Welcome To The Hickory Classroom!

Meet our teachers, view our space, and find your child’s daily schedule

Meet Our Hickory Room Team!

Miss Jess

Lead Teacher • Hickory

Year Joined: 2019

Favorite Book 📘: Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne

Favorite Quote: “Do you remember your favorite teachers? They were probably the ones who wanted to learn your name; who had a warm smile; who made you feel that they were glad to be there to help you learn. No matter how old or young we are, we learn best from people who care about us. That relationship grows when teachers are friendly, respectful, and interested in us as unique human beings.” — Fred Rogers

Miss Caitlyn

Co-Teacher • Hickory

Year Joined: 2023

Favorite Book 📘: Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

Favorite Quote: “When you can’t find the sunshine, be the sunshine.”

The Hickory classroom is thoughtfully designed for our preschool-aged children, typically between 3 and 4 years old.

Our child-led, play-based curriculum focuses on building comfortability within a group setting, establishing routines,

strengthening independent skills, and nurturing social and emotional skills in the early years!

While in the Hickory classroom, children begin to explore friendships more deeply, often transitioning from

associative play to collaborative play—learning how to work with others toward a shared goal.

Kids are born explorers,
We foster growth by letting them continue to do so.

Upon entering the classroom, you will quickly notice our nature-inspired materials and collections of loose parts intended to stimulate imaginative play in our young learners. The children have ownership over their space, and teachers work to create an environment that fosters exploration and collaborative learning. Within the classroom and outdoors, we lean into the ever-changing interests of the group. This may lead us to explore animal science one week, and monster trucks the next!

2-4

Outdoor Hours Each Day

8:1

Our Target Student To Teacher Ratio

3-4 Years

Age Group of Hickory Classroom

The Hickory Curriculum

Learning With Your Hands In The Dirt

Much of our day in the Hickory classroom is spent playing and learning outdoors, where we nurture a deep respect, love, and appreciation for the natural world. Children are frequently immersed in rich sensory experiences—splashing in water, digging in sand, and getting wonderfully messy in mud. You’ll often find them knee-deep in puddles, practicing their balance as they cross log bridges, or joyfully rolling tires down the big hill! We encourage supported risk-taking, as children in the Hickory age group are often discovering limits and learning to trust their own bodies. We love to celebrate that special moment when a child beams with pride after crossing a wobbly log or climbing onto a large rock for the first time! There are few things more rewarding than watching a child’s confidence grow in real time.

Our expansive outdoor space offers countless opportunities to extend learning beyond the classroom walls. Music and movement experiences often come outside with us—complete with instruments, dancing scarves, and parachute games that bring joy and creative expression into the open air. We also strongly believe in providing process-oriented art experiences, encouraging the children to explore materials and express their creativity through painting, drawing, cutting, sculpting, gluing, and designing, all with minimal direction from their teachers. Creativity is also nurtured through dramatic play experiences—whether it’s cooking up mud pies, selling rocks as “ice cream,” or pretending that sticks are actually magic wands.

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