Frequently Asked Questions

Kumara School is a preschool/kindergarden in Mill Valley, California. Our orientation is to support children constructing their own knowledge through questioning, problem solving, creativity and wonder. We use childrens' interests and the ideas of developmentally appropriate practice to create a play-based, meaningful curriculum that involves the whole child.

• What makes Kumara School so special?

  What makes our school so special is the feeling of trust in the individual, each finding their own path through flexibility and freedom in order to know they're wonderful just the way they are.

  We believe there is a force, spirit, inner self or whatever you want to call it, which guides us. We need to take the time to tune in to ourselves, find what really interests us and from there decide what to do. When we are following this inner guide, we will naturally be powerful, healthy, motivated, happy and caring for other people and our whole planet.

  What we want as parents and educators is the chance for young children to grow up loving themselves and feeling like capable human beings. We feel this can best be accomplished by letting the children have the free will to make most of their own decisions; choosing their own path to learning. We as adults must be patient, constantly dismiss our expectations, and value each child as the unique human being they are. If our children are allowed to love themselves when they are small, they may just grow up to love the rest of the world too.

  Wende has witnessed many young children in an open setting being excited by school while at the same time building their academic skills through encouragement to read and write about the things they are interested in. Continued exposure to various materials designed for exploration and open-ended discovery makes a child interested from within. With that kind of desire and a little help, learning comes naturally.

• What about structure?

  We believe in an open system in which the creative needs of the students feed into the program thus keeping it alive and fresh. Our school environment is rich and varied and has at any given time many activities for a child to choose. They can work individually or in groups. Our program works because we are flexible to accommodate the creative needs of both students and teachers. Most activities are invitational; no child is forced, only encouraged to participate. We tune in to the children's and teacher's creative processes and use these natural drives to shape our program. We bend our schedule and content so teachers and children will be able to pursue their most fervent interests.

  We believe that optimal learning takes place in an environment that a person can get very involved in rather than an environment where there is a particular subject matter to be learned. Talking, asking questions, and listening are valuable ways to help children discover for themselves the world around them. We are continually developing oral language skills which are the basis for all other studies in the future. Mathematical skills are gained and practiced within the context of projects which require their use and by manipulatives which naturally hold a child's interest.

• How is discipline handled?

  We teach children the skills of conflict resolution. Children are encouraged to work out their own difficulties, with teacher support if needed, through discussion and negotiation. A consensus is the desired outcome. For issues not able to be resolved in this manner, redirection and natural consequences are used.

• How many children are enrolled at Kumara?

  Kumara has a licensed capacity of 50 children daily.

• What is Kumara's teacher-student ratio?

  Our teacher-student ratio in pre-k and kindergarten is 1:8 and we set up the environment so there are always activities the children can do independent from the teachers. These allow the teachers to spend plenty of individual time with the children which is essential in such a free setting as ours.

• What are Kumara School's rules?

  We have three basic rules of conduct:

  • Respect yourself and others.
  • Finish what you begin.
  • Put things away where they belong.

  In addition we have various rules for safety and comfort. We discuss these with the children with the understanding that when rules have meaning for children they are better able and more likely to uphold them.

  
  
• What is Kumara's social focus?

  Our social atmosphere is warm and relaxed with a minimum of structure. This sets up the conditions for social interactions to occur naturally. We are small enough so that everyone knows each other well. During much of the day, the different ages of children mingle with each other.

  A part of the creative process is learning how to interact with other people. Social skills are developed and practiced through everyday experiences. We know that children who are comfortable socially, children with well developed social skills, feel confident in a group and are ready to learn. When conflicts arise, as they inevitably do in groups of people, children are taught to contribute to a solution that in most circumstances all parties can feel good about. Typically children involved in a conflict each share their understanding and feelings and then together come up with a solution that satisfies everyone. Teachers work together with the students to develop conflict resolution skills and the children are encouraged to engage in the process with as much independence as possible depending on their experience, developmental level, and the emotionality of the situation.

• Are children grouped by age?

  Each child is part of a core group which meets for group time, about an hour a day, with their core teacher. These groups are formed from children who are in the same developmental range, usually around the same age. During the rest of the day's activity periods, children of all ages play with or nearby each other choosing activites from any of the open areas: art, outside, large motor/expressive, fine motor/quiet, and the pre-K/kindergarten room.

