Sellwood Schoolhouse
A play-based preschool in the heart of Sellwood-Moreland, offering classes and playgroups for ages 3-5 years
About Us
Sellwood Schoolhouse is a play-based preschool located in the heart of the Sellwood-Moreland neighborhood. Rooted in play, our preschool program incorporates a child-led curriculum that introduces students to early literacy and numeracy while nurturing lifelong skills of cooperation, empathy, and a positive sense of self.
All of our classes are mixed-age, ranging from 3–5. This means that there is not an age restriction for any of our class choices. You can pick the schedule that fits best with your family, and your child will spend time with peers that are both older and younger. We have found that this helps with cooperation, confidence, and building community in the classroom.
When you enroll, your child will be assigned a homeroom teacher based on the schedule you choose. If you have a teacher preference, you may let us know and we will do our best to honor your request.
Our 2025-26 school year will run from September 2nd 2025-June 5th 2026.
Registration for the 2025/26 School Year Opens February 19th at 9 am
Please email info@sellwoodcommunityhouse.org to inquire about current year registration.
Tu/Th Morning Preschool: $475/month
M/W/F Morning Preschool: $680/month
M-F Morning Preschool: $950/month
Tu/Th Afternoon Playgroup: $395/month
M/W/F Afternoon Playgroup: $550/month
M-F Afternoon Playgroup: $700/month
Scholarship Application
We strive to be welcoming and accessible to all members of our community. If receiving financial assistance would help you join us, please fill out the form below.
Please note that the priority scholarship application deadline for the 2025-26 school year is Feb. 10th.
2-Day Morning
Tues, Thurs
9 AM – 1 PM
$475/month
3-Day Morning
Mon, Wed, Fri
9 AM – 1 PM
$680/month
5-Day Morning
Mon–Fri
9 AM – 1 PM
$950/month
2-Day Afternoon
Tues, Thurs
1—4 PM
$395/month
3-Day Afternoon
Mon, Wed, Fri
1—4 PM
$550/month
5-Day Afternoon
Mon–Fri
1—4 PM
$700/month
Sign up for Preschool Spring Break Camp!
March 25th-29th
Full-Day Camp: 9–4 pm | Half-Day Camp: 9–1 pm
Upcoming Events
Preschool Open House
Saturday February 8th | 10 am – 1 pm
Join us for our Preschool Open House Saturday February 8th, 10am–1pm. Families can explore our warm and welcoming learning environment designed to foster creativity, curiosity, and early development in young children. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet our dedicated teachers, tour our classrooms, and learn about our preschool program.
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Full day and half day camps
🌷 Full day and half day camps
Preschool Spring Break Camp
March 24-28 | Mon-Fri | Location: Immanuel Lutheran
Full Day Camp
9am–4pm | $395
Explore, create, build, and make! All week campers will enjoy cooking activities, time in the tumbling room, nature walks, process art, and so much more. Join us for an action-packed week full of new friends, fun activities, and great memories!
Click here to register for Full Day Camp
½ Day: Be a Maker: Art Camp
9am–1pm | $275
Experiment, explore, and express yourself through a variety of open-ended, sensory-rich art activities. All week we will tinker, build, paint, and more, exploring different types of art mediums. At the end of the week there will be a celebratory art show to share the amazing creations we created at camp.
Click here to register for Half Day: Be A Maker
½ Day: Little Chefs
9am–1pm | $275
Get ready to watch your little one’s culinary curiosity come to life at our Little Chefs Preschool Cooking Camp! This camp introduces preschoolers to the world of cooking through fun, hands-on activities that encourage exploration, creativity, and learning. With a focus on simple, healthy, and delicious recipes, your child will enjoy a delightful week of cooking, tasting, and playing in the kitchen!
Click here to register for Half Day: Little Chefs
Sellwood Schoolhouse Philosophy
At Sellwood Schoolhouse...
We believe that each child has an inner drive to develop, thrive and create.
