Recommendations

Early education is so important, and as a parent it can be a daunting task finding a safe place for your children to thrive. My wife and I did a ton of research into early education philosophies, and really gravitated towards Reggio Emilia for it’s emphasis on learning through hands on play. After an exhaustive search, we were thrilled to find Maricar and CIS. From our first meeting with Maricar and observing her style first hand, we knew that CIS was the right place for our little ones. Maricar took the time everyday to talk to us about how our children were progressing, share highlights from the day, and talk about how we as parents can reinforce all they learned during the day at home. The school itself is home-based, and incredibly warm and inviting. Maricar always ensured our kids felt at home (safe, comfortable, and challenged) which fostered an environment where our children could be their unique selves and flourish. I will never forget the first day we dropped off our eldest. We were sure that a call would come in later in the morning asking for us to come back and help console our little one. Instead she nearly broke into tears when we came to pick her up, as she was having an amazing time with Maricar and did not want to go home. Our kids are in kindergarten and 2nd grade now. They are empathetic, smart, and caring individuals with much of that coming from their early days at CIS. We would strongly recommend any parent take a look at CIS as a place for your kids to thrive.

Travis P., CIS parent, Palo Alto

Maricar’s program is unique and tailored to the child. Play, inquiry and discovery are at the core of her program. Following in the Reggio style of learning, her classroom environments are truly the third teacher (teacher and child being the other two). Natural materials, changing play set ups and beautiful art invitations on a daily basis. It is through Maricar and her program that I understood the importance of giving the child freedom, time and space to experiment, discover and ask questions. It is in these early years that we set the tone on how children will learn to love learning and be self directed as well as plant the seed to becoming compassionate and empathetic humans. She excels in these life changing duties. Maricar continuously communicates with families about the progress of the child though newsletters and parent teacher meetings, as well as informally on a daily basis (leaving school was always hard!). She is approachable and knowledgeable in her field and definitely speaks the language of the child. Her program is a gem in Silicon Valley where high achieving kids are the norm and childhood has been taken over by academics and the premature race to success. At Creative Imagination Schoolhouse childhood is honored and the child is encouraged to be a child.

Maria S., CIS parent, Sunnyvale

Both of my grandchildren have been students at CIS and I can’t say enough positive things about their experience. Maricar’s emphasis on play as the child’s job was so right on. She encouraged exploration, curiosity and emotional learning. I loved how she allowed the children to lead the learning. She allowed them the time to explore whatever topic they were learning and would continue to extend the learning and not just move on to the next topic because that was the schedule. She always made the family part of their child’s learning and that extended to us as the grandparents. I only wish I had had someone like Maricar when our kids were young.

Julie P., CIS grandmother, Palo Alto

Our daughter loves going to school to do activities, learn, and be incredibly creative, and talks enthusiastically of Teacher Maricar outside of school regularly. Even though we as parents aren’t typically with our daughter during the school sessions, it’s almost as if we are because of the amazingly detailed weekly reports which include pictures, captions, and explanations that summarize each week and what each activity is teaching. Maricar really goes the extra mile, or 10 miles really, to ensure a positive experience for both child and parent!

Update: Our two children attended Creative Imagination Schoolhouse, and since graduating (our youngest in now in 1st grade), they are still very much a part of the schoolhouse family and spirit. That’s the lasting impact Maricar’s approach, curriculum, dedication, and warmth has had on them and us. The kids set their own pace of learning and discovery while the parents are kept up to date and engaged with their child’s progress. The school prepared our kids both socially and educationally for kindergarten and beyond, while accommodating their individual personalities and curious minds which kept them excited and eager to go each day. Summer camps are also offered which we took advantage of, as they extend the experience of learning with fun summertime activities and hands on experiments. The schoolhouse really helped me get so much more enjoyment out of this phase of my kids’ lives, and I wish I could relive it. The kids often express the same desire to go back. Yet, the memories are forever and the seeds of lifelong learning have been planted.

