Christine Goodale
Lead Teacher and Founder of Little House
As a school director, mentor and – foremost – as a teacher, I cultivate an atmosphere of warmth, kindness and playfulness. I set the tone for our wonderful teaching team, encouraging them to draw children’s attention to the simple gifts of nature. A crow feather, a flower gone to seed, a tiny spider or a sea shell. This practice builds a sense of connection and belonging to our shared world. Together, we draw children into rich experiences of play, exploration and learning. I am delighted by my relationships with young children while remaining endlessly curious about their unique unfolding and growth. My work over 35 years has only deepened my connection to this life calling. In my free time, I messily apply paint to canvas and read poetry. I love being close to my two amazing adult daughters. My husband Sam and I enjoy dancing and outdoor life, exploring the wild wonders of the Pacific Northwest from our travel van whenever we can.
Cascade Martin
Preschool Teacher
Cascade is passionate about creating spaces that feel safe, supportive and fun for young children. She grew up playing in the PNW nature and has been working in childcare since she was a teenager. She strives to meet children where they are by providing opportunities for them to investigate their curiosities while gently guiding them to build confidence in themselves and their abilities. She sees much beauty in the wonder children have for the natural world and she enjoys exploring that wonder with them. She spends her free time crocheting, baking, cuddling with her cat and hiking/camping/relaxing in the forest.
Molli Harrison
Preschool Teacher
Molli has been an early childhood educator throughout the past twenty years. She has a passion for creating spaces where young children are free to explore the world all around them. She meets children where they are, offering opportunities for them to investigate their interests while encouraging their growth and independence. With a background in Early Childhood Intervention and a variety of graduate courses in Child Development, she believes deeply in the power of play and nature to spark curiosity, confidence, and a love of learning. She grew up surrounded by the wild beauty of the Kisatchie National Forest in Louisiana, spent years hiking the trails of Central Texas, and now finds joy exploring the forests and coastlines of the Pacific Northwest.
Ellie Hendricks
Preschool Teacher (PM) and Assistant Preschool Teacher (AM)
Ellie is a passionate educator with years of experience in early childcare. Her goal is to support creative play and exploration, while learning alongside children with kindness and gentle curiosity. As a playful lighthearted soul herself, Ellie's imagination and spontaneous nature make her a responsive and creative early educator who can easily and fluidly traverse the world of being the teacher while the children believe she is one of them. Ellie is a creative visual artist who enjoys painting, drawing and mixed media creations. She finds deep joy in exploring the outdoors and hopes to support children in awakening their own wonder and excitement about the natural world around them. In her free time she enjoys cooking, spending time with her beloved friends and family, tending to her house plants and playing with her dog.
Luca Corse
Preschool Teacher
Luca is passionate about creating playful, nurturing spaces for children to learn and grow. They have been working in early childhood education for the last five years and have over eight years of personal experience with young children. They are currently pursuing a masters degree in Art Therapy from Lewis and Clark with a certificate in Ecotherapy. Their studies are focused on therapeutic work with young children. Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Luca grew up with a connection to the great outdoors. They love to support children in developing a deep reverence for the natural world. They are excited to bring their passion for art and creativity to Little House. In their free time, Luca loves to garden, paint, and read books of all genres.
Skye French
Assistant Preschool Teacher
Raised in the coastal cedar forest of the Salish Sea, Skye is a lifelong naturalist and lover of the outdoors. After volunteering with local nature-connection camps as a teen, she knew that connecting young people to a sense of kinship with the natural world is the most essential catalyst for stewarding it. After pursuing an outdoor teaching degree with Western Washington University, she began working for multiple different schools and nonprofits throughout Washington and Oregon. Skye brings over a decade of mentoring experience to her teaching, which focuses on heuristic learning approaches. She believes that joyful play, student-led curiosity, and loving connection to place are essential components to any curriculum. In her free time, Skye loves backpacking, running with her beloved dog, reading, and local wildcrafting.
Liv Ruth
Assistant Preschool Teacher
Liv brings curiosity, warmth, and a little bit of magic to her work with children at Little House. She loves making space for children to wander, wonder, get messy, and follow a tiny thread of curiosity wherever it leads. She is drawn to the ways art and nature, inviting children to notice the small things, like a strange-shaped leaf or sunlight dancing through the trees. Liv comes to Little House with a background in art and textile design from the University of Oregon. She has always loved making things with her hands and believes there is something special about creating alongside children, where a simple piece of yarn, a handful of mud or a patch of flowers can become the beginning of a whole new world. Originally from Philadelphia, Liv has always felt a strong pull toward water, wild places, and being outdoors. She loves biking, swimming in rivers, weaving, knitting, making art, and collecting little moments of beauty wherever she finds them.