Our Story

Hi! I’m Sara Reyes, the owner and lead teacher of Cypress’ Classroom. I am a Florida native who grew up camping and swimming at state parks, building forts in the woods with neighborhood friends, and playing outside with my siblings for countless hours. 

I attended Flagler College on a soccer scholarship, studying to become a teacher but something didn’t quite fit. The more I learned about the traditional school system the harder it felt to force myself and future students into that box. After earning my associate degree in early childhood education I entered the work force to figure out another option. I have now been in childcare and education for over 20 years, working as a preschool teacher, after school and summer camp director, small business owner, children’s yoga instructor, and private family nanny. 

After becoming a mother in 2018 I leaned hard into unschooling and nature free play, seeing the benefits of uninterrupted hours in nature with friends. The children I shared a community with were thriving! They developed core strength and understood their own limits through risky play. They were so imaginative and creative due to open ended play opportunities with mixed aged friends. They were also building social and emotional skills with other children and adults at their unique paces. 

As my oldest child became preschool age I saw how amazing her little mind was (and is), with the proper opportunities and tools she could figure out so much. Guiding her to deepen her understanding of topics she was already curious about was the key, not teaching her by an adult driven agenda. Over the years we have dove into so many curiosities together including unpacking some heavy topics like colonization, racism, gender inequalities, and our own biases and privileges. We continue navigating these topics in age appropriate ways because I believe kids can handle hard truths and they will make amazing changes to our world when they are ready. 

In the fall of 2023 my connection to nature grew in earth shattering ways when my middle child, Cypress, was born still. Medical professionals had no answers but through my grief I was able to accept that Cypress wasn’t meant to be confined to a body. They were meant for so much more! My family believes our Cypress is part of nature. They speak to us through the wind, send us birds to show their love, and help us find strength and balance through the cypress trees. Launching Cypress’ Classroom in their honor feels like what I was always meant to do! It is truly a gift to play and learn alongside my students in nature. I look forward to connecting with more local families and guiding the next generation of earth stewards for years to come.