Laura Czarniecki joined the Fiddleheads community this year continuing a beautiful career working in education! Teacher Laura has worked with children, families and educators in a variety of settings for over two decades--including 8 years as a preschool teacher. She has a deep reverence for the stories, ideas, and relationships of young children; as well as their awe, wonder and zest. As a teacher, she values trust, inclusion, voice, and play. Teacher Laura feels indebted to a handful of mentors whose questions, passions, stories and songs live in her heart and guide her teaching practice.

Arielle Slaughter is the Head Teacher and Director of Fiddleheads.

Teacher Arielle is a heart-centered educator from the Midwest who moved to the PNW to pursue their passion for outdoor education. Teacher Arielle has a Bachelors Degree in Early Childhood Education along with 15 years of experience working with young children. Teacher Arielle has found her calling at forest school and has been running Fiddleheads Urban Forest Preschool since 2021 when the school re-opened after the Pandemic. Her biggest goal is to help young children connect with themselves, their community, and the environment in intentional, meaningful ways. Teacher Arielle’s dream is to help build a future that is full of inclusive, compassionate, and resilient people and she believe’s the forest is the perfect environment to inspire and support that journey.

“Like a child’s mind, the forest is full of wonder.”

― Teacher Arielle

Kristin Prukop is our aid and substitute teacher at Fiddleheads. She joined our team in 2021 and has been a great support within our community. With a passion for being outdoors and connecting with nature, Kristin is a patient, compassionate, and kind teacher that helps to enrich our community and school experiences. She is a fun, enthusiastic, and thoughtful individual who finds joy in spending time crafting with the children in the forest and is a wonderful part of our teaching team!