Philosophy
408.871.7350
771 Waldo Road
Campbell CA 95008
771 Waldo Road
Campbell CA 95008
Sunnymont Parent Cooperative Nursery School is a private, parent-owned nursery school where parents learn and grow alongside their 1 ½ to 5-year-old children under the direction of dedicated, experienced professional teachers.
We like the term “nursery school” better than “preschool” because nursery school IS school for young children, not practice for “real school” later. We're proud of how much our children learn, while they are busy being young children.
Sunnymont is a developmental, child-centered program. People often ask “Is your school a developmental program, or an academic program? Sunnymont is a developmental program, but that does not mean that children don’t receive a great academic foundation at Sunnymont. It is not true that a “developmental” program does not value “academics”. Rather, a developmental program honors what we know about how children develop and learn best, and so we teach children academic skills, and all skills, in the ways they learn best. Scientists studying brain function have confirmed what our hearts have always told us: children learn best through hands-on experience, when their curiosity is peaked, when they feel safe and loved, and when they are having fun.
Children learn best when they are at play. Children do not need to sit down and “work” to learn! Just as a baby strives and struggles to learn to walk simply because he is driven to learn and master the world, children continue to be driven to learn all they can from the world. We believe that the best way for parents and teachers to support that learning is to provide materials, opportunities, and adult guidance to children as they eagerly explore the world in search of new learning. We strive to provide fun times, and loving boundaries.
Sunnymont supports the growth of the “whole child.”
A first grader can't learn to write if she can't learn to hold the pencil or listen to the directions or share a desk with another child or quit worrying she'll fail. Each area of learning is interwoven with every other, and a child who will be successful in school and in life is skilled in many areas. Sunnymont works to strengthen all areas of children’s growth.
Cognitive growth - foundations for math, reading, language, memory, logic, music, science
Physical growth - coordination, fine and large motor skills, sensory processing
Social growth - social skills, conflict resolution, social responsibility , kindness
Emotional growth - self-esteem, self-acceptance, expressing feelings appropriately
Creative/spiritual growth - self-expression through arts, sense of self in the big picture
Diversity at Sunnymont
We are proud of the diversity of our families at Sunnymont, and feel that living in the Santa Clara Valley provides an excellent opportunity to teach our children to honor diversity from an early age. We encourage families to bring in their native languages and share them with our children, to bring in their customs, foods, celebrations, and values. We explain to children that “Some people believe…” We share with our children that some of our families are vegetarians and some are not, some people celebrate this holiday and some people do not, some families have a mom and a dad, some have grandparents, some have babies, some have two moms, some have pets, etc. We encourage you to share your customs, culture and experiences with all of our children. We are proud to have many religions, cultures, and unique individuals in our membership.
Discipline at Sunnymont
At Sunnymont, discipline and guidance are considered part of the curriculum. Social learning is probably the most important aspect of nursery school. It is natural for children to make mistakes as they learn to get along with others (adults still do!). Children misbehave because they are trying to get their needs met and have picked a poor method. Our job as adults is to help children understand these needs, and find and practice better methods for meeting them. Time out or other punishments don’t give children an opportunity to learn, and they do leave children feeling defensive, and less ready to listen to our adult wisdom. Discipline at Sunnymont is gentle and supportive. Limits are clearly enforced by loving adults who explain why they intervened (You wanted that car! And I can’t let you grab.) and help a child to learn alternatives. (Let’s let him know you’re waiting for a turn when he’s done, and I’ll help you wait.) Kids learn that an adult’s most important job is “to keep everyone safe, bodies and hearts” and that we will keep each of them safe while they are learning to keep others safe.