Our mission is to support and nurture the joy of childhood through a play-based environment.
We offer opportunities for children to cultivate appreciation and gratitude for their community and the world around them.
Our space allows for exploration, creativity and the nurturing of friendships in a loving, supportive environment.
We believe that collaboration with children is essential to fostering healthy group dynamics and individual growth.
We view the classroom as a third teacher, and we are intentional in creating sustainable environments that empower children to be partners and collaborators in their education.
We are a school inspired by the Reggio Emilia and Montessori approaches to early childhood education.
Our Curriculum
Our learning units are centered around play and project based learning. Each day our teachers will set up inviting provocations and meaningful projects that children want to explore. This includes loose parts play, process art, science experiments, math manipulatives, and dramatic play props and costumes. Each day our teachers will thoughtfully plan around the unit of study and create opportunities for the child to engage playfully with the curriculum.
We draw inspiration for our thematic explorations from the children’s interests. We study a wide variety of themes throughout the school year, from rocks and dinosaurs to insects and robots, to name a few! We use a variety of resources to support the interests and curiosities of our students.
Daily Rhythm and Routine
The daily rhythm will vary from classroom to classroom. Here is a general schedule that will likely be changed according to individual class needs and dynamics.
Sample Schedule
arrival and wash hands
open play
morning circle
morning snack
morning focus workshop + open play
bathroom break and wash hands
gross motor play
bathroom break and wash hands
lunch
rest time + quiet activities indoors
closing circle
Financial Policies
You will pay a non-refundable deposit at the time of registration. This deposit is $250 for Morning Preschool and $150 for Afternoon Playgroup.
Tuition is due in 10 equal payments throughout the year, starting on September 1 and ending on June 1. You card will be charged automatically on the first of the month.
Please note that months with fewer school days, such as December and June, still have full tuition payments. This allows us to keep our budget balanced throughout the school year.
Cancellation & Withdrawal
2025-26 School Year
We understand that plans can change, and we want to make the process as clear as possible for our families. Here’s our cancellation policy:
Withdrawal Notice:
To withdraw your child from the preschool program, you must provide a 30-day written notice to be released from our installment plan. Please email our front office with your child's name and last date of attendance.
Deadline for Withdrawal:
Cancellations or withdrawals after March 1st will not be accepted. If you decide to withdraw after this date, you will be responsible for paying the full tuition for the rest of the academic year.
Thank you for your understanding.
Snack
Our preschool students are provided a daily, healthy snack.
A typical snack for our preschoolers might be homemade banana bread and apple slices, or homemade granola, yogurt, and fresh berries.
Our Preschool Teachers
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My Name is Molly Hodge and I have been working as a teacher for 6 years. I hold a Masters in Education and I have taught ages pre-k through grade 5. I love all ages, but in the past two years I have found that my passion lies in working with early childhood. I am so happy to be at Sellwood Community House and I feel very grateful for this opportunity to work alongside other amazing people to create a magical early childhood program. I will be your go-to person for any information you need regarding our preschool program! When I am not in the classroom, I like to spend my time with my family. I live with my partner Graham and dog Marshall. I love to hike, rock climb, and paint with watercolors.
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My name is Shelby, and I am so excited to be a part of a wonderful place like Sellwood Community House. Working with children brings me so much joy. It keeps me young and allows me to still embrace my imagination and sense of wonder. I see each child as an individual and support their needs and interests. The teaching of peace, community, and respect makes my classroom a beautiful place to be. I believe in fostering a lifetime of respect, love of learning and an understanding of what an individual can contribute to a community and our world as a whole. I have been working with children since the age of 14 in diverse classroom environments. I have taught children overseas, as well as in traditional classrooms, and I have had the opportunity to start several outdoor preschool programs. I am one of the lucky ones who consider their work fun and exciting.
