WOODLAND PRESCHOOL
~A Swedish Approach to Learning in Nature~
My daughter is in her second year at Woodlands, and I'm so grateful to Josefine for creating such an incredible school -- a school that gives kids the right types of freedom and structure. Kids climb high, carry big sticks, play pretend, sing songs in front of their peers, and take turns as the leader for the day on adventure days. At the same time, there are clear expectations that the children know and follow. In a school where there are no walls or fences, the kids know exactly where the edge of "their forest" is as they excitedly run up in the morning to greet a friend arriving. Additionally, the teachers coach students in how to recognize when they are upset, and give them the words and tools they need to negotiate conflict resolution and shared play (and will also step in if needed). Students learn to persevere on projects that span multiple days and even weeks; for example the full-day students made paper mache lanterns and then shared what they created with their families on a winter lantern walk. Lastly, the end-of-semester written feedback gives us detailed and heartwarming insight into who our daughter is and how she's growing when at school. They truly know her. Overall, I feel so grateful that because of Woodlands, I get to give my daughter such a wonderful foundation for life.
Zan Armstrong
Our son went to the woodland Preschool and it was the best decision we had made for our son and us as a family. Our son immediately felt comfortable and happy with the woodland preschool "theory" and the teachers. The teachers there are absolutely amazing. It is very obvious they care a lot about the kids. We haven't seen such engagement, love and couriusness from any teachers before. We also absolutely loved that our son learned so much about nature, how it works, how to protect it and take care of it. We cannot recommend the woodland preschool enough. Every kid would be lucky to attend the woodland preschool.
Frederikke Christophersen
The Woodland Preschool of San Francisco [2019-2023]
The Woodlands pre-school is a magical place. Our daughter has cultivated a true love of the outdoors and has become extremely adventurous, comfortable, and happy being outside. She routinely teaches us things about the local flora and fauna, and the outdoor playground environment as well as Josefine’s watchful but non-hovering presence have cultivated her imagination beautifully. We feel fortunate that our daughter gets to enjoy nature every morning instead of having to sit in a classroom from such a young age.
Josefine’s extremely calm and loving demeanor permeates everything at the school. Our daughter has learned concrete techniques for emotional regulation, cares deeply about helping her peers, and is focused on problem solving and talking things through when issues do arise. I have never seen Josefine get even a little bit upset at the children – she focuses instead on making each child feel respected, heard, and empowered, and this results in her having a particularly mature and well settled group of children in the cohort.
Along with all the outdoor play and adventures, my daughter has also learned a host of things without even realizing it (e.g. colors, days of the week, counting, letters of the alphabet, pre-writing skills). Josefine has a way of teaching the children without it feeling like learning, and in addition to teaching them basic skills, she is constantly piquing their curiosity – whether through her focus on reading to them, through the monthly themes she sets, or through her cultural explorations including the ‘artist of the month’ series (something which our daughter especially loves).
Sakina Zaidi
We had the most wonderful experience with Woodland Preschool. The program was exactly what we were looking for—outdoor based, with a consistent schedule, but lots of freedom for play and exploration. It was our first time leaving our child at a childcare or school program, but we quickly felt confident and safe leaving her with Josefine. Josefine is extremely organized, observant and patient, exactly the type of caregiver and teacher we would want for our daughter. We also loved the variety of activities and themes that were part of the program. Our daughter brought home artwork at the end of each month, and was always singing songs she learned in school and talking about her friends. Her language skills improved dramatically in her time at the school, as well as her ability to share and be polite. She also learned to be potty trained at school. We feel lucky to have found such a special program!
Lauren Golik
I researched dozens of preschools before being fortunate enough to stumble across Woodland Preschool when it was just getting started. After almost a year, I can honestly say that it is the unicorn of preschools. It is very unusual to find an outdoor, nature-based preschool with a Reggio Emilia philosophy that also has a schedule conducive to working parents. This preschool has that and so much more: a small, intimate group of children, attentive and nurturing teachers who provide gentle guidance to the children while also allowing them to develop their independence, and parents that are supportive of both the preschool and one another. Our son has blossomed since coming to Woodland. He has formed close relationships with the teachers, the other children and even their siblings and parents, making the preschool feel more like a community. Add in daily art, singing, stories, imaginative play, home-cooked meals, weekly field trips and of course lots of fresh air and time outdoors and the result is truly magical. We feel so lucky to have found this preschool and know that it will be a formative part of our son's growing up.
Emily W.
Our time enrolled at Woodland Preschool has been absolutely magical. There is no better feeling than knowing that your child is in a loving, supportive, and inspiring environment, and that is just what we have found at Woodland. After a few bumpy experiences with childcare in different settings, we've been incredibly grateful to find ourselves in a spot where we never for a moment doubt that the teachers are providing their undivided and utmost care, and our daughter has really thrived in the collaborative, small group setting. It's been such a a joy to see their daily adventures outside, the imaginative play, and to watch the developmental leaps our daughter has taken all while really having the opportunity to be a child. Each day is a wonderful balance of exploration and learning in a healthy environment. We love the time she spends outdoors, the consistently changing physical projects they work on, and the healthy foods prepared for her. We feel spoiled to have found this school and community through the Woodlands preschool.
Lilly and James McKenna
Woodland Preschool has allowed our son to thrive in an unstructured, natural environment. He has learned to explore the word around him in a way only possible in nature. He comes home covered in dirt, skinned knees and a farmers tan, but he has developed the skills and confidence to climb trees (that even I wouldn't attempt), problem solve, and admiration of the natural world. Josefine has created a wonderful childhood experience, allowing children to learn through exploration. She cooks them breakfast, lunch and snacks, sings songs with them, and even gets some alphabet and numerical learning in. This is the perfect introduction to the outside world, and a great stepping stone to formal education. We could not ask for more, our son has become such an independent, confident little person in their care. We cannot recommend The Woodland Preschool enough.