Top Five Things to Know About Zoo School

We are excited to have partnered with our sponsor, the San Antonio Zoo, to share information about Zoo School, an early childhood program. 

Do you know that the San Antonio Zoo has an early childhood program that has a traditional preschool curriculum with the added perk of being AT the Zoo? Here’s the top five things to know about Zoo School!
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5. It is a multi-aged program for children 3 to 5 years old.

Zoo School is based in the Education Center at the San Antonio Zoo and the classroom for the children is large, bright, and very cheerful.  Recent research has shown that children in multi-aged classrooms have increased social and verbal skills. The San Antonio Zoo kept this in mind when designing the program. There are 24 children in the class with one lead teacher and two assistants. Zoo School is fully licensed by the Texas Department of Family & Protective services and follows all of the standards. The student to teacher ratio is low: there are never more than 8 students to 1 teacher.

4. It has a flexible schedule.

Zoo School has one of the most flexible schedules of any preschool in San Antonio! School is held everyday from 9am-2pm. There are four different options to choose from for your child: 2 days (Tuesday & Thursday or Monday & Wednesday), 3 days (Monday, Wednesday, & Friday), 4 days (Monday-Thursday or Tuesday-Friday), or all 5 days (Monday-Friday). Talk about options! Children bring their lunch and snacks are provided.

3. Students learn through play and having fun.

The Zoo School is based on the philosophy that children learn through play, and uses methodologies from Montessori, Reggio Emilia, and Waldorf. There is no sitting in desks and doing worksheets at Zoo School! The curriculum focuses on foundational skills for literacy, math, and social skills, all taught while playing and having fun. The teacher, Miss Jennifer, is a certified Montessori teacher with many years of experience who is excited about starting the new school year.

2. It is nature-based.

Students at Zoo School spend half the day learning inside the classroom and half the day learning outside the classroom. Wow! The curriculum is designed to excite and educate children about the natural world around them. The curriculum was written by teachers with more than 30 years of classroom experience and is constantly evolving to meet the needs of the students. All art projects are made with recycled materials and weekly curriculum themes tie in plants, animals, and conservation practices.

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1. Students get to go to the San Antonio Zoo EVERY DAY!

This is what sets Zoo School apart from any other preschool: your child gets to go to the San Antonio Zoo every day! Children get to go to Real Wild Zoo, as well as to different attractions that relate to the weekly curriculum theme every school day. Zoo School teachers encourage children to ask questions about the animals and capitalize on teachable moments. At one point last year, the students started chanting, “Zoo School is Cool!” as they walked through the Zoo. We definitely agree- what is cooler than going to school AT the San Antonio Zoo?

Interested in enrolling your children in Zoo School at the San Antonio Zoo? Contact Karen Macias, Education Program Curator at [email protected] or 210-734-7184, ext. 1502.

Lindsay
Lindsay is the co-founder of Alamo City Moms Blog. A native New Orleanian, Lindsay found her way to the Alamo City via her husband, Steven, who is a born and raised San Antonian. She is a mom to three young children. Lindsay earned her B.A. in Psychology from Rhodes College and her M.A. in Early Childhood Education from UTSA. She was a preschool and first-grade teacher for 10 years and is now a Reading Specialist and Dyslexia Therapist.