Story and photos by Emily Matthiessen
Five Acre students will be performing the play, “Maria Marevna” in Peninsula College’s Little Theater on March 26 and 27 at 7 p.m. The school has performed their annual play at the college for over a decade.
Five Acre School is a private non-profit preschool and elementary school set near the coastal preserved lands of Dungeness County Park and Dungeness Wildlife Refuge in Sequim, Wash. The school became a non-profit in 2019. It was previously owned by Autumn and Brian Walsh, who was honored by President Barrack Obama for his work as Lead for Offender Education at Peninsula College.
Five Acre has a flexible educational model which revolves around group communication and cooperation, the talents of its teachers, and the individual needs of its 79 students. Five Acre also makes a continuous effort to involve family members in its activities, both during school and extracurricular time, thereby helping foster community and friendships that last beyond the children’s primary school years.
While focusing on traditional academic subjects (including French) in the context of social and emotional awareness, the school also has a powerful arts and physical curriculum. Its marimba performances are well-known in Clallam County. Every child past preschool age learns to play marimba as part of the school’s effort’s to incubate musical knowledge and positive group interaction.
Students hike every week of the school year, culminating in a two-night backpacking trip for the older students in the late spring. Children’s intrinsic interest in the natural world is cultivated, as is their need to be physical and vocalize their thoughts.
As a private school, Five Acre must charge tuition to stay in existence, but it makes a concerted effort to include families who could not otherwise afford tuition through an assistance program largely funded through donations and fundraising, fueled by the robust efforts of the Parent Service Organization.