BEER SHEVA PARK

beer sheva park

A partnership with Seattle Parks and Recreation

Our Be’er Sheva location has a wonderful outdoor space that includes the lake, forest and farm. The park also includes 440 feet of natural stream channel (connecting Mapes Creek to Lake Washington through the park) with rearing habitat for Chinook salmon and native plants along the creek. Several principles that guide our work include building a sense of curiosity and wonder, cultivating civic engagement and stewardship, and using natural materials. We are immersed in the changes from season to season. In the fall, students count colorful tree leaves and build piles and forts to play in. In the winter, students stay warm through active games and adventures exploring the incredible park features. During the spring, students learn about (and taste!) items from the urban farm. 

At Tiny Trees, we use a Place-Based Learning (PBL) approach to developing curriculum. Through observation and activities, students develop a knowledge and appreciation of the plants and animals in our shared spaces. Our teachers work to scaffold students’ understanding of stewardship, connection to place and human impact on nature. We develop opportunities for students to learn about our surrounding neighborhoods and communities, and to build community connections and partnerships. For example, we are grateful for our relationship with the nearby Rainier Beach Urban Farm and Wetlands (RBUFW). Approximately half of RBUFW is dedicated to organic food production (it is Seattle’s largest urban farm!), and the other half of the site is dedicated to restoring the natural wetlands and buffer zone. With the foundation of a strong anti-bias curriculum, we aim to engage students in real-life, meaningful learning around social justice and equity, especially in ways that pertain to our classroom community.

Our outdoor classroom provides numerous learning opportunities and ample materials to inspire imagination and curiosity. Our students learn about planting and growing vegetables, how to harvest herbs and make tea, and visit special park features like the beaches of Lake Washington and the neighboring forest. Students conduct their own experiments, hear and share stories, play with quantities and numbers, and engage with symbols, letters and ideas. Using the evidence-based HighScope curriculum as our framework, our teachers construct their daily plans by focusing on activities that strengthen students’ skills and lessons that align with students’ interests. To learn more about our programming, curriculum and tools that support our work, please visit our About Page.

2023-24 school year information:

This is a Seattle Preschool Program – Pathways location. SPP – Pathways offers free tuition (for 5-day enrollment) for eligible 3 and 4 year old students living within Seattle City limits and whose families are within 350% of the Federal Poverty Line. More information is available online at Seattle Department of Education and Early Learning. If you believe that you are eligible for an SPP-Pathway spot, please reach out to admissions@tinytrees.org.

This is a Working Connections Childcare Subsidy location. To apply for the Working Connections Subsidy, contact the Child Care Subsidy Contact Center at 1-844-626-8687, or apply online through Washington Connection. If you already have a subsidy, you can contact your child care specialist and let them know that Tiny Tree’s provider number is 277852.

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A big thank you to all of the Seattle Parks staff & community allies who have made this school possible.

This Tiny Trees Preschool is a partnership with Seattle Parks and Recreation.