What is farm school?

Farm school is school - on a farm. It’s just like it sounds. Our students partake in a math and letter based curriculum that encourages hands-on learning and exploratory adventures. At a farm school kids get to learn and get muddy. They enjoy fresh air and exposure to wildlife, while also developing core reading and arithmetic skills.

Farm school goes beyond childhood unplugged. It invites your kids to be fully present in developing their beautiful minds and inventive imaginations at once.

What do you teach?

We offer a nature-based learning environment where students are encouraged to explore their interests and discover new adventures. We focus on developing vital independent skills and core-based curriculum, including counting, handwriting, and letter blending.

Where are you located?

Our outdoor nature preschool is located in beautiful Enumclaw, Washington, roughly an hour for Seattle and just 20 minutes from Maple Valley.

Where do kids go to the bathroom?

There are two porta potties on campus that the kids use, along with handwashing stations. Kids who are comfortable nature peeing are also welcome to do so.

When do you close school?

While we firmly believe there’s “no bad weather, just bad clothing (choices),” there is weather so extreme that we close the school for the safety of our students and teachers. Extreme weather includes lightning, poor air quality, extreme flooding, high wind or extreme circumstances that make it unsafe to be outside. In case we are forced to cancel class, a makeup day to the end of the school year. Should a lightning storm or other dangerous weather happen mid-class, teachers will bring students down to the house while waiting for a parent to arrive for pick-up.

(In case of more than 5 days of extreme weather, please refer to the “Acts of God” clause under “Release of these policies in the schools’ policy and handbook that will need to be signed before your student’s first day.)

How do you handle biting?

Preschoolers sometimes bite! This is normal behavior, but it will not be tolerated. If a student bites and breaks or bruises the skin, an accident/incident report will be filled out for both the biting child and the bitten child. If the biting child does so two times in one day, the parent will be called to come pick them up.

We will try our best to redirect this behavior and keep it under control.

Unfortunately, it can happen quickly and cannot always be stopped in time. If the child continues to bite, I will call a parent conference to find a solution. If the child bites and bruises/breaks skin five or more times in one week, that is grounds for expulsion. Please keep in mind that we will work as hard as possible to prevent terminating a child, but we have a responsibility to keep the environment safe for the other children enrolled.

Will I get updates about my child throughout the day?

You may occasionally receive updates throughout the day, but it’s not guaranteed. Diaper changes in the Little Dandelions class are documented in Bright Wheel. Other updates for Little Dandelions may be documented, such as bottles and naps.

Curriculum updates for the Sunflowers class are often provided at the end of each week, including topics covered, new discoveries made, and any topics to discuss at home. More updates are also shared though the school’s Instagram and Facebook page, alone ith the parent’s only Facebook group.