***COMING JULY 2026***
Fostering whole-child development through play-based exploration of art, music, and the natural world.
Nature Driven Learning
Children are capable, curious, and full of potential. My approach honors their innate sense of wonder, allowing them to take an active role in their learning journey. Whether going on a bug-hunt, wandering through the forest, harvesting from the garden, creating art together, or diving into a world of imagination, children engage in hands-on experiences that foster curiosity, confidence, and a deep connection to the natural world. A combination of indoor and outdoor learning spaces supports whole-child development in an intimate setting.
Program Emphases
Education
Positive associations with educational environments makes all the difference as children discover themselves as learners with different ideas and strengths, and continue their educational journey into grade school and beyond.
My preschool program has weekly learning themes so children can build their knowledge and understanding on a wide variety of topics. The program offers structured learning routines with a focus on both the practice of age-appropriate academic skills and creating positive associations with the process of doing so.
Reading readiness, basic math concepts and science-based learning are incorporated into our routines, as well as into other activities throughout the day so that children become comfortable with the concepts and have a chance to practice through exploration and play.
Nutrition
I take pride in providing nutritious, home-made food options for the children, relying primarily on local, seasonal, organic meat and produce and giving them ample opportunity to explore new flavors and textures.
Throughout the growing season, children engage in planting, tending, harvesting, and preparing ingredients from a large onsite organic garden. They are both learning that food has a story and experiencing the richness of eating food they are connected to through effort and care. The garden is a special place and serves as a primary learning and play area throughout most of the year.
Creativity
It is important for children to engage in both process-focused and product-focused creative works. Process-focused creativity allows them to explore tasks or mediums, learn from each other, follow their own curiosity, collaborate, and discover the inherent joy in flow-state creativity and problem solving. To this end, children have the opportunity throughout the year to explore in a variety of outdoor spaces and to play and build with materials gathered from the surrounding forest. They also have opportunities to explore a variety of traditional creative mediums such as musical instruments, dress-up bins, clay, paints, and more!
To support product-focused creativity, I provide a guided craft series for children in a more classical instructive environment. These seasonally-inspired crafts allow children to learn patience and practice fine motor skills while working toward a specific creative goal. This results in high-quality crafts to bring home to their families while helping them share what they have learned, and the process prepares them for more involved projects in the future.
Relationship
I take great care in guiding children toward a healthy way of relating to themselves, to others, and to their environment. Through practicing respectful listening, boundary setting, and problem solving in individual and group settings, I help children become more self-aware and independent while learning to communicate their needs and experiences to others.
I also encourage children to notice the impact they have on their environment and to act intentionally. For example, regulating their speed and attention in more delicate environments, watching for trip hazards as we walk through the woods, moving carefully through the garden, and caring for the school by putting their things away and participating in cleanup.
What Parents Say
“Cassie has truly been one of the best things to happen to our family. For more than two years, she has guided our children through creative crafts, forest adventures, farm animal chores, and endless opportunities for free play. My kids ask to go to Cassie even on days we’re not there, and she has genuinely become part of our family. The artwork that comes home is frame-worthy (and has happily taken over our house!). She is absolutely magical with children and was clearly born for this work. Anyone lucky enough to send their children to her will know exactly what I mean—we feel incredibly lucky.”
-Andrea Bemis
“Cassie is an incredibly thoughtful and energetic caregiver. She creates a magical, creative space where children feel safe to explore and be themselves. Our son absolutely loves spending time with her and always looks forward to visits to her beautiful farm.”
- Jeni McKay
“If I had to sum Cassie up in one word, the word would be ‘magic’. Cassie is one of those magical adults that still has child like wonder and an energy when teaching that is infectious. Leaving my child to go back to work was really tough but knowing he was in Cassie’s care was a balm to my heart. She saw my child for the unique human that he is and adjusted her teaching according to his strengths and encouraged him in a way that taught him to believe in himself in ways that he might not have seen or developed otherwise. My kiddo loves Cassie and still to this day calls her one of his friends. I feel so fortunate for the foundation of curiosity, creativity, kindness, clear communication and guidance that he got to experience with her. To boot Cassie is a talented artist and a brilliant cook!”
-Ashley Brown
Meet Teacher Cassie
Hello and welcome! Mountain Mama Farm School is a combination of my love of learning from the natural world and my passion for early childhood development. I have over two decades of experience in child care and mentorship. Over the past ten years living in the Hood River Valley, I have worked as an artist, built a small homestead, raised my son, and continue to develop my understanding of permaculture and the joy (and challenges) of organic gardening, foraging and the like.
I love tinkering with new ways to explore myself through art, movement, and creative endeavors and find it deeply rewarding to help children explore those same avenues of expression to connect to their own rich imaginations and sense of place.
