At Nuestro Jardin, children are immersed in Spanish about 90% of the day. Our communicative approach encourages children to be speaking social Spanish from the very first day of school. Our approach to early childhood education follows the Reggio Emilia philosophy with an emergent curriculum. We value the child as strong, resilient, and capable - rich with wonder and knowledge.
Education researcher, Neville V. Scarfe said, "play is the highest form of research". Children learn best when given adequate time to move their bodies. At Nuestro Jardin Academy, we strongly believe that a great deal of learning is happening during unstructured play time, and that there is a lot of value in it.
Education researcher, Neville V. Scarfe said, "play is the highest form of research". Children learn best when given adequate time to move their bodies. At Nuestro Jardin Academy, we strongly believe that a great deal of learning is happening during unstructured play time, and that there is a lot of value in it.
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Through interactions with others, children form an understanding of themselves, the world, and their place in it. Learning (and second language learning) happens when children form warm relationships with teachers, peers, and their environment through interactions with materials, books, music, games, movement, and ideas.
The teachers at Nuestro Jardin are passionate about providing the opportunity for children to learn the Spanish language in a warm, caring, safe and secure environment. We strive to provide an active learning environment where children will learn trust, self-expression and self worth. We understand the importance of focusing on the whole child (the social, emotional, cognitive, and physical aspects) to ensure children reach their full potential.
Reviews (8)
Sofia Routh Dreves
Jan 27, 2021
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We cannot say enough good things about Nuestro Jardin. It is a true Spanish immersion program, with a child-led Reggio Emilia philosophy - there's no other place like it in Portland, and we were so thankful to have found it. The art, music, wonder, imagination and language that our child brought home were such a joy to see. The teachers and staff are so warm and welcoming, the same goes for the parent community. We truly love this school.
Margaret Alvarez
Dec 28, 2020
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Nuestro Jardin is a wonderful, warm community and learning environment. We chose NJA for its Spanish immersion curriculum and were thrilled to see our son truly thrive. It is so much more than Spanish immersion- wonderful caring staff, creative lesson plans, beautiful bright space, structured but also imaginative and fun. Claudia does a wonderful job fostering community as well as creating consistent (and simple!) communication with parents. We look forward to returning to NJA for a second year!
Caitlin Mears
Dec 02, 2020
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Both my son and daughter attended Nuestro Jardin and I recommend it for so many reasons.
1) There are high expectations put on children in a very supportive environment which I saw cultivated independence and confidence in my kids. For example, parents say goodbye at the entrance in the mornings where their children are greeted by one of the teachers. Once the children are inside, they put away their coat and shoes (with help if needed) and their day begins. From volunteering in the classroom, I witnessed the children take turns for responsibilities like handing out napkins to fellow classmates
1) There are high expectations put on children in a very supportive environment which I saw cultivated independence and confidence in my kids. For example, parents say goodbye at the entrance in the mornings where their children are greeted by one of the teachers. Once the children are inside, they put away their coat and shoes (with help if needed) and their day begins. From volunteering in the classroom, I witnessed the children take turns for responsibilities like handing out napkins to fellow classmates
Anna Elkcove
Oct 25, 2020
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Excellent preschool. We chose Nuestro Jardin for the Spanish immersion program and the location, but we ended up loving this school for so many other reasons. The teachers are caring and patient, knowledgeable about developmental stages and well-versed in preschool teaching philosophies - I really like that Claudia and her team are inspired by multiple teaching traditions. Our twins loved their two years at Nuestro Jardin and we're really going to miss this school now that it's time for Kindergarten. They'll take with them impeccable Spanish pronunciation but also all they have learned about life
Tara Fallon
Sep 13, 2018
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Wonderful school for preschool children. The staff is professional, caring, and dedicated. They work hard to provide a rich inquiry based curriculum that is student centered and full of developmentally appropriate opportunities to learn. Students develop a strong sense of self and of wonder about the world around them. The work the students do each day is creative, authentic, and student driven. They are committed to guiding children to learn language by using best practices and providing a strong family community where diversity and cultural experiences are embraced. The communication for families
Kristin DuVal
Nov 20, 2016
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Nuestro Jardin encompasses all the qualities I love for my kids; grace and courtesy, exploration, play, imagination, and learning. In my experience the teachers were following the children's interests and creating activities from what the children were talking about and exploring together. The teachers also had lots of fun activities and experiments ready for the kids.
The teachers at Nuestro Jardin have such great energy with the kids and I think Claudia, the owner, did an amazing job hiring. I also love that the school is run by a teacher with young children. She has opened a school based on
The teachers at Nuestro Jardin have such great energy with the kids and I think Claudia, the owner, did an amazing job hiring. I also love that the school is run by a teacher with young children. She has opened a school based on
Nicholas & Elizabeth Nardi
Sep 05, 2016
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Our son had an fantastic time during his three-week long summer camp experience. He was engaged, eager to learn (and learned quite a bit!), and created amazing art and craft projects. After his first week he asked that we cancel other camps so he could return to Nuestro Jardin - rarely has he felt this way about a learning experience. Thanks for creating such a wonderful, creative learning environment!
Alex Aranda
Jun 27, 2016
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