Mission Statement Sweet Pea Cottage connects educators and youth with tradition bearers and artists from a wide range of traditions and disciplines; in doing so we demonstrate the importance of integrating the arts in education. We believe that the arts are powerful interdisciplinary tools that can teach learners at all levels.

Core Values We believe in teaching through:     Art We are dedicated to the philosophy that the arts are an integral component to a child’s total development. We aspire to create a multi-lingual, cross-cultural curriculum that celebrates the arts and the creative process. We employ teaching artists in our community to give the gift of their own experiences Love We believe that when each child is taught with love it creates the strongest foundation to communicate and encourages the child to find what they love to do. Tradition We value the process of handing down information, beliefs, and customs by word of mouth or by example from one generation to another. We honor cultural differences and celebrate them. It takes a village with helping hands to teach our heritage and traditions. Community We recognize and emphasize the inspiration, creativity and friendship a community brings to a child’s life. We explore the concentric circles that make the concept of community. World Perspective We consider it our responsibility to give a significant insight into the lives of children and their families all over the world. We explore and celebrate the world.

And in the end we discover laughter, individuality,
positive choice making & a positive future;
in short a garden of possibilities.

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.

Sweet Pea Staff

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.

Director of Preschool Operations
The Director of Preschool Operations 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 Director of PreOps also places and coordinates the teaching staff.

Director of Enrollment
The Director of Enrollment handles all enrollment and student scheduling procedures for Sweet Pea Cottage. The Director of Enrollment 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 Director of Preschool Operations 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 Artist
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.