Little Acorns Nature Preschool
The mission of the Dahlem Little Acorns Nature Preschool is to provide an environment for children to explore, create, imagine, learn and grow through hands-on activities and experiences; to promote social, emotional and cognitive skills; and to instill a lifelong love, respect and understanding of nature.
Philosophy
At Dahlem we believe every child should have the opportunity to enjoy nature and that children are eager and excited to learn by doing. The Little Acorns program promotes learning by:
- Establishing a learning environment that provides opportunity for exploration, experimentation and imagination;
- Developing age-appropriate activities that encourage and promote learning;
- Asking questions and providing the knowledge and experiences to encourage children’s ability to problem solve;
- Encouraging children to work together to achieve a common goal; and
- Enabling children to develop and nurture relationships between peers and adults.
School Year Schedule
The 2024-2025 school year begins August 26, 2024. Classes take place in Dahlem’s Little Acorns Nature Preschool classroom and, our true classroom, the great outdoors. We have our lead teacher, Kayla Sipe, and assistant teacher, Isabella Rybinski, overseeing a maximum of 14 children per class.
- 4-year-old class: Monday through Thursday: 12:30-3:30 PM; $308 per month.
- 3-year-old class: Monday and Wednesday: 8:30-11:30 AM; $182 per month. THIS CLASS IS FULL. PLEASE CALL TO BE PUT ON THE WAITING LIST.
- 3-year-old class: Tuesday and Thursday: 8:30-11:30 AM; $182 per month. THIS CLASS IS FULL. PLEASE CALL TO BE PUT ON THE WAITING LIST.
Must be 3 years old by September 1, 2024 to enroll in the 3-year-old class.
Registration for the 2024/2025 school year OPENS on the following dates!!
January 15-21, 2024 priority registration is for currently enrolled students (families)
Starting January 22, 2024 registration is open to the public
Click Here for 2024/2025 Registration Application
Scholarship Application
Scholarship applications must be submitted by July 1st. Scholarship applications submitted after July 1st will be considered on a case-by-case basis as funds are available. Scholarships may cover all or part of the tuition, based on income and other circumstances.
Kayla Sipe
Lead Teacher, Preschool Program Director
Email: ksipe@dahlemcenter.org
Office: (517) 782-3453 ext. 107
Classroom: (517) 782-3453 ext. 108
Please contact Dahlem’s main office at 782-3453 ext. 0 for inquiries about registration.
Isabella Rybinski
Little Acorns Assistant Teacher
Classroom: (517) 782-3453 ext. 108