Siembra School

Siembra School has been an extraordinarily rich part of our family's lives for almost three years.  Our daughter began there at age two, discovering delightful friendships in the small school.  She often brings veggies home in her lunchbox that she has helped plant, as well as herbs for our family dinners.  With enrichment ranging from theatrical music and movement, to the creation of a sound wall and musical garden, the opportunities for sensorial learning there has always been invigorating.  The teachers are kind, warm, eager, and passionate and have served as wonderful guides, allowing the children to be inspired by the curriculum, the adults providing provocations for learning.  The teachers are great communicators with parents.  They pay such close and careful attention to each child as an individual.  There has always been a focus on diverse holidays, from Diwali to Christmas, Day of the Dead, Chanukah, and Chinese New Year.  Siembra embodies what I was taught, my own self, teaching early childhood ed.  There should be a little of school at home and a little of home at school, and that's the way it is with Siembra.  The homey, intentional environment is woven with gorgeous natural materials, engaging daily projects, and children's literature awash with beauty and wonder.  Having this time for our daughter at Siembra has been purely joyful.

Two of my children attended Siembra for their preschool experience. What an experience they had!!  Cata creates a magical learning environment where children can explore, create and socialize in a bilingual, multicultural and just aesthetically beautiful space. My son, who is now in 1st grade, was more than prepared for Kindergarten after 3 years at Siembra. The rate is fair and the hours of operation convenient to parents’ needs. 

Siembra is a magical place! Cata's opening of this incredible preschool was one of the main reasons we moved to Berkeley. Our daughter was in the inaugural class, and the quality of education and social-emotional support she received was unparalleled. Cata is a gifted educator, and she seamlessly weaves in art, science, food, culture, and so many other themes into her unique approach to play-based, bilingual learning. Being a small, home-based preschool, there is a friendly collection of parents and extended family that gather around this special community. The space was built from the ground up to facilitate hands-on learning and lots of room for physical activity. The sunny backyard is easily accessible and contains a mini urban farm, complete with raised beds and chickens. Sending our daughter to Siembra was one of the best decisions we ever made, and we can't recommend it highly enough!