Updates – Sunflower Preschool LLC

We use this “Updates” space to post ongoing updates about the space and program.

March 30, 2025

Whew! Coming off of spring break there are a few things to note.

PRESCHOOL FOR ALL (PFA)

I checked with our “Navigator” and she alerted me that we could apply for a mid-year start (January 2026) of PFA. So I applied for Sunflower now that we have 6+ months of operations. If we are allocated spots, they would start in January 2026, and eligible children — age 3 or 4 by Sept 2025 who live in Multnomah County — who are already enrolled at Sunflower would be likely get “continuity of care” spots (basically priority seating). So that’s a possibility. I have requested the timeline for when we will know if we receive slots for January, and when the enrollment process for January slots would occur. I’ll keep you posted.

It seems worth calling forward that the open enrollment for Preschool for All happens this month (April 2025) for September 2025 slots. We are supposed to encourage all eligible families to apply — so if your household is eligible, consider applying! If you apply, you will not see Sunflower Preschool yet (because we don’t have slots). And if you receive a slot at another school, you can turn down the offer. So as much as we want all of our current families to stick with us, we get that a lot of factors go into childcare decisions, and fully support exploring options. We’ll do our best to keep supplying relevant information as households navigate.

PLAY YARD: NEW STUMPS

Over the break we (by “we” I mean Gene and Jim The Arborist) did the thankless task of pruning big trees. I caught a cool picture of Jim up high.

Gene also spent a lot of time cutting up stumps for the playyard (thank you, Gene!). Some backstory: We are not allowed to let the children climb higher than 18” unless they have a soft fall zone. The crates are 10.5”. So the children can only stand on one crate to try to look over the fence: usually they want to see Gene if he is around, or they like to see Pepper, the neighbor’s dog to the east. Or there’s often gentle foot traffic along 57th. And garbage trucks on Wednesdays and Fridays (we heart garbage trucks). Anyways, the children have been frustrated with just one crate, and not being able to see. We remind them that they are growing so much each year and one day they will be able to see over the fence. Now, with the addition of these “viewing stumps” they’ll be a bit higher! I’m also curious to see what other uses and play they find for the stumps. R was helping me roll them into the playyard and informed me that a set of two, when you walked between them, were metal detectors. I hadn’t thought of that possibility. Oh the power of imagination.

POWER OF PLAY (KRISTEN DAY)

On a related note, we (Isaiah, Katie and I) spent the first Saturday of Spring Break at an all-day conference with Kristen Day. It was fantastic and reinforced so many of the principles and strategies we use with our “play based, child-led” program. Here are a few examples and takeaways that might be of interest to parents.

Definition of Play (by Dr. Peter Gray):

chosen by the child
guided by the child
intrinsically motivated
process based

*The importance of *creativity* and how quickly it declines: from 98% in 2-year-olds, and 2% in grownups.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
How as infants, when the child cries, we go through their basic set of needs (are they hungry? tired? upset? wet/constipated?). Yet when they are walking and talking we kind of forget to do those things and tell them to “use their words”.

Reasons Why Children “Misbehave”

they have unmet needs
they are learning through trial and error
they are seeking connection

Ideas for “Saying Yes”

change the environment (not the child)
provide an alternative / give a choice
change the location

*Children play through things that they don’t understand. (discussion of weapon plan. going to look up the book, “Rethinking Weapon Play in Early Childhood” by Kisa Marks

*Our stance: we let children “shoot”, but they have to *ask permission first* of the person being shot.

Loose Parts Exercise
We did this hilarious exercise where each table had to find 50 uses for simple objects (e.g. planter hanger holder; stack of bra pads; etc). Celebrated how open-ended “toys” look more like objects from the hardware store or dollar store than a toy store.

Heavy Work: The importance of heavy work for power-seeking children. (moving tires! lifting rocks!).

Play Schemas

enveloping (covering things)
rotation (turning, rolling, spinning)
transporting (moving things from one place to another)
enclosing (how objects and selves fit)
orientation (hanging, climbing)
positioning (grouping, ordering)
trajectory (moving their bodies, watching moving objects, setting things in motion)

Those were some highlights from the day. It reinforced a lot of what we are already doing at Sunflower Preschool *and* provided some good leads to more resources as well.

CALENDAR

Heads up that April is a bit weird, especially for any household with school age children. You can always find dates on our calendar page. Here is a recap of upcoming items:

Thursday April 3, 2025 – 4:30-5:30pm Pretzel and Movie Night (it might just be a pretzel-and-hang night — let’s see what the weather and energy are doing)
Monday April 7, 2025 – Sunflower is OPEN (PPS is closed )
Friday April 11, 2025 – Sunflower is CLOSED for Professional Development (Note: PPS is closed Monday April 7; this date does not align; when we were doing our calendar it made more sense to be closed on a Friday.)

OTHER PLAY YARD UPGRADES
We now have a bike taxi! And a punching bag. Fun fun.

See you tomorrow.

March 4, 2025

Whew, hello springtime! Let’s start with the weather: it has been really nice these last couple days. We’ve been increasing our time outside accordingly. So nice.

Developmentally, the children are doing lots of cooperative play. Broadly speaking, they have *focus* to stay with games for a while; they have *imagination* to create their own worlds/games; they have *words* to communicate said games to their playmates and teachers. They build forts out of the cushions, assemble trains out of the crates, fly to the moon, and create bandaids out of cardstock. Last week we spent almost an hour working together to build a “pine cone pathway” and settled into different roles to do so: collectors, path layers, supervisors, testers. The “final product” lasted about 15 minutes; luckily we enjoyed the journey getting there (and then the process of destruction!).

We’re noticing a bit of limit-testing, or perhaps another way to put it is “looking for boundaries”. We try to be steady with our boundaries as much as possible because we know it helps them feel safe. Examples: clearing their dishes; washing hands; putting on their shoes and jackets. These are all things they know and can do all by themselves. We encourage with our words, but let them physically do it themselves (and remind them if they forget).

We now have a fairy fort in the back corner of the Sunflower Preschool play yard, behind the fairy rock. It is made of willow branches from the willow arch at The Nest! It was humbling to build — the branches were simultaneously supple and brittle — and certainly will be a work in progress as the roots get established and we train it into shape. But it’s a solid start.

This month will likely go quickly. Flashlight Night this Friday. Time change. Spring equinox. I’m out of town the last 3 days of school. Then the school is closed the last week of the month (March 24-28). And then it is April! Speaking of April, I’ll reach out to Preschool for All and ask the following: since we now have six months of operations under our belt, could we have slots? My hopes are low given their flexibility profile, but seems worth trying.

Three of the children have become older siblings in the last few months: congratulations to the families of F, I, and B!! And let us know how we can best support during these transitions.

That is probably way more than enough for now. Onwards!

Wednesday January 29, 2025: planets, planning, PFA, paper snakes, and pausing for potties.

Alliteration ahoy. Hello Parents!

It’s been a clear and cold January. I hope everyone has been able to enjoy the planets that have been visible this month — how spectacular. Looking ahead, here are a few things to note.

