We would love to thank our Class Yearbook editors! You guys are amazing! With your sweet and caring editorial eye, you find the best and brightest photos of each student, the precious words that sum up the school year, and somehow, in just a few pages, you capture the heart and soul of The Gardenl. We realize that it is hard to take a bad picture of our adorable students, but you guys find the best of the best. The staff love to look back on these books as these kiddos graduate from elementary school, high school and college, and we also enjoy referring to them at our Open Houses and Observations. Thank you so much for taking on this task and we marvel at what a wonderful snapshot of this ‘moment in time’ you have created. Amazing! Thank you.

This week, we want to pile up all our gratitude for the parents of our students, and let it rain all over you! We want to thank you for entrusting your most valuable treasures to our care at The Children’s Garden.

We know you researched and observed different programs and looked for the preschool that most spoke to your heart. We love that The Children’s Garden did that. You have certainly spoken to our hearts with your choice, with your children, with your showing up every day, with your volunteering, your community building and all your support. You’ve spoken to our hearts so much that our hearts are full!

We love to see the growth in our students, but we see the same growth in our parents. You also enter The Garden a little timid and unsure, nervous about saying goodbye to your little love the first time, and working on building your confidence and community. You take on the role of room parent, board member, fundraising committee, video maker, organizer of playdates or Moms Night Out, or being the lead of a ‘meal train’ for a friend in need. You open up to make a new friend in the gazebo, or you work up to being comfortable to confess that your child won’t sleep through the night in their own bed, or that you secretly love to watch Love Island or even, Frozen!

One of our favorite stories of this past year about our Garden Parent community was a testimony from a mom, new to the area, who said that without the support of the moms in her class, her husband would not have been able to attend the birth of their little girl. Baby came early, and Grandparents were not in town yet to watch the ‘soon to be big brother’.

We love these connections, these lifelong friendships. We love that your roots are in The Garden. We love that you are a part of the Issaquah Valley Family Education Association, and that you will always be a part of The Children’s Garden Community.

Thank you so much for choosing us, for being here, for supporting us and for entrusting your children to us. We are so much better because of you. Your roots are deep in this Garden.