About

At Tule Elk Park, we are dedicated to supporting and expanding the potentials,
strengths, and capabilities of all members of Tule Elk Park’s community, staff,
children, and families.

We believe that play is essential to children’s learning and development. We
see play as a critical cornerstone to children’s understanding of the world and
their development as healthy beings.

We also believe that children learn in relationship with their peers, teachers,
families, and friends. That is why our curriculum is derived from our observations
of children’s involvement with others during their school day as well as from the
connections children make with their world outside the school, with their families
and communities.

We value a collaborative process of learning. We do this through:

• Daily observations of children’s experiences
• Dynamic dialogue among all members of the classroom
• Active exploration of ideas and materials
• Creative expressions through the “hundred languages” (words, movement,

gestures, writing, drawing, painting, clay, playing, and other modes of ex-
pression

Family involvement is also an essential part of our program. Families provide the
link to our community. They strengthen the quality of our program. The shared
life experiences of our families support the optimal growth of all of our children.
We are dedicated to developing and deepening children’s connection with
the natural world through on going encounters with our outdoor environment,
our Tule Elk Park.

In our daily work and in collaboration with each other, we embrace the joy and
passion of our work together.