We strive to nurture young children in a culturally rich environment opening the vistas of the world to them through the gateway of languages. Through collaborative discourse and the joy of play, together in a rich stimulating environment, our students will become knowledgeable, self-motivated and critically thinking world citizens. Their respect for children of diverse peoples will naturally evolve as they are immersed daily in authentic German / Spanish / English language and cultural experiences.

Meaningful relationships with peers and staff will provide a safe foundation for your child to build self-confidence and independence. An emergent approach to learning incorporates all areas of the curriculum including group times for music and movement, literature arts, arithmetic and science, dramatic activities, and stories and a wide range of experimentation with various art media and creative materials.

Children and adults at Kigala preschool will...

-    honor “play” as the intrinsic avenue of understanding
-    experience joy through discovery
-    be actively engaged in learning and exploration
-    learn in a physically and emotionally safe environment
-    feel proud and contented with themselves
-    learn to be kind and make wise choices
-    provide daily exposure to a varied and balanced “sensory diet”
-    immerse themselves in German/Spanish/English language and culture
-    create a school “family” by cultivating friendships in a climate of empathy
-    adapt to changing circumstances while considering the needs of others

Our philosophy

At Kigala Preschool your child will easily learn a second language by being introduced and exposed to the language and culture through a playful classroom experience, as well as optional outside family events (Faschingsparty, Nikolaus, Laternenfest, for the German Language Program, Cinco de Mayo etc. for the Spanish Program and traditional events in the English language). Kigala Preschool believes in the tried and true method of "Learning a Living Language" through language immersion/acquisition. Immersion simply means total exposure to the language, music and culture of the society for the time your child is with us. Language acquisition is a milder version of the immersion program where the child will be introduced to the language in a playful way, to slowly grow his or her language skills.          

Group activities are predominantly conducted in German or Spanish in the morning and English in the afternoon. All teachers and assistant teachers understand and speak both German/Spanish and English fluently. The focus of the program is "learning through fun" to retain each child’s original joy of learning. There will be a great balance between structured projects and free play with "Sachbegegunung" or learning about nature and your environment (recycling), language enrichment, sense training, handling of quantities, numbers, forms, rhythmic-musical education, movement. In return, children have the opportunity to become better listeners, more flexible in their thinking, and be more open to other languages and cultures.

Our approach  

We believe that children come with their own learning styles and questions. Our approach, which is supported by the constructivist philosophy, is that curriculum should be negotiated between the children, the teacher and the group through shared experiences. We plan to offer a rich array of both structured and unstructured opportunities for children to learn about themselves, materials, how to get along in a group and how to communicate in a second language. Therefore, we do not use pre-prepared curriculum plans, rather every week the teachers and the children meet to plan their experiences.

By introducing a language immersion/acquisition model at a young age , founded on the tenets of the emergent approach, Kigala Preschool will prepare young students for the challenging school years to come on an intellectual, social and personal level.

The language immersion/acquisition model will be the driving vehicle at Kigala Preschool. Components of the Reggio approach and a variety of other philosophies will be introduced in increments, in order to give staff and students the opportunity to slowly grow into the model.

The community we share

One of our goals is to foster a strong community among our parents and families. We derive a deep sense of satisfaction from working on “real”, practical projects that enrich and strengthen our children’s preschool experience.

Because of our history, there’s a real culture of collaboration, and we expect parents to actively involve themselves by joining volunteer committees and by participating in fundraising events. Collaborating with other parents and community members is also a great way to make friends! Some of the activities we organize are listed below.

Parent Orientation Meetings and Workshops: This is an opportunity to learn and socialize with one another. Parents only.

Family Picnics: Come meet each other or reconnect at this bring-your-own-lunch picnic.

Around the World Holiday Celebrations

Read a letter from one of our parents to learn about her impression of our school!