Meet Christi & Hana Lewkow of Treehouse Tots Preschool in Culver City and Playa Vista

Today we’d like to introduce you to Christi & Hana Lewkow.

Christi & Hana, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
We are two sisters who always dreamed of opening a preschool of our very own. With 15 plus combined years as Lead Teachers and Directors at prior preschools under our belts, we decided to take a leap of faith and open a quaint, boutique-style preschool on our property in the Culver City/Playa Vista neighborhood. We share an avid love and appreciation for nature and the great outdoors and felt like it was tremendously important to pass this on to future generations. Especially in an urban city where it can difficult to immerse one-self in nature, we decided to bring elements of nature into our classroom as much as possible. One example of this is implementing a “Growing Foods Program” where children tend to their organic garden on a daily basis and incorporate their homegrown goodies into snack and lunch often. While priding ourselves on having our children prepared for Kindergarten and beyond with an Emergent curriculum & a blended philosophy, there is equal emphasis on teaching kindness, compassion, and community. Days at Treehouse Tots Preschool are filled with love, laughter & family. And dance parties…Lots of dance parties!

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
At times the road seemed a bit like driving on the 405 during rush hour, but we couldn’t imagine it any other way. There’s not a day that goes by that we don’t pinch ourselves with gratitude. Our success hasn’t been without blood, sweat and tears though (mostly from late nights of building classroom furniture). From settings up a booth at the local farmer’s market, in an organic attempt to meet families nearby, to our regular 12+ hour days, we have prided ourselves on being super hands-on and self-sufficient every step of the way & have done it with a smile on our faces.

When we opened our schoolhouse in October of 2014, we only had 2 students enrolled on the very first day. Within 3 months, our preschool was filled to capacity with a growing wait list. In September of 2016, we proudly opened the doors to our second schoolhouse, already with full enrollment.

The support of our loved ones and amazing new teachers has made the expansion a wild and humbling success!

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Treehouse Tots Preschool – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
We are known for creating a safe and nurturing haven for 3 to 5 years old and their families. As sisters who value family above all else, we give our families a unique, individualized experience. Although finding a preschool in Los Angles can sometimes feel like a grueling & overwhelming process, we understand how difficult it is entrusting your most precious beings in another person’s hands. What we find most important is that parents drop their children off every single day, knowing that their children are in a loving and supportive environment.

While we are located on a bustling street, the moment families enter our gate, they are transported into to a tranquil and magical world of learning. When parents come to tour our school, a comment we most often get is “You girls have created something truly special. I would feel so comfortable sending my child to school here because this is a place I would want to spend my own days”.

When we expanded, we made a conscious effort not to open up a center, move our school into bigger space or compromise our low teacher-to-child ratio for fear of losing the intimacy we have worked so hard to create. While we are home-based preschool, we feel like we can offer not only what a large center can, but much, much more.

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
We are constantly striving to better ourselves as teachers and the school as a whole. We not only wear the hats as owners but also Lead Teachers in the classroom daily, which provides us with a unique opportunity to view the school through both lenses. Through workshops and personal education we feel that we are on the cutting edge of maximizing potential learning and development.

We will always stay grounded in our commitment to providing a unique and fulling preschool experience for families in our local communities.

Contact Info:

• Address: 5460 Inglewood Blvd
  Culver City, CA, 90230
• Website: www.treehousetots.com
• Phone: (310)437-0329
• Email: info@treehousetots.com
• Instagram: treehousetotspreschool