Morning Playschool
Our Classroom
Treehouse Playschool is a half-day morning toddler program from 8:30 am to 11:30 am serving children ages 18 months to 3.5 years. We offer a two-day schedule (Tu/Th), three-day schedule (M/W/F) or five-day schedule (M-F).
Nestled in the heart of the Sellwood-Moreland neighborhood, our bright, welcoming classroom is the ideal location for child-led play, socialization, and learning.
Each day is a new opportunity for our Treeschoolers to develop important problem-solving, fine and gross motor skills, and social-emotional learning through:
sensory activities
art and literature invitations
music and movement
and most importantly - open-ended, imaginative play!
Daily Rhythm
Within our larger group of 16 at full enrollment, we utilize two “pods” of up to 8 children in the classroom. Each pod has a dedicated primary teacher and rotating parent volunteer. Pods create predictability at school, and build lasting bonds with their teachers, peers, and environment.
Each day, your child will start on one side of the classroom and stay with their pod as we move through snack, diapering/toileting, and transitioning to the other side of the classroom.
An extended care option (12:30 pm pickup) is available for enrolled families—Find out more details about this program under tuition & enrollment info below.
Sample Schedule
8:30-8:45 Drop off
8:45-9:45 Free play + art/sensory invitations
9:15 Side A pod circle time
9:30 Side B pod circle time
9:45 Side A pod sits down for snack, Side B starts diapering/toileting
10:00 Pods switch sides: Side B pod sits for snack, Side A pod starts diapering/toileting
10:00-11:00 Free play + art/sensory invitations
11:15 Shoes & jackets!
11:30 Pick up
11:30-12:30 pm Extended Care Program
We are closed for four break periods each year, as well as major holidays. A list of closure dates can be found in the parent handbook. In the event of inclement weather, we follow Portland Public Schools for closure decisions.
Parent involvement
One parent or caregiver from each family will volunteer in our classroom every 4-6 weeks at a minimum, depending on the current number of children enrolled. Your main focuses as a parent volunteer are:
supporting your child and their pod as they move through the daily rhythm, passing out art supplies, assisting with transitions, and engaging your child and other children in play
providing a healthy snack from home for every child in the classroom (a total of up to 16 children). Snacks should be nut and meat free.
assisting teachers in cleaning and resetting the classroom, materials, and toys
You will never be asked to change other children’s diapers, handle challenging behavior, or lead lesson plans. We value child and teacher safety above all else. All classroom volunteers are thoroughly background checked before their first volunteer shift.
More details about parent involvement can be found in the parent’s handbook.
Parents also have the opportunity to get involved via our Parent Board. The Board meets once a month to discuss agenda items and give Chair updates, in collaboration with the owners and lead teacher. Board positions are completely optional. Find out more about our Parent Board in the About Us section!
We highly value parent-teacher communication at Treehouse Playschool. If you have questions or concerns at any time, please reach out to your child’s primary Teacher or the Program Director in-person or via e-mail. Likewise, if you have suggestions on how we may improve our program, please share. As a co-op style preschool, your input is extremely important to us.
Enrollment & Tuition
Our cooperative-style program allows families to enjoy the benefits of learning together in the classroom alongside exceptional teachers, at an accessible price point. Enrollment occurs on a rolling basis, and a waitlist is utilized when the classroom has reached its cap of 16 students per day.
Two-day Program (T/Th) $400 / Month
Three-day Program (M/W/F) $525 / Month
Five-day Program (M-F) $850/Month
Upon enrollment, there is a $200 registration fee to hold your child’s spot and an annual art supplies fee of $75 to help defray the cost of the high-quality supplies that we use with the children in the classroom.
Extended care program
One hour of extended care (12:30 pm pickup) is available to enrolled families for an additional fee. Children in the extended care program must be dropped off with a sack lunch.
Two-day Program (T/Th) additional $40 / Month
Three-day Program (M/W/F) additional $60 / Month
Five-day Program (M-F) additional $100 / Month
Extended care program punchcard $80 / 8 occurrences, no expiration. Punchcard requires a minimum of 24 hours notice to staff before each use.
Purchase your punchcard here!
FAQs
For more detailed information on the program, please refer to the parent handbook, and do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions!
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Children are not required to be potty-trained to attend Treehouse. Parents will provide a supply of diapers and wipes to be kept at school, and teachers will inform families when replenishment is needed.
We support early toilet learning primarily by changing the children in our care standing up, which allows children at this age to become active participants in their diapering. We are happy to support any children who are in the process of toilet learning and, through frequent communication with parents, will endeavor to keep the process consistent between home and school.
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All children are required to be up-to-date on all standard Early Childhood immunizations. A copy of their immunizations will be kept on file.
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Children should be sent in play clothes or clothes that you can expect to get messy with paint, water, food, etc. We provide children with smocks for messy art but they are not completely mess-proof!
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Please do not send your child to school with food or toys from home with the exception of a special comfort item or “lovie” if needed.
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Yes! Our teachers use the BrightWheel app to communicate with parents and let you know how your little ones are doing throughout the day.