First, we have a few events in February and beyond, which are all on the calendar page but I’ve also included here:

Friday February 14, 2025 – 6-8:15pm Flashlight Night, Drop your child off for pizza, veggies, and glowing fun. RSVP via ProCare. If you have a sibling that will also attend please fill out an emergency contact form for them from our forms page.
Monday February 17, 2025 – CLOSED for Presidents’ Day
Thursday February 27, 2025 – 4:30-5:30pm Pretzel and Movie Night
Sunday March 9, 2026 – Daylight Savings Time! Spring your clock ahead 1 hour.
Monday March 24, 2025 through Friday March 28, 2025 – CLOSED for Spring Break
Thursday April 3, 2025 – 4:30-5:30pm Pretzel and Movie Night

Second, we’re starting to accept applications and assign slots for summer/fall 2025 enrollees. If you want any change to your child’s schedule please let us know sooner than later so we can plan the enrollment jenga puzzle accordingly.

Third, we have some updates on Preschool for All (PFA). In the fall they let us know that we are automatically a part of Preschool for All because our sister school, Mud Pies, has been a participant during 2024-25. That was nice and heartening. Then they let us know that because Sunflower is a new program, they looked at Mud Pies’ performance, and because it has a violation on its record (a child stepped into the neighbor’s yard for one minute in the spring of 2024 and we let our licensor know), PFA allocated Sunflower 0 slots for 2025-26. We are in the process of reaching out to understand how long Sunflower will be in a holding pattern based on Mud Pies’ violation, or if there is anything we can do to prove our worthiness given we now have five months of solid operations under our belt. I’m sorry I don’t have more positive news but wanted to provide an update. In sum, Sunflower is part of Preschool for All (hurrah!) with 0 slots (harrumph).

Fourth, it’s the Lunar New Year Jan 29th so we decorated paper snakes today. Ssssss.

Fifth, there has been quite a bit of momentum on the toilet learning front. The main teachable moment is that using the potty at school is different than at home. The mechanics of course are quite similar: climbing up on a stool, pulling down pants, pointing penis down or tipping hips forward, washing hands. It’s the emotions and logistics — pausing from play, allowing enough time to get from said play to the potty, trusting that a toy will be saved — that are the new muscles and learning. As with most activities we provide lots of coaching and positive reinforcement. *What we give our attention to grows.*

In closing, it’s rewarding to see the children learn and grow. It is a dynamic environment. I sometimes think of it as “Camp Impulse Control” or “Social Emotional Station”. Every child has something they are working on. (And, I suppose, every grownup.) Thank you all for being a part of the journey. That’s probably enough for now. Onwards to February!

Sunday January 5, 2025: tax receipts sent; toilet learning; magnetic door; and trains!

Hello! Hope everyone had a good break. A few things as we head we head back into a rhythm.

First, taxes. I sent out tax receipts for 2024 over the weekend, so that should be in your inbox. If it is not please let me know and I’ll resend.

Second, toilet learning. (That’s what potty training is called these days.) A few children have been eager and ready to use the toilet at home, so we are likewise making efforts to synchronize our space at the school. Here are some relevant things to note.

We follow the child’s lead. We can offer the potty, and if they say no, we honor that; it’s no big deal. Or perhaps they are comfortable peeing in the potty, but prefer to use a diaper for a bowel movement. That’s just fine. Just like learning any new skill — cutting with scissors, riding a bike, building a fort, etc — using a potty is a process. We say, “You listen to your body, and we’ll listen to you.” *before going out to play, or before rest, we will make them sit on the potty.
Note that the bathroom at home (perhaps with a tiny potty, and perhaps a doting parent available to patiently read a book) is a different environment than the bathroom at school (a bit busier). On a related note, if your child is using the potty at home, consider coming in to the school and taking a tour of the school’s potty scene with your child. Talk through what’s similar and what’s different. Get them (and you) oriented.
We have a stool to help children get up onto the potties. We also put in a step with handrails so that they have something to hold onto while climbing up or climbing down. The top step also doubles as a perch for feet to bring the knees up in squatty potty style.
Someone asked why we didn’t get a super low (11”) potty for the school. We gave it consideration but the rough-in dimension was tight. Also the short potties don’t allow for the Step2 mini seats, so while the toilet height is low, the diameter of the hole tends to be large, which can feel scary for a young, small child in a different way. Tradeoffs. We also considered the uber-efficient Niagara Stealth, but it is *very* high (19” if memory serves). So that’s why we went with two 15” potties with Step2 seats.
One common toilet learning strategy is to send a child to school in underpants, and if they are still learning we put them into pull ups for rest, then back again into underpants after rest.
Communication is key! Let us know where you and your child is at. We’ll likewise do our best to update on progress at school.
We are not allowed to wash clothing that has been soiled by poop, so those will be sent home in a bag. We have more leeway with pee-soiled items of clothing and may just throw into our wash if that makes sense. (*remember to label clothes!).
Speaking of clothes, it’s common to have accidents when learning this new skill. We suggest having a couple extra pair of pants/socks/underpants in your child’s cubby. We’ve likewise added to our quiver of extra cozy pants in case your child’s cubby runs out.
As with most things, we try to be straightforward and factual with the language we use. For boys, we will try to say, “remember to point your penis down when peeing,” (we ask them to sit to pee). For all, if they pee on their clothes, we would say, “You peed on your clothes. Let’s take them off and put on dry clothes.” And, “Pee and poop go in the potty.” Things like that.
We don’t do sticker charts or external indicators of reward. We focus on internal growth. “Wow, you did that.” And, “How does it feel to have gone pee on the potty?” And positive affirmations, “You can do hard things.” I’ll try to add more language as we, ahem, get into the flow.

That’s probably enough potty talk for now.

Third, we were looking around for a space to put magnet play and realized the door to the apartment is steel. Voila! Instant magnetic-play station. The magnatiles are now ready for some vertical play.

Fourth, we’ve introduced train tracks as a play station. Just like most child “games” so much learning happens underneath the surface: shape recognition (recognizing nubs, holes, arcs, straight lines), planning (where will the track go?), negotiation (if someone else is working on the track), dramatic play (all aboard!), fine motor skills (fitting together), and problem solving (making it work) to name a few. Working with train tracks and trains is basically a dynamic, evolving puzzle. It will be challenging. And rewarding. And fun!

Fifth and finally, our calendar is here. Note that we are closed January 20th for MLK Jr. Day. I’m realizing we don’t have any “pretzel-and-x” hangs on the calendar for 2025 yet; I’ll work on that because they were so much fun last fall. And perhaps a Flashlight Night as that would be fun. We will keep you posted.

