Bezos non-profit will fund preschool on the North Beach

Next fall, the North Beach School District will add a preschool program funded by the philanthropic endeavor of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos.

Through his Day One Fund launched in 2018, Bezos has begun building a network of tuition-free preschools for underserved communities. The schools, known as Bezos academies, use Montessori-style teaching methods that emphasize self-directed learning. The first one opened in the south Seattle suburb of Des Moines last October. Since then, two more were launched, in Federal Way and Tacoma.

“I’m so excited to help bring opportunities to the kids and families that I love so much,” explained Pacific Beach Elementary School Principal Marlene Perez. The program is for youngsters aged 3-5 years old. The local Bezos Academy will be housed at the school.

The program is offered at no cost to parents (or the North Beach School District), and it will operate year-round, full-day, Monday through Friday. The district is partnering to provide food service and transportation.

Bezos Academy also provides students with the necessary educational supplies and services, including Montessori materials, books, arts and crafts, and field trips.

Parents interested in the program for next school year should attend the school’s “Falcon Early Learning Roundup” on Thursday, May 13, in the school cafeteria. Dinner will be served at 6 p.m. and the program will begin at 6:30 p.m. RSVP by calling the school at 360-276-4512 or email Perez at mperez@northbeachschools.org.

“We believe all children deserve the great start that an excellent preschool provides,” said Mike George, President of Bezos Academy. “We’re honored by the opportunity to nurture the potential in the children of Pacific Beach to become creative leaders, original thinkers, and lifelong learners.”

The curriculum has four key areas: child centered, culturally responsive, standards-based, and Montessori-inspired. These four areas drive decisions on what is taught in our classrooms, the school district says.

Within the next month, Perez will begin outreach to families in the Pacific Beach community to share more details about the school and the application process. According to North Beach Superintendent Andrew Kelly, one goal tied to the district’s improvement plan is “to offer high quality early learning experiences to all children beginning at age 3.”

A district news release says Perez, who will be in her third year as principal next year, is trying to create a school that values the backgrounds of each student. Eighty percent of the school population comes from the Quinault Indian Nation, the district said. The district said the school focuses on “social-emotional learning.” The addition of the Pacific Beach Bezos Academy channels students into the school’s programs at an earlier point, the district pointed out.

“Every time we open a door for our children and families, we create new opportunities,” Perez said. “This opportunity creates the probability that we fully alter the educational trajectory for many of our kids … and sets them up for a bright, bright future in school.”