Parent Testimonials

We were initially drawn to Emma’s nurturing and calm environment: lots of baking, outside walks and playtime, painting, planting, playing in the sand and garden. We felt like it closely matched what we were doing at home, but with the additional advantages of our son regularly being around other children and learning to take direction from another adult. Her care-taking style also closely matched ours with a strong routine and behavioral boundaries that provide a peaceful classroom setting ensuring security and that the children could focus on what they were doing, but also allowing them the space to get dirty playing outside or painting.  

My son’s first day at Emma’s, I was immediately put at ease by her confidence and warmth when he was hesitant at our leaving. We are not a French speaking family and the big leap our son would have to make was one of our concerns. Emma did a wonderful job of including him so that he knew what was going on and he started learning French. After a year, he rarely volunteered specifics, but we frequently eavesdropped singing and talking in French while he was playing, and when visiting the art museum has pointed out when French titles have not been directly translated. Now that we have moved on to a larger Spanish speaking school, he has been delighting in comparing specific words between the two languages. Aside from learning the language, we felt it was really good that our son was intimately learning about another country: the culture, location, it’s holidays, and it’s food. During his time at La Masion, our son formed some of his first friendships and we continue to stay in contact with those families. The gradual introduction to a school setting with such a small class size has been such an advantage as well. When our son was old enough for the next step, we found the transition to be incredibly easy, having gotten used to many of the social skills and rules in a smaller environment first.

~ Jessica

Our son went to La Maison des Oiseaux for a year. Our experience with the school was only positive. We like the fact that the school has a structured schedule. Our son learned to socialize with other children in his age group, daily reading, baking cookies and free play... and his favorite: arts and crafts projects. He was always very excited to bring home his latest creation to show us. He went on field-trips and outings and to the local parks and playgrounds. Because this is a small school, our son got individual care and attention. La Maison des Oiseaux is a great introduction to the french language, especially if you are considering applying to other french schools in the neighborhood. Our son was always very excited to go to school every day and seemed content at pick up. Emmanuelle always kept us informed about what was happening through daily highlights and updates at pick-up time. We highly recommend this little school. We are definitely planning on sending our second daughter to this school when she turns two.

~ Monica

La Maison des Oiseaux is a French immersion preschool in the Castro. Our daughter attended last year, and we couldn't say enough good things about the school, the Director Emmanuelle, and the parent community. Our daughter was happy from the first day that she arrived at “playschool.” Whether hunting for (indoor) Ginger the Cat, doing mind-growing developmental activities (painting, planting, playdough, cake making, puzzles, anything with glue…), doing yoga, or going on outings in the neighborhood, Maribel was consistently engaged during her days at La Maison des Oiseaux. Emmanuelle and her assistant Veronica were very good at providing our daughter with the structure and warm, firm guidance that she’d been lacking in her at-home nanny share.

From our side, my husband and I felt as if Emmanuelle was truly on our team in raising our daughter, helping us to navigate developmental milestones and our daughter's desire for increased independence. As an added bonus, our daughter’s experience at La Maison des Oiseaux was helpful to her admission at larger French and non-French preschools for this academic year.

~ Hope

Our older son was already in Pre-K3 at the French American International School (FAIS) and we were looking for a pre-school for our younger son who was 2 years old. The President of FAIS Parents' Association recommended La Maison des Oiseaux and said her daughter went there along with four other children at FAIS. She said that it really mirrored the FAIS program and prepared her daughter to start FAIS that fall. 

We went and toured the school and loved it. The class room was inviting and the garden was perfect for small children.  During the interview, Emma, the head teacher, was so sweet with our boys and they immediately took to her. When our younger son started at La Maison des Oiseaux, Emma taught him the alphabet, French songs and yoga along with outings to the local park. Our son would come home excited to share about his day and would say how much he loved Emma! We felt that Emma created a wonderful environment for the children and prepared him to start FAIS this fall.