With a chugga-chugga-choo-choo, bidding adieu,

Meredith and Crew

Sunday December 8, 2024: children thriving; shoulder hurt; gift ideas posted; seeking 3-year-olds to join our program

Hello hello! A few things in bulleted fashion as we head through December:

The children are thriving! Transitions are easier. Nap time is steadier. It feels like we’re in a good flow.
Meredith strained a ligament in her left shoulder (ouch!). So if she is walking like a robot that is why. On the mend with help from ice packs, anti inflammatories, and The Joint (a chiropractic place at 82nd and Johnson Creek that she wish she had checked out years ago — super affordable and fast). And Katie and Isaiah are leaning in to help with reaching for things off of shelves.
Our gift ideas wish lists are posted — in case that is helpful.
We have another “Movie and Pretzel” hang scheduled for Thurs Dec 19th. And then we’re closed Dec 23-Jan 1, reopening Thursday and Friday (Jan 2-3) with limited hours (9-4). See all on the Calendar page.
A child that was supposed to join our program in January now needs to stay home. So we are very open to two more 3-year-olds. If you know of someone who needs care please send them our way (and get a $100 kicker).

Onwards!

Monday October 28, 2024: Big Week/Month Ahead; Full Day Conference. Open to One or Two More 3-year-olds

PART 1

We have a big week coming up. In bulleted fashion:

Thursday Oct 31: Halloween (and our gentle Trick or Treat activity from 4:30-close)
Friday Nov 1: The Day After Halloween / Dia de los Muertes (we are not celebrating this event, but the day implicitly comes with extra energy, or extra low energy, depending)
Sunday Nov 3: Time Change: Change your clocks back an hour.(This is also our signal to prepare our emergency kits; it’s basically zip lock bags with a change of clothes and note; more on that next week).
Tuesday Nov 5: An Election. Yikes. Let’s all take a deep breath going into this chapter.

Let’s all be gentle with ourselves and each other during these times.

PART 2

I’m coming off of a full-day preschool conference on Saturday. Some highlights and reflections include the following.

The keynote was by Soobin Oh of Teaching Preschool Partners who called forward the power of open-ended experiences and materials. He asked, “What does it mean to ‘unearth’ genius and joy?” (inspired by Gholdy Muhammad’s book, Unearthing Joy.) He showed the data: how during this time period (ages birth-6) your child is making SO MANY neural connections. Indeed, they create more than they need! After around six years old the process of “synaptic pruning” begins where their brains let go of pathways that don’t serve them any more. Connections abound. And within these connections, he argued that there is so much rich opportunity to inspire collaboration, problem solving, and expressing and communicating through play (rather than specific worksheet activities, or ‘creating art’).

REFLECTION: It further reinforced my course correction to let the children lead with open-ended art invitations. For example, last week when painting pumpkins I offered the initial group only orange and green (based on my societal imprinting how how pumpkins “should” look). For the next group I asked the children what colors they would like to paint their pumpkins. This question opened up more possibilities, and the purples, blues, and reds started flowing. I was humbled and inspired by their beautiful creations.

The morning training at the conference was, “Observing Children: Looking and Learning; How Can We Reduce Implicit Bias in Child Observations?” In short, our unconscious attitudes or stereotypes influences our actions and decisions. So when we are doing observations of children, we want to strip away our biases (or at least be aware of them) and focus on behaviors. The goal is to:

document what we see and hear;
write descriptions of what we see, not interpretations;
be objective (facts) not subjective (based on opinions and feelings)

REFLECTION: Observations can be really helpful for parent-teacher conferences. I’m going to review the observation templates they provided and check in with the team on if/how we want to use them. We are constantly observing the children and watching how they interact with each other. But there’s a different level of intentionality of the noticing we do each day, and the noticing we do when we Do An Observation of a particular child. And further still when we then share that information with parents. It takes time and energy. Ironically, it somewhat takes us away from the children in the short term. But long term, it can be really valuable for developing 360-degree support around the children. The teacher-parent-feedback-loop-process to be continued.

In the meantime, this session brought forward to me the power of language, and inspired me to call forward the possibility that how we refer to the children can shape the image and story they are forming of themselves. And we can intentionally take steps *now* that impact their navigation of the world. Stepping back, think through what image(s) come to your head when you read or say the following words:

fireman v. firefighter
stewardess v. flight attendant

The words above de-gender certain professions. In a similar vein, think through what words you might use when speaking with your child. What image or possibility do those words create? Here are some ideas for how we might consider shifting our current language to create more openings and possibilities:

INSTEAD OF…	CONSIDER TRYING…
baby	child
sweet baby	sweet* and strong* child
boys and girls	“preschoolers” or “children” or “classmates”
My child is quiet.	My child tends to observe first, then engage.
big boy	wonderful human
little kid	capable kid
This child loves….	This child often chooses….
Using descriptions that limit or fix a child into “who they are”…	*Trying options that open up kind, caring, thoughtful, capable, curious, dynamic, focused, sweet, strong, tenacious, flexible, etc childhood experiences…

The afternoon session was, “Introduction to Anti-Bias Education and How to Incorporate it Into Your Learning Environment.” The *new* takeaway for me was around the United Nations Convention of 1989 that spelled out the Rights of Children to:

survival
develop to the fullest
protection from harmful influence, abuse and/or exploitation;
participate fully in family, cultural and social life

PART 3: ENROLLMENT

A few things in bulleted fashion:

A three-year-old Mud Pies transplant will be joining us on the 1st and 3rd Fridays for the foreseeable future — I’ll share more names via ProCare.
A newly minted two-year-old will be joining us on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays starting next week. Many of you have met this child and parents at events over the past couple weeks.
We are looking to add another 3-year-old to the group (or a couple part-time!). If you know of someone looking for care, please send them our way.

PART 4: DEVELOPMENT

We started offering mittens this morning. Putting the thumbs into the thumb-spaces in the mittens was challenging for some children. They stuck with it, mostly, with us “helping” with our words, and occasionally shifting the mitten into an easier position. Because as much as we want them to have warm hands, even more so we want them to develop that tenacity and attitude of, “I can do hard things” — which right now looks like putting on mittens.

We did the Pumpkin Peg activity! Similar developmental things: lots of fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. We’ll likely offer this throughout the week as they get more comfortable whacking in the pegs (we offer mallets and hammers), and prying them out with the hammer. It is so satisfying.

PART 5: COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS

Heard around town:

Woodstock Cafe at 42nd and Woodstock is focused on ASL events. This Friday Nov 1st at 3:30pm they will show a puppet show with ASL accompaniment!
The Brentwood-Darlington Neighborhood Association is hosting an Emergency Preparedness meeting with Portland Neighborhood Emergency Team (NET) on Monday Nov 4th at 6pm. More on the Brentwood-Darlington Facebook page.

That’s probably enough for now. Onwards!

October 1, 2024: May All Things Pumpkin-y Abound

Hello There! We’ve made it through our first month and we’re on a roll. Literally. The cycle track is installed. The bikes/scooters are ordered. We’ve been rolling balls. And we’ll be getting some pumpkins for the annual peg-in-a-pumpkin exercise (the children use small mallets to whack pegs into pumpkins; great for hand-eye coordination).

We’ve been noticing seasonal changes, such as the shadows with the sun getting lower. We often use the sun to describe time (in the morning the sun is over there, in the east; in the afternoon it is over there, in the west, when parents pick you up). We’re also starting to spin the maple-copters.

