Happy Hollow Children's Center

07/22/09

My child has blossomed!

by bluetree

My son has been at Happy Hollow for the last 7 months and has literally blossomed. He enjoys going to school each day to be with his friends and teachers. Each day he comes home bubbling with news about the special projects and experiences he has had at school.

The teachers & staff are amazing and have made Happy Hollow a magical place to learn and grow for children as well as instilling in them a respect for others and the environment.

I would highly recommend this preschool/kindergarten for anyone looking for an extraordinary place for your kids to experience school for the first time.

• Pros: excellent staff & learning environment, creativity

05/30/09

happy hollow time

by whitecap

Our son has been here for two years and he will be graduating from the pre-school program. We as parents decided to place him in the school's kindergarten program to continue his happy hollow experience. Its been the best of times since he started here and he has evolved into a confident happy child.

This is genuinely a special place for young children to grow, learn, and have fun. We give our acknowledgement and support to the staff and the owners for continuing to operate such a wonderful place.

• Pros: great facility overall
• Cons: only one location

02/22/09

Eco and family friendly

by anubel

After searching long and hard, we found Happy Hollow was everything they said they would be--child centered, creative, structured around social responsibility and awareness, positive, and with a focus on not only the whole child but our family as well. We love the gatherings around food in the kitchen, the music all day, the creative art/literacy and science curriculum and the good feelings we get coming to school everyday. We have favorite teachers (their names are a constant source of story telling by our little guy) but think everyone is professional yet kind and compassionate. We think its great what they do and why!

• Pros: Great space and use of environment

08/07/08

pdxbest

by lastlong

jencc your review best describes this wonderful school. This will be our second year at HH and we are very happy to be here. We have a son and a daughter at different levels and both are getting the appropriate early childhood education. The staff is great, the place is definitely Happy Hollow, the administration is excellent, and most importantly the children are all having fun.

My husband and I would like to extend our greatest appreciation to the new owners for taking Happy Hollow to another level. You are absolutely positively correct jencc about the negative remarks. They are posted just about the same time an employee who didn't make the grade is replaced.

To all parents looking for a place for your child or children, HH is PDXBest. Hopefully you'll get in. There is a wait list. To all those who made the negative comments, I hope you all found your joy.

lastlong

• Pros: a successful small business
• Cons: dumbfounded negative comments

08/06/08

Creative, active environment, fabulous teachers

by jencc

My family loves this school. It has become part of our "village" raising our kids. I have gotten to know many of the teachers well, and talk to them each day. They have genuine affection for each child in their care, and can tell you all the funny things that happened during the day and progress that has been made. Their time there is valuable to me, because I know they are growing and learning in a positive environment.

My daughter (3) is in the Ladybugs class, and her teachers are loving and firm. In additon to having fun, she is learning conflict resolution, and self-discipline. They are helping her and all the kids in her class with potty training. She adores them and is happy to go to "school". I have trouble getting her to go home at the end of the day. My son is in the kindergarten class. The teacher is strict and kind, and is an amazing teacher. She has a wonderful system for teaching reading and writing, and the kids love and respect her. Many of them return to her for tutoring after they enter public school.

Happy Hollow is the opposite of the shiny, sterile, institutional setting of most daycare/preschools that I have seen. I chose it over the Goddard school for this reason, and have not been disappointed. They have two creative, ecclectic playgrounds and a garden where the kids grow vegetables. There is a kitchen where the cook makes healthy, yummy food for snacks and lunch and where the kids eat. She has been great about accommodating my kids' allergies. It feels very comfortable, like a home, but with all the safety regulations of a school.

The husband and wife directors of this school are professional, competent, and have many years of experience in child care. When they hire teachers, they are choosy, which is perhaps why there are some disgruntled people out there. If someone isn't able to maintain their standards, they keep looking. I am very happy with the direction they are taking the school and feel lucky to have found them.

• Pros: warm, creative environment, great teachers, administration, and families
• Cons: wish it were closer to my home

07/11/08

great4kids

by pdxcool

One of our daughters just graduated from Happy Hollow's kinder program and our second daughter is a

pre-k. This children's center is all about fun early childhood education. We've been at this center for a year and my husband and I decided there's no better place in Portland for our other daughter that's in pre-k.

Before moving to Oregon, I searched on-line for a place for our two daughers. After finding five schools in the web we were anxious to see these places in person. We looked at all five and the one that we felt very comfortable with is Happy Hollow. The school is a great place for future child educators to visit.

The staff is great. The administration and operation is a good small business model. Location and facility is convenient and unique. And the icing on the cake, the school is eco-friendly .

Our daughters are blessed.

• Pros: Existing for kids
• Cons: 0

06/14/08

kids wonderland

by sundust

Our son graduated from Happy Hollow's kindergarten program yesterday and we are thankful he had the chance to be at this school. He attended this school for two years and we give credit to everyone working at this place(and yes, specially the new owners) for operating such a wonderful place for children. My husband and I want to extend our full gratitude to Happy Hollow Children's Center. Thank you teacher Emily for doing an excellent job.

Sundust

• Pros: administration, staff, setting, and much more
• Cons: dillusional comments

05/30/08

Happy Children!

by karmakool

Can't please them all. This children center is one of a kind. A great environment for kids to grow and learn.

The staff is great and they all look happy. The director has excellent credentials and the place is operated professionally. Comments made by teleflora and geemom have no merit. You both sound like former employees. After reviewiing all the negative comments, it is apparent the motivation behind such meritless remarks is personal.

My children have been here for two years. Lot's of great improvement has taken place. Parents have made great contributions to improve the facility. A nicely renovated bathroom was recently donated by parents. Happy Hollow is moving in the right direction. There's a waiting list. How about them apples!

Cheers teleflora & geemom.

Move on people and get a life.

• Pros: What can I say that hasn't been already mentioned
• Cons: polywog, cynthiajackson, bird, luzmere, geemom, teleflora

05/28/08

One more bad review to add since the new owners have taken over.

by teleflora

Sorry but i just have to put in my 2 cents here. I have spoken with many parents who agree with me that Happy Hollows is going down hill quick. I have had my kid there in the past, and know what the old happy hollows use to be like. It is nothing like it is now. Now the Director is employing her own kids to work there as teachers, when they have no credentials? Please.....

To anyone out there who is considering happy hallows because they are cheaper than the rest, do yourself and your kid a favor and spend a little more and look elsewhere. They have all new staff except for a few that are left, that should tell you something. I fully expect this place to go out of business soon.

• Pros: Nice yard
• Cons: To many to list them all.

05/28/08

I'd keep looking

by geemom

This daycare is awful, the place smells, it's dirty and staff is always changing. If you read the reviews a staff member left a 5 star review? Gee, I wonder if that one is bias. My son went there for a year but after multiple problems with the staff and lack at teaching that was really going on in the pre-school class I pulled him out and found much higher quality, safer care elsewhere..I would advise you do the same.

• Pros: nice outdoor area
• Cons: low quality staff, poor managment