Principles of our Reggio Emilia approach

Display of children's watercolor paintings featuring rainbow-like stripes and abstract patterns, arranged on a wall with questions about their creative process.

  • Children are seen as strong, capable, and full of potential, with a natural curiosity that drives their learning.

  • Learning happens in many ways—through art, movement, play, storytelling, and more. Children express themselves in diverse and creative ways.

  • Educators act as guides and collaborators, observing, listening, and supporting children’s exploration rather than simply providing answers.

  • Classrooms are thoughtfully designed to inspire creativity, exploration, and collaboration, with natural materials, open-ended spaces, and documentation displays.

  • Children engage in long-term, inquiry-based projects that emerge from their interests, encouraging deep thinking and problem-solving.

  • Teachers document children’s work through photos, notes, and displays to make learning visible, reflect on progress, and engage families in the process.

  • Learning is a shared experience between children, teachers, and families, fostering a strong sense of community and connection.

  • Play is an essential part of learning, allowing children to explore, experiment, and make sense of the world in a joyful and meaningful way.

  • Children holding a small, brown snake outdoors on a dirt ground.
  • Child standing on a painted, cracked outdoor surface in a park or backyard.
  • A young boy drawing on a piece of paper with a pencil at an outdoor workspace, surrounded by various drawing tools and measuring instruments.
  • Child playing in a sandbox filled with dirt, with toy construction vehicles and a yellow plastic scoop. The sandbox is outdoors on grass, and the child is reaching into the dirt.
  • Child’s hand drawing on paper with a purple marker, with various drawings and notes scattered on the table. Two small pinecone objects, one at the top and one at the bottom of the image, and a glass jar with a plant are also on the table. The table has colorful scribbles and a paper with the partially visible text 'Sweet Gum'.
  • A young girl with blonde hair kneeling on grass, looking at a heart-shaped container filled with ripened blackberries and some sand or dirt. She is wearing a floral dress and pink jewelry, and there are green leaves with small berries in the foreground.
  • A child wearing a red t-shirt with a mermaid graphics and the words 'Malice Beach Florida' embroidered on it, is drawing or writing on a piece of paper with a blue marker, on a light wooden table.
  • Two children are painting on sheets of paper placed on a wooden table outdoors. One girl with curly hair is using paintbrushes with colored paints, and a boy with brown hair is also painting.
  • A group of children playing together in a sandbox, some digging and using toy shovels.
  • Person working on a craft project with a strip of blue and white fabric on a green cutting mat.
  • A group of monarch butterflies inside a screened enclosure, some flying and some perched on a branch.
  • A young boy with brown hair wearing a gray shirt holding a spray bottle, standing outside near a garden with plants in a container, a chain-link fence, and a green wall.
  • A classroom has a large wooden table with clipboards, papers, colorful cloths, and artwork on it. Several wooden chairs surround the table. There is another table with various items in the background, and a window with rocks and decorations on the sill.
  • A table with various watercolor paints and painted paper with colorful abstract designs, children’s feet visible around the table, and a basket in the center.
  • A woman and four young children painting outdoors on concrete sidewalk with paint and brushes, grass in background.
  • Two children's drawings of faces on paper, with a jar holding colored pencils and two small mirrors on a wooden table.
  • Four children stand outside in front of a large tie-dye sheet hung on a chain-link fence, with trees and parked cars visible in the background on a sunny day.
  • A young girl with blonde hair bends over and looks at a container of blackberries and sand on the ground outdoors, surrounded by green grass and leaves.

The Atelier and the Atelierista.

At Blossom Heights School, inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach, the Atelier is a vibrant, creative space where children explore, experiment, and express their ideas through various artistic and sensory materials. This studio serves as a hub for inquiry, imagination, and collaboration, encouraging children to communicate their thoughts in multiple ways—known as the "hundred languages" of children.

Guiding this exploration is our Atelierista, a dedicated artist-educator who works alongside students and teachers to integrate artistic expression into everyday learning. The Atelierista fosters curiosity, supports creative problem-solving, and helps children bring their ideas to life through mediums such as painting, sculpture, natural materials, and digital media. This unique role enriches the learning experience, reinforcing the deep connection between creativity and knowledge-building in our Reggio-inspired environment.

A woman smiling in front of a lime green wall, wearing a black shirt, colorful lanyard, and blue tassel earrings.

Mariana Madrigal Mendoza

Blossom Heights School Atelierista

Mariana’s journey with Blossom Heights Child Development Center began in 2012. After spending time back in her native Costa Rica, where she grew up playing outdoors with her sisters, she felt drawn to return because the center deeply resonated with her values and experiences.

She is passionate about the Reggio Emilia approach to learning, which emphasizes hands-on experiences, art, and reflection. Her professional development has been enriched through various trainings, including work with Bev Boss, and was further deepened through attending the NAREA Conference in 2023. She also had the privilege of visiting Reggio Emilia with Blossom Heights director Linda for a conference. There, she learned that the approach emphasizes intentionality, understanding community values, and building meaningful connections through art and hands-on experiences. These values centered around families, children, and teachers continue to shape her work at Blossom Heights School.

Art display with various blue paintings and artwork, including abstract and landscape scenes, set against a yellow wall, with art supplies and framed photographs on the table below.
Art studio workspace with paintings, paintbrushes, and art supplies. Two colorful paintings with quotes about color hang on the wall. Several cups of paint with brushes and a cluttered table are visible.
A wooden table covered with blue, green, and white paint, paintbrushes, cans of blue and green paint, and painted paper. The background shows a wooden chair and a wooden cabinet in an art classroom.
A woman smiling with glasses and gold earrings, wearing a colorful tie-dye shirt with the words 'Blessom Heights' printed on it, standing against a green wall.

Holly Taussig

Pedagogy & Culture

Holly serves as the Director of Pedagogy and Culture at Blossom Heights School, where she guides the development of instructional practices and ensures a cohesive, mission-aligned school culture. With more than 15 years of involvement in Blossom Heights as an observer, teacher, and administrator, she brings a deep understanding of the school’s history and values. She designs and facilitates teacher trainings that strengthen the school’s contextual curriculum and support its ongoing evolution as a Reggio-inspired program. Her role focuses on aligning daily practice with the school’s long-term pedagogical vision.

A woman with short dark hair and green eyes smiling in front of a yellow wall. She is wearing a sleeveless black ribbed top and has tattooed floral designs on her left arm.

Sophie Roppolo

Pedagogical Coordinator

Sophie Roppolo joins Blossom Heights as our Pedagogical Coordinator, bringing over a decade of experience in early childhood education, working with children from 6 weeks to 9 years old in a variety of settings. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Special Education and a Master’s degree in Learning, Development, and Family Sciences from the University of Colorado Denver, completed through Boulder Journey School, a nationally recognized leader in the Reggio Emilia Approach. Sophie is passionate about inquiry-based learning and supporting children, educators, and families through meaningful relationships and reflective practice. She is excited to collaborate with our teaching team, help strengthen our pedagogical vision, and support the continued growth of the Blossom Heights community.

School brochure displaying classes and age groups for Blossom Heights School for the 2026-2027 year, divided into Toddler House, Preschool, Primary, and Elementary levels, with names of specific classes.
Children playing with toy boats and water in a sandbox, with foam and water toys.
Early Childhood
A young girl with dark hair, glasses, and a hair clip is playing a tabletop game outdoors on a wooden table. The game involves numbered circles, poker chips, and tokens. A blue water bottle is on the table, and there is a small basket with toy cars in the background.
Elementary