Scheduled closures include, but are not limited to, a two-week Winter Break, a one-week Spring Break, a two-week Summer Break, and National Holidays. We also close for parent-teacher conferences (two days in the late fall and in the late spring), teacher education and teacher planning days.

Due to COVID restrictions, we do not provide communal snacks or meals. Children bring all meals and snacks from home. Children come to school with their lunch and snacks in an insulated lunch bag, a filled water bottle, utensils, and a reusable napkin. 

Our program is intentionally designed around a full-day schedule. In the afternoons there are small group sessions, unstructured play time on the yard (critical to the development of negotiation and conflict resolution skills), and opportunities to connect with each other as a community through the rituals around lunch and rest time.

You are within your rights as a parent to pick your child up at any time. We do ask for advance notice of your early pickup plan so that teachers can get your child ready to go with minimal disruption to the rest of the group.

There is no special parking for drop-off and pick-up. Street parking is available on Washington Pl., Wade St., Mitchell Ave., and other surrounding streets.

We ask that each family volunteers a minimum of 10 hours per child, per school year. There are many opportunities to get involved in the school community. We have parent-led committees, parent work days (to clean and beautify the campus), parent education speakers, and more. We are a small community, and parent support is essential

Blue Oak supports conflict resolution by empowering children to resolve their own conflicts. Our goal is to help children identify and appropriately express their thoughts and feelings; teachers also support children with brainstorming possible solutions to the problem. Conflict resolution skills support children’s navigation of social dynamics, allowing them to have successful interactions with others.

Yes. At Blue Oak, we value and respect the diversity of our children. As we do not test for admission, our student body represents a wide range of learning styles and needs. We are dedicated to meeting the academic, social, and emotional needs of all our children, utilizing all of the resources at our disposal. We are committed to providing an excellent learning program for a diverse school community. At times, this may include mainstreaming a few students identified by their local public school district to qualify for an Individualized Educational Program.

We also recognize that there will be times when a child may present with special needs that are beyond our scope of practice. In these cases, we will make our professional recommendations and do all that we can to work with the child, family, and any outside specialists who may be involved. An Inclusion Facilitator may be required to support your child and others. As with all other therapies, facilitation would be paid for by the parents. Blue Oak is not a therapeutic school and we do not provide intervention.

As the safety, success, and well being of the students remain our highest priority, we will make all decisions based upon those needs. While we are committed to mainstreaming children with special needs whenever possible, there are times when we may not be able to meet a child’s needs. In those instances, a set list of procedures will be followed, and another appropriate school placement may be recommended and pursued.

For our older classrooms and TK-aged children, we occasionally offer field trips, which are used to support learning by having the opportunity for the children to explore concepts and theories hands-on.

Parents always receive advance notice about any field trips, and need to sign and return a permission slip prior to the date of the field trip. If you do not want your child to attend a field trip, they are welcome to stay at school and be a mentor to the younger classrooms.

We have offered a variety of extracurricular activities over the years, including programs with gymnastics, yoga, and music. No more than one extracurricular activity is offered on a given school day. Extracurriculars are typically offered once a week in 6-8 week cycles. Registration is on a first come, first served basis, and subject to Administration and teacher approval. Parents are responsible for the cost of all extracurriculars.

Fees include a New Student Enrollment fee (for first time enrolling students only) and an annual Materials Fee.

Three different tuition payment plans are available. Monthly tuition payments are due on the first day of every month. All enrolled families are responsible for the full annual tuition specified in their contract. Tuition is due on the 1st of each month. 

All fees, tuition, and donations are non-refundable.

Children are not required to be potty-trained when entering the younger classroom at age 2 1⁄2. However, we do not offer a diaper changing station. We will support the children through the potty-training process.

With the exception of a medical condition, children must be potty- trained before moving up to the older classroom; this also applies to children directly entering the older classroom. Being potty-trained is one more way for children to function independently, develop self-awareness, and practice self-help skills.

