Safe Harbor taking new tykes

Local day care center expands its 9-year-old business

Susan Schell

of the Gateway

Gig Harbor’s population boom has benefited a lot of businesses — and day care centers are no exception: Safe Harbor Day Care Center on Wollochet Drive is taking new students for the first time since it opened nine years ago.

“It’s needed in the area,” owner Molly O’Brien said.

Just driving by the building, it’s apparent that this is a place for kids. The standalone structure is brightly painted with playful turtles on the front. The inside is just as festive — with eye-popping colors in every corner and mobiles hanging from the ceilings.

“I like to decorate,” O’Brien said. “This is my fun.”

O’Brien taught in the Peninsula School District for 18 years, but at Safe Harbor, she calls Julie Baughn — “Miss Julie” — “the boss.”

“When we get the kids, we like to keep them,” Baughn said. “They come to the school at about 1 1/2 years old and we carry them all the way through to kindergarten. We just have a couple openings because of the expansion.”

The children at Safe Harbor are divided into three groups: angelfish (1- to 2 1/2-year-olds), jellyfish (2 1/2- to 3-year-olds) and starfish (3 1/2- to 5-year-olds).

Preschool teacher Jessica Lane has been teaching at Safe Harbor since April and said it’s the best preschool she’s ever been involved with.

“I love it here,” she said. “I’ve been teaching for five years and this place offers more of a family setting. They’re an amazing group of kids.”

Lane, who taught preschool in California, said she thinks Washington children are brighter at this age than California children because of what she perceives as closer parent involvement in this area.

The preschool teachers keep Safe Harbor visually stimulating by rearranging the furniture and rotating groups of toys.

“We have a storage shed where we keep toys,” Baughn said. “We constantly rotate things so the kids don’t get bored by the same toys. Then when we bring the others out of storage, they seem like brand new toys to the children.”

Learning is also important.

“Nowadays, children are expected to know how to read and write by the time they get to kindergarten,” Baughn said. “We work on getting them ready for that.”

The preschool has an outdoor playground with play equipment and a chance for the children to get in touch with nature. A squirrel scampered along the fence, then darted up one of the tall trees that surrounds the yard.

“That’s Bob squirrel,” Baughn said. “Every squirrel the kids see is Bob squirrel. Bob squirrel has been running around here for five years.”

The children get gardening experience in the yard, growing their own flowers along the fence as well as peas and green beans in the vegetable garden. The school celebrates holidays with pumpkin carving, a Thanksgiving feast and a visit from Santa Claus.

“We’re so fortunate to have families that return year after year,” Baughn said. “They’re great families and great kids. We have a lot of fun.”

Reach reporter Susan Schell at 253-853-9240 or by e-mail at susan.schell@gateline.com.