WE ARE NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR THE 2026-2027 SCHOOL YEAR.
Please use the contact form to schedule a phone call and a visit.
FAQ
Welcome! We know choosing a preschool involves lots of thoughtful questions. Here you’ll find clear answers about our daily rhythm, tuition, meals, class size, inclusivity, philosophy, and more at The Understory—a small, nurturing home-based preschool in Southeast Portland for children ages 3–5. If anything isn’t covered, just reach out.
Q: What are the days and hours?
A: Tuesday-Friday, 8:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m.
Q: What is the cost to attend?
A: Tuition is 10 equal payments of $900. Annual enrollment fee is $285.
Q: Are meals provided?
A: Children bring lunches from home, and the class eats together in a calm, sociable lunch period. An afternoon snack is served at the end of the school day.
Q: What is the class size?
A: The maximum class size is 8 students.
Q: Do children have to be able to toilet independently?
A: Yes, and assistance is always available when needed, and to manage inevitable accidents.
Q: What about allergies?
A: A cat and a dog live in the home, although they do not interact with the children. Individual plans can be developed for children with food allergies.
Q: Can children with special needs enroll?
A: The Understory strives to be an inclusive and welcoming space for children with a diversity of developmental needs. Through collaboration with families, specialists, and outside resources, each child’s unique needs and gifts are honored and supported.
Q: What is the curriculum and philosophy?
A: The curriculum is based on imaginative play in a rich environment, with attention to the cycling seasons of the natural world. The Understory celebrates every child’s imagination, interests, and pace of learning as valid and important. Mia supports the children in being creative, unique individuals, while simultaneously guiding them to be loving members of the school community. The Understory’s philosophy values early childhood as a precious and powerful period of life, in which children are growing into their lives and communities. This time of growth is supported through a consistent daily rhythm, an honor of nature, an environment in which children can be competent and capable, and the creative vitality of artistic expression. The Understory celebrates diversity and infuses anti-bias education throughout the curriculum.
Q: What is an understory?
A: The understory is the complex community of plants, animals, fungi, lichens, mosses, and micro-organisms that occupies the habitat below a mature forest. It is the nursery where young forest trees sprout and grow. It is a rich and fascinating place, and most people walk right over the understory without noticing all the life happening below knee-level.