If a child becomes ill, we will notify a parent immediately and request that the child be fever, diarrhea, and vomit-free for 24 hours in order to return to school.

Enrollment is based on an annual contract and annual tuition amount. Full fees are in effect if the child is absent due to illness, travel, or any other reason. If a child is absent, an alternative day may not be substituted due to licensing capacity regulations.

Yes. We believe that quality education is the right of all children, and we offer support in making Blue Oak financially accessible to a diverse group of families and children. Financial Assistance also works to help children remain at Blue Oak when their families experience temporary financial crises. The amount of assistance available is subject to the availability of funds. The Tuition Assistance Committee reviews all applications. Financial information provided is kept strictly confidential. 

Applications for tuition assistance are available in the office. The Tuition Assistance Committee may request additional information when necessary to fairly and thoroughly evaluate the application.

The application fee for 2022-2023 applications is $65, payable by Venmo. Application fees are non-refundable.

We are licensed for 34 children per day at our Washington Place site, 40 children per day at our Sawtelle location, and 40 children per day at our Santa Monica campus.

All staff members are CPR and First Aid certified.

Yes. Our annual fundraisers account for ten percent of our annual budget. Profits from the fundraisers go toward school improvements, tuition assistance for families in need, teachers’ continued education and professional development, and other important areas to ensure Blue Oak remains a special place for our community.

Every family is expected to participate in fundraising for Blue Oak. There are many ways a family can contribute to the fundraisers. Blue Oak has two annual fundraising events that we ask everyone to participate in: the Annual Give (fall) and the Silent Auction (spring).

Transition is about beginnings and endings, and your child’s first days with us are very important. The time children take to settle into a group and become accustomed to parent goodbyes varies enormously.

Our Transition process begins weeks before your child’s first day of school at Blue Oak. Before your starting date, we will schedule many meetings and events to ensure that your first days go smoothly. Your teacher will contact you to arrange your child’s home visit, play date, and your intake interview. Administration will contact you to inform you when the group orientation will be. Blue Oak requires that all custodial parents attend both the orientation and the Intake Interview. The purpose is for you and your child to get acquainted with us at your comfort level and gain the trust needed for open communication. 

Additionally, the parent-run Community Committee reaches out to every incoming family before your first day of school. They are available to answer any questions you may have about Blue Oak. We believe that parenting should not be done in isolation. The Community Committee is every family’s first introduction to the culture and community we have at Blue Oak.

We communicate with parents in several ways, including:

•   the school blog
•   email correspondence
•   monthly classroom and community newsletters
•   parent meetings with teachers and Administration
•   parent-teacher conferences
•   individual parent meetings (as needed)
•   meetings with volunteers about programs and events
•   informal scheduled social gatherings
•   phone messages
•   weekly documentation

 While written communication is an important link between teachers and parents, they should not take the place of direct and personal exchange. Written communication is best used to identify issues and report progress; follow-up phone calls or meetings to resolve issues and clarify meaning are often very helpful.

While we do not offer computers or tablets for children to use, teachers incorporate some elements of technology in the classroom (such as typing and printing out children’s words, taking and printing pictures of the children’s work, sending group emails from the children to a sick or traveling friend, etc.)

TK, or “transitional kindergarten,” typically pertains to children who miss the age cutoff for kindergarten. TK at Blue Oak builds and expands upon the current curriculum. As children engage in classroom choices and materials, they are encouraged to challenge themselves and explore literacy, math, science, and social studies concepts that would be covered in a typical TK or K classroom. These concepts are woven into stories, small groups, songs, games, and projects.

Social-emotional development continues to be the foundation of what we do. Children practice important skills such as negotiation, conflict resolution, emotional regulation, and the give-and-take of ideas. Play remains central to the development of social-emotional skills. This may take the form of child-initiated games and activities, with adults nearby for support. Throughout the TK year, there are also teacher-facilitated dialogues, activities, and small groups focusing on social-emotional development.