~ Ting

We are very happy with La Maison des Oiseaux. Emma is very warm and kind with the children. We were not seeking French instruction when searching for schools but it has been nice to see our child learn French words. Our son seems very happy at school and there are a lot of activities to keep him interested: trips to the park, story time, art projects, baking, playing outside. I'm glad to have found the school. 

~ Amy

La Maison des Oiseaux fut une merveilleuse expérience pour notre fils comme pour nous. Youri s'est adapté très vite à un environnement international (il n'y a pas que des Français à la maison des oiseaux), a appris l'alphabet en créant un abécédaire, a pris goût à la cuisine grâce à Emmanuelle et ses gâteaux et madeleines hebdomadaires (il y a toujours un évènement à fêter!), a découvert le yoga et les cloches tibétaines, m'a gâté de colliers de nouilles, et a surtout fait la connaissance de supers amis.
La Maison des Oiseaux est plus qu'un daycare/preschool, c'est une petite famille. Les enfants jouent, cuisinent, et apprennent ensemble. Chacun fait attention à l'autre car Emmanuelle et son équipe créent un environnement propice à l'échange et au partage. Pour nous qui venions d'arriver de France, La Maison des Oiseaux a été la transition parfaite, du fait de sa taille et de sa pédagogie, entre la crèche Française et la preschool Américaine.

La Maison des Oiseaux has been a wonderful experience for our son and also for us. Youri adapted really fast to an international environment (there are not only French children at La Maison des Oiseaux), learned his alphabet by creating an ABC-book, enjoyed cooking thanks to Emmanuelle and her weekly cake (there is always an event to be celebrated!), has discovered yoga and the Tibetan bells, spoiled me of necklaces made with pasta, and, most importantly, became acquainted with great friends. 

La Maison des Oiseaux is more than a daycare/preschool, it is a small family. The children play, bake, and learn together. Each pays attention to the other because Emmanuelle and her team create an environment convenient to exchange and sharing. For us who had just arrived from France, La Maison des Oiseaux has been the perfect transition, by its size and its education, between the French daycare and the American preschool.

~Leïla, Youri's mom

La Maison des Oiseaux nous a conquis dès notre première visite. Notre enthousiasme n'a fait que s'accroître au fil de l'année que notre fils (2 ans et demi à l'époque) y a passée et venait confirmer l'expérience positive d'amis qui nous avaient recommandé cette petite école. 
Notre fils rentrait heureux et équilibré de ses journées et nous le savions entre de bonnes mains, capables de lui donner amour, soutien et challenge nécessaire à l'apprentissage tout en le préparant à l'entrée en maternelle au Lycée Français.
Il a appris le partage, la camaraderie, la cuisine et le jardinage, le dessin et la peinture, le yoga et d'autres activités lui permettant de développer tous ses sens. Il y a consolidé son bilinguisme et appris des chansons et contes français dont il nous faisait part avec enthousiasme le soir. Emmanuelle et son équipe ont réussi a recréer un environnement chaleureux et familial qui ne se limitait pas aux quatre murs de sa petite école. Nous avons pu créer des liens avec les autres parents également, ce qui a rendu notre expérience d'autant plus formidable. Il ne fait aucun doute que nous lui enverrons notre petit deuxième lorsqu'il sera en âge. Notre seul regret est de ne pas avoir découvert cette école avant !

We can only say the very best of La Maison des Oiseaux. It's a small, loving and nurturing environment as you would like it to be at home for your children. Emmanuelle and her team of french speakers surely know how to support bilingualism and raise bilingual kids, teaching them new and traditional rhymes and stories. She encourages camaraderie and play based learning, never losing sight of the manners, so important to our french culture. Our son improved his skills in cooking, crafts, gardening, yoga and so many new activities. 
For the whole year he has been spending there, he always came home very happy and balanced, singing and sharing his day with us. One regret only is that we didn't know about this gem before!

