Our family has had the most wonderful experience at Little Hands Garden School. My older son…read morestarted in 2022 and will soon be heading off to kindergarten with so many beautiful memories and a strong foundation, thanks to the nurturing environment at this school. My younger son joined this past year, and we are so grateful that he, too, gets to grow and learn in such a special place. The teachers at Little Hands are truly exceptional--kind, conscientious, warm, and confident. They approach each child with genuine care and respect, creating a safe space where kids are not only encouraged to explore and express themselves, but also gently guided to be thoughtful, kind, and responsible members of their community. It's clear that the staff is deeply committed to teaching children how to be good humans in our complex world. We especially love the play-based learning approach, which allows the children to learn through curiosity, imagination, and joyful discovery. The time they spend outside in the beautiful garden is a highlight--planting, playing, and connecting with nature in meaningful ways. It's the kind of early childhood experience every parent hopes for. Little Hands has been such a gift to our family. We're constantly in awe of the heart and intention that goes into everything they do. Thank you to all the amazing teachers for helping our boys grow with confidence, kindness, and joy!

Staff falsely reported me to DHS for sexually abusing my daughter over TOTALLY NORMAL BEHAVIOR,…read moresuch as grabbing her crotch. They proceeded to inform my coparent of this when she was the one who had dropped my daughter off! Resulted in a massive problem with my coparent wherein I did not see my daughter for over a week while the investigation was conducted. The staff was totally unresponsive and irresponsible. DO NOT LET YOUR CHILD GO HERE! THEY ARE UNTRAINED!

I was searching for a co-op for my 4 year old son after some Covid limitations had lifted. My…read moredaughter was in a different co-op but it closed down at the beginning of the pandemic and unfortunately never opened back up. I wanted to find a co-op because I love the fact that I can ease my child into learning. You get to be a part of the class and get to know the kids, families and the fabulous teacher Amy! There was actual information about how they are CONTINUING to keep our kids safe and masking. It's so helpful for keeping those little fingers out of noses and mouths I love that the school is so inclusive and has so much information available on their site. Teacher Amy is so kind and gentle with the kids, you can tell it's her passion to teach kids! She rotates the activities for the kids to do so that there little minds are constantly inspired. I am so so thankful to have found the school. My son can't WAIT to go to school and see his friends, it brings such a beautiful sense of normalcy that I cannot express enough how big of a difference it makes for our family! If you're looking for a school for a few days a week to help prepare your little one and socialize them and for countless other reasons too I highly HIGHLY recommend Mt tabor preschool!!

It is with bittersweet joy that we are soon to be graduates of Mt Tabor Preschool! My daughter is a…read morestage 5 clinger and had a very difficult transition to preschool after being at home with me full-time. While other schools treated this as a problem to be quickly solved with many tears and quick drop offs, Teacher Amy had a different approach - work with the child on their time table, meet them where they are at. I spent months sitting and staying in the classroom until my kiddo was comfortable and now she has absolutely no issues and adores school! The space is lovely and bright, the other parents are kind and supportive and form a loving community, and my daughter is more than prepared for kindergarten, already reading and writing! The play-based philosophy and emphasis on building personal and interpersonal skills was just perfect for us and I wish I had more kids to sent to MTP!

Both of our children went to Runabouts, and that awesome school was a powerful force in our lives…read morefor about six years. Melissa has such amazing respect, rapport, and admiration for the children that this becomes a school of best friends. Very creative play, an amazing space for exploration, and a safe, loving, respectful, and inspirational environment. I said often that I wanted to enroll. I was only half kidding. Maybe less than half.

Roots and Wings is the best preschool I have ever experienced! Jill, Laura & Sarah are AMAZING. My…read moredaughter started here in the fall of 2021. We were nervous, because Covid, but Jill and Co always kept us feeling safe and my daughter stayed healthy. The community at this school is unlike any other. I love the friendships we have made over the past year! My daughter learned so much about her social/emotional skills, following direction, imaginative play and how to be a good friend. I one million percent recommended Roots and Wings!

Roots and Wings Preschool has been an incredible foundation for both of my children, who attended…read moretwo years apart. My eldest started just as we were emerging from the challenges of COVID lockdowns, and I was drawn to the school's emphasis on play and socialization. It was exactly what my children needed to reconnect with peers and learn essential life skills. While at Roots and Wings, my kids learned so much beyond academics--they learned how to make friends, share, follow a schedule, and become more self-sufficient, all within the nurturing environment provided by the kind and caring teachers. Jill, Jennifer, and Erin were the perfect first teachers for both of my children, leaving a lasting impact on their lives. My daughter, now in second grade, and my 5-year-old son still talk about their preschool teachers with such love and nostalgia. The half-day schedule was the perfect introduction to school life, providing structure while still allowing plenty of time for family and play. Roots and Wings has also gifted us lifelong connections--my daughter met her best friend there, a friendship that has grown into something like sisterhood. On top of that, I made a mom best friend who has been such a source of support and joy as we navigate motherhood. Even though my kids have both graduated, I still stay in touch with all of their teachers, which is a testament to how special they are and how much they care. I cannot recommend Roots and Wings enough to any family looking for a warm, supportive, and play-focused preschool experience. It's a truly special place that fosters a love for learning and community.