• What types of activities are available to the children?

  Our program is always evolving according to the many interests and needs of the teachers and students. There is a lot of flexibility; every day is somehow different from another.

  Our day consists of large amounts of self-motivated activity times, in which the children are free to choose between teacher- centered and individual projects and play.

  The children interact with the environment which is deliberately set up to promote learning.

  Teachers are part of the environment and usually children will be gathered around them. The teacher may be running an art or science project, reading a story, playing games, or singing songs, and is always guiding the children in productive work and play.

  Talking, asking questions, and listening are valuable ways to help children discover for themselves the world around them. We are continually developing oral language skills which are the basis for all other studies in the future.

  Most activities are invitational. Children's innate curiosity and drive to be part of and contribute to the group inspire their participation. Everyone is expected to come to any general meetings, singing circle, circle times, lunch and rest time.

  Our yard is not a manicured showpiece. We have loose parts lying around for the children to put together and take apart. We let them get dirty. Some of our favorite activities include digging in the ground for clay to make pots or just for play. We go on lots of field trips to nature and civilization. We make paper, do woodworking, cooking, music, dance and all sorts of other things that kids love to do. There are always plenty of collage and craft materials for the kids to choose from.

  Above all the staff and children create together the feeling of our school, which is open, loving and nurturing to each individual and to all.

• What is your staff's experience?

  The Kumara teaching staff is a group of highly dedicated and experienced professionals. Our teachers have been working in education for between 5 and 25 years, much of this at Kumara. All our teachers take opportunities, funded by our program and our parent board, to participate in continuing education in the form of classes, seminars, workshops, and state and national conferences. All our teaching faculty members are qualified early childhood educators with degrees ranging from child development permits to Master's degrees. Our aide staff is diverse and dedicated.

• What are Kumara School's hours and schedule?

  Kumara is open 7am to 6pm year round. We are closed for 12 major holidays, the week between Christmas and New Years Day, 2 staff development days the month of August. We have part time and fulltime placements.

  Schedule:

  • 7:00 School opens
  • 8:30 Morning program begins. All rooms are open and daily projects have begun.
  • 9:00 All children meet with their core teacher for group time.
  • 10:00 Snack is served; morning activities continue.
  • 12:00 Lunch begins.
  • 12:30 Morning program ends.
  • 1:00 Nap begins for nappers. Afternoon activities begin.
  • 3:15 Snack is served. Afternoon activities continue.
  • 4:00 Afternoon circle.
  • 6:00 School closes.

  
  
• Does Kumara School provide meals?
  We provide two healthy snacks per day and children bring lunches.
• Do children need to be toilet trained to attend?

  Children do not need to be toilet trained to attend Kumara School. We ask that children have had a successful weekend at home before we try a day at school. Accidents are sometimes a part of the learning process and we handle them in a supportive way.

• Does Kumara School have a waiting list?

  Kumara maintains a wait pool rather than a list

  A child will be added to the Wait Pool when the application AND fee have been received. Children are accepted from the Wait Pool at Kumara School based on a variety of factors. When an opening becomes available, we consider:

  1. The gender and diversity balance of the class.
  2. The childs age and current developmental range of the class.
  3. Sibling: siblings of current families and alumni are given preference.
  4. Date of application: applications are organized in order of postmark date and are categorized into the appropriate class (2s, 3s, or 4s and 5s). You only need to apply once, as your application rolls over into the next year.

  Families in the wait pool are contacted once per year regarding their interest in remaining in the wait pool. Please feel free to contact Kumara School if you have any wait pool questions.

  Please note we do not give out specific numbers or status of your child in the wait pool. If your child does not receive an admission letter for the first year you request, you will be asked to contact us if you would like your child to remain in the wait pool.

• Are parents required to participate?

  To keep costs down, we have two parent project days a year where our community comes together to improve our facility. Parents are required to attend or contribute $180 to the fund. In addition, there are many other ways parents can participate.

  We have an open door policy offering parents the opportunity to contribute to the program any way that fits their schedule, from spending extra time when dropping off or picking up their child to scheduling a weekly time for formally working in the program. If parents can attend special school events, we encourage them to do so. Kumara also offers lectures, discussions, pot-lucks, a newsletter and other programs for parents.