Scenic Beach State Park

Jenny began her teaching career in 1995 in a small Arkansas town and has since taught preschool through college in Arkansas, Texas, and Washington states.  She holds a Masters in Early Childhood and Curriculum and Instruction from Concordia University, and a BFA in Art Education from Baylor University.

Jenny is a fierce advocate for a child’s right to play and believes that truly play-based programs, like Magnolia, provide the best opportunity for young children to be creative, compassionate learners who embrace themselves and others with empathy, curiosity and joy.   What follows are self-regulation, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. Her belief that social-emotional development is the leading indicator of long-term school success informs her position as an educator.  Her mission is to graduate children from Magnolia who are not only academically successful but who also fully understand themselves and their value in our world.  And who love to learn!  She is a teacher first and believes that the outdoor environment is an ideal place for a child’s imagination to soar and relationships to flourish.

Jenny loves to crochet and knit children's book characters, and can be found doing so amongst the hundreds of children's books that line her office shelves.

Jenny has three sons, Connor, Sean, and Jackson, and a daughter, Grace.  One of her favorite roles is “Bunny” to her precious grandson, Samuel. And her cheeky Irish Setter, Clover Sue, keeps her on her toes with a sense of humor!   Jenny will forever be grateful for her late husband, Bob, who supplied her with constant laughter and believed in her dream of starting a “little preschool in the woods” so many years ago.  Without his love and support, none of this would have been possible.

Born and raised in small-town Iowa, Taylor has always been fascinated by the ability of the environment to influence how we develop, think, and feel. She holds a Bachelor of Architecture with a minor in psychology and a Master of Landscape Architecture with an emphasis on environmental psychology and risky play, both from Iowa State University. She is a member of the International Play Association, the United States Play Coalition, and the Washington Nature Preschool Association.

Taylor has spent much of her life working with children, and she strives to continue to see the world with the wonder and joy of a child. She loves to climb, play, and spend time in nature, is a passionate musician, and starts every day with a strong cup of coffee and a song.

Katie’s (she/her) roots lie right here in the PNW! She was born and raised on Whidbey Island and followed her dad’s footsteps by joining the Navy as an Information Systems Technician-Reservist in 2014. Hoping to be more involved with her two kids, Jordan & Eden, Katie separated from the Navy after 9 years and continued as a Certified Nurses Assistant while her high-school-sweetheart husband, Mike, is active duty here in Bangor, WA.

Katie found Magnolia when her son was 2.5 years old. After a family tour where she got to see and experience verbal mapping first hand, her son was signed up the next day. Katie fell in love with the philosophy of Magnolia and started as a substitute in September 2023 and was promoted to a regular teaching position in 2024. Katie is now considering a complete career shift from Nursing to Early Childhood Education and is researching degrees and programs at local colleges.

Katie spends most of her time pretending to be dinosaurs with her son, but on rare occasions can be found reading, singing karaoke with friends, or exploring different parks with her family.

Alex is a graduate of Western Washington University with a degree in elementary education and literacy. She’s a certified K-8 teacher in Washington with experience in both primary and secondary grades. Teaching the foundations of literacy is her passion!

Alex and her husband Benjamin are parents to five kiddos all of whom have attended Magnolia! She has a deep love of learning and a passion for observing and facilitating lifelong learning in children. Magnolia has inspired and forever changed their family. The Magnolia philosophy has directly impacted their parenting and shifted the family dynamic in completely unexpected ways. Alex joined the Magnolia team as a teacher and then as the Parent Liaison in order to share the Magnolia Method with children and their families.

When not in the forest Alex is a flower farmer and loves to share her garden and home with others. She is often found with her nose in a book and loves to travel and cook. As a family they spend their time working and free ranging on the farm, exploring, camping, kayaking, and fishing.

Alex is thrilled to be experiencing the forest alongside children as they grow and develop in curiosity and insight together.