Our School Philosophy

The Gabriel Park Preschool curriculum is based on a "learn through play" philosophy. Through their natural love of play, children explore and manipulate their environment to discover and learn new things, developing and growing at their own rate.  To encourage this type of learning, the GPPS classrooms are set up in Learning Centers.  With the teacher’s gentle guiding, children will explore each area at their leisure.  Learning Centers emphasize socialization, group skills, fine motor skills, literacy, match, science and artistic expression.

Our Environmental Philosophy

Gabriel Park Preschool supports all efforts to instruct members in environmental consciousness and responsibility. All school purchases and disposals are made with consideration for the immediate as well as long term effects they will have on our planet and our children’s future. In particular, we practice daily recycling, grow a garden each spring and fall, and save snack food scraps for our worm barn.

GPPS Teacher Profile: Teacher Julie Miller

“Play is often talked about as if it were
a relief from serious learning, but for
children play is serious learning.
Play is really the work of childhood.”
— Fred Rogers

Julie’s career in the early childhood classroom began in 1994. Her first role was as a volunteer and it didn’t take long before she realized how much she loved teaching. She was drawn by the inquisitiveness and eagerness of the preschooler and that connection has only grown stronger through the years.

Julie is a graduate from the University of Oregon. Previously she was the director and a teacher at a private preschool in Raleigh Hills. As a parent of two she has been a co-op Mom for 4 years and is thrilled to continue her co-op connection at Gabriel Park Parent Preschool. Julie has taught in special needs classrooms through Northwest Regional Early Services District and uses American Sign Language vocabulary throughout her curriculum.

Julie provides a classroom rich in choices and materials. She uses the classroom environment to promote hands on learning and dedicates a significant portion of classroom time to play. As children choose activities that are relevant to them, their interest and learning increases.

“Play is the work of children. It's very serious stuff. “ (Bob Keeshan) and play builds the foundation for lifelong skills.

It is important to Julie that parents and teachers work together to make each child’s first educational experience the best it can be. She views the teacher and parents as collaborators and supporters of one another and for this reason, she treasures the co-op model.

Examples of Themes and Dramatic Room Set-Up

Starting School
House corner

Feelings/Emotions
House corner

Oceans
Ocean, beachfront

Camping
Camping, tent, campfire

Trains
Engineer hats, trains, etc.

Pumpkins/Halloween
Pumpkins, scarecrows, costumes
Field Trip

Fall
Trees, leaves, rakes
Field Trip to park

Thanksgiving Harvest
Trees, leaves, rakes

Winter Celebration
(A cultural study)
Holiday items

Monsters/Dragons
Castle, drawbridge, dragons, shields, princess clothes

Snow
White foam, snowflakes, gloves, mittens, hat, scarves

Firefighters
Add firefighter to house corner
Field trip

Post Office/Valentines Day
Post office

Rain
Restaurant with piano

Musical Instruments
Restaurant with piano

Musical Instruments w/Pajama Party, Parade
Restaurant with piano

Colors
Beauty Parlor

Seeds
Beauty Parlor

Bugs
Open to Ideas

Spring/Birds
Tee-Pee
Field Trip to Park

Worms
Tee Pee

Dinosaurs
Puppet Show

Special Friends Day
Hollow Blocks
Special Friends Tea Party

Friends/Graduation
Hollow Blocks