I have 2 kids who have attended Rising Song over the past 4 years and I have nothing but good…read morethings to say about the environment Rebecca and the rest of the teachers have created. The huge outdoor space has been beautifully co-created with the kids, and the sweet, loving community they nourish among the kids is a joy to watch. They communicate daily through photos and weekly through written summaries of the week's theme and activities. I so appreciate the information and guidance they provide if ever there is anything that needs to be addressed, so that we all have an understanding of their approach at school and have some tools for how to talk with our kids at home. It's a truly magical place for kids to grow and learn with a thoughtfully designed curriculum that emphasizes compassion, creativity, self-efficacy, and love.

Incredible experience for my then-3-year-old who was very unsure about going to school for the…read morefirst time. With Rebecca's nurturing, she blossomed at Rising Song. She communicates in a warm, empathetic, thoughtful way. Amazing exposure to the outdoors, gardening, plant and creature life. I can't recommend it enough!

I was a teacher at Montessori of Alameda I started there early September I'm glad that I was able…read moreto meet amazing coworkers that I got to work with that helped me when I first started also being with the kids... But late January I got let go I was upset I was angry cuz . They didn't give me a written warning and I just think it's unfair that they let me go and I have ever right to feel this way. But I know I'm a strong woman

Beware of this Montessori! They will take your hard-earned money! Their no refund policies for…read morewaitlisting your child is downright robbery, in my opinion. I put my daughter down for the waitlist and have waited almost a year now and still have not heard from them. And now that we decided to move to Alaska instead, they refuse to give my $100 back. If you put your child on their waitlist, be prepared to wait for a VERY long time or not even get in and lose your $$. Such a very unpleasant experience.

I love Petunia! My daughter attended for about a year and the only reason she is no longer there…read moreis that we now have a preschool literally directly across the street from our house. It has been a few months since she left Petunia and she still talks about the good times she had there and the little friends she misses. We play school at home and I end up playing the role of the Petunia teacher. All of the laughs, fun, lessons and snuggles hold a big place in my daughter's life. She is a sharp and socially in tune kid and part of that is owed to Petunia. Another big plus is all of the physical activity. Those kids play hard while outside and are never discouraged from trying something new and pushing their limits. I now have a second daughter and will consider Petunia for her if the school across the street is not an option for some reason. Check it out at least! p.s. ~ we did not choose Petunia for location. It is actually pretty far away from our house and a fair distance from my work. It was good enough for the drive.

We are so incredibly happy to be part of the PPP crew and are grateful to have found it after…read morerelocating to Portland. Meg, the Director, has been so patient with our 4 year old who is very new to a school environment. My husband and I have even found ourselves saying, "What would Meg do right now?" if we're in a tough parenting moment. You can tell she truly cares about her students and respects each of their individual needs. For example, our son has some sensitivity to sensory stimulus. Meg and the teachers have been understanding of his needs and have gone to great lengths to work out ways to make his experience as comfortable as possible. His first week of school went better than we could ever have anticipated due to the outstanding care he received. There were lots of updates throughout the first few days to let us know how he was doing, and if he was struggling with something (or really missing home at certain times of the day) we'd work out a plan for the following day to help him through it. Each week the parents/caregivers receive a recap of how the week went for all the students. In it we read about what the children learned and discussed so we can expand on it at home and get a dialogue going. There are also cute photos attached so you can see the kids in action! The school itself is so lovely. So much thought and care has been put into the kinds of toys, art supplies, books and gym equipment that are provided for children. The backyard is also a child's wonderland! A mud station, trees to climb, chickens to run around with, a sand pit to play in and swings to hang from are there so the kids can be creative, move their bodies and have a blast! My husband and I really wanted to find a school where free play is top priority, inclusivity is embraced and social emotional tools are taught. We have definitely found it at PPP.

From the owner: Portland Play Project is a Reggio-inspired, play based and ecologically focused preschool in NE…read morePortland, Oregon, serving children ages 3-5. We are a collaborative community that embraces inclusivity, nurtures each child's innate sense of curiosity and wonder and provides children with social and emotional tools to become kind, empathic and compassionate people.

