学前班
At La Scuola International School’s Dogpatch Preschool, children’s natural curiosity and joy forms the heart of a program uniquely constructed to build a lifelong love of learning.
Nothing without Joy
Our one-of-a-kind approach to early childhood education blends Italian immersion to expand perspectives and awareness, the Reggio Emilia Approach to encourage autonomy and collaboration, and the International Baccalaureate Early Years and Primary Years Programs to build critical-thinking skills.
All of this is imbued with the warmth and joy that allows young learners to feel at home in their school environment, and open to endless discovery.
These elements, combined in this way nowhere else, build something exceptionally beautiful and uniquely La Scuola. It’s the beginning of an education that knows no bounds.
Why Italian?
Italian is not only a beautiful introduction to Romance languages, but also an entry point into the study of European art, music, history, and science. It benefits English-speaking students with an understanding of Latin roots.
Early exposure to other languages — such as Italian, and starting in the fifth grade at La Scuola, Spanish — enables more neural connections to form in children’s brains. Multilingual students have better control over their attention, decision making, and planning.
Your children and your family do not need any background in Italian to enroll in La Scuola or to become a very welcome part of the community. Most preschoolers at La Scuola arrive new to speaking or understanding Italian.
How the Elements of Our Approach Intertwine
La Scuola International School, San Francisco leverages the Reggio Emilia Approach, the International Baccalaureate, and language immersion from preschool through eighth grade to advance a love of learning.
Preschool Program Exploration
Ateliers
Preschool at La Scuola comes alive with ateliers — dedicated laboratories of learning in which children inquire, explore, and develop their ideas. At our Dogpatch Campus, music, art, and garden ateliers nurture a lifelong love of learning in a beautiful, engaging environment.
Environment as Teacher
The learning environment is a principal factor in how students learn. Because of its importance, the Reggio Emilia Approach considers the environment to be “the third teacher” alongside faculty and families. Color, light, beauty, furnishings, and architecture all play an important role in making education and understanding a joy.
100 Languages of Children
Loris Malaguzzi, the founder of the Reggio Emilia Approach, believed children have ‘100 Languages’ or more with which they express themselves and learn. Art, music, tinkering, body language, storytelling, feeling, thinking, inquiry — these are only a few examples of their potential modes of expression. His poem, “No Way. The Hundred Is There” shares our motivation to keep children’s multifaceted engagement with the world alive.
Niente Senza Gioia
At La Scuola, niente senza gioia — or nothing without joy, nada sin alegría — is more than a motto. Throughout each day, we pour joy and love into learning, play, and exploration. Education, especially at preschool age, should be filled with joy so that each child develops a lasting affection for discovery and all the world around has to offer.
Preschool Program Overview
La Scuola International School, San Francisco offers three preschool levels, five days a week, available either as half-days (8:15 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.) or full-days (to 5:30 p.m.).
Piccoli
Ages 2 to 3
Grandi
Ages 3 to 4
Grandissimi
Ages 4 to 5
Children may begin in our Piccoli class before they are toilet-learned. They need to be toilet-learned to enroll or continue in Grandi and Grandissimi classes.
Children do not need to speak Italian to enroll at La Scuola. Most do not.
Sample Schedule
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 8:45 – 9:00 | Children arrive and welcome activities |
| 9:00 – 9:30 | Assemblea |
| 9:30 – 10:00 | Morning Snack / Bathroom and Sunscreen |
| 10:00 – 10:45 | Outdoor Time |
| 10:45 – 11:30 | Assemblea / Inquiry time / Atelier |
| 11:30 – 12:00 | Transition / Bathroom |
| 12:00 – 12:30 | Lunch |
| 12:30 – 1:00 | Bathroom / Story-Time |
| 12:45 – 1:15 | Half Day Pick-up |
| 1:00 – 3:00 | Nap Time / Quiet Time |
| 3:00 – 3:15 | Wake-up / Bathroom |
| 3:15 – 3:45 | Afternoon Snack / Sunscreen |
| 3:45 – 4:30 | Outdoor Time |
| 4:30 – 5:30 | Activities / Pick-Up |
Meet our Early Childhood Director
Michele Scarani
With over two decades of experience in international and bilingual education, Michele brings a deep passion for early childhood learning, admissions, and school leadership.
Before joining La Scuola International School, Michele served as Head of Admissions and Marketing at the Bilingual European School in Milano, Italy, where she built a full-immersion early years program and a bilingual primary and secondary school. At the Bilingual European School, the welcoming environment, language support program, and seamless admissions process she led enabled families to feel part of a larger family.
Michele founded and directed her own bilingual preschool that included a Reggio Emilia Approach to bilingualism. Her ability to design engaging, nurturing, and developmentally appropriate learning environments has been a hallmark of her career. Get to know the rest of our Dogpatch campus faculty and staff.
“At La Scuola, our son learned to listen carefully, become more independent, care for others, solve problems, express ideas, and imagine new possibilities. Thank you for giving our son a childhood filled with wonder, curiosity, beauty, and belonging. What you do matters, and its impact reaches far beyond the classroom.”
—
Daniela B.
La Scuola Parent