~ Tiffanie

Nous ne pourrons jamais dire assez de bien d’Emmanuelle et de La Maison des Oiseaux…Lorsque nous sommes arrivés à SF cet été, notre priorité était de trouver une petite école chaleureuse dans laquelle notre fils de 3 ans se sentirait bien et en confiance. Je pense que nous ne pouvions pas trouver mieux. Emmanuelle est très douce avec les enfants et leur fait faire mille activités enthousiasmantes (jardinage, cuisine, dessins, peintures, créations artistiques diverses et du Yoga!…) Elle sait parfaitement s’adapter à eux que ce soit en fonction de l’âge des enfants auxquels elle enseigne (par exemple, les enfants de 4 ans feront une activité qui demande plus de concentration ou d’habileté manuelle que les enfants plus jeunes) ou en fonction de leur humeur du moment! Notre fils Léo est ravi d’aller à l’école chaque jour pour voir ses amis mais aussi pour dessiner, planter des tulipes, faire des madeleines…et aussi passer un peu de temps avec les gentils chats de la maison. Il se surprend même à dire quelques mots d’anglais maintenant et chante quelques chansons américaines! Le nombre d’enfants est parfait pour une première année de maternelle. Nous le voyons progresser si vite et en si peu de temps. Nous nous sentons vraiment chanceux d’avoir trouver la jolie maison des oiseaux. Notre deuxième garçon y fera d’ailleurs sa prochaine rentrée pour notre plus grande joie!

We cannot say enough good things concerning Emmanuelle and La Maison des Oiseaux…French and new movers in SF, having our 3 year old son starting school in a very loving & warm environment was our priority. We think we could not find a better place. Emmanuelle is so sweet with the kids and they do so many fun activities (and yoga!!). She knows exactly how to entertain them and develop their minds. Léo is excited to go to class every day: to see his friends, but also to draw, plant tulips, bake the famous Madeleines... And spend some time with the cats! He's even speaking a few words of English now! The number of kids is just right for his first school experience and he is making progress so rapidly in so many ways. We feel very lucky to have found La Maison des Oiseaux. We hope to send our younger boy to La Maison des Oiseaux too!

~ Les parents de Léo et Milo

Honestly, we looked into La Maison des Oiseaux because it was close and offered part time French immersion. My then 2.5 year old son, Malcolm, will be joining his sister at French American eventually, but wasn’t ready for full time. We didn’t expect much except to get him used to drop-off and a little French in a safe environment. How thrilled we have been these last 6 months at just how much more Emmanuelle’s sweet little preschool is! She gently helped Malcolm transition to drop-off, was a great partner in potty training, and has provided a stimulating and educational experience for our little man. He comes home singing whole songs in French, and though he only attends part time, he understands a surprising amount of the new language already. Through the daily activities, he’s discovered a passion for cooking and gluing. He’s working on scissor skills, painting, clay art, socialization, circle time, even numbers and letters. He has started to recognize his printed name, loves to play counting and early math games, and yet I don’t think he realizes he’s learning; he’s just playing. He is excited to go to class every day to see his friends, and do the fun activities. The number of kids is just right for his first school experience. The low student-teacher ratio also allows for real individual attention for each child.  Emmanuelle is a loving and vibrant ally in our parenting. It’s tangible how much she cares for the kids and knows them individually. She knows when it’s time to take him outside, and when it’s time to read him a book. We feel fortunate to have found La Maison des Oiseaux. It fits our needs perfectly.

~ Malcom's parents

As a stay-at-home mom with a first child, I was apprehensive about sending my two-year-old to an all-day school for the first time. La Maison des Oiseaux has been a perfect transition for us because it is so small and nurturing. Emmanuelle sends photos to reassure me that she is smiling, and to give me an idea of what they did that day. My daughter comes home so proud of her art projects and cooking, and asks every day to go to school. She talks about her friends at school and the two cats at the house, has started to say some French words, and as a bonus, now loves to go in her potty! We're very happy with the experience so far! 

