Primerly field report

Cedar Tree Learning Forest School

a public alternative program in Portland

K–4 · Alternative · Progressive · Homeschool Hybrid

Meets at Whitaker Ponds and Columbia Children's Arboretum (No permanent campus address). · Deziré Clarke Meindersee (Founder and Director)

Cedar Tree Learning Forest School is an outdoor, nature-based program where multi-age cohorts meet one or two days a week for immersive environmental education.

Rooted in the forest school philosophy, the curriculum prioritizes "uninterrupted play" and a predictable daily rhythm over rigid academic instruction; days are structured around storytelling, seasonal crafts, and "reverence" (quiet observation of nature) rather than worksheets.

A key feature of their approach is the role of the teacher as a "Guide Worthy of Imitation," where educators model purposeful work, such as gardening or crafting, that children naturally mimic, fostering social and practical skills through observation rather than direct didactic teaching. This creates a low-pressure, mixed-age environment where learning is emergent.

The flexible schedule is designed to complement other forms of schooling or homeschooling. International forest-school research informs risk competence, uninterrupted play and stewardship.

Tuition: Contact school for tuition rates

Address: Meets at Whitaker Ponds and Columbia Children's Arboretum (No permanent campus address).. Phone: (503) 919‑8663. Website: cedartreelearning.com.

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PPS rightsizing · a proposal, not a decision

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The basics

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Your odds in the lottery

Seats here aren’t first-come; they’re drawn by lottery. Each circle below is a tenth of the families who applied over the last two springs and stayed in the running (didn’t take a higher-ranked school). Filled circles got a yes.

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Official PPS lottery results, 2025-26 & 2026-27 combined: offers made ÷ families still in the running (offered + waitlisted); applications cancelled for a higher-ranked school excluded. pps.net › prior transfer data. Slots reset every year.
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