Families who join The Oaks will be joining generations of Santa Barbara families who chose to participate in a cooperative nursery school, with the goals of learning more about child development and parenting, becoming a part of a nurturing and supportive community, and having a hand in creating a responsive and stimulating learning environment for their preschool children.

At the Oaks, children learn through participating in self-selected activities and through their social interactions with other children and adults.  Children are provided with opportunities to participate in a variety of activities geared toward each child’s unique interests.  These curriculum experiences include art, music, building, animal care, dramatic play, cooking, climbing, science, carpentry, pre-literacy activities, and development of fine and gross motor skills.

Parents participate in the morning laboratory program, and attend weekly evening parent education meetings.   Parents work closely with the preschool staff in the operation of the the Oaks preschool, while learning how to help foster their children’s growth in a supportive community.  Fundamental to our philosophy is the notion that parental involvement is key to children’s optimal development.

We believe that participation at The Oaks affords parents rare insights into the emotional and social development of children. Our objective is to help children move toward independence, within a safe and caring environment. Through interaction with one another, and adults other than family, the children begin to establish a sense of safety and belonging within a broader social context.   Children are given natural opportunities to practice: communicating their wants, needs and feelings; listening to the wants, needs and feelings of others; turn taking and self regulation of feelings and actions; as well as age-appropriate conflict resolution skills. Parents are provided with positive strategies to guide children’s behavior.

A parent from each family participates at the school one morning per week as a parent observer/teacher (in terms of the SBCC-Continuing Education parenting class, the morning program is considered the laboratory). The morning program begins at 8:45 AM and ends at 12:00 PM. On a parent’s day of participation, arrival time is 8:30 AM and dismissal is at 12:30 PM, which allows for set-up and  clean-up of the school, as well as a end-of-the-morning seminar when parents and staff discuss learning opportunities provided during the morning laboratory. While parents participate in the end-of-the-morning seminars, their children eat their lunches at the art table outdoors.

Each morning, parents supervise over 12 areas of play from which the child may freely choose to participate in. These areas allow children to learn about themselves and the world around them through a variety of activities and materials that promote intellectual, physical, social, and emotional growth. Experiences include art/sensory exploration, nature study, dramatic play, music, animal enrichment, climbing and other large motor activities. The parents rotate through these areas on two-week intervals which affords each parent the opportunity to supervise and teach in all facets of the morning program.

Mid-morning, the children are gathered into “Story Table” groups for a nutritious snack, conversation, stories and optional group games. The “Story Table” groups are determined by the director, who places children of similar ages together. Following snack and story time, the children return to free choice play with some new activities.

At the end of the morning, all parents and children gather together for “Circle Time” led by the director. “Circle Time” allows children, parents, and school staff to gather as a group to sing songs, share stories, and end the day together.