The children are largely settled. They know the routines. We recognize their cues. We’ve ironed out some wrinkles in our operations and keep fine-tuning our systems. After a few bumps in September we feel like we are tracking on the up and up. Thank you for your patience and ongoing feedback. The children have progressed hugely in terms of putting on their own shoes. They’re loving the “flip the jacket trick”. They’re also starting to understand how to pull clothes right-side out. When they get frustrated (say, with zippers, or snaps, which is next-level dressing), we help them take a breath, or say an affirmation (“I can do hard things”) and then try to help a little while also letting them do it. At the end, we say, “You did it. You can do hard things.” Because it’s not necessarily the skill that we care about; it’s the attitude. It’s the tenacity. It’s the navigating through frustration. That’s the work. That’s the learning.

A bit of a cold has been going around — some sniffles and sneezes here, some coughs there. Nothing beyond the 4/hour benchmark that we use as an indicator to send children home (4 runny nose wipes per hour, or 4 coughs per hour), but still, some congestion. Please keep using sanitizer at drop off, and feel free to use it at pick up too. And coach your child to cough into their elbow. And we ask children to wash their hands after blowing their nose so consider doing that at home, too.

We received nice news today that Sunflower will automatically be part of Preschool for All because its sister school, Mud Pies, is already part of that system. So that will hopefully streamline our position as a Preschool for All Pilot Site. No action required from families at the moment.

Calendar-wise, a few things, all on the calendar page:

This Saturday 10/5 we are offering family photo shoots. There are still a couple slots open.
Thursday October 31 we’re offering a Halloween event at school from 4:30-5:30pm. We’ll have a few trick-or-treat stations throughout the play yard (or inside the school if the weather is not forgiving) with things like stickers, pencils, and oranges. (We don’t really offer candy here.) It’s kind of a nice option for if you want to go trick or treating with your child, but not actually. Siblings are more than welcome to join as well. We’ll have little bags for everyone (or you can bring your own).
Please note that on Thursday January 2 and Friday January 3, 2025, we will be open *modified hours* from 9am-4pm. Anyone who is in town who wants care, please plan to feed your child before drop off at 9am, and pickup by 4pm. This is our way of easing back into the rhythm, keeping it safe (it is so cold and dark this time of year, typically), while still offering care. We are giving lots of advance notice so that households can plan accordingly.

That’s probably enough for now. Onwards!

Meredith & Crew

Update from Meeting September 29, 2024

A group of parents sent in a list of expectations and a request to discuss further 14 days into our operations. We then met on September 29th to review the list and talk it through. In the spirit of keeping everyone in this community looped in — with a commitment to constructive communication and solutions-oriented conversations — here are notes from that meeting.

Key Expectations

Diaper changing schedule
- Establish a regular schedule and system for diaper changes so no kiddo falls through the cracks, and check them at least 3 times a day as planned (~10am, before nap and ~4pm)
- We appreciate you responding to the issue of diapers not getting changed nearly enough and are hopeful for the new paper tracking (vs. Procare).
- UPDATES:
  - Team is sending a photo of diaper log at the end of each day via ProCare. Thank you! And parents absolved Team of any confidentiality concerns. Thank you!
  - Teachers are paying attention to cleaning all poop on skin

Meals
- Confirm weekly menu and send updates about changes
- We hope the menus will continue to evolve over time to include a more diverse set of foods, but understand that this will take time.
- UPDATES:
  - Team is sending a photo of the menu on Fridays or Mondays in ProCare.
  - Team will write any changes on the menu posted in the pick up room.
  - Sunflower always follows the USDA guidelines.
  - Parents requested to add more beans and tofu, wild rice, quinoa, whole grains.

Supervision
- Ensure kids are supervised at all times. Most children can open the orange door without assistance and there have been instances where children have been seen indoors or outdoors without an adult present
- UPDATES:
  - The requirement is for all children to be within sight or sound. Some parents don’t feel comfortable with this and want the kids to always be within sight.
  - Meredith immediately put a code lock on the orange door to enter the school. Everyone communicated to children that only grown ups touch that door.

Sunscreen/Diapers/Water/Clothing
- Create a system for checking the UV index so that kids get sunscreen when needed (e.g., check once in the morning and once after lunch)
  - UPDATE: Teachers will continue to monitor UV index once in the morning and once after lunch. Sunscreen gets applied when it goes above 4. Parents can apply sunscreen to kids before dropping off at school, too.
- Kids are sometimes wearing inappropriate clothing outside (warm jacket when it’s hot)
  - UPDATE: Teachers will continue to let the child lead in choosing their clothing (and experience natural consequences that result), but will monitor them more closely to make sure they are not overheating, or too cold.
  - UPDATE: Teachers to make sure water bottles are outside when kids are playing, and refilled mid-day.

Staffing
- We know hiring has been a huge challenge, and we would love to see a lead teacher hired as soon as possible.
- We think you are wonderful with our children and we also know the demands of providing full-day care, managing the business, and being a parent yourself (!) must take a toll on you. And as a result, the development of the day to day programming, or establishment of daily rhythm, has been delayed.
- We think it would best meet the needs of the children in care to have a lead teacher who can focus on the curriculum and appropriate development activities, and maintaining processes for essential care like diapering, naps, meals, etc.
  - UPDATE: There are 2 ex-preschool teachers in the neighborhood that Meredith has talked to about a part time position, if needed. Parents were very into this idea.
- During the enrollment process, we were expecting a comparable program / environment to Mudpies, and without a lead teacher experienced in early childhood learning, we are not receiving the level of care that we understood would be available at Sunflower.
- What education / licensing does the current staff have?
  - UPDATE: All teachers are required to satisfy the requirements listed on the team page of the Sunflower website.
  - Katie is increasing hours from 2hrs/day to 3-4hrs/day (TBD).
  - Isaiah has graduated into Assistant 2 level after working 60 hrs so now he can be alone with the kids.
  - Katie was just behind the scenes and now is shifting more into being with the kids, reading stories, singing songs, playing games, serving food. She has all of the certification requirements that are listed on the Sunflower website.
  - Meredith has clocked the necessary requirements for being a licensed provider.
  - Meredith is going to be the lead teacher for 1-3 years
  - It’s Okay Not To Share (our model): Isaiah has read half; Katie is through Chapter 3. All staff will have completed it by the end of 2024. The team set a goal to read It’s Okay to Go Up the Slide in Spring 2025.
- Can Kai or Michelle come and advise or consult on setting up some systems for Sunflower?
  - UPDATE: Savannah (owner of The Nest) is going to come in for observation and suggestions
- What is the situation / plan when when teachers get sick? Is there a substitute teacher that can fill in?
  - UPDATES:
  - Isaiah and Katie could legally run the show if Meredith gets sick. Katie has almost met the hour requirements to be allowed to be alone with the kids.
  - Gene can also be a sub (with one other present who has met the 60 hour requirement)
  - Parents would love to see the roster built with 1-2 part time teachers with different experience/skills.
  - Parents are open to getting their Central Background Registry, which would fill out our “back up bench” as well.