If you are looking for a "boutique" style preschool, then this program is for you. I enrolled my…read more3.5 child at the Marigold School of Early Learning in the middle of the 2017/2018 school year. The reasons why I chose this school are: the teacher/owner has a Masters degree, the teacher/owner has almost 20 years of experience in the field of education, and last, but not least, the teacher/owner is very passionate about education. Make no mistake, this is NOT a daycare. There are a lot of day cares in Vancouver with "preschool" built into them. However, very few of them offer a clearly defined curriculum, and even fewer employ people with degrees. My child (I believe) has a high IQ, and I feel that her needs have been skillfully addressed at Marigold School of Early Learning. One of the perks that this program offers is that the teacher provides a very detailed journal that describes every session that my child attends. I love that the class size is limited, and my child is not lost in the noisy, overstimulating environment. My child gets individualized attention and loves her preschool.

Our experience with Marigold has been extremely disappointing, and I feel obligated to share our…read morestory in order to provide a fair perspective for parents considering this preschool for their child's education and well-being. Our concerns primarily stem from the inappropriate and unprofessional behavior displayed by the teacher, who is also the owner of the school. She showed a pattern of passive-aggressive communication which created an atmosphere that was tense, uncomfortable, and contrary to the nurturing environment one would expect in a preschool setting. One of the most alarming incidents involved the teacher threatening to involve the police when we arranged for a family member to pick up our daughter's belongings. The overreaction was deeply unsettling. Instead, I had to involve another Mom to help get my daughter's things. Among the items returned to us was a painting my daughter had done especially for Miss Heidi after her cat died last year. This "drama" all stemmed from my husband's response to her email, letting her know we aren't moving away-just leaving the school and she verbally attacked him. However, this wasn't the first time we received a passive-aggressive and extremely long email (like this review, I've got a lot to say!) After our daughter stopped going to Marigold, we discovered that the teacher had sent an email about our family to other parents. This email contained numerous inaccuracies, further highlighting the lack of professionalism and accountability we experienced during our time at the school. This teacher's actions not only undermine the trust necessary between educators and families, but they also bring into question the very ethos of Marigold School of Early Learning. Her actions reflect directly upon the school and its values, and unfortunately, our experience was far from positive. She even would make comments about "feeling sorry" for my daughter! This is also not an inclusive preschool, which as a mom new to the whole school scene wasn't really on my radar. She made a few comments about how my Deaf son would have to go to school with other kids like him (she said this to my daughter). The teacher also tends to dish out unnecessary information to other parents about other parents. I have emails that I can show to prove her unprofessional behavior. Communication matters. It is very important. It is the essence of being human. I wasn't even going to write a bad review because her teaching style was exactly what we were looking for and she write a detailed journal of the kids' days and I thought maybe this is an isolated incident. But after hearing from other families that they had similar interactions with her, I feel like it is important I voice our experience. It is my hope that parents considering this preschool should be aware of these issues and take them into account. As parents, we entrust educators with not just the academic growth of our children, but also their emotional wellbeing. It's disheartening to think that such behavior is presented in an educational setting where developing trust, respect, and healthy communication should be a priority.

My son has been under the care of Lisa for a year now and it is amazing to see how much he has…read moregrown emotionally, creatively and verbally in that time! He absolutely loves going to school and always talks about Teacher Lisa at home. Her energy, patience and love for the children seems limitless and her ideas for learning through play are amazing. They are always working on a fun art project or science experiment. He especially loved watching caterpillars as the grew into butterflies! She is focused on each child and helping to bring out their best self. I am so happy we found a place that my son truly thrives and loves. Their website is under construction but you can find them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/rootstobloompreschool/

My daughter has been attending Roots to Bloom since shortly after her second birthday. In that time…read moreshe has blossomed from a timid kiddo who hated to be away from us into a confident, secure 4 year old who is always excited when she knows it's a school day. The teachers are wonderfully caring and supportive and I know my child's social, emotional, and educational learning is being shaped with love. The school has a community of kids and families that are just incredible. Roots to Bloom feels like home to our daughter and like family to all of us.

Oasis closes often with short notice. As working parents, it is unreliable foe us. Would not come…read moreback when my 2nd child turn 3 next year.

Where to even start... A pure Montessori experience with a loving and talented staff, an amazing…read morenew building close to Montavilla, and a close-knit parent community. I have 2 children currently enrolled, and a 3rd who will go here when he's old enough. The new Elementary program is outstanding and I'm thrilled that my children will get to stay part of this community from age 2.5 through 6th grade. You could not ask for a better Montessori environment our education in general. I'm continually astounded by the level of reading, writing, math, and creativity I see the children at Harmony demonstrating. The fact that they've accomplished so much at such a young age while being so engaged and loving everything about what they're doing makes me want to go back and do school over again myself. We looked at a large number of Montessori programs in Portland and I could not be happier with the choice we ended up making. From the moment we toured this school it was clear that this is a truly special place.

Champions is a lifesaver, particularly in the time of COVID. My wife works from home, and juggling…read morethree boys, while trying to work and keep her sanity, is virtually impossible. We hired a friend to help tutor and watch the kids during their (remote, from home) school hours, but even then, it was a lot to bear. However, when Champions opened up their summer program, we were able to place two of the boys in a free* program (yay for low income school districts!...this is the way it should be everywhere!), that keeps them entertained, and outta mom's hair from 7 a.m. until 6 pm. Pretty awesome! The staff are young, but friendly and professional, and seem to be very relational with the kids. Activities range from outdoor recesses to watching movies, arts and crafts, storytime and sharing personal life stories and experiences. We're only a couple days into the summer program, but I imagine there will probably be field trips in the future. Previously, when we were in a different district, we had to pay for Champions after school care, and even then it was very reasonable, considering other day care options. Overall, this is a really fantastic community resource, that I highly recommend anybody who is in need of child care services during working hours to look into, if you live in the Parkrose area.