About The Founder
Carmel Baird has been working with children for over 20 years in a variety of capacities. She began her career as a nanny both in Seattle and abroad prior to opening Sweet Pea Cottage Daycare in 1995. She transformed Sweet Pea Cottage into a Preschool of the Arts in 2001.
In addition to her work at Sweet Pea Cottage, Carmel has worked with children at Seattle Shakespeare Company, Seattle Repertory Theater, City of Seattle’s Parks and Recreation and at Camp Opportunity – a camp for disadvantaged children in the foster care system.
She is also the Founder and Artistic Director of Stepping Stone Productions.
Carmel received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Cornish College of the Arts. She received her Master of Education with an emphasis on early childhood education development from Antioch University and completed her STARS (State Training and Registry System) training in 1998. In addition to her work as the guiding force of Sweet Pea Cottage, Carmel is writing a book to share her comprehensive philosophy about child education through the arts.
Artistic Director
The Artistic Director oversees all of the educational aspects of life at Sweet Pea Cottage. This person is the guiding force for the philosophy and curriculum that makes Sweet Pea the magical place it is.
Managing Director
The Managing Director is the administrative backbone for Sweet Pea Cottage. This is the person who handles human resources for the staff, financial aid for students, fundraising, budgeting, safety, and overall supervision of enrollment and financial management.
Site Supervisor
The Site Supervisor places students in homeroom classes according to their needs and makes sure the day is running smoothly by checking how students are doing as the day goes on. This person greets students in the morning and helps deliver and transition students throughout the school day. The Site Supervisor also places and coordinates the teaching staff.
Registrar
The Registrar handles all enrollment and student scheduling procedures for Sweet Pea Cottage. The Registrar schedules Make-Up Days, Vacation Days and/or adding additional days as needed. This is also the person who handles tuition invoicing, maintains the student files and processes all new student applications. This position works closely with the Site Supervisor to facilitate staffing needs and scheduling of students in rooms.
Lead Teachers
Full-time Lead Teachers are responsible for creating overall curriculum and arts education structure within their classroom. Lead Teachers serve as a regular component to the student’s environment supporting a comfortable and personalized classroom setting.
Assistant Teachers
Assistant Teachers support the Lead Teacher in delivering the curriculum and arts education structure. Assistant Teachers are also there to support each individual student’s emotional and physical needs and to step in as Lead Teacher when needed.
Specialty Teachers
These teachers are hired for a specific unit and therefore are only with Sweet Pea Cottage a relatively short period of time. They come and share their profession, cultural background, or other relevent perspective with the littles.
Guest Artists
Guest Artists come to share their unique talents with us. For example, we have visits from concert pianists, opera singers, storytellers, poets, dancers, actors and actresses, puppeteers, and more!
Special Guests
Through our founder, Carmel Baird’s, program “Passport Throughout the World”, Sweet Pea students visit a new country each week. As we travel around the world, we invite special guests to share their culture with us. We encourage family members to be a part of this program by sharing pictures, stories, clothing or any other aspect of a culture we’re studying.
Board of Directors
The board is the guiding force behind the operations of Sweet Pea Cottage. Their sole purpose is to support, facilitate and realize Sweet Pea Cottage’s mission and vision.