Key Questions & Suggestions

Nap time
- Thank you for moving up lunch earlier and purchasing more black out curtains to help with naps! We would love to see a more regular nap time (nap start times currently vary greatly) and use of those curtains.
  - UPDATE: We needed to measure the window, order the rod, and order more curtains. It took a little longer than some would like but we finally go there.
- Any way to have a dedicated nap room? If not, what’s the current process to help those napping stay asleep when others awake earlier?
  - UPDATE (We didn’t discuss this at the meeting but seems worth explaining.) After a child has rested, if they awake while others are still resting we’ll offer them a “quiet activity” on their cot. A bottle with water and glitter. A puzzle. Things like that.

Indoor/Outdoor Play/Space
- It’s been great to see some progress outside & how much cozier it feels inside.
- What’s the general timeline for indoor/outdoor updates? (e.g., When will the track be paved and tricycles/scooters available?) And how could we support any temporary options (e.g., small play structure)?
  - UPDATE: The track is paved. Some loaner tricycles and scooters are available, and we’ve purchased more high-quality ones (3 week shipping). A parent mentioned donating something to the playyard but is TBD.
- We would love to see some more toys, structures, and/or activities
  - Outdoor ideas: mud kitchen, water tables, wagons, bouncy balls, play structures for climbing, tricycles, swings, stumps
  - Indoor ideas: play kitchen, matching games (i.e. animals, organs, etc), trains, magnet tiles, puzzle games/interlocking toys, dress up clothes, musical instruments, etc.
  - UPDATE: Everyone is welcome to come see our toy storage area at any point. We’ve been slowly rotating through our inventory and introducing new items each week.
- We would love to help:
  - Create the vision for the left side of the backyard space and would love for that space to be open to the kiddos eventually. We were disappointed to see this was removed from the plan you originally shared.
  - UPDATE: At the meeting Meredith explained how the playyard layout was finalized based on the sight/sound requirements.
  - Build a food garden to tend to with the kids. It would feel good to be able to set aside time to come to school and engage with the group on a regular basis.
  - UPDATE: Great! We are open to hearing a plan!
- The handbook mentions full rain suits are provided. When will those be available?
  - UPDATE: We’ll be able to offer rain ponchos (by Cleverhood) and some Tuffo Suits when it starts raining regularly. Probably by November. We really appreciate everyone’s grace and understanding in our timeline and execution.

Structured Activities
- We know this is a play-based program, but will there be any regular or structured activities? (e.g., Circle time? Regular music time? [We love that Isaiah is musically talented!] Art time? Field trips/walks around the neighborhood?)
  - UPDATE: We circle up every day to put on shoes and jackets. We can call this circle time if that would feel good. Right now there is some specific group time (meals, specifically). And a bit more spontaneous in the play yard (a game of catch with bean bags, for example). We’re doing a “observation walks” around the playyard, noticing the seasonal changes, new sprouts, maple copters, etc. And we offer art pretty much every day; not every child always wants to participate. But most of the ‘instruction’ is currently 1:1 with individual children as we: talk them through the diapering process; guide them washing hands (spreading the soap on their fingers and rubbing for 20 seconds, not just washing the soap off); putting on shoes and jackets; etc.
  - Field trips require the following: staff at the front and back of the line; high-vi vests; a note on the door announcing when we left, where we went, and when we will be back; we need to bring our emergency phone and first aid kit. **If any parent has a specific vision for where they would like this group of children to walk, and would like to help us meet the requirements above, we are open to this possibility!
- It would be great for the kids to have a visual display of the daily rhythm, and for parents to know about daily and/or special activities so we can talk about them with the kiddos and build on what they are learning at school.
  - UPDATE: The rhythm is in the opening page of the “Preschool for All” book that each child was issued before arriving at school. We also have a laminated copy in our upper play room. The team also does its best to send photos from the day, or offer a conversation cue for the end of the day, for more specific activities.

Ba Boom. The Cycle Track is OPEN! And the play hive is installed.

Hello. It’s September 29, 2024. This was a big weekend: we paved the cycle track, imported even more bark chips, and installed the play hive. Here are photos of the results.

Play Yard Open (Even Bigger!). And a few more things.

Hello! It’s September 22, 2024 and we’re three weeks into running Sunflower Preschool. A few thoughts and observations.

The Play Yard is Even Bigger. The temporary fence is down so now our boundary is the beautiful fence. It just keeps getting bigger and better. (We haven’t gotten to the mound-with-the-slide… yet.) My heart was soaring in the golden sun on Saturday evening, with Gene on equipment, our two children working with mucks, and me on wheelbarrow detail. It’s such an honor for our little family to serve all of yours.

The Sandbox. The children love it. It’s a great venue for exploring the medium (what happens when you make a sand castle with dry sand? And now with wet sand — how does it compare?). It’s also where a lot of conflict resolution happens. Here is some of the language we use:

When a child wants a sandbox tool another child is using, “You can ask for next turn.” (taking turns when ‘all done’)
When a child dumps sand on another child,
- To the dumper, depending on context:
  - “If you want to dump sand, dump it on the sandbox.” (redirect)
  - “Never dump on a head.” (boundary)
  - “Ask permission before dumping on another part of their body.” (consent)
  - “Were you wanting to play? You can ask, ‘Do you want to play?’” (redirect)
- To the dumpee,
  - “You can tell <dumper’s name>, ‘Don’t dump sand on my head.” (self advocacy)

And, of course, the ongoing work around asking before smashing another child’s castle (impulse control; consent). Or building their own sandcastle to smash (independence). This is all very age appropriate, and only the beginning. This is the work.

I’d include photos of the children at work/play here but don’t have the bandwidth to check photo permissions; we’ll keep sending a few home every day via ProCare.

Books. We offer a wide selection. This week the children gravitated towards:

a book the compared inclined planes and pulleys as two strategies for getting toys up to a playhouse.
“Cool Cuts” which shows different hair styles and ends each page, “You were born to be awesome.”
“Rainy Day” about a father and child who navigate the sounds of a rain storm and play checkers.
“My Hair,” about a child learning how to be brave when the hair clippers come near.
“Potty”, a simple story about a child learning/trying to use the potty, ending with a, “tinkle, tinkle toot!” And “Undies!”
“Water Protectors,” an absolutely beautiful book about protecting the earth.
a few more.

We’ll keep rotating toys and books each week, keeping it fresh.

Social Emotional Learning. I was switched on to Generation Mindful a few years ago and I’m going to bring in my posters that provide a chart of different feelings, and calming strategies. When a child is upset we talk them through different ideas, but I think the visual cues will be more meaningful/impactful/empowering.

Diapers. I thought we were so cunning with the real time diaper charting. But then we weren’t being thorough. Apologies. Course correcting, we’ve shifting to paper diaper charting, and will hang the diaper log (ha) in the entryway in case a parent wants to see what got changed, when, for their child.

Fine Motor/Self Care Activities. We’re still spending a bit of time during transitions getting shoes on and off. (Step 1: line up the shoes; Step 2: open the shoe wide; Step 3: put your foot in the shoe). There’s also a bit of learning being done turning socks and jackets right-side-out. And getting jackets on — some already know the “flip your jacket trick — as the weather gets cooler. Please echo this at home by allowing enough time for them to do it themselves (help with your words and encouragement, but have them do physically as much as they are able).

