HELLO FAMILIES

Welcome to The Giving Tree Preschool! We are so glad you stopped by. The Giving Tree provides a high-quality, fun, faith-based learning environment in which your child will flourish. Located in the heart of downtown, The Giving Tree has been a unique and beautiful part of Lawrence culture for 45+ years.

At the Giving Tree we take an innovative approach to education. Years of professional and educational experiences have led our staff to develop and refine systems and structures that meet each child at their specific developmental level. We look beyond simply grouping and instructing by age. We look at the whole child and begin our process. A fusion of social skills, fine and gross motor skills, cognitive and pre-academic skills are woven thoughtfully into our day, resulting in the optimal preschool experience for your child.

Your child is our first priority. The goal of our professionally trained staff is to understand each child’s learning style, strengths, needs and goals and meet each of these in a developmentally appropriate manner. We aim to help each child reach their fullest potential while preparing for future school readiness. Besides that, The Giving Tree is just about the coolest place in town! Just take a look around, and if you have any questions along the way–please don’t hesitate to contact us.

We embrace children of all race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, gender or physical handicap.

The Giving Tree Preschool
1000 Kentucky Street
Lawrence, KS 66044
(785) 838-3668
[email protected]

Meet Our Teachers

JULIE HAFENSTINE
JULIE HAFENSTINEDirector
Ms. Julie has over 20 years of working experience working with children. Most of her years have been within the early childhood field. She earned her degree from Washburn University in Elementary Education with a concentration in Early Childhood. Julie joined the Giving Tree staff in 2016. She and her husband Mark have two grown children. When not at the Giving Tree, Julie can be found spending time with her family and her dog. She loves being part of our wonderful preschool.
MIKAYLA SWART
MIKAYLA SWARTLead Teacher
Mikayla started her career working with children while attending Eastern New Mexico University. She taught at preschools in New Mexico and Kansas before taking a 9 year break to raise her three children, all Giving Tree Alumni. Mikayla joined the Giving Tree staff in 2015. When not at the happiest place on the planet, Ms. Mikayla enjoys spending time with her husband Greg, and their beautiful children. She is looking forward to an exciting year with lots of new friends.
Cathy Ison
Cathy IsonLead Teacher
Ms. Cathy has spent the last 20+ years working in early childhood education. She fell in love
with teaching young children while volunteering many hours in her children’s preschool classes.
She enjoys watching each child’s social, emotional and academic development during the
preschool years. Ms. Cathy enjoys spending time with her husband Michael, grown daughter,
son-in-law, granddaughter, grown son and her dog and grand dogs. Her son is a Giving Tree
Alumnus. She is excited to be a part of The Giving Tree staff.
Lindsey WhithamLead Teacher
Ms. Lindsey is originally from England and moved to the States in 2020 with her husband and their
family. She is the proud mom to three boys who keep life busy and fun.
After earning her degree in Social Work in the UK, Lindsey spent time working in the field. Following
her move to the US, she chose to focus on raising her children before discovering a passion for early
childhood education. She then worked at a local childcare center as a teacher and a substitute at a
Christian school. During that time, she developed a genuine love for nurturing and creating a fun,
engaging learning environment. Lindsey is excited to be a part of The Giving Tree team and enjoys
building meaningful relationships with the children and their families.
Outside of work, Lindsey enjoys spending time with her family, cheering on her boys at their
sporting events and activities, and exploring new places as she hopes to continue traveling
throughout the United States.
Sarah JohnsonLead Teacher
Ms. Sarah is currently a teacher’s aide and substitute teacher at The Giving Tree. From 2021-
2202 she taught as a lead teacher and connected deeply with both the children and staff. The
demands of life pulled her away from teaching a full class, but she couldn’t bear the thought of
leaving the preschool completely. Your children will see Ms. Sarah popping in and out of the
classrooms on a regular basis, stopping by to play and help out wherever needed. She and her
husband Brian, their daughter, and their cat have lived in Lawrence since 2016. She enjoys
traveling, reading, and exploring the great outdoors.