Bainbridge Island

Bainbridge Island

The Bainbridge campus opens summer of 2023 and is lovingly nestled in the forest adjacent to The Island School. We are thrilled to be in partnership with TIS and by their warm welcome to join this wonderful learning community. The Bainbridge campus has a dedicated forest space for all kinds of socio-dramatic and constructive play. With large building blocks, a stage, ropes and tress to climb on, a specially designed mud kitchen, and the surprises that the forest provides daily, we are ready for it all!

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Bainbridge Island

Campus Programs

At forest preschool the children visit the same woodland on a regular basis and are given the freedom to play, opportunity to explore and learn about the natural environment, and support while learning how to handle risks, solve problems, and cooperate with their peers. Preschool runs all year, where children learn and play in the woods in all weather: sun, rain, snow, warm and cold, (barring high winds or other extreme weather). As the forest is ever changing, each day brings new and different exploration opportunities. Children play, learn boundaries – both physical and social - grow in confidence, and become self-starters. Children in this environment learn that there are different ways of solving problems and they develop their critical thinking skills daily. Learn more about Magnolia's Forest Preschool program.

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Class Details

Location:
The Island School, Bainbridge Island, WA

Morning Preschool Class: 2024-2025

2.5-5 years old

  • Mon/Wed/Fri, 9:00-1:00, $540/month FULL
  • Tues/Thurs, 9:00-1:00, $360/month
  • Mon-Fri, 9:00-1:00, $880/month FULL

Drop off begins at 8:45 am daily.

(Registration and Materials Fees are due at registration.)

Summer Camp

Summer camp is a great time to try out forest school and see if your child loves it as much as we do! Enrollment opens March 1st. Email our registrar for more information: info@magnoliaforestpreschool.com.

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Summer Camp Details

ENROLL FOR SUMMER CAMPS

Ages: 2.5-5 years old‍

Location: The Island School

Time: 9:00-1:00 

Days: Monday-Thursday

Cost: $210/week

  • Week 5: Aug 5-8
  • Week 6: Aug 12-15
  • Week 7: Aug 19-22

K-5th Grade

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K-5th Grade Details

LEARN MORE

Visit Magnolia

Bainbridge Island

and learn more

We would love to meet you! We are hosting and Open House, March 2, 10-11am. Additionally, each campus welcomes new families for tours regularly September-June so that you can see the forest school space, meet the site director, ask questions and get a taste for the Magnolia Forest Preschool experience!

Schedule Visit

Campus Director

Katie Leigh Kingsbury

Campus Director
katieleigh@magnoliaforestpreschool.com

Katie Leigh holds a Bachelor's degree in Herbal Science from Bastyr University and has had a deep interest in herbal medicine and a life-long love of nature. She grew up in the UK and then later on the east coast. Throughout her time at school, she was a babysitter for local families and taught at summer camp for over 10 years. She assisted and led early childhood classes for a number of years at a Waldorf school where she, herself, attended as a student. She moved to Washington in 2021, found Magnolia, and immediately connected with the play-based philosophy.

With her knowledge of herbalism and love of teaching, her goal is to cultivate wonder with the children as they play throughout natural spaces. Katie Leigh firmly believes that outdoor play is an essential component for a child's growth and feels it is a true honor to facilitate this process as the Site Director at the Bainbridge Campus and as the Magnolia School Herbalist. She is excited to blend two of her passions together by helping children develop a deep connection with nature and maintain a reverence for the natural world of plants. In her free time, Katie Leigh enjoys painting, playing piano, hiking, gardening, and spending time with her fiancé and cat. This will be her fourth joy-filled year teaching with Magnolia.

Bainbridge Island

Campus Teachers

Sophia Kennedy

Assistant Site Director

Sophia Kennedy

Assistant Site Director

Sophia was born and raised in San Diego where she worked in the medical/nursing field for over 20 years. She was a nurse in Trauma/ICU and a wound care specialist.

Seven years ago she and her husband, Jason, moved to Poulsbo, WA.  She has been able to be a stay at home mom to five kids: Hayden 19, Jax 16, Jocelyn (Jaws) 14, Cora 4 & Violet (baby) 2. Cora and Violet both attend Magnolia and love it!