I'm sparing them a one-star review because I appreciated the art programming they provided and the…read moreteachers seemed good. However, the daycare and owners are 100% business-focused and puts money first. They have zero empathy for parents or fostering community. Understandably, Covid posed many challenges to everyone and protocols had to be put in place but they did not allow for parents to communicate with teachers at all - no virtual conversations, phone calls, emails, etc. Every six months, they would send home a 'report' without any opportunities to sit down to review or ask questions. All of that, I can look past... because Covid required a lot of flexibility from all parties. The real frustration came upon registration for our 2nd kid. Their sales tactic was that of fake urgency and loose and sneaky language in the contract. You can feel free to message me for specifics so that you can be made aware. When there was a discrepancy, one 'owner' Natalie (who honestly has no decision making power as she gets overshadowed by the other) owned up and said the contract language was indeed confusing. However, Allison (bureaucratic owner) would say otherwise, completely undermining Natalie. They refused to make time for a call to talk it through the confusion and instead required us to only use email to contact them. They brushed us off in person and finally (but reluctantly) gave me 9 minutes on a call in which Natalie hastily rushed me off. We're talking about major confusion in a contract that would net them (and cost us) $75,000+ in the lifetime of our two kids being there. They resorted to defensiveness and eventually made up a whole narrative about my family's financial difficulty. It was extremely hurtful and mind blowing that a business can be run this way. Whenever it served them to play the "we are a small business, we make mistakes" card, they would use it sparingly. And at times when it served them to say "we are very well established, have been doing this for decades so please don't question us" they would use that to their advantage. As another reviewer said "if you're happy to shut up and abide by the info they give you, then this is the place for you." I really wish I would have read this before enrolling. Childcare is a highly personal and sensitive decision and they don't seem to agree with this. I'm so glad we pulled our kids out and while difficult to not have childcare for a few months, we ended up finding a much better option for our kids. I'd recommend supporting another local daycare that truly cares about the community versus just their bottom line and the self-serving need to always having to be right.

I thought maybe my experience with Small Wonders School was a one-off until I read some of the…read morereviews here that seemed consistent with how I was treated. I was hired as an assistant teacher (I have over 7 years of experience in preschool) for their kindergarten program. The directors were aware of my teaching experience and had my full resume. They offered me the position and I accepted, excited to gain experience with a new age group. They wanted me to begin right away so I could be trained in time for the school year to begin. I was relocating from out of state and rushed the move so I would start on time. The school and staff were nice and I felt optimistic about the position. After only three days of training, however, I was told that they wanted someone with more kindergarten experience and let me go. I accepted this graciously and silently, despite knowing it was bad practice. I hadn't even had a chance to be in the kindergarten classroom yet. After leaving the school and driving home in tears I realized I forgot my sweater and went back to get it. As I approached the door I saw my sweater outside draped over a rail on the sidewalk, which felt quite insulting. The only redeeming thing about the situation is that I was paid for the three days I trained. The amount of stress and money that went into relocating in such a rush and then looking for another job is irrevocable though. I am shocked and appalled by the treatment I received.

What a magical place! Our 4 year old has been attending this year and absolutely loves his time…read morethere. The teachers and staff are amazing people who are very caring, thoughtful people. We get extensive weekly recaps and photos sent, so we can see and hear about the experiences our child has had and what they've been learning about. The level of care and attention given to the development, safety, and health of our child has given us an extreme sense of comfort. I would highly recommend this preschool to any parent looking to have their child attend!

Both of our children have attended this wonderful little preschool under the leadership of Director…read moreand now owner Katie. Our children both came (our son, now in 1st grade) and currently our daughter, come home happy, excited to share what they have done that day and what they have learned. This is the type of preschool I would open myself as a former educator. They kids get to participate in structured and unstructured play, indoor & outdoor play and drive thier own independence and relationships. Highly recommend this wonderful neighborhood preschool!

