Our kids have been attending Jose Marti for the last year, and it has been a great experience. Our…read moreoldest has attended two different Seattle daycares previously, and we are so grateful to have finally found one we are happy with. The teachers all put in a tremendous amount of effort, and they obviously care for the children. It is also worth noting that the lowest paid staff member is now 15$/hr, which is way better than most.
They have around 8 different classes, about half in the main building, and another four in portables. One of the portable class rooms is a half day pre-school, and the other three are for full time kids. Both our kids are in the full-time portable class rooms, so my review is mainly regarding those classes.
All the teachers speak Spanish as their first language, and most speak English very clearly. The official policy is for the teachers to speak English in the morning and Spanish in the afternoon, although this is a bilingual school so that policy is pretty loose. There is a good mix of kids, some start here speaking only Spanish, and other only English (like our kids).
The curriculum is great, I believe all the kids in the oldest class are well prepared for kindergarten. They have a great balance of free play, activities and lessons. They make the food in their own kitchen, and they post the menu for parents to see. It is of course well balanced and nutritious.
There was definitely an adjustment period when we started, especially for our oldest, who was 4 and spoke no Spanish. He was a little frustrated at first, as he had never experienced being with people and not being able to understand what they are saying. He was not alone in this, as there are plenty of kids in the same situation, and plenty of kids who spoke little English. After a year, he still doesn't really speak Spanish, but he understands a fair amount, and is very interested in learning more. It is also worth noting that the class seems very well integrated. The teachers encourage the kids to be friends with all the kids in the class, and it seems to be working pretty well.
The school is run out of a El Centro de la Raza, so there is a definite social justice flare here. The kids are occasionally taught about immigration and social justice/Latino concerns. This is of course done at a child's level, and I believe only happens in the oldest class, which is mainly 4 and 5 year olds. For example, my son came home talking about how some people have been taken away from their families (deported). This does not happen frequently at all, but just know that if your kids attend here, they will probably help make some big posters telling their politicians what to do. This all makes me love the school even more, but it may be a turn off for some families.
Overall, we really like this place! There is nothing like knowing that your children are being well cared for.
