OUR SCHOOL

For twenty-two years, Cow Hollow School has been at the forefront of inquiry-based, anti-bias, nature-focused, early childhood education and innovative, respected parent and teacher seminars.  CHS is known throughout the Bay Area and beyond as a place of thought leadership.

We are a community of educators committed to honoring children and childhood.  We know that our values and understanding of young children informs and transforms the way we teach and parent.  Here, children are seen as learners, creative and critical thinkers, producers, and citizens of the world.

Further, we know that children’s and families’ lives are enriched by multiple perspectives, by the celebration of differences, and by an embrace of interconnectedness.  Belonging, engagement, and participation are the core values of our community and lie at the heart of our dual mission:

OUR CHALLENGE

Due to the increasingly high cost of living in San Francisco, our student population has changed.  Families with young children are either being pushed out of the city or must work two or more jobs to make childcare affordable.

Limited full-day, year-round, quality early childhood education programs compound this problem.  Young children are learning in basement classrooms or small spaces, away from access to nature or natural spaces.  Higher teacher-to-child ratios mean less time and attention with trusted adults.

As thought leaders in our field, we feel a responsibility to our current and future community to address these problems.  Our former part-day program and small building were barriers to addressing a Citywide challenge, meeting the needs of our school community, and fully realizing our goals for inclusivity, accessibility, and advocacy.  Moreover, the short-term lease restriction in our former building posed an ongoing threat to the long life of our school.

OUR SOLUTION

Our new, long-term home is the realization of our dream to be an inclusive, accessible, innovative, sustainable, and thriving school. 

Our new location allows Cow Hollow School to evolve as a resource for San Francisco families through full-day programming and an expanded tuition assistance program.  We are committed to maintaining the magic that is CHS: community, engagement, high caliber teachers, low teacher-student ratios, rich and meaningful anti-bias and inquiry-based curriculum, learning in and from natural spaces, and robust parent and teacher enrichment.

Our new home allows us to amplify our role as a school in pursuit of social responsibility, human dignity, and respect for all.  In doing so we elevate the role of the teacher, maximize the potential of all learners, welcome all families, and ultimately change the world!

“I love working at CHS because the community is so supportive with the administrators, teachers, and families all working as a team.  CHS is like no other school where I have worked.  The new building will offer the magic of CHS to a wider community.”

— Christina Chin, Teacher

A FEW HIGHLIGHTS…

Our “Meadow” will serve as the heart of the school, a piazza, an invitation for interchange, and a place of belonging.  This beautiful space draws us together as a community for assemblies, more COLLABORATORY seminars and workshops for parents, and is a space for the children to work and play.

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The school is surrounded by nearly an acre of enclosed play space, including a playground,  and soon an orchard, and organic garden.  For the first time ever, the teachers have a break room with a patio to the outside.

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Soon, a large kitchen will be used to prepare food for our community…