New Spanish Immersion Daycare Coming to Rochester, Minnesota
A new-to-Rochester early childhood education center is expected to open in Northwest Rochester, Minnesota in 2022 (with construction starting this fall). Though owner Natalie Standridge has not named a specific location, it is known it will be near Mayo Clinics' northwest location.
Already in The Cities and Wisconsin, Casa de Corazón is known for being a Spanish immersion center for children. According to their Facebook post, the Rochester location is being started up by franchisee Wendy Letran, who has been with Casa de Corazón for some time (most recently as Academic Coordinator).
"Wendy, her husband Alex, and their two girls (Emma Sofia & Camila Fernanda) will be relocating to Rochester to run the location full time."
If you are curious about size, enrollment (children birth thru pre-K) usually runs around 120 children, with about 27 employees.
Is This Rochester's First Bilingual Center for Children?
No. In 2015, Christina Valdez opened Listos Preschool and Childcare on Second Avenue in Rochester (inside Peace United Church of Christ). Valdez is Executive Director and Viridiana Anguiano is the program director.
How Does It Work
Casa de Corazón and Listos describe similar approaches to early childhood education. Listos Preschool and Childcare put it this way...
The program accommodates all children's language abilities. Children with little or no exposure to either Spanish or English outside of the classroom quickly adapt when immersed in the languages. Children at Listos experience art, math, science, music, literacy, and movement in both Spanish and English.
PERSONAL NOTE: Considering how many languages are spoken in Rochester and throughout Southeastern Minnesota, there's a need for far more than two bilingual children's centers.
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