GIRAFAS Play & Learn

GIRAFAS Play & Learn is the first and only full-time Portuguese Immersion School for children ages 0 to 12 in Brooklyn, NY.

GIRAFAS Play & Learn, a Portuguese Immersion School, for children ages 0 to 12, was founded by NYS and Montessori certified early childhood educator Mônica Rocha.

Over a decade of work with children and parents revealed that there was a special opportunity to enhance the learning potential of the Brooklyn youth through a language-driven approach.

In 2010, GIRAFAS launched Portuguese immersion playgroups, which allowed children and parents to connect and develop stronger relationships through safe, fun, engaging activities, in a supportive and nurturing environment. The program has expanded since 2011 and in 2014 GIRAFAS became the first and only full-time Portuguese Immersion Preschool in the NYC area. 

Mission

• Our mission is to develop independent culturally conscious world citizens, by teaching children the importance of expressing themselves in Portuguese as a new tongue or preserving it as their heritage language, while inspiring them to appreciate the cultural diversities that distinguish and unite us.

Our Environment

Neighborhood

Conveniently located in the heart Fort Greene, GIRAFAS is surrounded by all major subway lines for an effortless commute. The school is just a block away from Fort Greene Park, which our students visit daily to remain in contact with nature, play, and learn.

Our Classrooms

The Montessori way dictates that “The first aim of the prepared environment is, as far as it is possible, to render the growing child independent of the adult.” (Standing, Maria Montessori - Her Life and Work - pp. 267). With that mission in mind, we've carefully designed our classroom environment to feel like an extension of our children's homes. Our classroom conditions create a place where our scholars feel welcome, safe, and confident enough to take ownership of their surroundings through learning and exploration. 

This nurturing space, created by our trained instructors, demonstrates the care, respect, and love we at GIRAFAS hold for children. We're well aware of the crucial influence classroom setups can have on a child’s mood and behavior. 

Our space is designed with organic and natural materials, neutral colors, walls without distractions, and proper lighting. The aesthetic beauty and simplicity allow our scholars to focus on the work at hand in the different curriculum areas of the classroom: practical life, sensorial, mathematics, language, and cultural. We've also given great importance to our Peace Corner, in this cozy little nook students can have a peaceful moment. 

Montessori believed that children must be offered what is most beautiful and pleasing to the eye to help them enter into a “more refined and subtle world.” The strategic display of materials in our classrooms invite children to work independently and discover their potential. 

Our safe and cozy space provides children the freedom to develop without the interference of the adult, giving them a sense of trust in the environment and the teachers. Montessori believed that “such an environment provides the foundation for an integrated life,” as it celebrates and respects children's innate curiosity and motivates a lifelong love of learning (Montessori, The Discovery of Childhood - pp. 52-53).