"La Historia"
In 2006, Garabatos founder and Director Veronica Franco-Cronin (B.A., C.D.A) and her husband Brian Cronin (Ed.M.) set out to create an early childhood learning center unlike any other in the Treasure Valley. Clearly, Garabatos would be unique in Boise as one of the only Spanish immersion preschools in town. But the vision was much larger.
Garabatos was to be a a truly special place for children:
- A place to explore their passions, feed their curiosity, learn in diverse modes and settings, and gain the skills that would prepare them for a lifetime of learning.
- A place where children would feel loved, encouraged, and affirmed.
- A place where aesthetics and a beautiful setting mattered (why should preschools have to feel institutional?).
- A place to develop meaningful relationships with adults and other children.
- A place that would engage and nurture the child's many different intelligences (visual/spatial, verbal/linguistic, logical/mathematical, bodily/kinesthetic, musical/rhythmic, interpersonal, and intrapersonal).
- A place where children would eat only the healthiest and most wholesome of foods (some of which they would grow themselves).
- A place where children would learn what it means to be part of a community and part of a world that grows smaller every day.
Garabatos is that place. We invite you to be a part of something muy especial.
Diversity
Our
school doesn't simply strive to promote tolerance; rather, we aim
to fully embrace diversity and inclusion. Our students come from varied backgrounds--some
have had exposure to Spanish in the home but many have not. Regardless
of previous experience, your child will not only gain facility with
the Spanish language, but also an understanding and appreciation
for the multicultural traditions of the Spanish-speaking world.
Staff
Our teachers are fully qualified, bilingual educators whose native language is Spanish. They bring early childhood education experience and a passion for promoting social, physical, emotional, artistic and intellectual development. Teachers are CPR and First Aid certified and are licensed by the City of Bose. Garabatos is a member of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).
The Reggio Emilia approach
Since Newsweek praised the Italian town of Reggio Emilia in 1991 as a model program and one of the world's 10 best preschool systems, the Reggio approach has garnered widespread acclaim and interest and given rise to various educational establishments that have adapted its principles.
Reggio Emilia is not a curriculum; it's a way of valuing children. The approach emphasizes not only the development of critical thinking but the role of collaboration in the learning process--teachers and students are encouraged to listen and learn from one another. Reggio Emilia also seeks to cultivate self-directed exploration of the child's environment, which leads to lifelong learning.
Long-term projects, documentation, purposeful connections, and teamwork are all hallmarks of the Reggio approach. It is this approach that has inspired and helped shape the Garabatos philosophy.