When I am not in the classroom, I like to spend my time with my family. I live with my 12-year old son Indigo, my partner Rachel, our cat Serendipity, dog Charlie, and turtle Otis Flower. I grew up in Oregon, and I feel blessed with all the Pacific Northwest gifts us. I love to camp and spend my time in nature. I am an artist. I love working with beads and making jewelry, wind chimes, or other kinetic art pieces. I plan on introducing your children to the art of beading. Community is very important to me. I have a great group of friends who I consider my family, and I am excited to be a part of the Sellwood Community House family too.
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My name is Neal McCormick and I have been working with kids since I was one myself, tutoring and babysitting throughout middle school and high school. After graduating from Saint Mary’s College in 2005 with a BA from their Integral Program, I moved to Portland and was accepted into Portland State University’s Graduate Teacher Education Program. I performed my student teaching in second and fourth grade classrooms and was accredited in elementary and early childhood education. Out of grad school I took a job working in ECE with preschool and pre-k children and was quickly hooked. I spent 12 years teaching these age groups as well as acting as Health and Safety Coordinator for the school. While I love working with young children, I have been looking to escape the profit-based world of corporate Early Childhood Education and was thus thrilled to stumble across the opportunity to teach at the Sellwood Community House. I am overjoyed to get the chance to become part of the child-focused approach that the SCH’s amazing team of educators believe in so strongly. Outside of the classroom I enjoy making music, art, reading, hiking, and spending time with my puppy Jasper.
Preschool Frequently Asked Questions
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Our 2025-26 school year will run from September 2nd to June 5th. Our morning preschool session is from 9 am- 1 pm. Our afternoon playgroup is from 1 pm-4 pm. Our school calendar will follow PPS breaks and holidays, excluding in-service days.
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Each day children will have a morning meeting, open play, and snack in their homeroom. After snack, students will transition to outdoor play or gross motor activities in our gym or tumbling studio. After about one hour of gross motor activity, students will transition to a bathroom break and wash their hands for lunch. When students finish lunch they are excused from the table and invited to play in the classroom. At the end of the day, each class comes together for an end-of-day gathering with songs and stories.
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We offer two, three, and five-day schedules, morning (9-1) and afternoon (1-4). Prices below are for the 2025/26 school year.
Our 2-day option meets Tuesday/Thursday. Morning tuition is $475 /month. Afternoon tuition is $395/month.
Our 3-day option meets Monday/Wednesday/Friday. Morning tuition is $680/month. Afternoon tuition is $550/month.
Our 5-day option meets Monday-Friday. Morning tuition is $950/month. Afternoon tuition is $700/month.
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We use a play and project-based approach in our classrooms. This involves both child-initiated and teacher-supported learning. The teacher encourages children's learning and inquiry through interactions that aim to stretch their thinking to higher levels.
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Preschool Cancellation Policy
We understand that plans can change, and we want to make the process as clear as possible for our families. Here’s our cancellation policy:
Withdrawal Notice:
To withdraw your child from the preschool program, you must provide a 30-day written notice to be released from our installment plan. Please email our front office with your child's name and last date of attendance.
Deadline for Withdrawal:
Cancellations or withdrawals after March 1st will not be accepted. If you decide to withdraw after this date, you will be responsible for paying the full tuition for the rest of the academic year.
Thank you for your understanding.
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We do! Please apply at the link at the top of this page.
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Our extended day is called Afternoon Playgroup. Afternoon Playgroup starts at 1:00 pm and ends at 4:00 pm.
We do not offer care after 4 pm.
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We maintain a 10:1 ratio in our preschool classrooms. (10 students to 1 teacher)
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Students need to bring a lunch and water bottle. SCH will provide a healthy morning snack.
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We are not a nut-free school, but we are willing to adjust policies in order to keep our students safe.
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Our teachers integrate as much outdoor learning and play as possible! Every class will spend an hour or more outside in almost all weather.
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Please register using the links above! Registration will open on February 19th.
Do you have questions we didn’t answer? Ask away!
Need financial support for the Sellwood School House?
Apply for our scholarship program!