Past Experience:

Emmalee cared for our kids (aged 4 and 6) during COVID. She added structure and fun to a crazy year of online learning for our kindergartner, and at the same time, engaged and taught our preschooler. She is incredibly caring and insightful and came up with creative activities to reinforce key learning concepts and emotional regulation that was so important in this highly emotional and unstable year. I felt completely comfortable letting Emmalee take charge of how the day would run and valued her feedback and insights into how the kids were doing. We would not have survived COVID year without her; I just wish my kids were still young enough to attend her program!

-Former Parent Clients

From day one, Emmalee made our then four-year-old daughter, Emmylou, feel safe, encouraged and loved. Emmy was quite nervous about being away from us, particularly her mother, and entered preschool with much trepidation. Emmalee sensed Emmy’s apprehension and did all she could to quickly allay her fears. In just a few days, Emmy was looking forward to attending school, had a great time while she was there, and came home talking about how much she LOVED Emmalee.

-Former Parent Client

Emmalee was the most incredible and wonderful influence on our son. She has this innate ability to meet every child where they are, boosting their confidence while stretching their imagination and encouraging them to explore themselves, their friendships and the world around them.

The curriculum she developed seemed so advanced for their years, the topics were thought provoking and inspiring because she could see things in our children we couldn’t, and as a result she got the best out of them.  And she did this all while modeling empathy, kindness and respect … perhaps some of the most important lessons our children learned from her.  

- Former Parent Clients

Emmalee and I were lucky enough to work as co-teachers together in a 3-5 year old preschool classroom. I trust her wholeheartedly as an early childhood administrator, educator, a co-teacher, and friend. She has a magical ability to connect with children ranging from brand new babies through elementary school age.

Emmalee carries her work in early childhood development deep in her heart. She sees all children as authentic, powerful individuals. She helps teach children to be kind, considerate, respectful, and self-confident human beings. She views each child as a competent, imaginative, and curious self-learner. Everything she does is intentional and designed to nurture their independence, self-regulation, and social/emotional skills.

Through open dialogue, flexibility, active listening and engagement Emmalee successfully creates an environment where students take ownership of their learning. She observes, researches, and supports children's natural exploration of the world. By providing a safe, healthy, and stimulating environment, her teaching philosophy allows for children to explore their own interests at their own pace. Rather than a teacher-led curriculum, she provides various learning opportunities through emergent curriculum. This means learning topics emerge from the interests of the children and are explored as she carefully designs captivating learning experiences based on the children's current interests. This process is the main focus of classroom projects and provocations, as Emmalee guides and collaborates with children, allowing them to learn and explore individually and in groups. Through her project-based work, she is able to seamlessly integrate music, art and early academics to prepare preschoolers to confidently and successfully transition to kindergarten.

-M. Ed Teaching Professional

I was lucky enough to teach with Emmalee for 3 years. During that time Emmalee showed a deep understanding of how children learn and develop. She takes a thoughtful and informed approach when planning curriculum that is supported by her years of experience and intuitive ability to support young learners. Emmalee was a pleasure to work with and I learned a great deal from her. It seems like a natural progression from Emmalee to open her own school. Her knowledge, experience and creativity will truly create a space for young children to thrive.

-Teaching Professional

Emmalee set the bar so high as a teacher, our 6 year still speaks about her, a whole year after leaving pre-school. Emmalee taught my son to meditate and taught him songs about love and inclusion. Additionally, she went above and beyond with her lesson plans, tailoring them to the children's interests, while making school exciting and educational, simultaneously. I recall saying that I wish my son could have Emmalee as a teacher for every grade, she's that good. 

-Former Parent Clients

Emmalee worked at First Years Preschool for over six years before leaving to return to Portland in the summer of 2019. From the moment I first spoke with Emmalee on the phone I knew she would be a good match for our program. Her intelligence and self possession were clearly evident. In the six years that Emmalee worked at First Years she was a strong asset to our program. Emmalee is articulate, imaginative, connected to the children, has a strong sense of community and goes way beyond the ordinary in her skills as an early childhood educator. I was sad to see Emmalee leave First Years but excited for her to start her own program. Wherever she goes, she will bring exceptional skills to the children in her care.

-Previous Employer