More Than Childcare: Growing Up With Evergreen
When Ashley and Daniel Davis first began looking for childcare for their son Elijah, they were navigating something familiar to many young families: finding a place where they could feel comfortable leaving one of the most important people in their lives.
It was 2021, childcare options were still limited following the COVID-19 pandemic, and the family spent time on waiting lists while relying on a nanny. When a spot eventually became available at Evergreen Academy Preschool, 18-month-old Elijah started attending part time before eventually moving to a full-time schedule.
More than four years later, Evergreen has become part of the Davis family’s story.
Elijah grew through Evergreen’s classrooms before graduating from its preschool program. When his younger sister Eden arrived, Ashley and Daniel approached childcare differently. This time, they already knew the teachers, the environment and the community they were entrusting with their child. Eden began at Evergreen as an infant and has grown up there.
For Ashley, one of Evergreen’s greatest strengths has been knowing that her children are surrounded by people who genuinely know them.
She remembers dropping off a young Eden during a period when separation from Mom could be difficult. Some mornings involved tears and a reluctant goodbye, but Ashley could leave for work knowing that teachers who understood her daughter would be there to comfort her.
“I knew she was okay. I knew that I could leave her there and there were going to be people there who cared for her, and that she would be fine.”
That trust has been reinforced through relationships with teachers over the years.
Ashley and Daniel especially remember teachers who learned their children’s individual personalities rather than treating early childhood development as one-size-fits-all. Brooklyn Cardenas, who taught Eden in Evergreen’s two-year-old Cypress classroom, stood out to the family for her patience and ability to understand their strong-willed, independent daughter.
“Every parent-teacher conversation was so thoughtful,” Ashley said. “She was able to really capture who our child was. She would tell us things and we’d say, ‘Yeah, that’s Eden.’”
For Elijah, another important relationship developed with teacher Brandy, who taught in the Elevate Pre-K classroom. When he experienced some of the behavioral challenges that naturally come with growing up and testing boundaries, his parents remember her patience and investment in helping him work through them. His connection to his teacher became obvious at home when Elijah found a heart-shaped rock and decided he wanted to paint it and give it to “Miss Brandy.”
A Partnership That Comes Home
Those relationships are part of something Ashley and Daniel say has mattered throughout their Evergreen experience: teachers and parents working together.
Toilet learning, challenging behaviors, communication, emotional development and changing expectations as the children grew weren’t treated as things that happened only at preschool.
Parents and teachers talked about what they were seeing at school and at home, compared approaches and tried to use consistent language with the children.
Ashley remembers that even preschool parent-teacher conferences became valuable opportunities to ask, What are you seeing in the classroom? Are we seeing the same thing at home? What language are you using? What can we reinforce?
That consistency helped make Evergreen feel less like a place where the children simply spent their days and more like an extension of the family supporting their development.
“We’ve seen our kids flourish. The teachers do a really good job communicating and partnering with parents to make sure things are consistent across the board.”
Some of Elijah and Eden’s earliest friendships began at Evergreen. Elijah became part of a self-proclaimed “backpack crew” with classmates who insisted on wearing their backpacks around school together. One of those friendships continued even after the other family moved across the country. The Davises later visited them during an East Coast trip. Another Evergreen friendship has continued into elementary school.
Eden met one of her best friends when they were babies in Evergreen’s nursery. Years later, they’re still best friends, and their birthdays happen to be just one day apart.
A Place to Be Kids
After years of drop-offs, classroom transitions, parent-teacher conferences, friendships and milestones, Daniel summarized what Evergreen has provided their family in much simpler terms.
Their children have had a place where they can just be kids, while learning, growing and being surrounded by adults who care about them.
For parents balancing careers, a small business and raising two children, that peace of mind matters.
“It’s nice to know our kids are at a place where they can be kids, they’re learning stuff, they’re safe, and there are teachers who love them and care about them,” Daniel said. “You can’t ask for anything else when it comes to childcare. They’re the most precious things in the world.”
“It’s nice to know our kids are at a place where they can be kids, they’re learning stuff, they’re safe, and there are teachers who love them and care about them,” Daniel said. “You can’t ask for anything else when it comes to childcare. They’re the most precious things in the world.”Today, Ashley says she recommends Evergreen whenever someone asks where they should send their child. Sometimes, she recommends it so often that she doesn’t even remember the families who ultimately list her as their referral.
For the Davis family, the reason is simple.
