Heart of a Child (Berkeley, CA)
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Heart of a Child (Berkeley, CA)
- Owner: Theresa Malki
- Phone: (510) 527-1831
- Email:
- Neighborhood: N. Berkeley
- Zip: 94702
- License #: 010212750
- Capacity: 12
- Website:
- Bilingual:
- Ages: 2-5 years
July 2008
Re: need a preschool for my twins
My son is about to graduate from Heart of a Child and it is an
amazing preschool. Unfortunately, it wouldn't be an option for
your twins. The director has already admitted her new group of
students for the Fall, and she only admits new students every
three years (kids enter as two year olds and then the entire
group stays together for three years until they are ready to
move on to kindergarten). Good luck with your search!
July 2007
Hello,
I'd love to hear some recent reviews of Heart of a Child on Hopkins.
Thank you!
anon.
My daughter has gone to Heart of a Child for the last two years and we
are VERY
happy with it. She has blossomed in so many ways there. The
environment is well-
balanced with lots of physical play, quiet time, social interaction.
Theresa, who runs
the school, is extremely well-tuned to the kids, loving and excellent
at teaching the
children respect for themselves and others. Gale who works with
Theresa is also
very warm and at the same time, very good at limit setting. They each
have so
much experience. We have benefitted from our daughter going there by
learning
from Theresa and Gale and getting to know the other children and
parents. It is not
a co-op but I still feel a strong sense of community with the other
families.
I really can't say enough about how great we think Heart of a Child is!
I wish
Theresa would open up a grammar school as well!
anon
My son attends Heart of a Child and we are so happy to be a part
of such a lovely, nurturing, special preschool and preschool
community. As you may know, the school is run a bit differently
than other preschools. Specifically, new students are accepted
every three years and then that group of children spends three
years together, starting out as 2 year olds until they are 5
years old. It is a small group, just 12 kids (the first year it
is only 8 per day at the beginning of the year and then 10 per
day beginning in January; it increases to 12 per day in the
second year. No more students are added, people just add days
per week that their children attend). As a result, the
community is very tight knit and the teachers know all the
children and their families very well. The current group was
born in 2003, so the next group to be accepted will be those
born 12/05-12/06 who will start Fall 2008. The program is a
wonderful mixture of developmentally appropriate activities that
grow and change as the children grow and change. There is a
beautiful garden that the children tend, cooking, tumbling,
music classes, art, field trips, backyard chickens, and so much
more. It is primarily play-based, but there are some Montessori
elements, . . . I guess it is overall an eclectic approach that
takes the best of many different approaches. The director,
Theresa Malki, is one of those truly wise people who understands
children with such depth that it is almost shocking how well
she ''gets'' your child after knowing him or her only a short
time. The other teacher, Gayle, is so lovely, gentle and
patient, and she finds teachable moments in virtually every
interaction she has with the children. They have worked
together for years and care for each other as friends, and I
like how they model kindness, caring and compassion for the
kids. One of the things I love the most about Heart of a Child
is how absolutely non-institutional it feels. So many of the
materials are homemade, old fashioned, funky. For example,
there is a regular old record player and other toys and things
you will recognize if you grew up in the seventies. Children
can really be themselves and explore their world. In warm
weather, they can be barefoot, they run through the sprinklers,
they get dirty, they learn about kindness and communication and
being part of a community. I think kids with all sorts of
temperaments can thrive there. My son was VERY slow to warm up
and transition, and they were so helpful and patient with him
and supportive of me being there for a couple of weeks and even
beyond.
One downside is that it would be difficult to send your child
there if both parents work full-time. Hours the first year are
8:30-12:45 with extended care until 1:45. Those hours extend in
the second and third year, and kids can stay until 4 p.m.
If your child was born in 2006, it's definitely worth checking
out. It is truly a gem and we feel so lucky to be a part of
such a wonderful school.
Feb 2005
Does anyone have information, opinions, or feedback to share
(positive/negative) about Heart of a Child Daycare/Preschool on
Hopkins in Berkeley. There is a write-up in the NPN book but no
information that I could find in the BPN archives. The idea
sounds intriguing (kids of the same age enter the school at the
same time and are together for three years). I'm curious to
hear your experiences if you have a child there or know of a
family that has been involved. Thanks.
Emily
My child is going to graduate from Heart of a Child preschool
this summer, and my older child went there for the previous 3
years too.
The first thing to tell you is that if you have any interest
whatsoever you should call and give Theresa Malki your name.
She takes the first eligible children that are on her waiting
list, and fills up quickly. If you haven't already called her
there is probably a small chance you could get in...but no harm
in trying!
As for the school -- I cannot recommend it highly enough.
Heart of a Child takes children all born on the same year and
keeps the same group of kids for 3 years. When they begin
there are 8 kids each day -- and it gradually increases to 12
kids each day. Each child has their own schedule -- usually
they come 3 or 4 or 5 days a week. These kids are immersed in
a developmentally enriching program which grows as they grow --
they develop social skills, small and gross motor skills, they
learn a tremendous amount of fascinating things about nature
and the world around them...The school has a wonderful sunny
back yard full of fruit trees and a vegetable garden they tend,
chickens to gather eggs from, rabbits and cats, rats and a
turtle..I could go on and on. If you want to hear more about
it you can e-mail me directly... We are already dreading
saying good bye to this amazing experience for our whole
family...
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