Now Enrolling for 2025-2026!
Enrollment for Acorns, Sprouts, Saplings and Kindergarten is open now for the 2025-2026 school year. Contact us today to be sent a link to apply. Spaces are limited!
Cedar Hills Preschool and Kindergarten Community
Parents take an active role in the classroom and are involved in all aspects of their child's learning experience. As a result, the relationship between families and our school extend far beyond the playground. The sense of community between teachers, parents, and children creates a nurturing, caring space for young minds to grow, tender hearts to open and an inspired life to begin.
Play-Based Learning in Portland
The joy and instinctive sense of wonder and delight that play brings validates it as the most central, natural, and important aspect of childhood. Believing in a play-based philosophy is simply accepting that children naturally engage in and enjoy play as a means of learning on their terms, in their own way, and at their own pace. Part of having a long history in the community means that our adult alumni return with their children. We have some families that have attended CHKP for three and four generations.
Our Programs
When your child walks into our school, they are free to explore and create in classrooms that are alive with possibility. We provide an experience that nurtures core values such as kindness, friendship and compassion. Creative opportunities in the classroom, garden and playground inspire young spirits. This connection and sense of community gives little learners the security they need to stretch their wings and experience the joy and wonder of childhood.
New for ‘25-26 School Year!
Acorns Class
Monday & Wednesday
9:15 AM -11:15 AM
Age 2 by September 1
Accompanied by a parent, our youngest students come together to meet other toddlers and parents under the guidance of our experienced professional teacher. Twos and a parent come together for art, blocks, sensory play, stories, science, music, and mother skills play indoors and out in our yard.
Sprouts
Tuesday, Thursday
9 AM — 12 PM Age 3 by September 1
We know that children learn best at this age by doing. They are explorers actively interested in learning about the world around them and constructing new understanding through experimentation and play. We support this by providing classrooms with engaging learning environments.
Saplings
Monday, Wednesday, Friday
9 AM — 12 PM Age 4 by September 1
The preschool years are also a time of tremendous social growth; therefore, much attention is paid to the development of positive social skills. Many activities are designed to encourage social interactions and cooperative play. Caring adults are nearby to help children learn how to get a turn or how to resolve conflicts.
Kindergarten
Monday — Friday
9 AM — 1 PM Age 5 by September 1
The learning environment of the Cedar Hills Kindergarten invites the children to participate in concrete experiences that help them learn concepts and develop academic skills while encouraging curiosity and exploration. Our program offers a balance of cognitive work and creative play.
60+
Years together in Portland
We're proud of our reputation as one of one of the most highly-regarded early childhood programs in the Portland area. Our rich history of cooperative learning has been a tradition for over 60 years. Part of having a long history in the community means that our adult alumni return with their children, some of which have attended CHKP for three and four generations.
4:1
child to adult ratio
Our cooperative learning community brings together children, parents, and teachers in meaningful play. We develop collaborative relationships and explore environments, experiences, and activities that encourage curiosity and wonder. We value who children are, celebrate their unique gifts, believe in their capabilities, encourage their interests, and honor their feelings.
Our Incredible Cedar Hills Teachers
Our teachers are carefully selected for their training and experience, as well as for their commitment to working collaboratively with parents to enrich the early-childhood years.
Linda
Linda Romanowski is masterful at developing strong relationships with her students, fostering independence and self-regulation, facilitating peer conflict resolution and enabling the children to solve problems. Her kindergarten curriculum is child-centered, academically rigorous and developmentally appropriate. She offers academic opportunities within a playful context, hearing the ideas and passions of her students and creating educational instruction that meets the needs of each child.
Lora
Lora Dierker builds classroom curriculum that draws on her love of music and the outdoors to bond and educate her students, sharing fun and educational music, practicing yoga with the children and utilizing hikes, gardening and outdoor adventures as educational tools. Conflicts in her classroom are met with calm guidance and her focus on teaching conflict resolution leaves her students with solid skills that will benefit them far beyond preschool.
Justine
Justine Saffir is our newest teacher. Although new to CHKP, Justine is definitely not new to teaching or to co-op schools. A co-op kid herself, she has spent the past 35 years teaching children and parents at co-op schools in California. Justine is known for her playful nature, her rich child-centered (and often messy) curriculum, her love of science and nature, and her passion for teaching children to be kind.
“A lot of people comment that they can spot a co-op kid in an elementary school classroom because of the confident and respectful way they approach conflict.”
LAURA BRADY
“This place is magical! We love participating in the classroom and being a key part of our child’s learning experience.”
TERESA LAI
“I never expected an early-years school to have such a positive impact on our kids and family life, but our time with the teachers and community at CHKP has been incredible.”
TOM PACYK
“CHKP has been a resource of knowledge and support, and we have benefitted as a family because of our time here.”
KIMBERLEE BAKER
Nondiscrimination Statement:
Cedar Hills Kindergarten and Preschool practices inclusion. There shall be no discrimination because of race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, dis/ability, marital status, family structure, citizenship, national origin, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by law in the administration of educational policies, admission policies and other school administered programs.
Contact List
Please fill out the form below to be added to our enrollment inquiry list and connect with our Registration Team.