Frolicking Ferns
2024-25 Preschool Promise Program Year: September 11th 2024- June 12th 2025
Free Preschool Promise Days/ Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 8:45am - 2:45pm
Extra Days/Hours that can be paid for: Limited Spots for after school care, ends at 5:45pm
Bussing: No
Preschool Promise Seats This School Year: 8
Frolicking Ferns is an outdoor immersion, inclusive preschool located on a 1 acre homestead. We use Wild Math/Reading curriculum to enhance learning outdoors. We are Reggio Emilia and Montessori Inspired. We use music, art, gardening, bike riding, and science as foundations for learning. It is a literacy rich environment featuring diverse books and cozy reading areas in each room. We emphasize community and social emotional learning.
Three Words to Describe Us: Exploration, Imagination, Inspiration
Location: London Road, Cottage Grove Oregon
Days off: October 13th, 19th-20th, 31st; November 10th, 24th-25th; December 4th, 18th-31st; January 1st-2nd, 15th; February 8th-9th; 19th; March 15th, 25th-29th; May 27th; *Subject to change
Languages: Fluent - English, ASL
Taught - English, Spanish, ASL
Setting: Home-based
2024-25 Open House/Touring Opportunities: By appointment only!
Employment Related Day Care (ERDC): Yes, we are registered with the Oregon Department of Human Services as an Employment Related Day Care provider, so we cannot accept ERDC payments.
Teacher Info: This placement does have teachers or teacher aids that identify as Black, Indigenous or People of Color.
Phone Number: (541) 743-1074
*Please call (541)741-6000 X 201 for any Preschool Promise enrollment and eligibility questions.
Experience with and or specialized training related to children who:
Children with complex medical needs
Children with developmental delays or disabilities
Children in diapers
Children who have experienced trauma
Emerging or dual language learners
Children with physical disabilities
Children with alternative communication systems
Children with sensory needs
Children with specialized diets or feeding
Children who are currently in or have been in foster care
Children who identify as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color)
Children who identify as gender non-binary or transgender
Sample Daily Menu
Sample Daily Schedule
Breakfast:
Milk
Yogurt
Blueberries
Avocado toast or rice cake option for GF kids
AM Snack:
Peanut butter with apples
Veggies platter (ex: cucumber, carrots, peppers, broccoli)
Lunch:
Rice
Beans
Sour Cream/Salsa/Veggie toppings for burrito
Corn tortillas
Green Beans
Cantaloupe
Milk
PM Snack:
Veggie Platter
Oranges
Crackers
8:00-8:30 Welcome children in and invite to breakfast
8:30-9:15 Project time inside
9:15-10:15 Outside time and outdoor classroom project time
10:15-10:30 Snack
10:30-12:20 Morning meeting and project time inside or outside
12:20-12:30 Community Time/Clean Up
12:30-1:00 Lunch
1:00 Rest time for nappers and Sit Spot outside for non nappers
1:30 Non nappers have afternoon project time inside or outside
2:15-2:45 Free play/exploration until school ends
Outside Time:
We spend as much time exploring outside as possible. We have set
up a covered outdoor classroom that provides shade and is a barrier to the rain.
We have bunnies at our preschool and we help take care of them. There is a large
garden that the kids help grow, harvest, cook and eat. We have a large sandbox,
pirate ship structure and the back area we call the “campground.” The kids love to
build structures and pretend fires. We have almost an acre to play in. <3
What is Project Time?
Project time is when the kids have the opportunity to
choose their activity within many activities/projects set out that the teachers
provided and planned from the curriculum.. Kids can work individually or in
groups. Kids can move fluidly within projects. We document their interests and
progress while they explore!
Inside Time:
Frolicking Ferns has a vast collection of Montessori learning toys in
the game room, an inspiring pretend play area in the imagination room and
many stem building toys in the explore room.
What is Sit Spot? Sit Spot is where kiddos find a spot outside to observe nature or
journal. We ask the kids to look, listen and hear around them. We ask them to draw
in their journals. Then at the end we gather together and share how the
experience went. Kids get surprisingly exciting to do this <3
Morning Meeting?
Morning meeting is a time to connect with each other. We ask
each other how we are all feeling and if we want to share anything. Then, we move
onto songs about the days of the week, seasons, months, weather, silly songs, etc.
We often do skits about things we want to work on (ex: using our words). We
sometimes read a story or orally tell one. We use this time for small lessons on
new languages and learning materials we want the kids to explore.