Photo by Audrey Daniel / audreydaniel.com
Christine Labbe
Christine Labbe has devoted over 25 years professionally to childhood education, but it was the experience of being a new mother that prompted her to open Arc en Ciel in 2007. Her personal experience inspired her to want to help new parents balance the demands of living, working, and learning to be with their young children.
She holds a Masters in Art from California College of Arts, which supports a creative orientation toward daily activities.
For two years Christine taught Kindergarten at Los Charcos, a bilingual Waldorf school in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, where she learned how to run a classroom in accord with the natural rhythms of children.
She taught art K-6 for 10 years at San Francisco Day School. Eighteen years ago she started theartlabbe, a French/English bilingual summer art program in Bernal Heights. She is a Waldorf parent and followed the Waldorf training in San Francisco and in Sacramento, CA.
“Christine has a very relaxed vibe and is focused on giving the kids a very wholesome daycare environment. No tvs, only arts & crafts, outdoor play and healthy food. When our son joined he was 1.5, one of the youngest, now going on nearly 3, he’s one of the older kids there and Christine has really helped develop him into a calm confident little kid who loves art and play. ”
“Arc en Ciel is the preschool you wished you had gone to as a kid. Christine creates the most calm and nurturing atmosphere. Our daughter spent a year and half at Arc en Ciel before she aged out - cannot recommend it enough, a really special little school.”