“Play is the highest form of research”
Albert Einstein
Fiore
(fee-or-ay) To Bloom
About
Fiore Playgroup is a mixed-age, half-day Preschool in the heart of Ballard. We offer both AM and PM Preschool classes with a focus on social-emotional learning, Spanish Language introduction, and sparking curiosity in the world around us.
While we don’t strictly adhere to any one educational approach, we believe that children learn best through play and hands-on discovery, as we gently guide them towards Kindergarten readiness. We pull inspiration from the teachings of Dr. Maria Montessori, and guidelines of Reggio Emilia. Our mission is to provide an engaging early learning environment where everyone is welcomed and students feel safe to question and explore. We are committed to constant improvement and continued education as teachers as we support our students in social-emotional skills, speech and language development, and early literacy.
We follow the “Experience” Curriculum, which meets the NAEYC Early Learning Accreditation Standards in all 50 states. This curriculum grows with the child’s developmental needs, starting as young as 2.5 years, and continuing through Pre-Kindergarten. Experience Curriculum weaves 35 research backed skills into playful games and projects each day. Your child will build upon skills and concepts such as Visual Arts, Attention & Persistence, Reading Comprehension, and Geography throughout the course of the year. While our curriculum is robust, most learning takes place in circle time, through crafts, games, or large movement, and while exploring the world around us. Each week we play at the Ballard Locks Park, and visit the Library. Our students learn independence and gain confidence through tasks such as serving their own food at snack, cleaning up after themselves, and helping their friends with classroom jobs.
At Fiore, we only employ teachers who are passionate about Early Childhood Education, background check cleared, and First Aid/CPR certified. We utilize an app called Brightwheel for electronic attendance, and real-time updates. Leaving your child in a new environment can be scary, and we want you to feel confident that they are in the best hands.
In creating Fiore Playgroup we wanted to streamline the process of accessing great childcare for parents. The drop-in model, and playgroups such as “Parent’s Night Out”, and enrichment classes are things we knew local families were looking for, but could rarely find. We are proud to offer these services in addition to our daily preschool schedule.
“As a mom who worked full time outside of the home, it was important to find childcare that worked for me. Fiore Playgroup was created in my own search for great childcare. Leaving my 10+ year career in the Dental industry to go back to school for Early Childhood Education was a leap to be sure. My desire was to create an upscale and welcoming space where children would want to come, and processes that streamlined and simplified their parent’s lives. If I can take just one thing off your plate, if I can make a parent’s job 1% easier, that’s what I started this for. I set out to create the childcare program that I wanted my daughter to attend…and now she does!” -Taylor, Founder / Director
Sample Morning Preschool Schedule*
8:30 - Drop Off
8:30 - 9:30am - Stations & Small Group Learning : during this time we will play games, craft, & practice our lessons of the week which could include letter recognition, basic mathematics, seasonal themes, or workshops. Students move through stations spending a few focused minutes in each. In Preschool learning is carefully crafted to feel and look like play.
9:30 - 10:00am - Hand Washing & Snack Time (provided by Fiore)
10:00 - 10:30am - Circle Time : during Circle Time we come together to sing, dance, and discuss monthly/daily learning themes. We discuss the weather, share our feelings, and practice being brave sharers and respectful listeners.
10:30 - 11:30am - Outdoor Exploration / Free Play
11:30 - 12:00pm - Hand Washing & Lunch
12:00 - 12:30pm - Story Time & Pick Up
Sample Afternoon Pre-K Schedule*
1:00pm - Drop Off
1:00 - 2:00pm - Outdoor Exploration / Free Play
2:00 - 2:30pm - Hand Washing & Snack Time (provided by Fiore)
2:30 - 3:30pm - Stations & Small Group Learning : during this time we will play games, craft, & practice our lessons of the week which could include letter recognition, basic mathematics, seasonal themes, or workshops. Students move through stations spending a few focused minutes in each. Learning is carefully crafted to feel and look like play, but the afternoon class has an increased focus on Kindergarten readiness and Spanish Language introduction.
3:30 - 4:00pm - Circle Time : during Circle Time we come together to sing, dance, and discuss monthly/daily learning themes in Spanish. We discuss the weather, share our feelings, and practice being brave sharers and respectful listeners all while practicing this beautiful language.
4:00 - 4:30pm - Quiet Reading & Story Time
4:30 - 5:00pm - Free Play & Pick Up
*each group is intended to run independently of one another; students are only able to attend one class per day according to WAC 110-300-0010
Tuition
Tuition is billed monthly at the 1st of the month, and is based on number of days per week enrolled, not days actually attended.
5 days per week : $1312 / month
4 days per week : $1102 / month
3 days per week : $819 / month
Registration Fee : $250
Please submit an inquiry form, or contact us directly at admin@fioreafterschool.com for up-to-date tuition fees and hours of care.