From the Roots

Sacred Roots Early Learning was founded on the understanding that children thrive when their earliest experiences are grounded in meaningful connection—connection to themselves, to trusted adults, to their community, and to the natural world that holds them.

This understanding informed a vision of learning as both relational and embodied. At Sacred Roots, the classroom is not simply a backdrop for learning, but an active partner in it: a space intentionally shaped to feel grounding, safe, and richly engaging, while remaining non-toxic, eco-conscious, and responsive to the rhythms of children’s bodies and minds.

Within this environment, emotional literacy serves as the organizing force that nurtures authentic connection, supports regulation and curiosity, and creates the conditions for creativity to unfold holistically—across mind, body, community, and spirit. With these foundations in place, children build the internal capacities that support learning across all developmental domains, including language and communication, literacy, mathematics, scientific reasoning, and perceptual, motor, and physical development.

Sacred Roots offers a space where learning feels both alive and deeply supported. Our intentionally small class size allows instruction to remain responsive and personal, while hands-on exploration invites children to stretch their curiosity and deepen their understanding of what it means to be human.

Our mission is to cultivate the conditions in which whole-child development can truly unfold. We recognize that children think, create, and relate most expansively when they feel secure in their bodies and connected to the people and environment around them. Through an integrative, inquiry-driven curriculum, we invite children to engage deeply with ideas, materials, and one another—cultivating dispositions of curiosity, empathy, resilience, reflective thought, and environmental stewardship that guide them throughout life.

We teach children to care for themselves by listening inward, finding balance through intentional movement and stillness, connecting emotions and the needs beneath them, and practicing self-compassion. Along the way, children learn that asking for help is a strength, taking responsibility is empowering, and self-care is foundational to belonging. From there, they learn to care for one another through empathy, patience, conflict navigation, and shared community expectations where every voice matters. Through gentle stewardship, children also learn to care for the earth—understanding that we are not separate from the world, but deeply woven into it.

Rooted in research, informed by lived experience, and inspired by the rhythms of the natural world, our mission honors the early years as a sacred and formative season. We aim to cultivate confident, curious, and compassionate individuals—children who grow with respect for themselves, for others, and for the world we share.

At Sacred Roots, we offer a low teacher-to-student ratio of 1:6 and a maximum class size of 12 to ensure each child receives individualized attention, meaningful support, and the space to thrive. With this intention, connection remains at the heart of our teaching and every child is guaranteed to feel safe, noticed, and valued. Together, these conditions create an environment where children can engage deeply, build authentic relationships, and grow with confidence across all areas of development.

 Our classroom is proudly designed to be non-toxic and gentle on developing bodies and nervous systems. Every material in our space has been thoughtfully selected to prioritize high-quality, non-toxic materials that also come from sustainable sources, supporting both children’s health and the well-being of our planet. 

Our materials provide evidence of third-party certification to ensure they meet stringent safety and environmental standards, minimizing VOCs and off-gassing, avoiding harmful chemicals and flame retardants, and aligning with best practices for healthy indoor air quality and long-term child health and development.

While we utilize our indoor spaces methodically, we spend a great deal of time outdoors—as much as possible. We proudly honor nature as our third teacher.

All of these choices work together to create learning spaces that feel healthy, breathable, and grounding — supporting regulation, deep focus, and meaningful engagement in learning, while freeing children from overstimulation so curiosity and connection can truly flourish.

For more details on our commitment to a non-toxic and eco-conscious preschool, please visit here.

Sierra Hiner is the Founder, Director, and Co-Lead Teacher of Sacred Roots Early Learning. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education from the University of Washington and brings more than a decade of experience caring for and learning alongside children from infancy through early elementary years. Her work at Sacred Roots is shaped by both formal training and lived experience.

Sierra began college during high school, earning her associate degree before continuing her studies in Community Psychology. While this work initially focused on understanding people and systems more broadly, it laid an important foundation for how she would later approach early childhood education—with attention to context, relationships, and the environments children grow within.

Her interest in child development deepened through hands-on work as a nanny, where she supported families with a wide range of needs and saw firsthand how much children thrive when they feel safe, known, and supported. She later traveled internationally as a youth program coordinator aboard a cruise ship, designing and leading programming for children from diverse backgrounds and learning how community, rhythm, and belonging shape group experiences.

Alongside her continued work with children, Sierra served as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for children experiencing abuse and neglect in Washington State. Advocating for children’s safety and voice during pivotal moments in their lives strengthened her commitment to creating spaces where children are emotionally held and deeply respected.

Carrying a vision she had been shaping over many years, she returned to her studies to bring it to life—creating a learning environment where curiosity is honored, emotional literacy is nurtured, nature is woven into daily rhythms, and childhood is allowed to breathe. She is honored to partner with families in supporting their child’s growth, joy, and lifelong love of learning.

Alexandra “Alix” Hays is an experienced early childhood educator and mother with over a decade of hands-on experience supporting children and families from infancy through early elementary years. She holds a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential and brings seven years of preschool classroom experience and more than five years of in-home caregiving, providing a strong, practice-based foundation in child development, attachment, and responsive care.

Alexandra’s professional background spans both classroom and in-home settings, equipping her to support children across a wide range of developmental stages, temperaments, and family dynamics. This breadth of experience informs her ability to establish consistent routines, adapt care strategies, and respond thoughtfully to individual developmental and emotional needs.

Her work prioritizes emotional safety, predictable structure, and relationship-based caregiving. Alexandra is particularly skilled in infant care, early social-emotional development, and designing calm, structured environments that promote self-regulation, confidence, and curiosity.

In addition to her formal credentials, Alexandra brings extensive experience supporting families through transitions, behavioral challenges, and developmental shifts. Her approach is grounded in presence, consistency, and respectful caregiving practices, recognizing the importance of trust, connection, and continuity in early learning environments.

At Sacred Roots Early Learning, Alexandra is committed to building strong, responsive partnerships with families and maintaining high-quality, developmentally appropriate care. She believes that secure caregiver-child relationships are foundational to lifelong learning, resilience, and emotional well-being, and she is honored to support children’s growth with intention and care.