Our History

Originally established in the 1960's as St. Bartholomew's Nursery School, Room to Grow was even then a leader in early childhood education, offering parent participation preschool to the Livermore community. Play-based learning with a strong emphasis on the development of positive social skills was the core philosophy of the school.  Room to Grow reached out to the community, collaborating with a local nonprofit agency, CAPE, Inc to provide opportunities for quality preschool to underprivileged families throughout the Head Start program.  The original Room to Grow closed in 1989.

In 2007, St Bartholomew's Episcopal Church again offered its classrooms and grounds to the community as a site for an early childhood program.  A  trio of local early childhood professionals, Karen Nattrass,  Debbie Vigil, and Debbie Lignell , MFT. responded to this offer with a proposal for a parent participation preschool program grounded in theory and best practice.  Together the partners formed a nonprofit corporation, adopting the original Room to Grow name and committed to providing both high quality preschool and parent education. Over a five month period they worked to renovate and equip the facility.  In October of 2007 Room to Grow welcomed its first children.  The program represents the realization of the hopes, dreams and over 70 years of cummulative experience of its founders.

Our teachers

Karen Nattrass, MA

Memories from my childhood – days spent outside exploring, playing in the mud, dressing up, and pretending- are precious to me. I hold my memories close and draw on them constantly as inspiration for activities and play spaces at Room to Grow. I believe that every child deserves a memorable childhood.

I came to early childhood education in a round about way…I accompanied my oldest son to a parent participation preschool. My son eventually went to kindergarten, but I never left preschool! From the very first I knew I had found a field that engaged both my brain and my heart.  My master’s degree in Human Ecology has helped me understand the interconnected nature of early learning.  Now I see myself as a kind of ‘translator’, someone who can help children, parents, teachers, and other adults see, hear, understand, and appreciate the wonderful world of early childhood and the incredible learning that happens for every child.

GiGi Ramos

Hi there! My name is Gwendolyn, but around these parts I’m known as GiGi. I’ve worked in early childhood education since receiving my Bachelors in Arts in Theater Arts and Education from the University of California Santa Cruz in 2005. 15 years later and I’m still amazed by how much we all can learn through hands-on experience and play. I am currently pursuing a Masters in Early Childhood Education: Supervision & Leadership @ St. Mary’s College of California.

I love to sing, dance, make wishes and of course PLAY. I try my best to explore the natural beauty we have here in the Bay Area and frequently take day trips with my dog, “Eden”. I also have a love for sports. Baseball is my hands down favorite; GO GIANTS! My love of teaching and baseball I got from my Grandmother. I’m passionate about everything we strive for here at Room To Grow. My experiences with children continue to inspire me everyday. The chance to influence just one child’s learning journey pushes me to continue my own. My number one goal is to take the time to listen to each child, because you never know who could have the next “big idea”.  

Kara Blair 

I grew up with my family in a lot of places along the East Coast. As a child, my mother told us we had to play outside until dinner. I spent a lot of time exploring the woods and watersheds of New Jersey, wandering through swamps in my red rubber boots and climbing trees barefoot. Many summers found me in Utah with my grandparents, learning how to irrigate their large garden and harvest the fruit trees. The beaches of Florida introduced me to the calming sensation of warm sand and the beauty of a sunset. Early adult years found me full-time in Utah, following more experienced friends on hikes and bike rides through the grand mountains of the Wasatch Front. I moved to California when I married my husband, Eric. We have 4 children and I love to take them camping and to the beach in this gorgeous state. I still hike, run, play. In my quieter moments I love a good book, and nothing beats a chilled movie theater with almost any type of movie, as long as I have Junior Mints. I love watching children respond to the same simple joys of being outside. Of exploring and discovering. I’ve been active in preschools that endorse the natural process of discovery for 12 years. I’m grateful to be part of the Room to Grow community.

Gwen Anaya

I grew up in Pleasanton, and when I was a kid we spent our summers camping and rafting. My grandmother’s house had the Umpqua river in the backyard, and I was rowing by the time I was a young teen. We would launch from her yard in the morning and get picked up downriver at the end of the day. Being outside has always been an important part of my life. I still love to camp, hike, and raft with my family, and I also love to read, learn, and make things. 

I am certified from Las Positas College as an associate preschool teacher, and I have been a childcare provider for over 12 years. I am passionate about early childhood education and the importance of play, encouraging curiosity, fostering a love of learning, and experiencing nature and the outdoors. I discovered Room To Grow while on a field trip for a class, and I knew immediately that it was a magical place that I wanted to be a part of. I started here as a parent participant, and am so excited to join the team of wonderful teachers and am thankful to be a part of the RTG community. 

Kristin Chapman

Most of my early childhood memories reside in rural Illinois where I lived till the age of 5. I spent a lot of time on my grandparents farm and every summer after we moved to California. I have fond memories of catching fireflies, jumping in piles of leaves, picking up the fallen apples for the pigs, wagon races down the hill with my cousins and just playing. I didn’t realize how valuable that time was until I became a parent and struggled to find other children for my child to play with... particularly outside. I first came to Room to Grow as a parent looking for a place for my child to have an experience with other children. I found not only that, but a place that embraced a child’s ideas, encouraged problem solving and promoted outdoor play. Now that my children are school age, I have chosen to stay at Room to Grow as an Art Specialist. I hold a bachelors in Art and Design from San Jose State. And have worked for the last 10+ years as a commercial artist and exhibited locally as a fine artist. I like to bounce between mediums but I favor working with letterforms, conceptual photography and creating things with found objects. Most of all I enjoy family drawing sessions with my husband and 2 children. I am a curious being and a creative explorer. I am passionate about learning and believe that the best way to learn is through the experience of doing. I believe wholeheartedly in the process (not the product). I look forward to witnessing your child’s journey in art and play at Room to Grow.

Katie Low

Preschool marks this amazing moment when children are emerging into the world more fully as individuals. They are learning to master their minds, emotions, and bodies. As a teacher I seek to aid the child on their journey of discovery. This relationship requires that I trust the child and that the child trusts me, an honor for the teacher!

When I was a teenager and in college I worked every summer at The Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo Summer Camp Program. I was placed with the preschoolers by chance, and this age group has remained my favorite. I loved this job so much, working my way from assistant to running the program. Every morning I knew the day was full of excited kids learning in a “hands on” way; creativity flowed! One day we would make structures with hundreds of cardboard boxes, the next would bring kiddie pools full of oobleck. I have this same feeling about Room to Grow, you can tell that what happens in this place matters.

Somewhere in my journey I majored in Literature, and Philosophy; and ended up with a Masters in Elementary Education. Somehow in my mind all of these studies work together at Room to Grow. I see children “make their mind” and wrestle with very foundational concepts, all while they create a narrative of their world. It is fascinating!