We would be honored to serve you and your family

Our Story

Founder Carol Thomsen reading a book to three pre-schoolers sitting on a benchCarol Thomsen

Our Founder

Meet Our Founder

The vision of All Five was inspired by 30 years of teaching early childhood education, in low-and high-income communities.  Founder Carol Thomsen experienced young children being treated very differently in their first five years of life.  Children from low-income families were assumed to need to be told how to learn and what to do, even though research shows that approach does not work and does not last.  Children from high-income families were being nurtured using the latest research:  their curiosity respected and rewarded with the opportunity to direct their own learning.  That kind of learning has been shown to stick.

All Five is committed to bringing equity to early education, to the time when children’s brains grow the most.

Since opening in 2015, All Five has hired and trained ten teachers, six from the East Palo Alto/Belle Haven community. Three moms of children who attend or graduated from All Five, also from the community, have been inspired to become early education teachers.

Prior to All Five, Carol taught at, directed and founded several early education programs, including at Stanford’s Bing Nursery School, Stanford Sierra Camp, and at Head Start.  During her Stanford undergraduate days, she also taught water-skiing, back-country skiing, swimming and spent two years in Indonesia.  She and her husband have raised two children in the community.

All Five Values

Vision

All Five is committed to building an equitable society, where each family, no matter their background, has access to high quality early childhood education for their children in a nurturing and respectful learning community.

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Creativity

We provide our students with a nurturing environment and utilize an emergent curriculum to create joy in learning that is sustained over time.

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Professionalism

We are committed to continuous learning and to maintaining a self-reflective team of teachers.

 

 

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Community

We practice nurturing and respect for all to provide a foundation for children and families to flourish.

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Environment

We practice care for our environment so it will continue to provide for us.

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Appreciation

We value the unique presence that each child and adult brings to the world. 

Our Teachers

Our Supporting Staff

Our Board

Our Advisory Board

Peggy Pizzo

Peggy Pizzo

Founder and Former Director, of Early Learning Project, Stanford University Graduate School of Education
Darian Richardson

Darian Richardson

Global Community Lead, Infrastructure Diversity and Inclusion, Facebook

Our Partners

Kiwanis International of Palo Alto
Literacy Partners Menlo Park
Ravenswood City School District
Ravenswood Education Foundation
New Teacher
EPAK Foundation
Bring a Book
Virtual Dental Health and Ravenswood Family Health

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