four years. I also taught at the Le Jardin Enchanté Preschool (San Francisco) and was a regular substitute in the preschool and kindergarten classrooms at the Lycée Français de San Francisco (Sausalito and Corte Madera), Chinese American International School (San Francisco), and Bright Horizons Preschools (San Francisco) for three years. I completed the Next Generation yoga teacher training for children ages 2-7 and am certified in pediatric CPR and First-Aid.
After a number of years as an au pair helping raise multilingual children, I moved into the classroom. I taught in the preschool and kindergarten classrooms and supported the French language enrichment curriculum for the afterschool and summer programs at the French American International School (San Francisco) for four years. I also taught at the Le Jardin Enchanté Preschool (San Francisco) and was a regular substitute in the preschool and kindergarten classrooms at the Lycée Français de San Francisco (Sausalito and Corte Madera), Chinese American International School (San Francisco), and Bright Horizons Preschools (San Francisco) for three years. I completed the Next Generation yoga teacher training for children ages 2-7 and am certified in pediatric CPR and First-Aid.
Emma
Directrice
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