A VISION OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
In January 1972, John Hiigli and his wife Dominique, caught in the utopian spirit of the times, started a nursery program in their duplex apartment in Manhattan's Upper West Side, for preschoolers 2 to 5 years of age. The first class of 1972 included their one-year old daughter Zoé.

The home-based nursery known as Le Jardin A L'Ouest (Garden of the West) aimed to provide above all, an early exposure of the French language and culture to very young children. Unique in its approach and experimental in nature, Le Jardin A L'Ouest introduced activities and materials to enrich and support developmental needs and interests for this age group.

Today, more than 3 decades later, with an enrollment of 31 children 2 1/2 to 5 years of age, Le Jardin à L'Ouest continues to develop and cherish this early vision by providing quality education for young children in an small and nurturing setting.

Dedicated, passionate French native teachers are sought above all

• for the ability to understand the potential of growing and learning in two languages and cultures
• for the ability to respect and to view the child and his family as unique and special
• for the ability to perceive their role as crucial during these very impressionable years
• for their ability to view art as an important component of primary education
• for their desire to share knowledge while learning along with children

INSIDE THE BILINGUAL CLASSROOM
Our French language preschool program emerged from the accepted knowledge that the more time a student spends in direct contact with a foreign language, the closer he or she is to accomplish the goal of becoming a fluent speaker.

Teachers who are themselves bilingual, introduce French vocabulary on the first day of attendance, beginning with simple words, common expressions and songs. In the classroom, the child is immediately engaged in learning French, by following predictable, logical steps: listening, decoding, repeating words and sentences and memorizing. With the natural ability to learn through imitation, to explore everything new, to adapt easily to new situations and environments, early childhood is an ideal time for learning an other language.

It is important to emphasize that, although instruction is delivered in French for most activities, English remains the dominant language in the child’s life. In our classrooms, English is also the language preferred and used by the majority of our children to communicate effectively with peers and teachers. This flexibility provides for a natural, smooth adaptation.

As children mature, the ability to make spontaneous translations from one language to the other leads to increased self confidence and to a sense of mastery. In addition, as children’s cognitive abilities develop, a deep awareness of the two different languages, the two different cultures, takes hold.

In conclusion, the dual language experience impacts, stimulates and strengthens the cognitive process as children are led to the development of comparative, analytical and deductive thinking. Individuals who grow up to become bi-lingual display sophisticated intellectual and social skills; they tend to be flexible, open-minded individuals who are at once understanding and accepting of world cultures and differences.

WHO IS THE TYPICAL "JARDIN" FAMILY?
Among the 31 children enrolled ( 15 in the morning, 16 in the afternoon) approximately
one third are French nationals or Franco-American families,
one third are English-speaking families,
one third from other nationalities.

ART CURRICULUM
The preschool maintains a strong art program through various local and international projects organized by Jardin Galerie Ltd, a program founded on the principle that art plays a major role in child development, communication and education.

This principle is based on several beliefs:

• Through the focused practice of a theme-based art curriculum, young children construct and multiply development of their first mathematical instruments: proximity, separation, enclosure and order;
• Through art, children learn to communicate, read and write in a way that is natural and effective,
  in a peaceful and fun environment;
• Art develops the "whole" child cognitively, emotionally and socially;
• Children express their own unique version of cultural heritage as well as their individual differences.

ABOUT THE DIRECTORS
	Dominique Hiigli Bordereaux, a native of Compiègne, France, has lived in New York since 1969. She holds a Master's Degree in Early Childhood Education from Bank Street College and the New York State permanent certification (Early Childhood Education). She is responsible for admitting children and performs all office and business related tasks.
	John Arden Hiigli, a native of Union Mills, Indiana, has lived in New York Since 1966. He holds a Master's Degree in Early Childhood Education from Bank Street College. Apart from being a teacher of young children he is also an artist and inventor. In 2001 he founded Jardin Galerie Ltd., a not-for-profit children's art gallery and website with his daughter, Zoe.