Being from San Diego, it took her a little while to acclimate. Cora’s first year at Magnolia taught her very quickly because they are outside rain or shine! Sophia likes to hike, ride bikes, and explore different parks with Her family. She started a new hobby of gardening, starting from seeds to harvesting fruits and vegetables. It’s been a fun and rewarding experience/hobby.

Joel Walker

Preschool Teacher

Joel Walker

Preschool Teacher

Joel was born and raised in the PNW and spent most of his childhood exploring the outdoors. From camping in the Olympic ring to wandering the Indianola forest in his backyard, Joel has always found peace in nature and wanted to share that with his two young children (both of which have attended Magnolia) through a variety of experiences. He found Magnolia to be a perfect fit for his two boys!

Joel has a Bachelor of Science in Business and Marketing and spent most of his corporate days in a variety of sales positions. The pandemic created an opportunity to be a stay-at-home dad and he took it. Joel has now spent the last couple years raising his children. Routinely exploring the outdoors with his boys and dropping them off at Magnolia, he decided he’d like to share in the development of the other children at Magnolia as well. He’s excited to join the team and help nurture the younglings through nature!

In Joel’s free time he enjoys golfing, basketball, hiking trails and walking along the beach.

Francesca De Luna-Valencia

Preschool Teacher

Francesca De Luna-Valencia

Preschool Teacher

Francesca De Luna-Valencia graduated from North Kitsap High School in 2023. She played soccer and tennis for NKHS. She is bilingual. Her first language is Spanish and then English. She was born and raised in Poulsbo, WA.

Francesca (Franny) is thrilled to be a part of the Magnolia teaching community. She enjoys seeing children light up at new discoveries in the forest, helping friendships blossom, and supporting problem solving opportunities.

Franny plays tennis in her free time and is excited to be starting her journey in early childhood education this year.

Find Magnolia Forest School Near You!

At unique campuses across the Puget Sound Region in Washington, Magnolia children learn rain and shine. Preschool (ages 2.5-5) and Waldkinder (ages 5-8) programs meet September through June. We welcome lots of new friends at our summer camps, too!

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“In the safety and freedom of the woods, [my child’s] little voice started asking for things she needed – and getting those needs met. Through climbing, exploring the natural world around her, her confidence grew. Magnolia’s style makes room for that.”
“One of the biggest leaps has been [my child’s] ability to communicate her emotions. Instead of endless tantrums or guessing games, [my child] has been able to clearly tell me what she’s feeling. Being able to identify a feeling is one of the first steps to working through it for her. This is a big deal in our everyday life, and I believe it’s truly added to her life in a dynamic manner. At Magnolia, I know I have a group of other caring adults in her life to help her learn to trust herself and others, during those difficult life moments.”
“ We look forward to the year, as well as the adventures of the K-8th program to follow. I want [my child] to continue to grow and learn to trust herself and grow into a confident child, and eventually young woman, with respect for life, others and the world around her. Those values are echoed by this school as well. Having the freedom to be 100% herself in a safe environment as she discovers who she is priceless.”
“Now, as a first time parent, I’ll admit, I had my doubts when it came to the theory behind child-lead learning, but I’m now sold on it. The confidence gained by learning to climb a rock transfers over to facing new learning milestones, like counting. [My child’s] imagination is free to expand with simple tools and toys, friends, fresh air, and the occasional snow ball. Imagination is the mother of invention. [My child] knows School is a safe place to make mistakes, explore, and grow.”
“I cannot say enough how much my child has grown since school started in September! She went from crying at drop off and clinging to a teacher, to confidently walking to a teacher at the start of a school day and strutting back at pick up.”
“[My child] has great stamina! Before Magnolia she wouldn’t walk very far and now she is able to hike up to 3 miles! She also has a longer attention span. She will stick with a task for 45 min or an hour. Again, before school she would flit from activity to activity.”

I'm interested in enrollment

We're so glad you're interested in enrolling your child at Magnolia! Families often have lots of questions, and we're here to help. Complete the interest form below, so we can support you in your journey toward forest school. You can also directly contact our Registrar, Taylor: info@magnoliaforestpreschool.com or Parent Liaison, Alex: alex@magnoliaforestpreschool.com.

I'm Interested

Have a question?

We are happy to answer any questions you may have. Forest school can be the perfect fit for so many children because it is uniquely tailored to support their strengths and interests. We look forward to connecting with you and your child further, and we hope to see you in the forest soon!

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