Over the years, I have raised quail, rabbits, ducks, chickens, and pigs here on the farm. I currently have chickens and cats and have leaned into supporting other locals for my meat sources, freeing up time for backcountry adventures, skill-development, creative ventures, and my own journey of motherhood.
I maintain active certifications in First Aid and CPR and am enrolled in the Central Background Registry. I’m a member of a Focused Child Care Network and I continually educate myself and attend trainings on the latest research in childhood development to bring the best and most intentional care possible to the little ones in my community.
2026/27 Offerings
How do I enroll my child?
To enroll your child in the summer care program or the preschool program, parents can fill out a New Parent Packet. The completed enrollment packet and tuition are due by the first day of attendance. Contact Teacher Cassie for more information, to check availability or enroll your child.
What is the group size at MMFS?
There will typically 6 children in the group per day in the preschool program.
Summer Care 2026:
For ages: 3-9
Dates: 8 weeklong offerings running July 6- August 27
Schedule: Monday - Thursday 9am- 3pm
Rates: $432/week
*Tuition includes high-quality, nutritious snacks and lunches, as well as the cost of materials used for educational activities and art projects.
*There is a 10% discount available for concurrent second child enrollments OR consecutive family enrollments after 2 years.
*If parents would like to split a position with another family to have their child here 2 days/wk, contact Teacher Cassie for availability.
See below for more summer care details!
Preschool Program 2026/27:
For ages: 3-5
Dates: September 1, 2026- June 17, 2027
Schedule: Monday - Thursday, 9am-3pm with an additional aftercare option offered from 3-5pm
Rates: $1,858/Month (9am-3pm); $2,477/Month (9am-5pm)
*Tuition includes high-quality, nutritious snacks and lunches, as well as the cost of materials used for educational activities and art projects.
*There is a 10% discount available for concurrent second child enrollments OR for families after 2 years of consecutive enrollment.
*If parents would like to split a preschool position with another family to have their child here 2 days/wk, contact Teacher Cassie for availability.
Summer Care 2026
The summer care program offers a place for children to celebrate the season by spending long days outside, harvesting fruits, vegetables and flowers from the garden, and having plenty of time to run around, play sports, play water games, snack in the sunshine, read stories, learn new games, go on treasure hunts, create art and crafts, and play music together! In addition to all this summer fun, there will be weekly learning themes that will add extra magic with special activities, thematic art projects, and plenty of fodder for imaginative play! The weekly themes are as follows:
Week of Juy 6: Bugs! Children will dive into the world of bugs, go on daily bug hunts around the property and use a magnifying glass to get a closer look. They’ll read books that feature some very special bugs, enjoy an insect themed craft, go on an insect treasure hunt, dress up and have a buggy-boogie dance party!
Week of July 13: Dinosaurs! Children will learn about dinosaurs, excavate dinosaur skeletons from the sandbox, break open dinosaur eggs to get a special surprise, use a dinosaur rocket launcher, and enjoy a special dinosaur dance party!
Week of July 20: Movement! Children will learn about all kinds of ways to get from one place to another. They’ll use found items to decorate race cars and race them down a track. They’ll practice gross motor skills as they navigate an obstacle course, ride play horses around the pasture, play movement based games, and have a special dance party!
Week of July 27: Animal Neighbors! Children will learn about several animals that live in the area. They will examine a real bear hide, deer antlers and turkey feathers up close, enjoy story time with books that feature some of our animal neighbors. They’ll play animal-themed games, make art that celebrates some of the local wildlife, and have a wild animal dance party!
Week of August 3: Pirates and the Sea! Children will learn about a variety of ocean critters, dress up as pirates and follow a map to find treasure. They’ll enjoy stories about the sea and some special characters that live there, create thematic art, and have a jolly jig pirate dance party!
Week of August 10: Garden Magic! Children will learn about herbs and flowers in the garden, create wands and crowns with their flower harvest, and learn about pollinators and other garden friends. They can dress up with antennae and butterfly wing capes, make sun prints, and have a magical, bubble-fueled dance party together!
Week of August 17: Wild West! Welcome to the wild west! Kids can dress up, ride their play horses around the farm, and yell “Yeehaw!” They’ll learn about the wild west, make some special crafts, enjoy a chili feed, play cowboy bingo, go on a wild west treasure hunt, and enjoy a Wild West dance party!
Week of August 24: Feathered Friends! Children will use binoculars to do some bird-watching, learn about the habits of local bird species and make art that celebrates our feathered friends. They’ll dissect owl pellets, practice bird calls, go on a bird-themed treasure hunt, and have a special dance party!
For more information regarding the preschool program, policies, practices and procedures, contact Teacher Cassie for a copy of the 2026/27 parent handbook
Contact Teacher Cassie
For enrollment inquiries or more information, reach out to Teacher Cassie today!
