Our Philosophy
Morningsong Playgarden is an Waldorf inspired, play-focused, parent participation community preschool. Our homelike environment is safe and developmentally appropriate for toddlers through preschool age children.
Children learn best through play and develop the social emotional skills they will need later in life through play in a group of children.
Set in a nurturing and inclusive environment, our daily rhythm supports children with the foundational skills and confidence that will serve them in kindergarten and beyond. Our parent participation hours give family members opportunities to form bonds and bring additional offerings to the children.
What makes Morningsong unique is our commitment to building sustainable communities for Portland’s urban families. Our teachers and staff are experienced community leaders who go the extra mile to create experiences involving the whole family. Festivals, crafts, live music, and family fun are some of the events we offer throughout the year. These events create a bridge between family and school.
Our teachers are Waldorf trained or receive training from Lifeways, which is a great resource for Waldorf Educators. To learn more about our teacher’s training and education, visit the following links:
Our Director
Tatjana Moffitt Moore is delighted to be with the community as teacher and director. Her wealth of experience as a program coordinator and license holder at another Waldorf-inspired licensed in-home program strongly supports her understanding and love of nature-based, cozy childcare.
Her experience before moving to Portland includes working as a program coordinator for Chicago Public Schools, as well as being a children’s theatre director, and years of experience in early childhood education as a classroom lead teacher. She is passionate about building bonds with families, connecting the threads that weave through our lives, and rejuvenating community through fostering relationships. Tatjana highly values a village mindset and spending time in nature and is thrilled to do both at Morningsong.
Tatjana proudly parents her sons Augustus and Lyander with her husband Jake and spends her days making memories with them when not at school. Her favorite pastimes include crafting, traveling, baking, visits to the coast and dreaming.
Enrollment
We are currently enrolling ages 1-5 for the 2024-25 school year!
Head to PDX Waitlist to schedule a tour to begin the application process. We have openings for ERDC and private pay clients.
Our program has several openings for Tu/Th, M/W/F mornings as well as full time slots.
Morningsong Playgarden is an inclusive environment and we welcome all families to join. We encourage LGBTQ, BIPOC and AAPI to apply. We welcome children with special needs, and are committed to building a community of inclusivity and diversity.
We request a limited amount of information regarding child and family before scheduling a tour. On the tour you may have a quick tour of our indoor space and a longer look at our spacious and magical outdoor space. We will give you the application at the end of your tour.
ERDC
Morningsong Playgarden is proud to accept ERDC for low and moderate income families. To learn more and apply for ERDC go to https://www.oregon.gov/delc/programs/pages/ERDC.aspx.
Hours & Location
12026 SE Foster Rd Portland, OR 97266
Monday - Friday, 8:30am – 12:45 pm
Afternoon care is available Monday - Thursday, 12:45 - 4 p.m.