WHERE NATURE AND NURTURE ARE AT THEIR BESTTM
Contact info available upon request
- Dear Ms. Rajani, Ms. Amanda, Ms. Elma and all the teachers at WCA, Thank you for all the love and care you have put into Kiera and Connor and all the kids at WCA. You have Provided such a strong foundation for them – one that will serve them well throughout their life. We cannot possibly thank you enough. We love you all and we look forward to continuing our relationship going forward.
– Love, Stefan, Andrea, Kiera & Connor
- My daughter started Whole Child Academy in March, of 2013 right before her 3rd birthday. Our home life was in a “transitional” period, which could have been extremely hard on my daughter, but I am confident that with the love, consistency, nurturing and guidance from the entire staff at Whole Child you would have never known. My background is in Early Childhood Education so when it came to picking the right school for my daughter my expectations were very high. The Whole Child Academy goes above and beyond in every aspect that I feel is important when your child is first entering the school atmosphere. Social, Academic prep, Emotional and last but not least the Environment (inside and out.)My daughter will be entering Kindergarten in August 2015 and can count to 100 without help, identify her numbers up to 50 without help and can write her numbers to about the same. She can recite, identify and write the Alphabet. She also knows basic Spanish (colors and numbers) and can even sing a few songs in Chinese! Socially my daughter shows empathy, compassion and confidence while interacting with children and adults of all ages. The Whole Child dedicates a lot of time to Life Skills, which they believe, and I believe is the foundation to development. Without the Life Skills curriculum I believe my daughter would not be thriving at the rate she is. Her self-esteem and self-confidence are also attributed to the entire curriculum at Whole Child. I am writing this with tears in my eyes knowing that my daughter will be moving on to a different school this year but my tears are also of pride and joy, knowing that the foundation the Whole Child Academy has given my daughter is the best that anyone has to offer. Thank you from the bottom of my heart Whole Child, my daughter and I will be forever grateful.– Sincerely,
Rachel W., Grateful Parent
- My son started at Whole Child when he was 4 years old for preschool. At first I was a little apprehensive on the whole Montessori method of teaching. It seemed too “free” and “open” as I was used to having structure in terms of students sitting down and listening to a teacher teach the lesson. I decided to trust Mrs. Rajani and her colleagues since she had raving reviews from other parents. A week, month and eventually a year went by and my son was reading and writing at a level way beyond his years. Then it was time for the kindergarten decision. We decided to keep our son in kindergarten here because we saw the benefits of having him in this type of environment – he became independent, confident, a leader in some ways (at home), compassionate and most of all SMART. He is reading and doing math beyond his years and actually understanding it. Even though I’m still confused about the method since I wasn’t exposed to it as a child, I am seeing positive results from my son. I HIGHLY recommend keeping your child in this school for as long as you can. Believe me, you will see the results.– Michelle Carrillo
- We chose WCA after visiting many other schools and taking care to research various teaching systems. The following are my thoughts about this truly incredible school. I am very happy to attest that WCA is a remarkably special school and I am so happy that I sent my boys there. I believe the education my boys have received at WCA is second to none. The teachers at WCA are very special. Both my wife and I are very grateful to each one of the talented WCA teachers for the incredible care they have taken with the education and nurturing of our 2 boys. It has been a truly wonderful start to their educational journey. Our boys’ social skills have been enhanced at WCA through the multitude of carefully planned activities. I have seen my kids grow educationally, emotionally and physically during their years at WCA. It is very clear to me that my kids are educationally ahead due to the exposure they have had at WCA and I cannot be happier with their academic development. The curriculum is incredible and is designed and communicated by the incredible and dedicated WCA teachers with care and attention. You feel the warmth each morning when you drop off your kids. The teachers at the school are incredibly competent professionals who care for each child as if it was their own. I frequently find that I introduce WCA teachers’ names when I am educating my child at home. There is a bond between my kids and the WCA teachers. I am so thankful that we found the nurturing WCA environment. I believe that the results have been nothing short of fantastic!– Dikran Toroser
Medical Writer, Amgen Inc.