Building Community! The pretzel happy hour on Friday was super fun! We’ll get a couple more on the calendar while the good weather lasts. And we’ve heard a request for a Flashlight Night so we’ll discuss that possibility at our upcoming team meeting.

Bread Bags. If you eat bread in your home please consider bringing us your empty bags. They are the perfect size (and clean out easily) for soiled clothing (and I feel so lame buying empty plastic bags when I know a few get tossed into the garbage across our collective community each week). Also, if you do decide to donate plastic bags, please hand them directly to a teacher as they are considered a child hazard and we need to lock them up.

Art Projects. We’re purposely *not* sending your child home with their art projects. They make them, they enjoy them, and then we all move on. If a child make something that they feel extra special or precious about, we’ll offer to put it in their cubby. But otherwise (speaking as a parent here) we are trying to keep the homeward-bound clutter down.

That’s probably enough for now. Thanks for reading!

Thoughts from One Week In

We opened our doors as a licensed business last Tuesday, September 3rd. Here are some thoughts.

Wow. It is So Awesome.

The Space. We had a hunch the space would lend itself to childcare. The giant picture window. The huge backyard. The layout. The storage areas. Our hunches were correct: overall it feels kind of awesome. Of course we are still fine tuning (a paper towel dispenser here; more hooks there; etc) but the big pieces are in place and working well.
The Team. When I interviewed Isaiah he came across as punctual, dependable, kind, thoughtful, diligent, and playful. The first month was an absolute whirlwind: we needed to assemble cabinets, battle blackberries, paint the ceilings and walls, and on. Isaiah took each task in stride. Now we’ve shifted into the childcare phase of the work and he is on it, recognizing temperaments, acknowledging feelings, being steady and gentle, and taking the lead role on food-related items to name a few. It’s all working out. Katie come on board as an 11th hour hire; she is doing great as our “Background Magician” with clean up, stocking items, and doing behind-the-scenes support. Plus the additional crew: Gene, namely, with all the tools and skills. He is a champion. His friend has helped us so much as well (we could not have pulled off the initial play yard build out the day before we opened if he had not leaned in. If you are reading this, Thank You!). And Gene is leaning in on the home front too so I can take on this role at Sunflower. Gene’s mother, The Best Mother In Law In The World, has been helping out with childcare so we could take on mudding/painting/caulking/digging/pole setting/bark chip spreading/pressure washing/etc. Finally, we couldn’t have taken on this endeavor without the capable hands of Kai and crew running the Mud Pies Preschool scene. Anyways, full team effort in effect.
The Community. Yup: pretty much magic. If you are reading this you are probably part of the community. So glad you are here! There have been challenges for sure. Everyone is being so generous and kind and communicative. We’ve only had four days full days, including a heat wave, and it’s just going to get better and better. Overall, hurrah.

LOOKING BACK AT THE FIRST WEEK

Some heavy equipment vocabulary that might have come home with your child:

“hook truck” — a big yellow truck
“vac trailer” — a big red tank. basically a pressure washer with a giant vacuum that sucks up mud (and then dumps it out).

Other strategies and systems that might work their way in to your child’s lexicon/awareness:

“changing area” — based on advice from our licensor, we are doing stand up diapers. So instead of having a changing table we have a changing area. (We have a pad for them to lay down when there is a BM.) It’s working out really well: it’s efficient, safe, and it lends itself to toilet learning (the child is already there getting their diaper changed, so then we offer, “Do you want to go pee on the potty?”). So far it’s going well.
“write a note” — When a child is upset, we offer a variety of calming strategies. Belly breaths (breath in through the nose, out through the mouth; sniff in the flowers, blow out the candles). A hug (or, for some children, a “huggy”). Crying (We’ll ask, “Do you want to keep crying?” Sometimes they do, and that’s okay.) We will also offer dictated notes by asking, “Would you like to write a note?” And then the child will say whatever is on their mind. Sometimes it’s just “Mommy. Mommy. Mommy. I miss my mommy. I want my Mommy.” Or they’ll list everyone in their household. Whatever they say, we write it down. Then we carefully read it back to them and ask if there’s anything else. When they are all done, we ask them what they want to do with the note. They can put the note in their cubby. Or they can hold it. Or they forget about it. We can often see their bodies physically relax when they feel seen and heard, and they’ve had a chance to get out their thoughts and feelings. It’s essentially the first version of journaling.

LOOKING AHEAD TO THIS COMING WEEK (SEPT 9-13, 2024) AND BEYOND

This week the big time fences are getting installed. And perhaps some turf (fake grass). I’ve warned the fence builder(s) that they might have ten children staring at them — ha! Longer term I’d like to call forward the possibility of a couple community events.

Fri Sept 20th, 4:30-5:30pm. Hang. Eat pretzels. Have your child show you what is important to them. Get to know other families. Stay for as much or little as works for your household system on a friday afternoon.
Saturday October 5th (to be confirmed). We’ll offer Family Photo Shoots. Our housemate Kelsey is a professional photographer. Plus she is great with kids (she takes the sports photos for this region for schools). If you are interested please sign up via ProCare.

That’s probably enough for now. Oh wait, one more thing. We pressure washed this weekend! The stoop is So Clean!!!

Cheers,

Meredith & Crew

Scenes from the Play Yard Development (Labor Day Weekend 2024)

Golden light on the first scoops of the sandbox!

August 30, 2024 (Follow Up Questions from Onboarding Event)

I received some super questions from a parent. Sharing here in case anyone else was wondering.

Q: As you’ve shared that the fence builder will be coming in a couple weeks, will there be a temporary solution for fencing until then?

A: Yes. We’ve staked out the temporary fencing. It’s 4′ high plastic safety fencing that will be attached in regular intervals (roughly every 4′). It’s *inside* the final fence line so that the real fence builder can do his work while it is still intact. (I warned the fence builder that he will likely have many children staring at him while doing his work. Ha!). And along the concrete area will be the black temporary pool fence (the one with the magnetic-latch gate). The reason we haven’t installed the temporary fence yet is that we’re bringing a vac trailer (imagine an 500-gallon pressure washer, combined with an 800-gallon vacuum) on site to dig the holes for the poles this weekend. It is so much easier to maneuver without fences in the way. But yes, we’ll have the temporary fence in Monday.

Q: Next week will be quite HOT, are there hot weather precautions in place for staying cool? Shade, water table, plan for amount of time spent outside in the heat, etc. For example, at Nest Savannah shared a chart they use to determine whether the temperature outside is safe for play, and for how long. (attached). Will Sunflower follow similar guidelines?

