COW HOLLOW SCHOOL |
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From Playground to Preschool to Presidio When a group of moms gets behind an idea, especially when the goal is to create something special for their children, the results can be amazing. In the case of Cow Hollow School, the result was an astounding preschool program that is the legacy of a group of remarkable San Francisco women. Founded in 2000, Cow Hollow School was born out of the need for a creative, play-based program for young two-year olds. The overflowing enrollments of other local preschools with programs for young two-year olds, and the appeal of a parent participation format for very young children, convinced the founders that there was enough need and interest in San Francisco to create a new school. Basing the school on the enormously successful Sand Tots co-op preschool in Manhattan Beach, the founders were committed to providing a nurturing program that focused on learning through play. After coming to an agreement with the Vestry of St. Mary the Virgin Episcopal Church, the Preschool was allowed to open for a one-year trial with a group of 12 children. During that first year, the volunteer Board poured an enormous amount of time building a preschool, soup to nuts—defining and implementing a play-based program, developing a school philosophy, hiring the teaching team, working through the myriad of licensing issues, recruiting families, and raising their own families! At the end of the first year, it became apparent that the school had a future, thanks to a group of parents with vision and energy. Today, Cow Hollow School has grown from one small two-year-old class to seven classes for two-year-olds to children ready to transition to kindergarten. In 2004, Cow Hollow School made its first kindergarten placements. The graduating class of nine children were accepted at the top independent elementary schools in San Francisco including Katherine Delmar Burke School, Convent of the Sacred Heart, Town School for Boys, Stuart Hall for Boys, San Francisco Day School, St. Vincent de Paul, Notre Dame de Victoires, and Presidio Hill School. Since then, we have had several years of successful kindergarten placements in public and private schools throughout the Bay Area, and have many more top independent schools to add to our list, including Cathedral School for Boys, French American School, Laurel School, Mt. Tamalpais School, Ring Mountain Day School, San Francisco Friends School, Marin Country Day School, Alvarado Elementary School, Children's Day School, and Hamlin School. Cow Hollow School has recently undergone another very positive transition. In 2006, we doubled the size of our school, and completely renovated and moved into a beautiful historic building in the Presidio. Our new location provides an opportunity to build on our philosophy and take advantage of the amazing outdoor space. As natural born scientists and explorers, children are drawn to the outdoor environment for rich, authentic and sensorial experiences, and endless potential for inquiry and discovery. |