Wren W., CIS parent, Mountain View

CIS: a place where children build on their self confidence and find their own voices with creativity and inspirational education! CIS has been a warm and welcoming place for both our kids and even to my husband and me. When we moved to the US and we were worried about our 2 and 4 year old kids adaptation, especially as they didn’t know anything English. Maricar was key to not only help them smoothly and naturally pick up the language in only 3 months but also was instrumental to build their self-confidence in a whole new cultural environment. They were exposed to different tastes during cooking classes, colors and shapes when talking about art (our daughter talks about Kandinsky and Matisse!!), use their imagination to build their own toys (our son said it was fun to build their own slide!!). Definitely it is a place where you will find care and love.

Mayumi N., CIS parent, Los Altos

I’ve had both my children attend CIS and it has been one of the best decisions I’ve made. It’s so hard to find a place that you can trust with your children but after the first week at CIS, we knew we had found the one. Maricar is passionate about her role as an early childhood educator. We were sent weekly pictures and updates of what the children were learning. Maricar was always open to discuss the children’s progress. She would bring to our attention any big accomplishments or areas of concern and was a real partner in our children’s growth and education. Even when the kids were going through big changes at home, Maricar was extra loving and supportive, which made the transition much easier for the kids. They say it takes a village and we have been so blessed to have Maricar & CIS in ours. CIS is not a traditional academic learning environment. Maricar believes in allowing children to lead their learning and would create lessons with whatever the children were naturally interested in. It made for an environment that I believe will develop into a lifelong love of learning, which was my priority. If you’re looking to have your kids learn to read by 3 and long division by 4, that may happen, but that isn’t the focus at CIS. Play comes first! It isn’t for everyone but it was perfect for us.

Ann N., CIS parent, Palo Alto

I met Maricar in 2011 when we were working for the same company: ChildrenFirst, Inc. Maricar worked at the Palo Alto center, and I worked at the Irvine center. I got to know Maricar even better when we both became directors of our centers. I have always known Maricar to be a leader with high standards for the children, parents, and faculty that she works with. She also has high standards for herself. The important work of early childhood education is the highest priority for Maricar.
Within the last few years, Maricar and I have both started our own home-based preschool programs. We have remained colleagues after all these years and we regular talk with each other about our goals and dreams for our programs. I recently had the good fortune to travel to Mountain View to see Maricar’s program in person. Maricar continually inspires me to be a better teacher. She is the real deal when it comes to child centered curriculum. While every program may not be a match for a particular child or parent, I am confident that if you get to know Maricar and her program, you will see that The Creative Imagination Schoolhouse is a program that will instill a life long love of learning in your child, and your child will be 100% ready for kindergarten.

Tammy M., Owner/ Teacher, Child Centered Home, Temecula

This preschool is simply AMAZING. AH-MAZ-ING. Maricar is so welcoming, gentle, and kind spirited; and my child bonded with her immediately. The most surprising and COOL benefit is what I receive via email at the end of the week. Teacher Maricar will send me an email, with a detailed summary of what neat things my child explored over the course of the week, accompanied with photos (it makes me so happy to see my child so happy and having fun at school), and also suggestions on what and how to expand on school topics/projects at home. I don’t know how she finds the time to put this email together but I treasure it because it puts a smile on my face and makes my heart so emotional to see and read about how my child’s week at school went. My child talks about school and “Teacher Maricar” all the time.

Beverly L., CIS parent, Mountain View

Maricar showed genuine care and affection to my son and all the children in the preschool program. She was sweet, kind and a loving person. Many families felt the same sense of satisfaction from the way Maricar interacted, taught and supervised her students. I always believed in my heart that my son was happy and safe because Maricar was always there for him. Her leadership, passion, and love of teaching was exceptional. My family and I felt lucky and grateful for the wonderful years my son spent with Maricar and the beautiful things she shared and taught us.

Arlene G., mother of Joseph, Palo Alto

Maricar is passionate about children learning through various creative styles. Maricar’s attention to details and respecting all she comes in contact with makes her a successful care provider for a quality child care program.

Janice J., Former Director at Bright Horizons Family Solutions, San Francisco

I had the privilege to work with Maricar and see first hand the detailed-oriented, inspiring, enthusiastic, passionate educator she truly is. She always gave 110 percent to her students and as an educator and leader, she was an inspiration.

Raju P., Former Manager of Operations at Bright Horizons Family Solutions, Milpitas

Imagination is not a talent of some people, but is the health of every person.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson