License # 430709411

5038 Hyland Avenue
San Jose, CA 95127
408.251.8633

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School Calendar

2007 - 2008
School Year:
Sept. - June 6

Summer Program:
June 23 - August 15

2008 - 2009
School Year:
Sept. 8 - June 5

A Message From Our Director…

   In 2008, we will celebrate our 33rd Anniversary. What a significant milestone for us! As one of the original founders of Mandala, I have had the opportunity to reflect on how we have grown and changed in the years since we first opened our doors here in the East Foothills of San Jose. In the spirit of Montessori, we wanted our preschool to follow the natural process of how a young child learns--as well as to reflect the ethnic and economic diversity of our area--and I am proud to say that we still follow those founding principles.
   I am also very proud of our nurturing staff at Mandala. They are very special people, many of whom have been here for ten, fifteen, and even twenty-five years. (That's almost unheard of in the early childhood field!) The unique thing about our staff is that they come into their work with open hearts, always wanting the best for children and families. Because of this, they are unusually responsive as children unfold and change. When a need comes up, they immediately move to respond to that need, whether it is through taking a class, talking with parents, or seeking outside services.
   This is very different from a lot of places that never change and seem to look exactly the same as they did 30 years ago. At Mandala, our basic values and foundations have remained the same, but we are constantly growing and expanding our knowledge. We have taken the Montessori philosophy and enhanced it.
   As we learn what children need, we shift to meet that need. Our teachers so trust the integrity of the child's ability to learn, that they support that and never manipulate it. That's what so unique about Mandala. It's our "responsiveness" and always wanting the best for a child.
   Our mission statement is "Nurture the child. Support the family. Nourish the staff." It describes our original vision in 1975, and it is still the cornerstone of our program at Mandala today.

Marilyn Drino, Administrative Director

_to serve the children and families of the East Foothills community of San Jose. The school curriculum follows a developmental model enhanced by the learning practice of Maria Montessori.

The mandala is a universal symbol representing wholeness and harmony. We chose Mandala as the name for our school because it symbolizes our commitment to the development of the whole child.

Providing an education for the whole child: mind, body, spirit.

Nurturing the child and supporting the family.

Supporting cultural, religious, ethnic, and socio-economic diversity that is representative of our community.

Modeling communication and creative problem-solving for children and adults alike.

Creating an environment where teachers, staff, and childcare providers can learn and thrive through support of their personal, as well as professional, growth.

Sustaining the harmony between the needs of the individual and the needs of the organization.