The Spanish Immersion Program incorporates Spanish into our everyday curriculum to promote bilingualism and build the foundation to develop communication and literacy skills in both English and Spanish. Children in our younger classrooms are taught in a 90% Spanish:10% English ratio, while children in our older classrooms are taught in a 75% Spanish:25% English ratio as they prepare to matriculate to kindergarten. The goal of the Spanish Immersion Program is not fluency, since fluency includes the ability to write and read in the language which is not an appropriate expectation for preschool-aged children. However, earlier exposure to another language improves the likelihood to achieve fluency. 

The Spanish Immersion Program is a full-day program located at our Santa Monica Campus, offered as 3, 4, or 5 day-a-week schedule options. Children aged two year old by December 1st of the school year are eligible to enroll. Previous experience with Spanish is not required.

We are excited to offer a language immersion program as it has been proven that introducing a second language earlier on helps increase a child’s overall learning abilities, such as listening, critical thinking and creativity, among others. Immersion programs also cultivate a cultural awareness among participants that foster their ability to collaborate within diverse groups. Since we are educating children within the context of the vibrant Los Angeles landscape, we choose Spanish since it is the second most spoken language within Los Angeles households after English.

After attending Blue Oak, children will be very well-prepared for an elementary school environment. Our graduates leave with a solid academic foundation, as well as the social and emotional skills needed to succeed in kindergarten. They have benefitted from the time to investigate, ask questions, explore art materials, and express themselves through written and oral language.

Our teachers support the transition to elementary school through regular communication between home and school. At the beginning of the child’s final year at Blue Oak, administrators meet one on one with the parents to discuss kindergarten options where their child will thrive, not just survive. We offer guidance and support specific to your child throughout the application process. Active collaboration among teachers, administrators, and families is vital in ensuring a successful transition for kindergarteners as they move on.

A daycare provides a safe environment for children to play and socialize while they are away from their families. The typically longer hours of operation and limited weekday closures are designed to for parent convenience. Daycare staff, focused mostly on supervision, usually offer only free play and whole-group activities, as children drop in and out throughout the day. Documentation is limited and is focused mostly on children’s physical health and safety.

A preschool, on the other hand, is first and foremost a school. Trained educators implement an intentional, developmentally appropriate curriculum that challenges children’s thinking. Preschools close for winter, spring, and summer breaks so that teachers can get a well-deserved rest. At Blue Oak, we also close for teacher planning (so that teachers have time away from children to evolve the curriculum to meet current needs and abilities), teacher development (so that teachers are constantly inspired by new, research-based ideas), and parent-teacher conferences (so that teachers, parents, and administrators have dedicated time to thoroughly discuss each child’s development). Teachers in a preschool facilitate small groups, document children’s learning, and support each child’s individual developmental goals.

The environment at Blue Oak functions as a “third teacher,” and the outdoors is an important and integral part of the environment. Like the interior spaces, the yards at both campuses support curricular goals and is designed for children to explore hands-on.  Every space provides opportunities for children to communicate, investigate their curiosities, and build relationships. 

Weather permitting, we typically spend half our school day outdoors.

The safety, success and well being of our students are our highest priority, and so we have multiple security measures in place. Some of these measures include, but are not limited to:

• Coded entry for all entrances, with the codes changed randomly throughout the school year.
• Anyone other than a parent who is authorized to pick up a child must be added to the child’s official pick up list in writing in the office, and should be prepared to show ID upon pick up.
• A child must remain under the supervision of a teacher or staff member at all times once signed in to school.
• Regularly scheduled earthquake and fire drills throughout the school year.
• A thorough and extensive crisis management plan.

All parents of enrolled children attend a mandatory orientation where safety and security procedures are reviewed at length. To preserve the integrity of our safety plans, please contact Administration directly with any questions.

Blue Oak is a PEANUT FREE environment and reserves the right to restrict specific foods throughout the year depending on the needs/allergies of our students.