Avec les enfants de moins de trois ans, les activités langagières se développent toujours en interaction individuelle avec l'adulte ou un tout petit groupe d'enfants. Elles doivent être réitérées de nombreuses fois et ancrées dans le quotidien de la classe. La prise de parole requiert dès le plus jeune âge la nécessité d'une sécurité affective et d'une relation fondée sur une extrême bienveillance.
Avec les enfants de moins de trois ans, les activités langagières se développent toujours en interaction individuelle avec l'adulte ou un tout petit groupe d'enfants. Elles doivent être réitérées de nombreuses fois et ancrées dans le quotidien de la classe. La prise de parole requiert dès le plus jeune âge la nécessité d'une sécurité affective et d'une relation fondée sur une extrême bienveillance.
Avec les enfants de moins de trois ans, les activités langagières se développent toujours en interaction individuelle avec l'adulte ou un tout petit groupe d'enfants. Elles doivent être réitérées de nombreuses fois et ancrées dans le quotidien de la classe. La prise de parole requiert dès le plus jeune âge la nécessité d'une sécurité affective et d'une relation fondée sur une extrême bienveillance.
Our school
Au Clair de Lune is a Non-Profit French Immersion Preschool and Kindergarten greeting children from 2 years old to kindergarten in a mixed age classroom.
We create many learning opportunities... in an environment dedicated to the total growth and development of your child by stimulating their curiosity, meeting their needs of movement, play, rest, discoveries, and experiences.
History of the school
Au Clair De Lune is a Non-Profit French immersion Preschool & Kindergarten for children from 2 to kindergarten built in 2020 by three native accredited French teachers.
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The founders know their way around a school, any school, as they have taught in preschool, elementary and high school in France and in the United-States. Together they know what the educational school system asks of the children throughout the year and where the flaws are. More often than not, classes are packed and the curriculum is too demanding or not fitting for children to explore their unique selves. As a result, children develop a negative relationship with school and distance themselves from being active learners and may fall behind within the academic standard. This is not the children's fault by any means. School should be interesting, challenging, engaging and more importantly, fun!
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Au Clair de Lune is solely governed by educators who are passionate about their work. We never stop learning, researching, pushing the boundaries and evolving in our work. Times change, children's needs also change and evolve. We are dedicated to offer the best environment to promote learning and socialization in a culturally diverse environment.
Our vision & Our mission
Au Clair de Lune offers an environment dedicated to the total growth and development of your child, by stimulating their curiosity, meeting their needs of movement, play, rest, discoveries, and experiences. We create many learning opportunities in multiple domains and themes while multiplying the opportunities for sensory, motor, relational, cognitive experiences in a safe environment.
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Au Clair de Lune purposely mixes the ages of children in the classroom. Research strongly supports the idea that mixed-age classrooms are better for students.
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Benefits of a mixed age classroom
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Children are no longer labeled.
Children learn differently and at a different pace. Some children labeled as "above grade level"
may not feel challenged enough within their age group. On the other hand, children who can be labeled as "below grade level" may develop a negative relationship with school because the activities are too difficult for them to comprehend yet. Mixed-age classrooms FREE the students from stigmatism and allow them to embrace who they are by taking pride in their individual abilities.
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Children receive individual attention.
Mixed-age classrooms are tailored to individualize a lesson rather than instruct an entire group of children the same age who are expected to learn at the same pace and the same way. Our curriculum allows for children to take their time during activities and explore in their own way. Conversely, children who may find an activity not challenging enough are not given boundaries they cannot cross, but rather are invited to push their limits and continue in their learning. This is why some children are able to read some words before they are in kindergarten.
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Children develop a sense of family with their classmates.
The dynamic of the classroom resembles more the dynamic of siblings co-habiting and helping each other out. Older children will often step up to serve as mentors and take on leadership roles to help the younger ones. Throughout many different activities, the older child will come to help the child in need by showing him/her how an activity is done without doing the activity for them. As a result, older children view younger children as needing their help, and therefore increasing their level of competence and independence. On the other hand, younger children perceive that older children can offer instruction and leadership, and as result is often seen replicating this same behavior toward other children in need. When these two forces combine in a mixed-age classroom, it creates a strong environment of cooperation creating a strong sense of belonging to a community.
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Au Clair de Lune takes pride in being different from other preschools by demanding more for the children. Here are the four pillars of what makes us unique:
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Our Teachers
Children need plenty of attention to feel comfortable to explore and learn. Many preschools don't utilize their resources where it matters most: teachers! Trained and passionate teachers is what makes ACDL a unique preschool. Our teachers hold a bachelor's degree at a minimum though a master's in education is preferred. In many countries, there is no difference in the training of a preschool teacher and an elementary teacher, this is why our demands from our teachers here in San Diego is the same as in France. We recruit and keep teachers who show a unique devotion for their work and who we know will bring a particular attribute to our curriculum.
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Outdoor Activities Matter
ACDL's students will be involved in a strong curriculum taught indoor AND outdoor. In many facilities, outdoor activities are often overlooked which unfortunately results in children staying indoors for most of the day. Why should children only learn within 4 classroom walls? We believe there is so much for children to learn and explore outside and that is why we split the day with as much time indoors as outdoors.
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Autonomy
Children need to invest part of themselves in their work. We provide many opportunities for the children to make real choices, to explore ideas or objects on their own. They will learn to be more autonomous every day by trying and making mistakes, and you know what, it’s fine because this is how they will learn! At ACDL we are not afraid to make mistakes, we are bold, fearless and not ashamed to grow and help each other out through the process.​​
For this reason, it won’t be the teacher’s "perfect" work you will see on the walls of the classroom, or on the many projects your child will bring home. Rather you will witness and hold a piece of your child’s effort and uniqueness. We love when children show they are proud and confident saying “I did it myself!", not I did it perfectly.
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Culturally Diverse
Au Clair de Lune is a natural, living, and dynamic environment in which they can be proud of their culture, participate in daily activities with other children of different ages and cultural background. Children will have plenty of opportunities throughout the year to share their heritage with the rest of the school and learn about other traditions and customs from all-around the world.