Key Biscayne Presbyterian Preschool is using the island's mangroves, a school garden and a flock of free-roaming chickens to teach science, literacy and nutrition to children as young as 3.

The approach links outdoor exploration with indoor lessons, according to a report published Nov. 9 by the Islander News. Writer Laudy Ibarra visited the school and described how teachers turn what children find outside into classroom conversations, books and hands-on projects.

For Key Biscayne families weighing preschool options, the program offers something hard to replicate off-island: a campus next to mangroves where king tides become a live science lesson.

Pumpkins, soup and compost

One example: a pumpkin unit that threaded through weeks of learning. Children visited a pumpkin patch, learned that plants grow from seeds and planted seeds themselves. A school chef identified only as Chef Frank made pumpkin soup for the class. The children also tried toasted pumpkin seeds, the Islander News reported.

The exploration kept going. An old pumpkin became a composting project. Children are observing it decompose in the classroom. Books about pumpkins connected the hands-on work with reading.

Rather than treating planting, cooking and reading as separate activities, teachers linked them through one familiar object.

Mangroves and king tides

A teacher identified as Ms. Emy described the school's location near the mangroves as a teaching asset. Children search for animals and crab burrows. King tides prompt questions about what happened to the crabs and their homes, turning the shoreline into a starting point for observation and conversation, the Islander News reported.

Director Anne Rothe, who has led the school since roughly 2017, told the Islander News in an August 2025 interview that environmental education is part of every student's weekly schedule starting at PK3. "We are blessed to be in a location where the beauty and awe of God's creation are so evident," Rothe said at the time. "Our Outdoor Classroom and playgrounds really connect kids with the world around them."

Animals on campus

The school keeps hens, roosters, a turtle and a bunny. Rothe shared the story of a squirrel she rescued after it fell from a tree. She cared for it before releasing it, and it still returns to the campus, the Islander News reported.

The chickens arrived when Rothe was a kindergarten teacher. She introduced eggs so students could watch the hatching process and kept the chickens afterward. During recess, hens and roosters roam the playgrounds.

A teacher identified as Ms. Tania is responsible for the chickens. Assistant Director Tonya Pacanins cares for the other pets.

Garden and outdoor classroom

A teacher identified as Ms. Rosana leads the school's garden and outdoor classroom, where children plant, harvest and eat what they grow. She plans each experience to build on the last so that what children discover outside becomes material they revisit indoors, according to the Islander News report.

The school, founded in 1974, sits on the campus of Crossbridge Church. Rothe said in August 2025 that the school was pursuing authorization as an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School and expanding toward fifth grade. The current status of those efforts is not reflected in the November reporting.

Families interested in the program can contact Key Biscayne Presbyterian Preschool through its website for enrollment information.