Writing this review in case anyone sees it who is considering registering their child in any…read morepreschool owned by Taylor Breunig, who, according the Oregon Business Registery, owns preschools under the following names: Wild & Wonderful, Inc (3 locations in Oregon) Little Otters, Inc (3 locations in Oregon) SoGrow House, Inc (2 locations in Oregon) I paid well in advance one month at one of her daycares (Wild & Wonderful, SE Portland) in order to hold a spot for my son, and at the time confirmed the funds would be fully refundable if something didn't work out (honestly I had a weird feeling there but we were desperate for care). I was told multiple times the funds would be returned at the time another child took the spot. We did end up deciding to go somewhere else that I had fewer reservations about, and I reached out for a refund to the $1,650 that they charged me to hold my spot. They once again confirmed it would be fully refundable once another child took our spot, and I checked the handbook and saw no other policy or line stating it was not 100% refundable. It has been nearly 8 months. I have been in regular communication with a staff member who has been very nice and I believe is unrelated to the issue. She even confirmed to me that she had forwarded my request to Taylor who was going to issue my refund, and apologized several times for it taking longer than it should have. I wanted to stay civil and continued to give the benefit of the doubt, so instead of contacting a lawyer, leaving a bad review, or making a report the BBB, I continued to check in monthly with the staff member, awaiting for Taylor to process the refund, even though it was causing me financial hardship. I honestly regret being so kind about it, perhaps if I had left a review or taken other public action, Taylor would have been forced to respond to me. I finally heard back today that the business has closed, and after 8 months of trying to get my money back, the owner clearly had no intention to do so. She has opened multiple other daycares, so while this business closed, I believe any parent considering sending their child to one of her businesses should be warned. After searching for reviews on Wild and Wonderful I found MULTIPLE OTHER SIMILAR REVIEWS from parents who were never given funds back, and completed ghosted by Taylor. I will be following up with BBB and a lawyer. I'm so disappointed. Please do not give this person your money. I regret not getting a lawyer involved sooner, this feels very predatory. It's unfair to just close your business and open a new one to get out of paying money you owe. I don't want any other parents to fall for it.

i LOVE little otters! i'm very familiar with a daycare/preschool setting and i have to say this one…read moreis by far the most genuine and fun. Lots of fun, organic and nutritious meals & snacks, friendly personable staff & the amazing families is what makes Little Otters so special. There is no other place i would rather be!!

Six years ago, when we were looking for a bilingual preschool for our first daughter, we came…read moreacross Schoolita Alegria. From the minute we walked into the door, we knew it was for us. Alegria picked our daughter up and started talking to her in Spanish and there wasn't even a question that our daughter would be taken care of. The environment Alegria has created is warm and welcoming, full of art and respect for other cultures and so much love. The teachers are caring yet firm (we adore Violeta!) and by the end of the three years our daughter could have a conversation in Spanish. Plus, we love walking in there every day. The backyard has a mini-playground, the decor is an homage to Latin America, and there are plants everywhere. More than that, Alegria is always so flexible with our schedules, not to mention has a great sense of humor, and we couldn't appreciate her more. Highly recommend Schoolita Alegria if you're looking for a safe, loving environment for your child. Our first daughter loved it so much that we sent our second daughter there, too, and she's now in her final year. Alegria and Violeta are the types of teachers that our girls will remember when they're adults (fun fact: a lot of Alegria's former students helped chip in for a new space) and we wish they could stay forever!

We sent both our children through preschool at Schoolita Alegria. We absolutely loved not only the…read morebilingual curriculum, but mostly the joy that owner/profesora Alegria Cupit brings to her teaching environment. This is exactly how we envisioned a preschool/first experience of school, should be. She engages the children and introduces a total joy in learning, and makes each child feel special. Our children gained a great Spanish base, they loved going to school, and as parents, we were so happy to see the love and joy, open arms, with which Alegria greets each child as they enter her classroom. We also appreciate how Alegria embraces many methods of learning so that every developmental need of the child is addressed---Montessori, Reggio Emilio, Waldorf---a great combination of each---and her own style that is gained from her immense creativity, her years teaching in Mexico, her love of colors, and her deep love of todos los ninos. We highly recommend Schoolita Alegria as a wonderful colorful joyful bilingual total learning environment. Best is that our 11 year old son and 7 year old daughter still state once in a while that they miss Schoolita Alegria.