Our School Philosophy

The Gabriel Park Preschool curriculum is based on a "learn through play" philosophy. Through their natural love of play, children explore and manipulate their environment to discover and learn new things, developing and growing at their own rate.  To encourage this type of learning, the GPPS classrooms are set up in Learning Centers.  With the teacher’s gentle guiding, children will explore each area at their leisure.  Learning Centers emphasize socialization, group skills, fine motor skills, literacy, match, science and artistic expression.

Our Environmental Philosophy

Gabriel Park Preschool supports all efforts to instruct members in environmental consciousness and responsibility. All school purchases and disposals are made with consideration for the immediate as well as long term effects they will have on our planet and our children’s future. In particular, we practice daily recycling, grow a garden each spring and fall, and save snack food scraps for our worm barn.

GPPS Teacher Profile: Teacher Julianna Verboort

“Play is often talked about as if it were
a relief from serious learning, but for
children play is serious learning.
Play is really the work of childhood.”
— Fred Rogers

Teacher Julianna was introduced to the joys of the cooperative preschool model at Cedar Hills Co-op with her own children. It was there that she developed and nurtured her desire to teach. She believes in the cooperative model's "learn through play" philosophy and believes that a co-op preschool gives excellent child centered support to both children and families.

Children in Teacher Julianna's classroom can expect to feel happy and safe. To develop a positive sense of self and to learn how to resolve conflicts with their peers. They can expect fun science experiments and messy art projects! Children in Teacher Julianna's class at Gabriel Park Preschool can expect to be cherished and respected as they develop into lifelong learners. Teacher Julianna believes that some of the biggest benefits of the cooperative preschool are for the parents of the children enrolled. The parents learn and grow as much as the children while you volunteer in the classroom, go on field trips and work side by side to support and build the preschool community. Strong bonds are formed while working together toward the goal of a positive early education experience for all of the GPPS students.

Julianna grew up in a family of 6 children in Hillsboro, Oregon. She went to college in Montana, then moved to San Francisco. She eventually met the man of her dreams and married Joel one sunny afternoon in Sausalito. They moved to Arizona and then Colorado, where their son was born; another move and two years later, they brought their daughter home from Beijing, China. The children are only two months apart in age, "virtual" twins! In addition to teaching, Julianna is a freelance interior designer, specializing in bathroom remodels and children's theme rooms. Her personal interests include animal communications, fine art, crafts, fashion, architecture, photography, travel, and reading (especially books that make her laugh). She loves having fun with her family, especially making things, visiting museums, and exploring outdoors.

Examples of Themes and Dramatic Room Set-Up

Starting School
House corner

Feelings/Emotions
House corner

Oceans
Ocean, beachfront

Camping
Camping, tent, campfire

Trains
Engineer hats, trains, etc.

Pumpkins/Halloween
Pumpkins, scarecrows, costumes
Field Trip

Fall
Trees, leaves, rakes
Field Trip to park

Thanksgiving Harvest
Trees, leaves, rakes

Winter Celebration
(A cultural study)
Holiday items

Monsters/Dragons
Castle, drawbridge, dragons, shields, princess clothes

Snow
White foam, snowflakes, gloves, mittens, hat, scarves

Firefighters
Add firefighter to house corner
Field trip

Post Office/Valentines Day
Post office

Rain
Restaurant with piano

Musical Instruments
Restaurant with piano

Musical Instruments w/Pajama Party, Parade
Restaurant with piano

Colors
Beauty Parlor

Seeds
Beauty Parlor

Bugs
Open to Ideas

Spring/Birds
Tee-Pee
Field Trip to Park

Worms
Tee Pee

Dinosaurs
Puppet Show

Special Friends Day
Hollow Blocks
Special Friends Tea Party

Friends/Graduation
Hollow Blocks