~ Laura
 

My son Nikai is currently attending preschool at La Maison des Oiseaux and we absolutely love it. Our family has French Canadian roots. To have our kids learning French at a young age is a priority for us, and much easier than learning it years down the road. It is such a natural environment for learning the language and helpful that we can also communicate in English as needed. Emmanuelle is so sweet with the kids and they do so many fun activities. My son is always excited to show me his artwork or have me try something he helped to bake. He is happy to go to school and see his friends everyday and often singing songs that he has learned. It's the cutest thing to have him in the car singing his ABCs to us. Emmanuelle has been very supportive of Nikai and the potty training process. She is allowing him to lead the way and does not push if he is feeling less interested some days. We really feel great about leaving our son in Emmanuelle's care. He is making progress so rapidly in so many ways. I feel very lucky to have discovered La Maison des Oiseaux.

~ Dana, mother of Nikai


I remember meeting Emmanuelle at La Maison des Oiseaux for the first time with my daughter, who was two years old at the time. She was immediately at ease during our visit there, discovering all the fun new toys and checking out the very child friendly space. Our little child seemed at home, right away. So much so that she has been saying “Je veux aller a la maison”.  We wondered why she was saying this again and again while we were out and about. Finally she said it when we were home and we responded  “mais nous sommes a la Maison?”  (but we are home?) to which she replies “ Non, la MAISON!”  It finally dawned us, her little school had become her second “Maison”!  We love how much French she has picked up since spending time with Emmanuelle.  She is learning so much through art, music and of course her favorite activity, baking and eating with her little friends.  We cannot say enough good things about Emmanuelle.  She is so caring, thoughtful and knows exactly how to entertain and develop their minds.  Thank you La Maison des Oiseaux for fostering such a creative and safe environment for our daughter.

~ Maman d'Emilia

Within weeks of starting at La Maison, my daughter was singing French songs and identifying things in French. She's always excited to go to Emmanuelle who creates a very loving warm environment for children. Between the fun baking/cooking and arts & crafts activities, the sweet little backyard, and her pet cats, there's not much lacking. Emmanuelle is a natural with children and it's no surprise that they love being with her. What a wonderful find and I hope to send my younger daughter to La Maison too!

~ Jaya's mom

My daughter Mackenzie has been attending La Maison des Oiseaux for approximately one year. She has absolutely flourished in Emmanuelle’s care. She is excited to go to school everyday. When she is home she is usually singing a French song she learned at school.  Emmanuelle is a person who was born to work with young children. Everyday we are sent pictures of the children engaging in art projects, baking, and playing outside. Recently, Emmanuelle has started to practice yoga with the children. Mackenzie loves it and comes home and makes us do the moves with her. We feel very fortunate that Mackenzie has been in her care. We are confident that she is ready for the next step in her education because of Emmanuelle.

~ Erin, Mackenzie’s mom

My son grew in so many ways at La Maison des Oiseaux. Not only did his French progress quickly, but he blossomed socially and grew more confident. I loved getting the pictures Emmanuelle sent of him throughout the day--painting, gardening, cooking, doing yoga. We are so glad we found La Maison.

~ Oriane

I feel so lucky to have found La Maison des Oiseaux for our son Ramzi who has been attending the preschool since October 2015. As a French speaking and French educated parent, it was very important to provide my son with a similar education in a fun and warm first environment. And what a joy was it to see Ramzi flourish in Emmanuelle’s care! The transition was very easy with Emmanuelle’s help. Ramzi is very excited to go every day to school and play with his friends and the two adorable cats! He developed his love for music, singing, yoga and definitely baking! His language skills developed rapidly so did his love for baking Madeleines! He started recognizing letters, differentiating letters from numbers and counting to 10 in both languages. His repertoire of French nursery songs is vastly evolving. His fine and gross motor, socialization and communication skills developed tremendously. He loves Emmanuelle and her assistants. Emmanuelle is very warm, fun, creative and energetic. She was tremendous help in the potty training process and is great and easy to communicate with. She is great at handling all situations and moods, communicating needs and or areas to work on with Ramzi and most importantly she loves being with all her students and is doing a great job teaching them not just the French language but helping them develop their personalities and interests. I highly recommend this preschool. Words cannot truly describe the gratitude of a parent towards a great teacher that fosters a child’s love for learning. Thank you Emmanuelle!                  

~ Mira

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