About Island Outdoor School
Island Outdoor School, located on Vashon Island, Washington, is a school where kids can learn outside in a safe, inspiring wooded campus. We prioritize self-learning, community, and togetherness, while honoring nature and the outdoors.
Helpful links:
Island Outdoor School is a preschooler’s paradise. [It's] a safe, enriching environment that our son looks forward to each school day. The students spend time building, sharing, and learning through play. At Island Outdoor School, our son’s language and interpersonal personal skills have blossomed. As parents we cannot imagine a better way for our son to learn during these critically formative years.
- Natalie
Administration
Anthony (TJ) Moore
TJ’s childcare experience began when he was 10 years old, looking after the children of several families from the daycare where his mother taught. It continued in college where TJ worked with foster children in a group home setting. After moving to Washington, TJ worked for Vashon Island School District for 15 years, mostly in the role of a Behavior Support Specialist, where he developed the knowledge and skill set that enabled him to provide higher quality support for children.
TJ’s love for the outdoors, strong belief in Outdoor Nature Based education and having 2 children, led him to the decision to return to college to obtain the Washington State Early Childhood Education (ECE) Teaching Certificates required to open the Island Outdoor School. Much of his work with VISD was connected to Social/Emotional Learning (SEL) and that continues to be a primary focus of the support provided to children at Island Outdoor School.
Staff
Annie Monti
Co-Lead Teacher
Annie is an outdoor educator and child care provider with a bachelor’s degree in Literary Arts. With 10 years of combined childcare and teaching experience, she has enjoyed a variety of youth centered work. From classroom teaching middle school poetry, to directing outdoor skills and art programs, nannying, caring for infants, and working as a teacher + assistant at a forest preschool in south Florida. Through each role she has held, she further developed a passion for the magic of getting kids outside, child-led play, and the healing powers of nature. After school Annie may be found gardening, searching for sea-glass, or caring for various chickens, goats, dogs, and cats around the island.
Jessie Farrell
Substitute Teacher
As the oldest daughter of a preschool teacher, Jessie started watching children of island families in the late 80’s. She worked as a nanny during her summers home from college and at the campus preschool. In the years after college she was a teacher at The Cottage School daycare in Seattle, a nanny, counselor for the Pacific Science Center camp programs, and an English teacher at a school in Guatemala. Her natural nurturing qualities and interest in anatomy and physiology led her into a 10 year career as a massage therapist in Seattle. After having two kids of her own her life circled back to caring for children, Jessie finds children a joy to be around and believes in taking a step back and observing, allowing them to discover the world through play. Engaging to nurture relationships with each other and nature.
Megan Damofle
Substitute Teacher
Megan has worked with preschool aged children for over 10 years, working as a preschool teacher and nanny. She worked a summer program for several years as a lead instructor at Wolf Camp and Wolf College wilderness schools, teaching kids from ages 7-18. Megan is inspired by Waldorf and Montessori concepts for early childhood, and loves bringing songs, verses and crafts to reflect the seasons and the natural world. In her personal life, Megan is a mom of a 13 year old daughter, studies and practices Ayurveda and herbal medicine, and loves hiking the trails of Vashon with her dog.
Hours of Operation
Monday thru Friday 9 am to 3 pm
Island Outdoor School will follow the schedule of the Vashon Island School District for vacations, holidays, and most teacher in-service days. . If VISD has a late start or closes due to inclement weather, we will continue to monitor conditions and keep families informed of our plan.
Curriculum
Island Outdoor School is a Reggio Emilia inspired preschool that utilizes an emergent curriculum with an inquiry-based teaching style. This supports a child led, nature and play-based experience that empowers children to be active in their own learning. However, we do incorporate some guided activities designed to help children use their senses, their words and their peers to explore their natural surroundings. Our program supports the development of the whole child, focusing on what we value the most, the social and emotional well-being and growth of every child.
Non Discrimination Policy
It is the policy of Island Outdoor School not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of our staff, children and families we serve, volunteers and our community.