A: Wow. Of course Savannah has a chart. Amazing. When I read your question (before I saw the chart) I was thinking, “Basically below 90 and the children tend to do fine. Above 90 and everyone starts to get cranky.” This aligns with the chart. And now I know more about relative humidity(!). We’ll have shade devices, a mister, and maybe a water table (or at least a bucket). The back area with the sandbox is shaded. In general, I expect we’ll do a flow of morning, breakfast, diapers, outside time, regular deliberate water breaks, and then shift back inside when it starts heating up (and when it’s time for lunch). Indoors will have air conditioning. Oh, and sunscreen goes on once the UV index goes above 4. (We strongly recommend light, loose fabric that covers skin, and a hat, in the spirit of prevention.) Afternoons we’ll play by ear.

Q: The initial drawing you shared of the yard represents a wider space than what we see today. Is there a plan to open up the left side for a garden and hill like originally planned? (photo attached)

A: I’m so impressed you still have that sketch. The play area that will be fenced off in a couple weeks measures 80′ x 56′. As we looked at the site (and site-lines), this is what felt manageable at this juncture. It will have a hill! (The hill that is there will have a slide, and we’ll topseed it with grass. But the sanitation inspector really didn’t like the idea of children playing on dirt, so we had to keep it out of the temporary fenced area.) I need better names for the different fencing zones and timing; I hope this all makes sense. The area to the left of the fenced area will be reserved. We’ve talked about putting garden beds in there. Or having a giant pumpkin patch. Or a field of sunflowers. Or parking a tiny home. So many ideas. We don’t know exactly how it will evolve and so we drew the fence line coming off of the corner of the house (rather than at the end as in that sketch). We anticipate the children will ultimately have access to this space, but it won’t be for everyday use.

Q: Naps…will all kids be napping in the living room together or across the concrete space as well? will the tri-fold project boards be the only light blockers or will windows be covered as well?

A: All will be in the living room, at least that is the current plan. There will be shades on the windows (that’s a weekend project for our carpenter friend). Our licensor strongly recommended starting out *without* the tri-fold cardboard so we may go that route (they said start simple; then only add supports if necessary).

Q: First day drop off…all the items that we are to bring for the first day, should we leave them in cubbies before handing kids off to teacher? sunscreen included?

A: Please give all medications (including diaper cream and sunscreen) directly to a teacher. It needs to go in our lockbox(es). And we’ll have Medication Authorization copies ready as well. If you want to print/fill yours out ahead of time, go to our /forms page. Each medication needs its own form.

Here are the visuals from the above Q&A.

August 28, 2024

Whew! We have less than a week before “launch”! To incoming families, here are a few things to note.

First, we are SO EXCITED to begin this chapter with the terrific 2s, thrilling 3s, fantastic 4s, and fabulous 5s as the children grow into more full versions of themselves.

Second, I sent it out via email but also posted the Parent Handbook on the Forms page. That is a great place to start if you are looking for more information.

Third, a few additional notes/summaries specific to Sunflower Preschool:

Daily Rhythm (p. 7). We might shift things a little earlier as the group adjusts. For example, if a child is tired earlier than 1pm we will let them lay down on their cot.
What to Bring (pp. 7 & 8).
- small bag of labeled personal items
  - 1-2 changes of clothes
  - one comfort item from home for rest (a lovie or small stuffy)
  - water bottle
  - shoes that are easy to get on and off
- ONE BLANKET FOR YOUR CHILD’S REST TIME. (This is new!). We will provide cots and sheets, but have fallen short on blankets. Please provide one small labeled blanket. (We will have extra in case you do not get to this.)
- SUNBLOCK FOR YOUR CHILD. (This is new!). This is considered a medication so we’ll as you to fill out a form. We’ll be on our game more come next summer but for now please provide.
Drop Off Routine
- Parents shall escort their child through the orange door into the lower playroom. Help remove shoes/jackets/etc, put away stuff. Parent shall sign child in to ProCare. Then the parent shall hand off the child at the Door With the Golden Knob (the steps leading up from the lower play room to the upper playroom) to a teacher who will greet each child and usher them into the upper playroom. We’re hoping this provides a hybrid balance of both adjustment (parent getting the child into the space and ready for the day) and quick goodbyes (transitioning into the play space).
- We’re putting “communication cards” on top of each child’s cubby. Most communication will be electronically via ProCare. Sometimes it might make sense to write a quick note; thus the cards.
- Please arrive by 8:30 if you want your child to have breakfast with us. If your child is going to be later, then consider coming after 9am (and be sure to feed them at home).
Pick Up Routine
- Parent shall pick up child by signing child out of ProCare. Please check in with a teacher before leaving, especially in these early weeks!
Transition Days
- Some parents have asked if their child could do a half-day for a few days as they transition to the new space/people/rhythm. That’s just fine. One idea is to do a half day (arrive by 8:30; leave around noon after lunch) for a couple days. Then level up to a longer day (arrive by 8:30; leave after rest and snack around 4pm) for a couple days. Then ease into a full day.
- Do whatever works for you. Just let us know your plan so we can accommodate accordingly.

Fourth, we’re at an exciting juncture for the space. The pros and cons balance each other out. The cons are that we’re still discovering what works and what doesn’t. The play yard isn’t totally dialed (it will initially just have a sand pit, rocks and logs, and crates). The pros are that we can evolve and adapt as we identify opportunities. We have planned some developments: the fence builder is coming in a couple weeks; when it starts raining we’ll plant a willow arch pathway in the play yard; we’re adding a slide and top seeding a mound of soil for a built-in slide; the poles and bark chips and hanging devices will come. Every couple weeks will likely yield something new!

Fifth, our team. The third member of our team got lured back to her family. (This is the second time this has happened. While I appreciate the loyalty, I’m feeling a little shy hiring nannies going forward!). So Isaiah and I are on our toes. We will be able to manage, but we are actively seeking a 3rd member of our team. If you know of anyone seeking a position in an early childhood space, please send them our way.

Sixth, Orientation Scavenger Hunt. At our Wednesday evening get-together (tonight!), we’ll have a small Orientation Scavenger Hunt for the children and parents to get used to the space in a playful manner. Here are the tasks:

find your cubby (take off your shoes);
find the Door with the Golden Knob (knock and enter);
find a bathroom sink (wash your hands);
find a place set up to eat (touch it, or sit down at it, whatever feels okay for your child);
find a cot (touch it; lay down on it; whatever feels okay for your child); and
find your cubby again (put your shoes back on) and go into the play yard.

The “prize” is the manila envelope with the “Welcome to Preschool” book. The intent of this exercise is to start building the muscles of the children to do these things — arrive, take off/put on shoes, wash hands, sit for meals, go to a space of rest — in a fun way. *If you are not attending on Wednesday evening I am happy to meet you at another day/time if you think this exercise would be helpful for your child. I’m spelling it all out here so that everyone is on the same page regardless of attendance.

Seventh, there are a *lot* of new faces and names. Please be patient with us.

That’s probably enough for now. Looking forward to seeing most of you this evening!

Cheers,
Meredith & Crew

August 1, 2024

We’re hustling. We’ve got deadlines. It’s all coming together. A bit later than I’d prefer but we will get there. A couple things:

First, check out our Calendar page! There you will find the following *optional* events (and others):

Sunday August 25, 2024 – 10:30am-12pm – Open House! This event is open to incoming children *and* prospective households.
Wednesday August 28, 2024 – 4:30-5:30pm – This event is open to Only Incoming Families! Come and hang out on a late summer evening. Light beverages and snacks (likely pretzels and oranges) will be served.

