November 2025
Happy November Everyone!
Reminders
You can find all of our closure dates at: Bellamente.org/calendar
Thanksgiving Closure: 11/26-Closed at noon 11/27-11/28 Closed
Winter Break: 12/24-1/2
Upcoming Class and individual Picture Day
Hello! Dawndra Budd will be here to take both class and individual photos the week of December 8th 2025. Here is the link to register bellamente.org/pictureday
Dawndra’s Website:
https://www.portraitsbydawndra.com/
School age SPS Camps
We have opened up registration for ALL remaining camps during the 2025-2026 school year. Rates for the remaining 2025 dates: $40 a day for our registered school age families $70 a day for those not currently enrolled in the after school program
Monday November 24, Tuesday November 25, Wednesday November 26 (out at Noon)
Monday December 22 & Tuesday December 23
Beginning in January of 2026: $45 a day for our registered school age families $75 a day for those not currently enrolled in the after school program
Mid Winter Break: February 17-20 (4 days)
Spring Break: April 13-17 (5 days)
Register at: bellamente.org/spscamps
Lower Playground Revamp:
Since our Revamp closure in August, we’ve been thoughtfully reimagining our playground to nurture the creativity and curiosity of our children. The garage area now features new climbing ropes, bridges, and spinning swings, encouraging adventure and movement. Where the old boat once stood, you’ll now find a mud kitchen and sensory-rich digging area spaces designed for exploration, imagination, and hands-on learning. This week, we also introduced four brand-new bikes to replace our much-loved fleet. Our playground updates are ongoing, and we’re excited to see how the children make these new spaces their own!
Classroom Parents
Here are our classroom parents for this school year, we will be sending them class email lists so keep an eye out for future get together information from them.
Jean Ju (Roan's mom) - Newcomer
Susie Stemper (Sam and Frankie's mom) - Acclimation
Katie Harmon (Sophie and Hallie's Mom) - Independence
Leigh Eckert (Dani and Locke's Mom) - Adventure
Bethany Buer (Odda and Ollie's mom) - Discovery
Jenessa Loche (Lily and Liam's mom) - Maven
Partnering With Parents
In the Reggio Emilia philosophy, teachers and families support each other in raising the children that are a part of the school community. We invite families to partner with us by sharing their time, skills, and resources. Our classrooms grow and transform through the use of recycled goods, loose parts, and natural materials—items that spark creativity and imagination. Everyday objects, such as buttons, jars, wood scraps, fabric, shells, or pinecones, can become extraordinary learning tools in the hands of children.
Current Projects Needing Support
Community Garden project
https://www.bellamente.org/partneringwithparents
Continuing Education
Each year, all of our teachers continue to grow in their teaching practices by taking classes that align with our school’s vision. During November and December we are working with an Educator from UC Davis whose knowledge of the Reggio Emilia philosophy will enhance our classrooms. This content is called Making Learning Visible: Using Learning Stories to Deepen Observation and Documentation in Early Childhood Education. We will pass on how this is transforming our classrooms upon completion of the training.
Staff Shout Out
We have an incredible team that dedicates their time to carry out our vision and support our community. We wanted to take some time each month to give a shout out to these amazing teachers! Miss. Molly and Mr. Pieper are our newcomer teachers.
Miss Collin
Hi, my name is Collin Aguilar I believe in creating engaging and enriching learning experiences that inspire curiosity and a lifelong love of exploration. Children are naturally curious and affectionate, seeing their growth and how each kid can be so different is very enriching. I serve at my local church in the children’s ministry and love interacting with every new kid that shows up. I am passionate about working with children and eager to continually expand my knowledge of child development and their unique natures to best support their growth and learning. I love reading, and puzzles that make my head hurt exploring nature, going on hikes and I value family and culture.
Miss. Ruth
Hello, my name is Dina Ruth Aguilar, but you can call me Ruth, I was born in the city of Honduras, in 1983, I arrived in this country at the age of 23, I a wife and mother of 4 beautiful young women, and I have a 4-year-old grandson, I have 19 years of experience working as a nanny from my house, I have served in my church for 6 years. I started as a teacher with children from the ages of 1 to 2 years and now I am a teacher coordinator, serving in my community, always willing to learn, I love working with children, working with children is a true joy, their purity of heart is an inspiration for all of us. As the center of each home, they bring love and warmth without expectations of reward. In my free time you can find me, decorating birthdays and events, serving in my community, or sharing with family, I love plants, reading, having a coffee in the rain, I believe in friendship, I believe in God and his goodness, every day I am grateful to be standing, I love different cultures, they open your mind to different points of view and help you develop a broader vision of the world...
You can learn more about the rest of our incredible staff here:
https://www.bellamente.org/team
Recent Snapshots
Payment Options
As a reminder we manually create our invoices. If you request card or ACH payments please allow a few days for the change to reflect on your account. There will not be a late fee charged during this time.
Check: If you prefer to write a check, you can place it in your child’s classroom envelope located on the information board.
Or you can mail it to: Bella Mente Early Learning at 9051 20th Ave SW Suite 1 Seattle, WA 98106
Online via your bank’s bill pay: This mails a check to us at at 9051 20th Ave SW Suite 1 Seattle, WA 98106
BECU: If you are a member with BECU you can Pay with direct BECU transfer by filling out the form at this link: bellamente.org/becu
ACH Fee is added Via Quickbooks: We will manually add the 1% or $20 max fee to your invoice
Credit Card Fee is added Via Quickbooks: We will manually add the 2.99% fee to your invoice
Please use the link below to let us know how you prefer to pay: bellamente.org/payment-options
Tax Information
Bella Mente Early Learning Center East
9051 20TH AVE SW suite 1
Seattle, WA 98106
(206) 321-6448
EIN# 13-4368329