When we moved to San Antonio, Jax had just turned a year old. In my own way I had been homeschooling him since he was born, but Steven and I decided that it was time for him to be around children and have a better education. We really wanted to find a school that was diverse in race, included art & music, a Montessori style of teaching and second language education. A friend of mine introduced me to immersion schools here in Los Angeles when she enrolled her son in a French Immersion Preschool. The idea sounded great to me and Steven. It would be a very efficient way of learning a second language. We also read that children who become fluent in a second language at a very young age tend to score higher in Math & Science. The common fear is that children will lose their primary language or not have the ability to learn in their native language. This is untrue. Children have a greater capacity for learning and comprehension than we really know. Children can’t lose their native language if they are at home speaking their native language.
Being fluent in a second language that is commonly used such as Spanish or French, will help your child in any field they choose to go into as we become immersed in a fast-moving global economy where we are no longer on top. It’s time to broaden our horizons and embrace other cultures. So, I did the very hollywood thing and decided to enroll my kid in a private full spanish immersion
school. For this adventure, Steven and I chose The Pineapple School in NW San Antonio, Tx. This place was truly a little piece of heaven in the south surrounded by churches and drive thru bbq restaurants.
The Pineapple School is a small school that is family owned in a partial green facility that not only opens children up to the language of Spanish, but the latino culture in a whole! The teachers are amazing women that are warm, friendly, communicative and fun! The moment Steven and I walked in, we were sold. Krisiana, is the principle of the school, and her son also attends. Her mother Susan runs it along with her, her father built the facility and her sister helps create the curriculum. From the large flat screen in the front where all the classrooms are being monitored 247, the organic latino themed lunches & snacks, the cleanliness, to the daily notes from the teacher about what your child learned, how they slept, how they ate and words they learned… We couldn’t get our son enrolled fast enough. they go from 6 months to 4/5 years old. I was just impressed with how CLEAN and secure this place was. And once you were there it was like all the teachers and staff knew who you were and who you’re kid was, so you never felt like someone could get through the monitored door, sign your kid out with their finger prints, walk to their classroom, and sign them out again with a code when they left, because the woman at the front door knew that that person was not Jax’s parents!
So how did Jaxon do in the program? He flourished! I truly believe that it not only helped him with his social skills and of course he learned things in spanish, but I know that it has been direct influence on how he has moved along in his education. They way he comprehends things and picks up on things is exactly how children I read about who had been involved in learning in a second language. But I also believe that the environment they have created at The Pineapple school was a big deal. Jax fell in love with his teacher, Ms.Nanis right away! In fact he would associate spanish with her. He was allowed to dance and encouraged to sing. By the end of the first week, he was able to tell me and Steven where his Head, Eyes, Nose & Mouth were in spanish. He also would greet us in Spanish everyday and looked forward to going to school! IT WORKS I TELL YA! IT WORKS!!!
One of the hardest things about leaving San Antonio was leaving the Pineapple School and trying to find its replacement here in Los Angeles! The way he learned and things he learned while there, were just amazing!
They teach in a very social, Montessori way with songs, interaction, expression and art! Well, I am on the hunt for my little Pineapple School equivalent here in Los Angeles… Can anyone help me? I mean I know it won’t compare to my first love… but I’m sure I can love again, if it’s the right fit! Qualifications? Spanish Immersion, Montessori Style Teaching, Clean, Small Staff, Monitored Rooms, Organic lunches & snacks, Music & Arts Programs. That’s it! That’s all! I’m not asking for much, just the perfect preschool for a reasonable price! LOL! Okay… maybe I am asking for too much!
So if you live in San Antonio or New Braunfels and are looking for a great preschool please check out the Pineapple School and tell Krisiana that Jax & Brooke sent you! And if you’re in LA… got any suggestions?! LOL!
(210) 694-0740
info@pineappleschool.com