Second, check out our Team page! Isaiah started on Monday. He has been diving into all parts of the “to do” list — from organizing documents to masking walls to doing blackberry battle in the back. The 3rd member of our team will start in September.

Third, know that a lot is going on behind-the-scenes. For example, we’ll visit the school of six incoming children mid-August to get to know them and get briefed by their current teachers (e.g. this child loves to be pat on the back to get to sleep; this child loves x, y and z; this child observes a lot at first; etc). We applied for a grant to build a new fence and play yard, which would expedite that process. And on and on and on. We will do our best to share meaningful and relevant updates as they arise.

Hope everyone is having a wonderful summer!

Meredith

June 24, 2024: Color Me Happy!

A few milestones occurred last week.

First, I met with our licensor and it went great. They said about the space, “I can see all the potential!” It was such a wonderful and encouraging reaction. My heart soared.

Second, as the sun was making its widest arc across the sky of the whole year, the outside of Sunflower Preschool got painted yellow. It is So. Decidedly. Yellow. We also painted the doors different colors with the idea that we can tell the children, “Meet at the orange door” or “Meet at the green door.” If it was a normal house it might look somewhat ridiculous. But as a preschool house it looks ridiculously awesome. I am very excited.

Third, we picked up some high-quality cubbies and a few high-quality toys (including a rocker boat!) from Micha-el School.

Fourth, I finally activated my Sunflower Preschool email account, so that is now “live”.

This week’s plan includes new flooring and more finish details. Still so much to do but it feels like everything is slowly coming into place. That is all for now. Onwards and thanks for tuning in!

May 23, 2024

REGROUPING WITH A COUPLE CLARIFICATION POINTS

A bunch of us met in April. I didn’t realize it at the time but a couple questions/concerns came up that might still need to be addressed to the broader group.

We will be a “Certified Family” facility. That’s what it’s called when a childcare facility looks like a home, not a center. One requirement for such a place is that someone lives in the building. That’s why part of the Sunflower Preschool house has a space to live. We’ve designed all of the spaces with safety and ease of use in mind: the person living in the apartment (who may or may not be a part of Sunflower, TBD) will park to the south and have their own entrance to the south. Meanwhile all preschool attendees will park to the west and enter the building on the north side. The resident(s) will be in the Central Background Registry (CBR)(which is a requirement for anyone onsite). It seems worth noting that when we replaced all of the windows we got sound-proof windows to reduce the impact on their space (children are loud!). If anyone has further questions about how homes / childcare / licensing / safety / children / etc intersect please reach out.
We have some heavy equipment — fairly new and well-maintained CAT excavators — that we sometimes use to move dirt. Occasionally we might bring said equipment to Sunflower over the coming months to help shape the land. For example, instead of a post-hole digger, we could use an auger. Instead of a shovel and wheelbarrow, we could use an excavator bucket. Oh the power of hydraulics! If you happen to see these pieces of equipment on site in the coming weeks/months, rest assured they will not be on site once we open (admittedly to the dismay of some of the children).

A LOT OF EXCITING DEVELOPMENTS ARE HAPPENING

Here are the updates in bulleted fashion (with main points in bold):

We hired a painter! The Sunflower Preschool house will turn yellow (in a good way) in early June. We got a handful of quotes. And then when we started deeper research, our favorite bid had let their lead-paint certification(s) lapse. So we asked them to get that done (very important for any homes built prior to 1978). Then it started raining again. But now certifications are in hand, and sun is on the horizon. Hurrah!
Our team is forming! It’s still taking shape but here are some broad brushstrokes: One member of the team, the eldest of six, has their degree in Child Development and many years of hands-on experience. Another member has been a nanny for 20+ years and is looking forward to shifting to being part of a team (caregiving solo can be so lonely). More “formal” announcements to come, likely mid-June.
- If you want/need care during the summer, we can likely help arrange something for August. Imagine one teacher, with up to 3 children, in our space or yours, for TBD hours/days. Please contact Meredith if you want to make this happen.
We purchased some high-quality cubbies and materials. A Waldorf school (Micha-el School) in Milwaukie is closing. We were able to buy some really high quality cubbies and hooks and racks. The plan is to use these in the lower play area over the coming year as our “indoor porch” area: a space to put on a take off jackets, coats, boots, etc. Then as we develop the outside space more (with a cover, and other amenities) we can shift.
We’re on track with our licensing process. It’s indeed a process. We have the packet. We have an initial date scheduled with our licensor. We’ll jump through all of the hoops. We are told to estimate ~45 days. Here we go!
We’re sharpening our pencils. We’ll be knee-deep in spreadsheets over Memorial Day Weekend and set final 2024-25 tuition rates by the end of this month. We’re trying to keep pace with current market trends/pay scales, which is on the up-and-up for preschool teachers. We’re trying to find that sweet spot of having robust staffing hours (breaks and some “squish” in the schedule is good) but also trying to be lean (e.g. not too squishy).

Some things haven’t gone exactly as planned.

Our planned lead teacher is staying with her nanny family. This is all for the best: the family has a little one on the way (!), and it is so wonderful that J will be able to provide some continuity of care.
Our grant for a fence did not come through. We were told that this grant, which is for “new and expanding” spaces, could not be granted if we don’t have our license yet. We’re kind of scratching our head at the sequence of this; we need the funds to update the space, which we’re then getting licensed, to then host children. Couldn’t they issue it as a loan, and then convert it to a grant when licensed? Anyways, instead of dwelling too much on that setback we’ll figure out a fence for now that is secure but perhaps not terribly pretty. And then re-apply for said grant for a nicer fence once we have our license. Like most hurdles, it might be a blessing in disguise in that we can try on the space and figure out how we actually use it before investing heavily in the final design.
Email. I set up the sunflower email account, but then have completely neglected checking it. Sorry about that. Please keep using Mud Pies for the moment.
Website. I’d like to put the blog posts all together onto one page (as we did on Mud Pies Preschool’s page) but my design skills are rusty and time is short. We’ll get it done eventually. Apologies for the current shortcomings and thank you for your grace.

THINGS WE WILL NEED (any of these items collecting dust in the corner of your home?)

Everyone has been so wonderful, asking if/how to help. Here are a few items that I anticipate needing that might be collecting dust in one of your homes (we are just fine being a bit scrappy, saving money, re-using items!):

a printer. Ideally a “Brother” brand. Doesn’t need to be fancy (black and white just fine!). Ideally it could scan at the top and make copies.
a label maker. Ideally a “P-touch” brand.
an iPad. Again, it can be quite old (just need it for signing children in/out)(it will be plugged in continuously).
an iPad holder. Perhaps an anti-theft one so it can be mounted securely. Perhaps someone used to do conferences or events and has a spare one kicking around.
clear storage containers for pens/markers/art supplies. I’m envisioning ones like these. Maybe keep an eye out at Goodwill?!

Signing off for now. Cheers!

~Meredith