Every child is a capable, curious learner.
We build our days, environment, and curriculum around this belief.
We believe childhood is not a race. Every child arrives with their own unique gifts, their own pace, and their own way of making sense of the world. Our job is not to rush that process. It is to honor it.
We create a space where children feel safe enough to take risks, loved enough to make mistakes, and supported enough to grow into the remarkable little humans they already are.
Our Philosophy
Our Approach
Montessori
The Montessori philosophy is built on a simple but powerful idea: children learn best when they are free to choose, move, and work at their own pace. At the preschool, this means materials available for children to select what calls to them and work with it for as long as their curious minds empower them.
It mirrors life. Dr. Maria Montessori inspired us to teach children practical living skills that build genuine confidence: setting the table, helping prepare a snack, caring for their classroom, and learning to dress themselves. These aren't small tasks. They are the foundation of independence.
Reggio Emilia Inspired
The Reggio Emilia inspired approach sees the child as a capable researcher: someone who is actively constructing knowledge through exploration, relationships, and creativity. At the preschool, this means making space for safety constrained free play, for process-driven over outcome-driven learning, and for growth that gets a little messy sometimes.
We document what we observe — photographing, recording, and reflecting on each child's discoveries because we believe their learning journey deserves to be seen and celebrated. In a Reggio-inspired classroom, the environment itself is a teacher, designed with intention to spark wonder at every turn.
Where These Two Philosophies Meet
Montessori and Reggio Emilia inspired philosophies share something essential at their core: deep respect for the child. Both approaches ask educators to slow down, observe carefully, and follow the child's lead rather than impose a one-size-fits-all curriculum. Our objective is not to fill a child with facts, but to cultivate and grow their own natural desire to learn.
Marigolds and Cosmos brings these philosophies together through a set of shared principles that guide everything we do:
The classroom as the third teacher.
Our environment is thoughtfully arranged to invite curiosity, independence, and connection.
Observation as the foundation of curriculum.
We watch your child closely. What lights them up? What challenges them? What do they return to again and again? We build learning experiences around those discoveries.
Documentation as celebration.
We capture and share your child's growth so that their learning journey is visible, meaningful, and remembered.
Dignity and kindness in every interaction.
Every child, every family, and every educator in our community is treated with love and respect — always.
What Does This Mean For My Child?
Independence
They know how to try before they ask for help. They believe they are capable.
Curiosity
They ask questions. They wonder. They are not afraid to explore something new.
Kindness
They treat living things: people, animals, and plants with care and gentleness.
Confidence
They have been seen, heard, and celebrated enough times to know their voice matters.
Readiness
Academically, emotionally, and socially ready to take on what comes next with resilience and joy.
Preschool vs. Daycare
Many families use the terms "preschool" and "daycare" interchangeably, but there's an important distinction. Daycare provides safe, loving supervision and care. A preschool goes further than this standard.
Every part of our day is intentionally designed as a learning experience. Using both Montessori and Reggio Emilia inspired approaches, our educators observe each child closely and shape curriculum around their individual interests and needs.
Our 4:1 student ratio means every child is deliberately known and seen. Children build real independence through practical life skills, creative exploration, and play-based learning in an environment designed to spark curiosity at each opportunity.
Philanthropy
We believe that every child deserves a safe, nurturing place to grow. That does not stop at the boundaries of our classrooms. That's why we are proud to partner with Georgia Kids Belong and Atlanta Angels in support of children in the foster care system across Georgia. It takes a village, and we're committed to making ours bigger and brighter.
Georgia Kids Belong
Georgia Kids Belong is on a mission to ensure every child in Georgia's foster care system finds a safe, loving place to belong. Through their I Belong Project, they advocate for the approximately 400 Georgia children waiting to be adopted — children whose parental rights have been terminated and who need a permanent family to call their own. They also connect foster families with resources, training, and community support so that children in temporary care are surrounded by stability and love.
This mission speaks directly to our heart. Every child deserves to feel safe, seen, and celebrated. We are proud to stand alongside Georgia Kids Belong in making that a reality for more children across our state.
To learn more, foster, adopt, or support Georgia's foster families, visit georgiakidsbelong.org.
Atlanta Angels
Atlanta Angels is a nonprofit organization transforming the foster care experience in Metro Atlanta by walking alongside children, youth, and foster families through intentional giving, relationship building, and mentorship. They believe that belonging changes everything and that every child deserves to feel it. Through personalized care, consistent community support, and one-on-one mentorship for youth aging out of the system, Atlanta Angels works to change the statistics of foster care one relationship at a time.
We are proud to stand with Atlanta Angels in that mission. Every child in our classroom and beyond deserves to feel safe, seen, and surrounded by people who believe in them.
To volunteer, mentor, give, or get involved, visit atlantaangels.org.
Come See It In Action
We would love to welcome your family into our village! Enrollment for the current season is full, but we invite you to join our waiting list and come experience the Marigolds and Cosmos learning philosophies for yourself.