Creative Childrens Center

2515 SW 185th Ave

Aloha, OR 97006

19 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK, K-3
Type

private

Find Homes for Sale in this School Zone

Reviews

Submitted by parent on October 22, 2020

Wonderful ! I loved sending my child to this school and the director is A+
Submitted by parent on December 07, 2019

We Love this school very much! My two boys spent two and half years at this school before my older son move onto 1st grade in a new school this year. The time we as parents spent in supporting the school is so worthwhile because we got to know so much more how these children were being loved, valued, cared, encouraged to take risks, and supported from day one. My boys never once expressed that they didn't want to go to school. They were looking forward to school every day. The school also offers spacious playground for outdoor/recess time. No matter it's raining or sunny, the kids go out. Nowadays, kids have spent too much time on screens and very limited time outside. That's why Richard Louv talked about Nature-deficit disorder. This school is such a hidden gem. We never regret our time spent in this loving and happy community.
Submitted by parent on December 06, 2019

Excellent! I don't have enough good words to say about our 5 years at Creative Children's Center. It was our family, it was the greatest experience with the school we could ever wish for. We found pretty fast that Reggio-approach is reflecting the values of our family. CCC provides it in the most accurate way, applying Reggio method to the modern american society. Our son started attending CCC as a 4 years old and last year he was graduating from Elementary. He is in PPS now and we can see all the results of going through CCC education. All those years builded the strong social skills, great self respect and respect to the others, natural curiosity, the desire to learn, to read, to explore, to work and play with others, to be in the group and to share creativity. During those years he was involved in several group projects that, without the exaggeration, were educational treasures. One of them - during the whole school year kids were building the Village out of carton boxes. It started like a play and grow in tho the whole learning, creating, exploring, finding your place and supporting others process. With a teacher support kids modeled the whole society life, opening own businesses, bank, airpot, electing a Mayor, reinventing the whole money system, opening charity organization and having a parade through the school! They created the Law and declared the values of their Village. The project was an excellent foundation of learning how to be a citizen and how to create a peaceful and creative relationships. On academic level, we were so pleased to see the development of our son's reading and writing skills. He had his brake through moments with reading, he started to carry the book everywhere with him enjoying reading so much! Our daughter made a huge progress with public speaking, started her writing and math at pre-K level. Teachers are supporting kids in the learning process a lot, trying to preserve and support kids natural interest to learn, removing the blocks, working with parents and families in a very close contact, support and sharing strategies and success. I can't even express my deep respect to the founder of CCC and all the teachers that we worked with. Our sun is successful 3rd grader and our daughter is in Kindergarten in Public schools now. We are so happy so see what a wonderful foundation were all those years at CCC for them.
Submitted by parent on October 31, 2019

Our son and daughter attended CCC for 5 and 3 years respectively. The emphasis on social skills, self respect, mutual support and creative exploration is what I found particularly valuable. Our children were encouraged and empowered to develop their own voice and perspective. The time our children spent at CCC was a perfect foundation for their future growth.
Submitted by parent on October 12, 2019

This school is such a special and unique place. I feel incredibly fortunate that our child was able to spend some of his early education years here. It actually helped him recover from a difficult start at another private school which could not accomodate his learning needs. Yes, private school is expensive. This school may cost more than some parochial schools whose costs are offset by their religious institution, but compared to other private schools it is a great value, even when you factor in some of the extra time you might spend volunteering.Anyone who is considering this school should just go visit and see it in action. The teachers put so much heart into what they do and the kids have so many unique opportunities to discover and learn at CCC. It is truly a wonderful and special place.
Submitted by parent on August 03, 2019

The reviews listed are accurate. We had good preschool teachers, but the school is disorganized and has issues. It’s very expensive for what you get and then has more add ons and expectations. We would have been more involved and supportive of the school if the director had a different attitude. The other reviews address that. (Also, one of several pet peeves— parents provide rolls and rolls of paper towels, paper products and disposable cups for snack. This doesn’t teach sustainability, which goes against Reggio’s position on waste— we checked.) Like others mentioned, we’d also consider continuing into the private kindergarten class if it had a different teacher/structure. From our observations, we were disappointed by the lack of learning in the elementary and the disorganization so we chose not to stay. It’s great the director has her own philosophy and marches to her own beat, but our kid still has to meet state learning standards in order to go to public school one day. School just needs an update! Hopefully public kindergarten works out or they get a new teacher...
Submitted by parent on July 09, 2019

The preschool classes and teachers are 5+ stars. We had excellent experiences with the different classes and teachers. We were very impressed with the approach, lessons, and also care. But the school has problems. It’s not exactly a co-op, but still tries to operate as one. There are a lot of fees, two mandatory work days, participation in fundraising, bringing in supplies (art supplies, soaps, paper towels, etc) in addition to a higher priced tuition rate. (We even paid full tuition for June every year even though school only lasts one week in June...). It’s disorganized and expensive for a “co-op.” As wonderful as the preschool classes were, they ended there. As with most families at CCC, we wanted our kids to stay through elementary, but we didn’t feel the owner/elementary teacher was the right fit for our family. Personality-wise, she was difficult to get along with and she felt she was an expert on everything. She had little patience with children, parents... even teachers. For a Reggio teacher, she didn’t let the kids come to their own conclusions because she was always short on patience and time. And she was openly disrespectful to students, teachers, and parents.Putting personality to the side, we still had issues with how she ran the elementary class. She did not understand neurodevelopmental issues (ADHD, Autism). Even if she does not “believe” they exist, she needs to learn positive strategies to work with children who struggle with sensory issues and regulation issues. And one must be respectful and have an open mind when working with families who are impacted by these disorders. She doesn’t have to agree with the diagnosis, but she does need productive ways of working with these learners. (See comments in other sections for more details.) We had a great experience with the preschool classes, but sadly, like the other parents, we won’t be attending the elementary until updates are made. I do think/hope the director can make the appropriate changes as she built this school.
Submitted by parent on June 18, 2018

