Fern and Feather Preschool welcomed its first class of students on September 7, 2019 at full enrollment in our beautiful new barn. We received financial support from the State and were therefor able to provide financial support and receive financial support to our families. We are excited to offer this deeply important service to the Island community. We enjoyed six months of learning, creating, and exploring the outdoors, and then, on March 13th, the school closed its doors due to COVID-19. Staff was able to launch a virtual platform for our students and families offering nature exploration and connection through short videos, music, crafts, lessons, movement, and one-on-one video chats. It was not how we expected our first year to go, but we completed the year and served Island families during very stressful times. We even gathered for a small, socially distanced graduation to honor our first class of students who were headed off to kindergarten. On September 8, 2020, we opened our doors for in-person learning again. Families were excited and grateful to be able to send their children back. Being outdoors and connecting people to nature has always been what we do best. Being able to do this through early education has been a timely and necessary bonus. As we come to the end of the calendar year we reflect on the amazing courage, adaptability, and commitment of our staff, students, and families. We served 32 families at Fern and Feather Preschool, offered a small summer camp program, outdoor nature adventures for ages 4-14 and outdoor homeschool and afterschool programs for grades 3rd-6th which registered over 150 individuals.