San Francisco Dogpatch (2 - 5 years)
La Scuola is the only IB PYP Preschool in San Francisco
La Scuola’s journey begins in Preschool, at our Dogpatch campus, located on the corner of 20th and Tennessee Streets, just minutes’ away from downtown San Francisco and Potrero Hill in the ever-growing Dogpatch neighborhood.
The San Francisco campus was designed very intentionally by renowned architect Michele Zini of ZPZ Partners, in Modena, Italy, who is recognized globally for creating Reggio-inspired schools and ateliers. Each space on campus sparks interest by intentionally igniting the senses with color, texture, movement, beauty and joy.
Preschool Environment
Children appreciate a bright and beautiful environment, and so does La Scuola's Head of School, Valentina Imbeni. Joy is in our school's motto: Niente senza gioia! Nothing without joy!
Collaboration is at the heart of what we do. During a typical day, students learn in small groups like this one, as well as large groups, in pairs, and individually.
In a Reggio Emilia school, materials and activities are intentionally chosen to provide many different avenues for creative expression.
Preschool assemblies in our piazza, the central meeting place in a Reggio school, provide wonderful opportunities to celebrate learning in community. Live music will always engage an audience!
The Digital Atelier is a creative space where students explore light and shadows, projection, motion, and the density of materials.
This apricot tree is one of several fruit-bearing trees in our preschool orchard.
Our preschool yard is a magical environment, featuring grassy "hills", a garden with fruits and vegetables, a sandbox, tricycle paths, and a play structure.
Celebrating our preschool graduates as they get ready for Kindergarten at our K-8 campus is one of our proudest moments of the year. It's a joy to mark the occasion with family, friends, and lots of sunflowers!
Hands-on exploration of different materials allows students to develop appreciation for the limitless possibilities in the creative process, and experiment until they find something well-suited to their project.
Artistic expression is celebrated through vibrant displays of children's creations.
Our large preschool yard allows for tricycle riding, which, in addition to being fun, builds balance and other gross motor skills.
Chasing bubbles brings joy to children of all ages.
A favorite activity of many preschool children is watering our garden, planting and harvesting fruit and vegetables, watching things grow, and even tasting some delicious kale.
The delicious food at La Scuola is cooked on site with fresh, organic ingredients and shared family style whenever possible.
We believe that students who come to learn in a space that is beautiful and joyful will forever associate learning with beauty and love.
Hear from Dogpatch Parents - Meet Beth and Tess
Land Acknowledgement for the Dogpatch Campus
We acknowledge that the land our Dogpatch Campus stands on is the unceded ancestral homeland of the Ramaytush Ohlone people. As educators and life-long learners, we recognize that as uninvited guests, we all need to affirm their sovereign rights as first peoples. We pay our respects to their ancestors, elders and relatives of the Ramaytush community.