Cathedral School

Cedarwood has been an extraordinary place for our family. What stands out most is the focus on social and emotional learning that actually feels real, not performative. Teachers know the students deeply and meet them as individuals. Our child came to Cedarwood after struggling in another environment and dreading school mornings. Now, we joke that there are “no bad days.” They’re engaged, curious, and genuinely happy to go each day. We really appreciate how Cedarwood has used the foundation of Waldorf to meet the contemporary needs of children today. The curriculum provides art, science, reading, languages,, and music in ways that build confidence, empathy, and intellectual curiosity. Cedarwood feels deeply human. It’s a place where learning and belonging go hand in hand, and where kids can grow into thoughtful, capable people who actually like who they are. The parent community is vibrant and mostly all aligned on how best to raise our children together.

I have two children at Childpeace and my spouse attended Childpeace decades ago when they were in another location. In my opinion this is the best Montessori school in Portland - from the amazing campus and building to the teachers, support staff and fellow parents we've always felt welcome and our children got the best education possible. The curriculum is fantastic - my kids read several grades ahead, they learned math before kindergarten and they love going to school every day.

I would strongly recommend that families consider other options until there is new leadership at this school.During our experience, school administration provided inaccurate or misleading information during the enrollment process. This included representations about the gender composition of incoming classes and the grade levels typically offered. Although the school is listed as serving K–8, enrollment has not historically supported consistent offerings across the upper grades.The school also lacks adequate training, policies, and structural support for a diversity of learners. Families whose children require accommodations or flexibility—including those supported by physician documentation—may find that exceptions to stated policies are not respected, even when based on medical need.Overall, the gap between how the school presents itself and the day-to-day reality was significant. In our experience, this environment was far less supportive and far more rigid than local public school options, including Portland Public Schools.