We regret sending our kid to this school. This school is marketed as co-op, but the tuition is certainly not cheap if not, much more expensive than what you get. You will be asked to participate the mandatory donation/fund raising couple times a year, and this really caught me by surprise. After the fund raising they don't really tell you where the money is going. Communication is very poor and unorganized from school, all the administrative work is from volunteered parent. You will be asked to volunteer in the classroom, if not, you pay more in the tuition. You will be asked to pay insurance. This really made me wonder shouldn't this part of the tuition? On top of all those, you will be ask to bring snack to the classroom, paper towels, washing dirty towels, supply fees, and participate the year-end clean up. Of course, if you don't want to participate in the clean up, you have to pay to opt-out. As a busy parent, I felt this is a lot to ask for. The one thing that really upset me is because my kid is not diaper trained, but they don't always change their diapers. My kid often came home with the same diaper but over filled. I don't recommend this school unless you like the above mentioned items.
Submitted by parent on November 16, 2015

Since starting at CCC three months ago, I have watched my 3.5 year old flourish. After a move across the country, she had stopped singing so often. Since starting preschool, she is back to singing constantly! Songs I know, songs I've never heard but I know she's learned at school, and songs she's made up on her own. She is more self assured and has become very interested in cooking as her class helps to make their mini meal each day. The school's communication with parents is excellent and they strive to learn from the students as well as teach them.
Submitted by parent on March 08, 2015

We are nearing the end of our 4th year here. Could not be happier with our choice! We have an amazing and dedicated teacher and have made some very close friends with the wonderful families that also attend here. Highly recommend checking it out!
Submitted by parent on July 31, 2014

This school is very overpriced for what you get . You don't realize all the extra fees fundraising and supplies you will be required to buy on top of parent helping and a job within the school. The are very unorganized. Last year the teacher was hired 2 weeks before the school year and she only lasted a month then another month with fill in teachers before another teacher was hired. Then that teacher left at the end of the school year. We would not recommend this preschool. Also be wary of the amount of days the kids are actually in school. They take at least 1 inservice day a month and a long Christmas and spring break with another week off in May for conferences.
Submitted by parent on February 01, 2013

Creative Children's Center is a school where children and their parents are welcomed into a wonderful community. Our experience at CCC has been nothing but positive. We have had 2 children at CCC and this is our 6th year in the school. Our boys have become strong, independent thinkers who truly love learning.
Submitted by parent on October 18, 2012

This is a great preschool where the children are highly valued. It does take time on the part of the parents to make it work, but it is well worth the effort. I love the attention each student is given. I think it is an excellent school. My son is now attending his second year of preschool here and he is thriving in this environment. Creativity and exploration are paramount at this school.
Submitted by parent on October 09, 2012

We love Creative Children's Center! The teaching staff are truly amazing. They work to find the passions and interests of all their students, and then manage to incorporate them into a meaningful curriculum. They encourage even their youngest students to work together and support one another in exploration and problem solving. As a parent, I have learned so much by being a part of this community. I was a little nervous about helping in the classroom, but it is actually a lot of fun and a great way to get to know the other kids and parents. I couldn't imagine a better place for my children and my family!
Submitted by parent on June 15, 2012

In response, to the Teacher's "responce" (all of whom have advanced education degrees) spelling apparently needs to be added to the curriculum.
Submitted by teacher on May 25, 2012

In responce to the "like a daycare that parents run", I am afraid the reveiwer may not quite understand the intention behind a Reggio Inspired school. There are several factors behind the reasons for inviting Parents to participate in their child's education, with the goal of creating educational experiences that support a child's intellectual and social intellegences. At CCC our teachers hold advanced degrees in education and work daily with parents knowing that chidlren are well aware of our partnership. They feel loved and cared for while guided by teachers and parents throughout the day. We are proud to have parent involvement and believe strongly that if more schools encoraged parents, and welcomed them in, all children would benefit from the additional love and support. As for the word "daycare", we are registered as a private school, and do not offer full time care at this juncture. However, should we become a "daycare" it would be my hope that our society would celebrate the need for quality full day programs and not use the term in a way that pits one type of chidlren's program against another. Learning should be "nothing but joy" and parents should be welcomed.
Submitted by other on April 10, 2012

Its like a daycare that other parents run, not a school. They expect a lot of time and money from parents. If your short on both, this is not the school for you.
Submitted by parent on September 14, 2011

My daughter loves it here at CCC. Her creativity is allowed to bloosom. They give the kids the means and opportunity to create and they run with it. I'm so happy that it is a co-op school, because I love being in the classroom to see how my daughter interacts and learns and it's great to get to know all of the other children.
Submitted by parent on June 19, 2011

CCC is the best school I could have found for my son. He has attended two years at CCC and has grown is so many amazing ways. His problem solving skills, math, reading, and social skills had developed amazingly. The teacher's are amazing and dedicated. Being able to parent help and get involved in the classroom is also a wonderful experience.