Explore Willow Tree Learning Community
Our Mission
To provide a holistic environment that fosters creativity and a lifelong love of learning. To provide a space where a sense of community is nurtured, a space that is able to integrate differences in learning styles and interests. To cultivate mentorship among students of different ages where each child enjoys sharing their strengths and skills. To kindle a sense of awareness and connection to the natural world and the environment in which we live. To meet each child exactly where they are at.
About Us
Come Meet Us
Interested in learning more, please feel free to reach out, we would welcome the opportunity to show you our classrooms and have you meet our teacher.
Who We Are
We are a community of active learners and their families. We value small student to teacher ratios, hands-on learning, outdoor exploration, the arts and sciences and the ability to create a curriculum that can be adaptable to all learning styles.
What We Offer
For the 2019-2020 school year, we will be offering our new literacy and language arts program.
We'll be building skills using the Logic of English curriculum, but we've added a fun component to this program. Every 4-5 weeks we'll be taking a field trip. Most of the trips (we have some great ones planned already) will center around a science theme. The building blocks for creative writing, vocabulary, storytelling, etc. will be centered around that theme. We have fun projects planned for the kids that will really get their creativity flowing while they are simultaneously building writing skills and getting familiar with some of the amazing creatures and habitats of our area.
This program will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9am-2pm.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is this program intended for?
The language arts and literacy program is designed to not only be highly effective, but full of fun and hands-on learning! This program was created for the homeschool families that are looking for a way to supplement and enrich their child's education. It allows the freedom and opportunity to still educate your child at home, while also providing a curriculum that meets the State requirements in language arts as well as science.
This is also a perfect program for families new to home education that are feeling a bit overwhelmed at the thought of taking on 100% of the responsibility of teaching all the required subjects to their child.
What are the benefits of this program?
This program is taught by a certified teacher and will be overseen by a Reading Specialist. Formal assessments will be conducted at the beginning of the year to see how the student's needs can best be met. Goals will be set and progress monitored to make sure that the student is on track. If intervention is needed at any point throughout the year, we will work with the families to make sure that they are equipped to find the resources they need to best support their child.
How old must a child be to enroll in this program?
This program is designed for children between the ages of 7-9. The child must be turning 7 by October 31, 2019. Exceptions may be made if your child is slightly younger, but already able to read at 1st grade level. Please feel free to reach out with any questions about this.
How is the program structured?
We begin with a welcome to school, a check-in and connection with each student to see how they are feeling, what projects they might want to tackle or goals they may set for themselves. Then our 1st morning block will consist of practicing mechanics such as spelling, punctuation, grammar, and word roots.
We'll break for a quick snack and then begin our second block where we'll focus on a specific type of writing: poetry, creative, observational, narrative, analytical, research based and word games just to keep it fun!
We'll break for lunch and then a one hour romp outside where we'll play group games, walk to one of the local parks, run like the wind, climb the trees, conquer the hills and connect with nature.
Our afternoon blocks will be tied into the unit of study we are working on and will be a wonderful time to reinforce and practice the skills we were learning earlier in the day.
Every class will have ample time built in for reading practice.
What are some of the other benefits that my child will gain from enrolling in this program?
One of the most important things we strive for is the social-emotional development and growth of the kids. Our intent is to build a cohesive community where each child feels comfortable and safe enough to express their feelings. We do this through carefully thought out games, discussions and circle time. We gently guide and bring awareness to what others may be feeling and the ways in which we might be able to offer friendship to our fellow classmates.
Important Dates for the remaining 2019 school year
Field Trips
May 30 Adriana Hess Audubon Park
June 3rd Penrose Park Low Tide walk with Harbor WildWatch
June 7th Nisqually Wildlife Refuge
Last Day of School
June 13th
2019-2020 School Year
Applications for Enrollment due August 1st
(enroll early, space is limited to 9 students)
First day of program September 10th
Check back often to stay in the loop! And reach out with any questions.
Admissions
Fees
Academic Program Fees: $3,950
Supply Fee: $200
If making 10 monthly payments ($395/month) a deposit of $400 will be due with enrollment application. This is non-refundable but will be applied to the last month's program fees.
Please download and read through the Enrollment Application for more information, feel free to reach out with any questions.
"There are many little ways to enlarge your child's world. Love of books is the best of all"