Puddletown School

What can I say about Puddletown that will make you feel what we felt? Welcomed, challenged (in a good way), happy, excited. Each and every day at the school was a pleasure. We had two students there — twins — one in the Lavender Classroom, and one in the Sage Classroom. There is also a third, mixed age classroom (Cedar) — and, as of last year, a mixed-​age elementary.
My children thrived at Puddletown. The three-​year curriculum ensures that they grow through different stages in the classroom — learning at first, then learning-​and-​demonstrating, then demonstrating, finally. And of course learning, as well. Both of the classrooms were happy, safe environments for our children, and — they learned so much.
With twins, we really struggled to keep the home orderly. It can be so overwhelming. But with Puddletown, we really felt like they were going to a happy oasis, each day. My two kids have very different personalities. My daughter is expansive and eager, my son is more reserved. They both found happy different roles at Puddletown, and made friends. There was room for them to grow. They both learned to read. They learned how to be curious about the world.
What a peaceful place.
Also, anecdotally, I have other friends in Montessori schools that are kind of wild about the rules. No celebrating holidays, etc etc. Everything is really strict. While Puddletown was certainly mindful of the way that things could best be done, they allowed us the freedom, as parents, to retain our individualism — something that I really treasured, since I don’t easily fit in, pretty much anywhere, generally. I felt comfortable as a dad at Puddletown.
Do not hesitate! This school is a joyous place, rigorous and creative. Your child will thrive.

My daughter will graduate her Kindergarten year from Puddletown and I am so happy to have her there. A Montessori education for her was important to me and Puddletown takes Montessori to heart. One look in their classrooms and you will see how child oriented and independence based it us. The guides, assistants, and administrators are all amazing people who I trust with my child and her development. I would highly recommend Puddletown if you are considering a Montessori program for your child.

I transferred my child to Puddletown at the age of 4.5 from a smaller Montessori inspired preschool. She has been very happy there and I see that she feels that she belongs to a community that cares about her.
I had my doubts at first, as my child has several special needs. (We are a family through adoption and at the time of her starting Puddletown, she was in my home for less than a year. She also has developmental delays and communication delays. She was behind emotionally and socially when she started.) My concerns were that the school was too large and she would fall through the cracks. I see the importance of the larger mixed age class now. She has learned to wait, to take turns, and to seek out help when needed. By being with younger and older children, she has learned that helping others is an important value. Her confidence and skills in being an independent child have grown tremendously.
Another major concern we had was that her delays were too far out of the range for the staff. I feel like the kindness of the staff and their willingness to work at my child’s level allowed her to make enormous progress in one year. They saw her strengths and worked from that angle, rather than pushing her to a place that she wasn’t ready to go to yet. I was worried that she wouldn’t progress academically, but within a year’s time, she falls within the «normal» range of communication development and is excited to be practicing writing and reading in her time at home. The staff was also flexible and involved with the early intervention services that she received.
The predictability of the daily schedule and routine played a major role in comforting her emotionally. When we did experience some transition issues, the guide and the director were eager to work with our family to find a solution that didn’t alienate her. We also encountered a situation that concerned me as an adoptive family, but again, the staff was supportive and adjusted their practice to meet our specific needs.
Overall, Puddletown exceeded our expectations and I can’t wait for my child to do their «kindergarten year» there in the fall.

My nephew goes to Puddletown. He loves it. Awesome staff. Tons of special attention. The teachers are super available and open. My brother and I are always amazed at the new skills he’s picked up there. Highly recommended!

We’ve been involved with Puddletown for a few years now and could not be happier. The individualized attention my daughter gets is so above-​and-​beyond, I am continually impressed. She’s blossomed since she started school here, and we’ll be very sad when it’s time to leave for 1^st grade. Puddletown in my opinion is one of Portland’s best-​kept secrets when it comes to Montessori.