About The Nest Farm Preschool
Our Staff
Ellen Williams
Executive Director
Ellen received her degree from UC Berkeley in English Literature and her Master's of Education from University of San Diego. She has a Master's of Finance from Harvard and is working on a Juris Doctorate at University of San Diego. She envisions a world where education is individualized to every student through Universal Design and Individualized Curriculum Planning.
Ellen's thesis project for her Master's of Education focused on building out a classroom curriculum based on the engagement principles of action learning. Her thesis curriculum was built for high school, but the underlying design applies to all education levels. Link to her thesis website: Technology and Project-Based Learning in Engagement Education
Olivia Sommers
Head Teacher
Olivia is passionate about working with children and inspiring them to learn through curiosity. She is certified in early childhood Montessori education and excels at leading our students in exploring the world around them. Olivia loves organizing arts and crafts projects suitable for all ages.
Brandon Williams
Teacher
Brandon is a doctor at Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla. He received a Masters in Business from Stanford and his Medical Doctorate from UC San Diego. His research focuses on our bodies' interactions with our gut microbiota in health and disease. Brandon believes in the importance of food in promoting long-term health.
Gabriel Lopez Lopez
Teacher
Gabriel comes from Northern Spain, where his family's farm specializes in producing blue cheese. He has experience with infants and he is committed to children and a belief in their competency and capability. He is currently studying commercial aviation. Gabriel especially loves hiking with the kids and teaching them how to speak Spanish.
Our Principles
Flexible Care to Fit Your Schedule
At The Nest Farm Preschool, we understand that your childcare needs may not always fit neatly into a strict 9-5 schedule. That's why we allow you to pick a schedule that fits your life. Until the day comes when the professional world adapts to fit around your family time, we're here to seamlessly fill in the gaps. Need to drop off your daughter at 5 am so you can make rounds at the hospital? Sounds good. Need to pick up your son after your 8 pm conference call? We'll have him ready to go for you. Have time to swing by at lunch to say "Hi" to your favorite little scientist? We think it's a great idea. We offer around-the-clock care with flexible scheduling based around subscription plans so we can be available when you need us.
Founded upon the Latest in Child Development and Educational Research
Our educators are continually improving our pedagogical practices and consuming the latest research as it pertains to our students and education as a whole. We adapt our generalized curriculum design to ensure each child's learning experience is optimized to fit their individual personality. Our staff meets frequently to critically evaluate our techniques and explore what improvements we can try for the next day. New research gets applied and tested in the classroom. This process of continual self-evaluation ensures that no matter how your child learns best, we will create an optimal learning environment.
Healthy, Wholesome, Handmade Meals
We believe firmly in the importance of healty, tasty food. All meals are hand-made and designed to give our students the well-balanced nutrition they deserve. We specialized in preparing fresh, organic vegetables and fruits in dishes even the pickiest of eaters enjoy. Plus, you don't have to pack lunch every day.
Action Learning for Maximal Engagement
We don't believe in sitting and lecturing. Learning is best when it is participatory. We draw the children into the education process by immersing them in the lesson. When students actively engage and work together, they don't just memorize facts; new concepts are incorporated into their understanding of the world. We take students outside to learn directly by exploration and immersion.
Family-Style Care: Baby-Wearing and Breastfeeding Friendly
Babies love the soothing nature of being in close contact. At The Nest Farm Preschool, babies get a front-row seat to the day for an environment of early learning and enjoyment. We encourage breastfeeding and are happy to accommodate scheduled breastmilk pick-ups when possible.
Farming
At The Nest Farm Preschool, students get to enjoy the pleasures of maintaining and exploring our very own farm. Students help raise, manage, and collect eggs from our chickens and quail. They get to help us incubate fertilized quail eggs and raise the chicks to laying adults. We plant and maintain our very own organic garden. Digging in the dirt provides natural exposure to a diversity of microbes, which are important in developing healthy microbiota. Research is increasingly showing the importance of healthy, diverse microbiota, especially in maintaining our immune and gastrointestinal systems.
Combining Montessori and Reggio Emilia Education
The Nest Farm Preschool draws from the practices of Montessori and Reggio Emilia education to inspire our own model of experiential learning. The Montessori approach is founded upon student independence to choose activities within a variety of options and hands-on learning from engaging with surroundings. The classroom is a teacher as children learn through play, discovering concepts organically by working directly with materials. The Reggio Emilia Approach is similarly based upon learning by self-guided exploration and discovery. The focus is on developing respect, responsibility, and community. Students work together to plan the day and select projects. Reggio Emilia stresses the importance of documentation, as the educators record observations and contiually evaluate their practices.
Pet Care and Play
Our furry friends are excellent, patient teachers. Dogs provide hours of fun and help us calm down when challenges become too taxing. Our students spend time daily learning to play with and care for the Nest pups. Research has shown that children who are around pets are less likely to develop environmental allergies and asthma. Please note that due to the presence of dogs onsite, we cannot accommodate children who are allergic to dogs.
Scheduling & Price
Daytime Care
Our standard daytime care schedule is 7 am until 5 pm, Monday through Friday. Tuition is $3000 per month. We offer discounts for multiple children. We offer full time care with longer care times each day as part of our standard schedule to accommodate parents' work schedules.
Flexible Timing
The Nest Farm Preschool is available when you need us. If you know ahead of time that you may run late or need to arrive early on certain days, let us know. We will work with you to plan your childcare so it fits your schedule perfectly. We require at least one week's advance notice to guarantee availability. If you need to change your plans within the one-week window, we understand and we will do our best to accommodate you. This means you no longer have to pay unreasonable late pickup fees when your boss wants to discuss one more item before you go.
Nighttime Care
The Nest Farm Preschool offers around-the-clock care. We can accommodate childcare at any hour of the day or night. We will even work with you to accommodate your child's nighttime routine so they feel right at home. Night hours (7pm to 6am) can easily be added into your subscription plan.
On Call Care
Are you going to be on call and need us to be available to take over at a moment's notice? You can schedule us to be on call with you. We keep a spot ready for your kid in case you have to go to work. This way you can enjoy as much of your available time with your family without having to worry about arranging last-minute childcare or paying for a babysitter you don't need.