They came to Evergreen looking for childcare. They found people they could trust to help their children grow.
Teacher Highlight: Brooklyn Cardenas
Helping Evergreen’s Littlest Learners Find Their Voice
For Brooklyn Cardenas, some of the most important lessons in preschool aren’t about letters or numbers. They’re about helping children discover who they are.
Brooklyn has spent the past two years leading Evergreen Academy Preschool’s Cypress classroom for two-year-olds. She came to early childhood education after studying English, creative writing and literature at Northern Arizona University, along with American Sign Language. What began as an opportunity to teach communication skills to very young children quickly became something she loved.
At Evergreen, Brooklyn says two-year-olds are at a remarkable stage: their personalities, preferences and independence are emerging every day. Her classroom gives them room to explore that independence through play, art, books, outdoor activities, and plenty of dance parties!
But underneath the fun is purposeful learning. Children practice identifying their emotions, asking for space, communicating their needs, solving problems and learning that mistakes are something they can recover from. Brooklyn especially loves hearing from parents when those skills begin showing up at home.
“We really try to show them: you can make mistakes, and we can come back from it. Let’s find solutions. It’s okay to fall. We can do it again together. I’m here for you.” — Brooklyn Cardenas
Brooklyn describes her classroom expectations simply: be kind, be safe and be helpful to one another and to yourself. Whether children are counting blueberries at breakfast, learning to recognize when they need to use the bathroom, listening to Llama Llama Red Pajama, or stopping everything for an impromptu dance party, learning is woven throughout the day.
And the relationships matter just as much as the learning. Brooklyn still gets hugs and greetings in the hallway from children who have moved on to Evergreen’s older classrooms.
For her, being entrusted with those children is something she doesn’t take lightly.
“I truly feel thankful and honored for the opportunity. It takes a lot of trust for parents to drop off their kids with us every day. I really love these kids, and I can’t wait to see what they grow into one day.”
Ethan Jerpseth: The origins of the garden
Where the Garden Began
Evergreen Academy Preschool’s Accessible Learning Garden began several years ago with an idea from high school student Ethan Jerpseth, who created the original garden as a freshman while completing his Gold Award project.
With a love of plants and an interest in helping children develop a healthy relationship with food, Ethan envisioned a place where Evergreen children could get their hands in the soil, help plants grow and experience firsthand where food comes from. After months of planning, Ethan traveled from San Diego to Flagstaff and spent a week bringing the garden to life with help from preschool families and other members of the Evergreen community.
The experience was especially meaningful because Ethan was able to work alongside his older sister, Anna Jerpseth, a manager at Evergreen Academy Preschool. With nine years between them and Anna living far from home, the project gave the siblings a rare opportunity to spend a week together doing something they both cared about. Anna, who had completed her own Gold Award project, also served as an informal mentor as Ethan planned and carried out the project.
The children were part of the process, too, helping plant the garden and watching eagerly for the first signs of growth. Ethan remembers Anna calling a few weeks later, excited to report that wheat the children had planted was finally coming up.
“All the kids were so excited. It was a group effort that they put time into and worked on as a team, and then they got to see the results of it.”
From the beginning, sustainability was central to Ethan’s vision. He wanted to create something that would continue beyond his involvement and could be built upon over time. That is exactly what happened.
With support from a City of Flagstaff Sustainability Grant, Evergreen recently expanded the garden with accessibility improvements, including a wheelchair-accessible pathway and raised garden beds. Today, children continue to help plant, water and harvest vegetables and herbs while experiencing the sights, smells, textures and flavors of the garden.
Now a high school senior, Ethan is happy to know that something he and his community started years ago continues to grow and welcome more children.
“I love hearing updates about it. It’s so fun to hear that they’re keeping it going.”
Open House Invitation:
Come See Evergreen in Action!
Join us for the Evergreen Academy Preschool Open House & Accessible Learning Garden Ribbon Cutting on Wednesday, August 19, from 4:00–6:00 p.m. The Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce will help us officially celebrate the garden with a ribbon cutting at 4:00 p.m.
Tour the preschool, meet our teachers, explore the Accessible Learning Garden and discover how Evergreen helps children learn, grow and thrive.
And come hungry! Dober Dogs food truck will be joining us for the celebration, and the first 48 kids will receive a FREE hot dog and fruit snack!
1001 N. Turquoise Dr., Flagstaff
Bring the family, stop by and celebrate with us. We’d love to see you there!
See the attached flyer for additional event details.
