Reggio Archives - Presidio Knolls School

Bringing Preschool to Life

Everyone has their own story. Teachers, like most people, bring those stories – stories that grow out of our passions, our interests, our cultural background, and our personalities – into the workplace. These stories inform how we see the world and how we approach our work. Although teaching is what we do as a profession, it is not all that we are, and it’s those extra dimensions that make each classroom so special.

Community

Our Growing Home: PKS Preschool Over the Past Decade

In 2009, a year after PKS opened its doors, I felt so lucky to join a tiny but cozy two room preschool in the Presidio with 25-30 students. Ten years later, a lot has changed, but watching the school (and my first students) grow and transform has been amazing. Although the school may not look the same on the outside, what makes PKS such a special place still remains: our community and sense of family.

Preschool

Reservations at the Tea Tree Restaurant

The Tea Tree Restaurant was a pop-up experience like no other! Although the establishment has closed its doors, it was the culmination of a year of discovery, exploration, and, well, food that will be long cherished by its proprietors and customers.

Preschool

Our Preschool Faculty – Leaders and Learners

One of the key things that makes PKS such a special place are our teachers. They are warm, caring, and love to learn alongside their students. PKS supports our teachers and encourages them to attend conferences and seminars that will help them grow as educators. We are also proud that, even while we maintain a growth mindset and continue learning, our teachers have tremendous expertise and are well-regarded by educators from the progressive early childhood education field.

Curriculum

Artistic Explorations in 3rd Grade: Symmetrical Stitched Designs

Our third graders recently explored symmetrical stitched designs. They began by looking at examples of Chinese embroidery and discussing the intricate designs and varied stitches. With a plastic needle and yarn, students intermittently watched a basic stitch video while practicing on their own piece of burlap.

Curriculum

Teacher Profile (Effi Wang)

Our goals each year include problem solving, critical thinking, and improving social skills. We provide ample opportunities for children to do hands on projects, based on their own interests, we provide children with engaging materials, and ask them questions to provoke their thinking.

Curriculum

The Vision of Mathematics at PKS

As a progressive school, our vision for mathematics has many unifying elements. It is our expectation that students look beyond “doing math” to “thinking like mathematicians,” and to see the potential for beauty, fun, creativity, and trans-disciplinary connections in mathematics.

Mandarin Immersion

Teacher Profile (Mei Ying Tzeng)

There is no instruction manual on how to teach children. Children don’t need to follow anyone to explore the world. Instead, we focus on children’s learning processes and experiences, not on pushing children to remember all the academic material. Teachers and children observe, find questions, search for the result and solve issues together; building knowledge and gaining new experiences while learning from each other.

Mandarin Immersion

Learning with Sock Puppets

This kind of natural evolution is a planned accident. “We don’t have a curriculum for the whole school year planned out,” says Daisy. “We have basic skills and goals that we want to develop, and we follow the children’s interests.”