Our family has been involved with Tessera for six years now, and during that time it has been a…read morecornerstone for our life in so many ways. We tried five different preschools before discovering the magic of this place. I'll always be grateful for the memories and foundation Tessera has given our children and for the connections we've made with other families through this preschool. When you enter Tessera, you might just see a typical preschool--DON'T BE FOOLED! ;-) Tessera is anything but typical! If you look more carefully, you'll notice the culture of the school is present in every nook and cranny of the place. The owner, Linda, provides an enriching environment with specially curated art projects, decor, sensory materials, books, costumes, puzzles, and toys that usually follow a theme. The kids have freedom to explore. She allows ample activity time during the day as well, so more active children can run around, climb, and play more physical games to their liking. I am in love with the process-oriented focus of the art projects she makes available to the kids. You won't find the kids producing uniform preschool art. The art that comes out of this place is meant to strengthen and develop a child's confidence and enjoyment in the process of creation. What does that look like? It completely varies according to the child! The enrichment programs Linda offers have varied over the years including music, dance, sewing, ceramics, ASL, and nature programs. They are run by visitors who are professionals in their fields. My kids have enjoyed all of them immensely. Linda's background is in early childhood development and education, but she's also a parent, so she understands the realities of family life and has a great perspective. She is flexible to the needs of a family. I believe her greatest strengths are her intuitive ability to tune in with the kids, her kind and gentleness in her interactions with them, and her belief in their natural abilities. She is not an adult who gets in the way of a child. She is, however, a great coach to the kids when conflict arises. I knew Tessera was the right place for us when I saw how she addressed conflict. She does not punish (no time-outs, no withdrawal of privileges, no unkind voices or words), but rather has the kids talk to each other. She usually focuses on the child who is upset or hurt, asking them to tell the other child how they feel or helping them stand up for her/himself. She never forces "sorry" out of the other child, but instead focuses on cultivating their empathy. When that fails, because at a certain age and for certain kids it is unrealistic to expect certain behavior, she is particularly adept in anticipating situations before they arise. I could go on and on about how enriching Tessera has been for our lives. I look forward to many more years of my kids' involvement with Tessera. (I'm so happy she offers programs serving kids up to age 10!)

I've had three kids at Tessera and all of them are treated and loves as individuals, with their…read moreparticular artistic interests and needs being thoughtfully addressed. I've learned a lot from about patience and communication with kids from the owner and head teacher, Linda. She is one of the most level headed, calm people I have ever met. The community is great too.

Sam creates the best experience for the kids that attend her classes! It is the most welcoming…read moreexperience for kids being introduced to photography! Highly recommend!

We are so happy with the Sprouting Image. They sent out a lovely couple team who absolutely love…read morekids and take a fabulous photos. They did a Christmas card photo and a lots of other photos that we requested. Sam and Adrienne were charming, kind, fun, and awesome at what they do. They Let my five-year-old help them, even let her take some photos with their expensive cameras. Sam had a special bond with my fussiest little twin. This is the place to go for your family photo shoot. It was low stress and a lot of fun.

I attended Shoreline Community College full-time from the Autumn of 2008 through the Spring of…read more2010, earning my first college degree - an Associate of Arts and Sciences degree focused in mathematics and multicultural studies. My commencement was the week before my the commencement for my high school diploma from Shorewood High School, I was 17 years of age at both. It was cool to be able to earn credits for both high school and college as part of the Washington State Running Start program. While attending Shoreline Community College, I split my extracurricular activities - taking part in clubs here and sports through the high school. The student body was diverse, which I enjoyed. I still remember a particular group I was part of in a history/political science class where I was 16 years of age, another person was 24 years of age, and a third person was 40+ years of age with a 20 year old son... The 40+ year old even said they had a hard time taking me seriously because I was so young. I appreciated honesty and transparency like this from the students. My classes were across the board above average from my perspective and I can say there was not a bad experience in my two years here. When classes were close together temporally and spaced physically apart, I found I had to walk fast to make it to my next class on time. Parking was easy to find if I came early enough in the morning, otherwise it could be a bit of a wait. The bookstore was a magical place to me, where I could get textbooks, snacks, and other school supplies. Happy to have attended, and graduated from, Shoreline Community College.

ESL is free for residents what a great opportunity to learn English for anyone new to this countryread more

Great workshop where kids (probably best for 8 plus?) can legitimately make their own hand and…read morestick operated puppets that look just like the ones you used to watch on TV growing up. And by make them I mean design, select fabrics, sew, glue, the whole deal. And it ends up being something you'll actually want to keep around and they can use creatively going forward. What a neat class, I'm so glad we happened up on it as my 10 year old daughter loved it. I think this has really broad appeal as most of it is sort of inventing and tinkering, creating the puppet itself. A lot also went into teaching the kids how to actually control the puppets behind the curtains which isn't as easy as it seems. I can see this being appealing both to the typical drama kid who loves to be the center of attention (like mine) and also a creative shy kid, who has a message to convey but may not want to stand on stage in front of a large audience to deliver it. I learned that she does after school programs as well (unfortunately not at my school yet) so I hope to see her around with more programs in the Shoreline / North Seattle area, since I have 2 more kids who also need puppets someday! Highly recommend these classes for kids. Here is my 10 year old's review: Half-pint puppets was an amazing class. You have a wide variety of fabric so you can make almost any puppet you want. You do most of it, like cutting the foam to make the mouth and skull, cutting the body fabric, sewing together the body, putting on facial features, and a few other things. The instructor basically just tells you how to do the basics and finishes the puppet how you want it if is not done by the end of thursday. On friday, there is a fun puppet show. The puppet making is simple and easy, and you will probably (Mabey with a little guidance from a video) Be able to make your own puppets at home. A definite 5-star, i recomend this to everyone.

From the owner: Fun puppet building parties in Seattle for kids, teen people, adults.read more

Missy did an amazing mural on my wall, we've gotten so many compliments on it!…read more I'm not a particularly artistic person, but I was able to throw out some vague ideas and Missy was able to turn that into a gorgeous piece of art that is now part of our sitting room. I would highly recommend her to anyone who wants a custom piece, wether a huge mural, or a small pet portrait, she has a real gift for making beautiful things.

From the owner: Rooted design believes everyone is an artist in one way or another, don't forget that painting is…read moreplayful and fun!