Nature Vision partners with city to run preschool at Farrel-McWhirter

Published 9:36 am Friday, August 22, 2014

This fall, the City of Redmond Parks and Recreation Department will partner with Woodinville-based Nature Vision to continue the outdoor preschool program at Farrel-McWhirter Farm Park for the 2014-15 school year.

The partnership comes after the preschool’s teacher left and the program supervisor retired at the end of the 2013-14 school year.

Following this change in staff, the city issued a request for proposals (RFP) at the beginning of June for a partnering organization to provide the preschool programming at Farrel-McWhirter, which has been offered for more than 20 years.

“We’re thrilled to announce Nature Vision as our partner for the preschool program at Farrel-McWhirter,” said Parks and Recreation Department Director Craig Larsen in a press release. “The teachers and classes will be ready to start in September. We’re pleased that our partnership strategy will continue to serve our current preschool families.”

Mark Hickok, recreation division manager for the city, said they received five proposals from throughout the Eastside and they chose Nature Vision because the organization shares the same values as the city.

“They believe in play-based learning,” he said.

Nature Vision founder Clay Heilman said the organization focuses on fostering environmental educational concepts in schools and promoting a culture of sustainability throughout the Puget Sound area.

This is Nature Vision’s 12th year and during its dozen years of existence, Heilman said they have visited classrooms, taken students on field trips to natural sites and helped students with service learning projects at their schools.

In addition to play-based learning, Hickok said other factors that led the city to choose Nature Vision were their emphasis on environmental stewardship as well as their plans on how to utilize the farm space at Farrel-McWhirter.

Heilman, who will be one of the teachers and instructional assistants for the preschool, said the opportunity to utilize the farm space was actually what prompted them to apply to run the Farrel-McWhirter preschool.

“That’s what made us a match,” she said, adding that it was a unanimous decision at Nature Vision to apply.

Nature Vision’s offices are based at the Brightwater Center in Woodinville and while they have worked with schools in their 12 years, Heilman said this will be their first time running a school. Despite this, Heilman said they have a very experienced staff including Sheila Dearden, who will be the preschool director. Heilman said Dearden, who has a master’s degree in education, used to be a kindergarten teacher with the Lake Washington School District and understands the developmental needs of young children. In addition, Heilman’s background in outdoor recreation balances out the equation.

“The teachers from Nature Vision are excited and privileged to guide your child through their preschool years in such a wonderful place,” Dearden said in the press release. “We have loads of fun, creativity, learning and discovery planned for your child to join in.”

As part of the selection process, the city formed a panel of city staff and five preschool parents to review submitted proposals.

“We really wanted them to be a part of the process,” Hickok said about the parents.

Carlie Fitzpatrick, a parent who has had one child go through the preschool program and two more coming up in the next few years, was one of the parents on the selection panel.

Fitzpatrick said it was important to parents to keep the preschool nature based, so Nature Vision’s philosophy was exactly what they were looking for. She said after they were selected, Nature Vision held a parent night to present their program to parents.

“People are pretty excited,” Fitzpatrick said about the upcoming year.

She added that the teachers seem easy to work with and are interested in parent feedback and working with them. For Fitzpatrick, that road goes both ways.

“I’m pretty excited to work with them,” she said.

There are three classes offered through the Farrel-McWhirter preschool program: Creative Play, Pre-K Adventures and Preschool Adventures. There is still space available in the latter two classes. For more information, contact outdoor program administrator Cindy Johnson at (425) 556-2393 or cjohnson@redmond.gov.