Our core values

These core values inform everything from our curriculum to our classroom space to our parent engagement, and help us maintain a safe environment for everybody to grow and learn — together.

Play

Play-based learning opens minds, builds sensory/motor development, and fosters friendship and connection.

How PLAY comes to life in our school:

  • our huge collection of crafts, activities, props, and costumes rotates daily or weekly!

  • we all join together in music, dance, and movement every day

  • we go outside to play on our private, fenced-in playground every day (if the weather is crummy, we have an indoor gross-motor play space)

Curiosity

We explore the rich, ever-changing world around us and ask questions about why things are the way they are.

How CURIOSITY comes to life in our school:

  • we wonder what happens if you plant a pumpkin seed inside a pumpkin and water it daily

  • we take field trips to explore new places, like orchards and fire stations

  • we learn about democratic process by voting on our favorite things

Creativity

How CREATIVITY comes to life in our school:

  •  we repurpose found objects like apples and pinecones into paint stamps

  • we dye rice to make our own giant rainbow sensory table

  • we feed the storytelling part of our brains each day with a new book

We spark kids to build, make, and create.

Social-Emotional Growth

We promote attunement to our own feelings and support healthy connection with each others.

How SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL GROWTH comes to life in our school:

  •  snack time is served family style so everyone takes turn serving each other

  • we practice personal space and boundaries when sitting in Circle Time

  • our teacher gently guides children to identify feelings and try nervous-system-regulating techniques

Autonomy

We help kids start to develop a strong executive function, which will carry them through grade school and beyond.

How AUTONOMY comes to life in our school:

  •  the centerpiece of each day is Free Choice, when parents and teacher support each child’s curiosity, desires, and expression

  • everything in our classroom is organized and accessible in labeled bins for kids to explore on their own

  • the first thing a child does when arriving each day is to set belongings in their own personal cubbie and boot mat

Parent Involvement

Kids soar when caregivers are playful, curious, and creative alongside children. (Also, our school runs efficiently, and families make meaningful connections with each other!)

How PARENT INVOLVEMENT comes to life in our school:

  •  each day, two or more parents/caregivers volunteer as ‘assist parents’

  • parents often stay to participate in opening Circle Time or arrive early at playground pick up to play and socialize

  • each family is given an opportunity to own something related to our school’s operation, like making our homemade play dough or planning field trips

Collectively, these values help us create an enduring love of learning in young children, and support them to make choices to engage with each other and the world around them.

We’d love to help your child and family grow. Click here to learn about our enrollment process.

Want to see what a typical day looks like at Glacier Way? Visit our Kids’ Experience page.