Silverwood

Jenny began her teaching career in 1995 in a small Arkansas town and has since taught preschool through college in Arkansas, Texas, and Washington states.  She holds a Masters in Early Childhood and Curriculum and Instruction from Concordia University, and a BFA in Art Education from Baylor University.

Jenny is a fierce advocate for a child’s right to play and believes that truly play-based programs, like Magnolia, provide the best opportunity for young children to be creative, compassionate learners who embrace themselves and others with empathy, curiosity and joy.   What follows are self-regulation, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. Her belief that social-emotional development is the leading indicator of long-term school success informs her position as an educator.  Her mission is to graduate children from Magnolia who are not only academically successful but who also fully understand themselves and their value in our world.  And who love to learn!  She is a teacher first and believes that the outdoor environment is an ideal place for a child’s imagination to soar and relationships to flourish.

Jenny loves to crochet and knit children's book characters, and can be found doing so amongst the hundreds of children's books that line her office shelves.

Jenny has three sons, Connor, Sean, and Jackson, and a daughter, Grace.  One of her favorite roles is “Bunny” to her precious grandson, Samuel. And her cheeky Irish Setter, Clover Sue, keeps her on her toes with a sense of humor!   Jenny will forever be grateful for her late husband, Bob, who supplied her with constant laughter and believed in her dream of starting a “little preschool in the woods” so many years ago.  Without his love and support, none of this would have been possible.

Born and raised in small-town Iowa, Taylor has always been fascinated by the ability of the environment to influence how we develop, think, and feel. She holds a Bachelor of Architecture with a minor in psychology and a Master of Landscape Architecture with an emphasis on environmental psychology and risky play, both from Iowa State University. She is a member of the International Play Association, the United States Play Coalition, and the Washington Nature Preschool Association.

Taylor has spent much of her life working with children, and she strives to continue to see the world with the wonder and joy of a child. She loves to climb, play, and spend time in nature, is a passionate musician, and starts every day with a strong cup of coffee and a song.

Tom has a Bachelor's Degree in Nutrition and Culinary Arts, and received Birth Doula training from Bastyr University. They have volunteered with Open Arms Perinatal Services as a pre/postnatal Doula, serving marginalized birth parents in the Seattle area. Tom has also worked as a volunteer cook at Operation Sack Lunch, serving Seattle’s homeless community.

As a child (and adult), Tom spent most of their time outside in the woods exploring, playing, imagining, dreaming and learning. As a queer/trans, gender non-conforming, birth-parent, Tom Crowley-Thomas has a passion for fostering equitable learning spaces and empowering students.

Currently, Tom is working on a degree in Psychology/Social Work and believes social emotional learning is paramount during formative Pre-K years. Making this connection to the land is foundational. In their free time, Tom loves to make up songs for their child, read poetry, ride their Vespa, play music with their band and spend time in the garden.

Amanda was born and raised in Washington state. She is a wife and mother to three children and has been lucky enough to be a stay at home mother for the last 2.5 years. She has valued this time at home, spending one on one time together, learning and growing together.

She previously worked as a preschool teacher and in early childhood ministry, as well as a substitute teacher for the local school district. She loves teaching and working with children. She decided to pursue early childhood education again so that she and her son could be together while pursuing a meaningful preschool experience for him and where they could both be around like-minded individuals.

Amanda is excited to join the Magnolia team and spend her days outdoors. She has read about and witnessed the benefits of play-based, outdoor education with her son and is looking forward to observing and experiencing it in others. She hopes to share her passion for the outdoors, a simpler way of learning and letting kids be kids again.

Melissa grew up on the Gulf Coast of Texas, criss-crossed the country for a film degree in New York, an early film industry career in California, then back again to Texas for a MS in Early Childhood inspired by work on a production about infant brain development. The pandemic brought a serendipitous end to the life of windowless fluorescent-lit classrooms with flickering screens as she transitioned into leading guided nature hikes, teaching young summer campers, and developing an outdoor play program for infants at a nature center.

While completing the intensive Texas Master Naturalist training, Melissa began to realize her deep passion for connecting children to nature and place. With a deep respect for the environment and cultural history of the lands we use and inhabit, she emphasizes the critical importance of unstructured outdoor time, allowing children to grow by exploring at their own pace, while building resilience and confidence. She believes that the outdoors is the best classroom, where children naturally develop critical thinking skills, creativity, and a sense of stewardship.

In 2025, with young adult children in college and exploring careers, Melissa, her wife, and their four cats relocated to Washington to reimagine their lives focused on disruption of traditional expectations, with a commitment to connected, sustainable living. When not in the forest or tide pools, Melissa can be found stirring the compost, watching her bird feeder livestream, and trying out new fountain pens.

Hailing from the windy steppes of southeastern Wyoming, Nathanael discovered the Pacific Northwest in college and, after much roaming and many adventures, relocated there permanently with his wife Martha in 2019. Their daughter Inkeri was born in 2022, and currently attends Magnolia’s Evergreen Valley Class.

Nathanael holds degrees in Journalism and Education, and worked most recently as a middle school teacher in English Language Arts in the South Kitsap School District. During an extended sabbatical as a stay-at-home dad, however, he was plunged into the fascinating world of early learners, and has continued that journey as a part-time teacher at Magnolia.

Alex is a graduate of Western Washington University with a degree in elementary education and literacy. She’s a certified K-8 teacher in Washington with experience in both primary and secondary grades. Teaching the foundations of literacy is her passion!

Alex and her husband Benjamin are parents to five kiddos all of whom have attended Magnolia! She has a deep love of learning and a passion for observing and facilitating lifelong learning in children. Magnolia has inspired and forever changed their family. The Magnolia philosophy has directly impacted their parenting and shifted the family dynamic in completely unexpected ways. Alex joined the Magnolia team as a teacher and then as the Parent Liaison in order to share the Magnolia Method with children and their families.

When not in the forest Alex is a flower farmer and loves to share her garden and home with others. She is often found with her nose in a book and loves to travel and cook. As a family they spend their time working and free ranging on the farm, exploring, camping, kayaking, and fishing.

Alex is thrilled to be experiencing the forest alongside children as they grow and develop in curiosity and insight together.