Nature-Focused. Play-Based.
Parent-Participation Preschool in Livermore, California

Room to Grow is an emergent curricula program that provides children and adults with the space, time and opportunities to grow and learn. Through their participation in the program, parents learn about child development and early learning while fostering their relationship with their child. Children, with the support of caring adults, learn through hands-on involvement and in-depth exploration of the world around them. 

Our Philosophy:

We believe that the quality of a child’s early education experience contributes to their learning and social success, not just in kindergarten, but well into their futures.  At Room to Grow we guide and support children toward mastery of the foundations of learning:

Learning to know:  we want children to develop into engaged and joyful learners and to see themselves as capable and competent.

Learning to do:  we want children to learn to use the tools that enable them to explore, learn and to communicate and represent their learning.

Learning to be:  we want children to develop the abilities that enable them to be independent, critical thinkers.

Learning to live together:  we want children to develop an understanding of other people as well as the skills to interact successfully.

The program at Room to Grow respects and supports children’s need and right to play as a critical way of exploring their world, gaining knowledge, and building the foundation for later learning.

Our Core Values:

• that children are capable and competent and can be trusted to participate in directing their own learning

• that our classrooms (indoor & outdoor) are the '3rd teacher' and should ignite inquiry and offer rich and varied opportunities to explore, problem solve and create

• that PLAY is the mechanism by which children learn

• that learning takes time and children need opportunities to reflect on their work, and to revisit and repeat experiences as part of the learning process

• that parents and families are an important part of the learning environment and contribute to the learning process

• that a strong connection to nature promotes cognitive, physical, and social-emotional skills and abilities

The program at Room to Grow is based on accepted theories of child development and early learning and is inspired by such exemplary early childhood programs as the Children's Schools of Reggio Emilia, Italy.

Our History

Originally established in the 1960's as St. Bartholomew's Nursery School, Room to Grow was even then a leader in early childhood education, offering parent participation preschool to the Livermore community. Play-based learning with a strong emphasis on the development of positive social skills was the core philosophy of the school.  Room to Grow reached out to the community, collaborating with a local nonprofit agency, CAPE, Inc to provide opportunities for quality preschool to underprivileged families throughout the Head Start program.  The original Room to Grow closed in 1989.

In 2007, St Bartholomew's Episcopal Church again offered its classrooms and grounds to the community as a site for an early childhood program.  A  trio of local early childhood professionals, Karen Nattrass,  Debbie Vigil, and Debbie Lignell , MFT. responded to this offer with a proposal for a parent participation preschool program grounded in theory and best practice.  Together the partners formed a nonprofit corporation, adopting the original Room to Grow name and committed to providing both high quality preschool and parent education. Over a five month period they worked to renovate and equip the facility.  In October of 2007 Room to Grow welcomed its first children.  The program represents the realization of the hopes, dreams and over 70 years of cummulative experience of its founders.

Our Teachers

Karen Nattrass, MA

Memories from my childhood – days spent outside exploring, playing in the mud, dressing up, and pretending- are precious to me. I hold my memories close and draw on them constantly as inspiration for activities and play spaces at Room to Grow. I believe that every child deserves a memorable childhood.

I came to early childhood education in a round about way…I accompanied my oldest son to a parent participation preschool. My son eventually went to kindergarten, but I never left preschool! From the very first I knew I had found a field that engaged both my brain and my heart.  My master’s degree in Human Ecology has helped me understand the interconnected nature of early learning.  Now I see myself as a kind of ‘translator’, someone who can help children, parents, teachers, and other adults see, hear, understand, and appreciate the wonderful world of early childhood and the incredible learning that happens for every child.

Claudia McIntyre

Intro coming soon…

Kristin Chapman, Studio Teacher

Most of my early childhood memories reside in rural Illinois where I lived till the age of 5. I spent a lot of time on my grandparents farm and every summer after we moved to California. I have fond memories of catching fireflies, jumping in piles of leaves, picking up the fallen apples for the pigs, wagon races down the hill with my cousins and just playing. I didn’t realize how valuable that time was until I became a parent and struggled to find other children for my child to play with... particularly outside. I first came to Room to Grow as a parent looking for a place for my child to have an experience with other children. I found not only that, but a place that embraced a child’s ideas, encouraged problem solving and promoted outdoor play. Now that my children are school age, I have chosen to stay at Room to Grow, as an early educator. Utilizing my background in art and design, I am known as the Studio Teacher (Atelierista) at Room to Grow. Where much of the art we do in the studio or atelier is processed based. I am a curious being and a creative explorer. I am passionate about learning and believe that the best way to learn is through the experience of doing. I believe wholeheartedly in the process (not the product). I look forward to witnessing your child’s journey in art and play at Room to Grow.

Gwen Anaya

I grew up in Pleasanton, and when I was a kid we spent our summers camping and rafting. My grandmother’s house had the Umpqua river in the backyard, and I was rowing by the time I was a young teen. We would launch from her yard in the morning and get picked up downriver at the end of the day. Being outside has always been an important part of my life. I still love to camp, hike, and raft with my family, and I also love to read, learn, and make things. 

I am certified from Las Positas College as an associate preschool teacher, and I have been a childcare provider for over 12 years. I am passionate about early childhood education and the importance of play, encouraging curiosity, fostering a love of learning, and experiencing nature and the outdoors. I discovered Room To Grow while on a field trip for a class, and I knew immediately that it was a magical place that I wanted to be a part of. I started here as a parent participant, and am so excited to join the team of wonderful teachers and am thankful to be a part of the RTG community. 

Kara Blair

I grew up with my family in a lot of places along the East Coast. As a child, my mother told us we had to play outside until dinner. I spent a lot of time exploring the woods and watersheds of New Jersey, wandering through swamps in my red rubber boots and climbing trees barefoot. Many summers found me in Utah with my grandparents, learning how to irrigate their large garden and harvest the fruit trees. The beaches of Florida introduced me to the calming sensation of warm sand and the beauty of a sunset. Early adult years found me full-time in Utah, following more experienced friends on hikes and bike rides through the grand mountains of the Wasatch Front. I moved to California when I married my husband, Eric. We have 4 children and I love to take them camping and to the beach in this gorgeous state. I still hike, run, play. In my quieter moments I love a good book, and nothing beats a chilled movie theater with almost any type of movie, as long as I have Junior Mints. I love watching children respond to the same simple joys of being outside. Of exploring and discovering. I’ve been active in preschools that endorse the natural process of discovery for 12 years. I’m grateful to be part of the Room to Grow community.