- Our daughter, Dhiya, is in the Kindergarten program at Whole Child Academy. We have been extremely pleased with her progress through the year. She has extended her vocabulary and improved upon her reading skills. She has also improved her math skills with additional knowledge of the subject, such as multiplication. She is continually challenged and shows enthusiasm for being so. There have been some wonderful home assignments, such as “Flat Stanley” and “Star of the Week.” Whole Child Academy has catered her needs, and continually provides a complete environment for her development both socially and academically.– Hiren and Hetal Patel
- Whole Child Academy has been a wonderful part of our life, and is a place that my daughter loved to go to everyday. My older daughter started with Mrs. Rajani at another school before Whole Child Academy was even thought of, and we have both kept in touch over the years. Mrs. Rajani is such a fabulous teacher that we wanted our younger daughter to have the same experience. What we did not know at that time was that Whole Child Academy was in the process of being developed and that our daughter would be able to attend the new school. We were so excited that our second daughter would now have Mrs. Rajani, our favorite teacher, and also that she would be in this new, state of the art school.Now that my little girl is turning 6 years old, she will be going into the first grade. She loved every minute of her preschool & kindergarten with Mrs. Rajani & Mrs. Amanda and has learned so much. Her self-esteem is high and she is a very confident and smart little girl! Whole Child Academy is now a part of our family and we simply adore Mrs. Rajani and Mrs. Amanda.Thank you Whole Child Academy for what you have given to us.– Sincerely,
The Coleman Family
- Little children joined together in dance and song and costume and food as Multicultural Day, held last week in Thousand Oaks, celebrated unity, harmony, peace and intense cuteness. Under the guidance of Montessori teacher Rajani Kanayson, 90 children held hands and proudly
displayed the continents, costumes, music, food, customs and native backgrounds of the world and of their personal cultures, which spanned the entire globe. At the event on Thursday afternoon, each of the seven continents was displayed with artifacts from various countries, traditional
costumes, flags, musical instruments and foods. Children and their parents donned their traditional dress, and music from all over the world was played. An extension of this form of study is found on biomes of North America and was also on display.Ms. Rajani, a resident of Thousand Oaks, spearheaded the inaugural Multicultural Day last year, just for the preschoolers; the successful event was expanded this year to include the elementary children, too. John Lee of Camarillo, whose granddaughter attended Montessori and the inaugural multicultural event last year, returned this year, even without her, just to enjoy the day. A native of Australia, Lee said it was simply “a great event” so “I went again.” He gave particular praise to “Miss Rajani,” who “lives the Montessori philosophy, she really does have the belief that children are inherently peaceful and, as they grow older, they need to be exposed to various cultures to learn to be tolerant and today we need a lot of tolerance.”– John Lee
- This school has exceeded all of our expectations! The classroom has a warm and loving feeling, yet it is also very structured and focused on education. We are extremely pleased with how much our son has learned in such a short time. The teachers make a great team! Our son also loves the playground and the trips to the park across the street!– Sara & Steve S.
- Ms R is an excellent teacher. Great choice for a head start in Academics. Well organized and nurturing school. Best preschool in Ventura County!– Sandra P.
- There is a perfect balance between academics and playtime at WCA. The staff is really focused on my child’s combined intellectual, social, and emotional growth. My daughter has blossomed during her time at the school, and I’m very pleased with her advancements in reading and math. She always looks forward to going to school, and her time at WCA has really given her a great foundation for kindergarten and beyond. The location is safe, and it is serenely nestled in nature. I couldn’t be more happy with our time at WCA!– Stacie W.
- Dear Mrs. Rajani,Odele and I are so incredibly grateful for you and your wonderful school, Whole Child Academy.As you know our son Aidan was enrolled the day he turned two and half years old. His academic and social skills and capabilities have absolutely blossomed over the three plus years he attended WCA. Aidan has developed into a much more confident boy who is very sharing, thoughtful and caring.We are so glad that we kept Aidan at WCA through Kindergarten. We loved the small class size – especially the Kindergarten class of less than 10 children – which enabled much more individual attention. Aidan’s reading and math skills are literally off the charts and he is at the top of his first grade class at Lang Ranch Elementary. In fact, his reading and math assessments are well past the December (and end of year) benchmarks, and it is only October. This has really helped Aidan become more confident in himself, especially as he is new at the larger elementary school. Our younger daughter, Mia, is also excelling at WCA, and we will most definitely keep her enrolled through Kindergarten as well. Thank you so much for creating an outstanding learning environment for our children. You and the other wonderful teachers at WCA truly prepare children for success. Please share this and our telephone numbers for any prospective parent who wishes to speak with us about our experience. Thanks and warm regards,
– Michael and Odele Kohlstrand