Our Values
Commitment to the World Around Us
At Caterpillar to Butterfly, we teach children to be aware of the world around them. We talk to the local park rangers about what they`re currently working on in our forest, and incorporate the knowledge we gain from them into our lessons. We teach children to be aware of their garbage, and dispose of it properly. We talk about noise pollution, and include periods of intentional quiet throughout our day. We identify invasive vs. native plant and animal species. This is all a part of their transformation from “caterpillars” to “butterflies”!
Commitment to Children`s Development
Child Development is one of our favorite sciences because every day there is something new to learn! Our educators consider themselves to be life-long learners, constantly seeking to learn about new breakthroughs in the field of Child Development, while also remaining committed to the methods we have had success with in our classes in the past. Our daily rhythm is designed to improve children`s 5 key areas of development:
gross motor skills, for example tree climbing, jumping or running
fine motor skills, such as drawing or using child scissors
speech and language
cognitive and intellectual, such as counting or identifying shapes
social and emotional skills, such as playing with other children
Commitment to Intentional Activities
At Caterpillar to Butterfly Forest School, we recognize how important it is for young children to have a space in which they can move at their own pace. That`s why the daily rhythm of our class was designed with the perfect balance of structured activities and free time in mind.
Commitment to Child-Directed Art
At our school, we recognize the importance of children being creative in their own way. That`s why in our classrooms, we provide the art materials and teachers help children to make their artistic ideas happen, without attempting to “correct” their art. You can learn more about encouraging children to be imaginative through their art by watching this awesome TedTalk:
Commitment to Community
Here at Caterpillar to Butterfly Forest School, we know that it takes a village to raise a child. That's why we`re striving to connect our class community. We send out a daily summary and photos via Procare from our day adventuring, to keep families in the loop and spark conversations at home. Additionally, at least once per month, our class community of parents, teachers, and kids meets at a local taqueria with an outdoor play area. We want to continue to foster connections of not just kids, but parents too!
Commitment to Inclusivity
Inclusivity is a core value of Caterpillar to Butterfly Forest School. It is important to us that our program be accessible to families with different levels of income, so we are charging a flat rate of $12.50 per hour per child, regardless of how many days the child is enrolled. Families will be billed retroactively, and only pay for days their child attended, every 2 weeks.
We believe in preparing children for a world in which people of all backgrounds are not just accepted, but welcomed and celebrated. Furthermore, our educators are proud to continue creating a space in which transgender students and teachers can thrive as their authentic selves.
Our team of educators considers themselves to be life-long learners, and we love to learn more about our class community. Parents and children are invited to speak to our class about the holidays and celebrations of their cultures. Multilingual students are encouraged to share words from their non-english languages with our class. Let's never stop learning together!
Not just livable wages, thrive-able wages
Why should being a childcare provider and living a comfortable life in the Bay Area be mutually exclusive? At Caterpillar to Butterfly Forest School, we believe that to care for children is to care for those who look after them. Parents pay a lot of money for their childcare, and that money should go directly to the people caring for their children. That's why we start all of our valued lead teachers at a rate of $35 per hour, and assistant teachers at $30 per hour, with raises over time. This allows our teachers to worry less about their finances, and be more fully present in our classrooms. Now that`s transformative.