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Our Story

Scissortail Children's School has been reimagining early childhood education in Lawton and Southwest Oklahoma since 2015.

Scissortail began with a simple but powerful belief: every child deserves access to a high-quality childhood filled with wonder, exploration, connection, and joy. What started as a vision for doing early childhood education differently has grown into a thriving school community where children are viewed as capable, curious, creative individuals with ideas and voices worthy of being heard.

Inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach and grounded in nature-based, hands-on learning, Scissortail was created to be more than a childcare center. We believe the environment itself can be a teacher and that some of childhood's most meaningful learning happens through exploration, relationships, creativity, play, and real experiences.

Today, Scissortail serves children and families throughout Lawton and the surrounding communities while remaining committed to the principles upon which the school was built. Inclusion continues to be at the heart of who we are. We strive to create a place where children of all backgrounds, personalities, abilities, and experiences are welcomed, valued, and given opportunities to thrive.

Our classrooms are intentionally designed to encourage curiosity and independence. Children are given opportunities to garden, create, build, investigate, get messy, spend time outdoors, engage their senses, solve problems, develop relationships, and discover the world around them. We recognize what Reggio Emilia pioneer Loris Malaguzzi described as the "hundred languages of children"—the countless ways children communicate, think, create, explore, and understand their world.

At Scissortail, we aren't simply preparing children for their next classroom. We are helping them become confident, compassionate, curious human beings who are ready to engage with the world around them.

Meet Lindsey

Lindsey DeWolf grew up in Lawton as the oldest of four children and the daughter of two hardworking parents. Caring for and teaching others seemed to come naturally to her from an early age, eventually leading her to pursue a career in education.

After graduating from the University of Oklahoma, Lindsey returned home to Lawton and began working as a long-term substitute teacher and reading tutor before discovering that her heart was especially drawn to young children. She went on to teach Kindergarten and Pre-K in Lawton Public Schools for ten years.

Lindsey joined Scissortail and quickly fell in love with its nature-based, Reggio-inspired approach to childhood. What began as a new chapter in her teaching career eventually became something much bigger.

Today, Lindsey is the owner of Scissortail Children's School and continues to lead the school with a deep commitment to children, families, educators, and the Lawton community. Her years in the classroom continue to shape the way she approaches Scissortail—not simply as a business, but as a school where childhood is protected, educators are valued, families are welcomed, and children are given the freedom and support to become exactly who God created them to be.

Lindsey and her husband are raising three children of their own, who have grown alongside Scissortail and have been part of its story throughout the years.

Meet Kaylee

Kaylee Huffman has been an important part of the Scissortail family since 2016 and serves as Scissortail's Center Director.

Kaylee earned her Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education from Cameron University in 2018 and brings both her education and years of hands-on experience into her leadership at Scissortail. Her wholehearted approach to working with children, families, and educators can be seen throughout the school.

Together, Lindsey and Kaylee lead an extraordinary team of educators who work each day to create a place where children, families, and teachers can learn, grow, and belong.

The Next Chapter

Scissortail has never been a place that stands still.

We continue to dream about what education can look like for children in our community and how Scissortail can grow while remaining true to the values that made it special from the beginning.

As Scissortail enters its next chapter, Lindsey continues to look toward the future with a vision for expanding the opportunities available to children and families in Southwest Oklahoma. While the school continues to grow and evolve, the heart behind it remains the same: children deserve beautiful spaces, meaningful experiences, strong relationships, excellent educators, and a childhood filled with wonder.

Faith has also been an important part of Lindsey's journey. She believes God has guided Scissortail through every season—the expected ones and the unexpected ones—and continues to prayerfully approach what comes next.

None of what Scissortail has become would be possible without the remarkable educators who walk through its doors each day. Our teachers pour their hearts into creating environments where children feel safe enough to explore, confident enough to try, and loved enough to simply be children.

One of the principles that has guided Scissortail from the beginning comes from the Reggio Emilia philosophy:

"Nothing Without Joy."

It is more than a phrase on our walls. It is what we hope children experience here.

Joy in discovering something new.
Joy in muddy shoes and garden discoveries.
Joy in friendships.
Joy in creating.
Joy in asking questions.
Joy in belonging.

More than a decade after Scissortail's story began, we are still learning, still growing, still dreaming—and still spreading a little more joy throughout Lawton, one child at a time.