our families
what past families have to say about our school
"Warm, comforting, calming, safe and truly magical; these are the words my now 7 year old used to describe his former preschool". -R. Suzumura
browyn hood
"The Strawberry Patch is everything you could possibly want in a preschool and Miss Jeannine is everything you could possible want in a teacher. My kids were lucky enough to attend the location in Eugene and they still talk about how much they loved it. They are in middle school now, but both say it was their favorite school experience. The environment was warm, cozy, inviting, and conducive to learning in every way. The children felt safe, cared for, and were excited to be at school. They were given ample time outdoors for big motor movement, digging in the yard, playing with outside toys, working in the garden, raising chickens and caring for them. They learned early academics such as letter awareness, writing, and math in a fun and creative way. They did amazing art projects that I still have displayed in our home. As a kindergarten teacher myself, I can tell you that The Strawberry Patch preschool thoroughly prepares young learners for kindergarten, giving them the skills they will need to be successful in grade school. I had the opportunity to see Miss Jeannine’s Portland location and it is even better than I could have imagined. It is truly a dreamy place for your preschooler. I cannot recommend it enough"
R. Suzumura
"Warm, comforting, calming, safe and truly magical; these are the words my now 7 year old used to describe his former preschool. A true love of learning is what I believe he took from his time there. I couldn’t recommend this school more.
My son spent 2 years with Miss Jeanine. As the mom of a shy and anxious, only child, and a former early childhood educator, finding the “right” preschool for my 3 year old was a challenge. But during our tour, my son, who rarely relinquished his death grip from my leg, disappeared into another room, lost in exploration, feeling completely at home. That was enough to convince me to give it a try. We are so happy and grateful that we were able to be a part of Strawberry Patch.
Miss Jeanine uses her thorough knowledge and experience to create an amazing learning environment. Her beautiful and thoughtful materials invite exploration, inspire imaginary play and sparks creativity, all while reinforcing the skills young kiddos need to be ready to read, write and communicate. Her guidance and coaching techniques impart self-regulation, a respect for self and others and ensures that every child feels heard and loved."
Jodie rogers
"Our son, Jonathan, attended the Strawberry Patch Preschool as a 4-5 year old. We had moved from a previous preschool, and were looking for a more nurturing environment for our son where he might receive more support getting ready for kindergarten. We couldn't have been more pleased with the environment provided by Jeanine VanSise.
Jeanine fosters a very respectful, peaceful, and loving environment at her school. The students quickly became close, and learned teamwork and collaboration, as well as conflict resolution and the ability to self-manage. Every time I visited the school, I was impressed by her patience in helping the students solve their own problems in the moment and understand the importance of the school's rules. The students had a wide variety of abilities and levels of maturity, but I was amazed at how she was able to keep and maintain their focus, and help them grow and develop at their own pace. She picked themes each week that allowed the students to discover new things about the world, as well as continue building skills in language, math, reasoning, and socializing.
Jeanine has superior skills in managing a classroom and developing engaging curricula for her preschool students--of that there is no doubt. But what meant the most to our family was the loving and nurturing way that she took a personal interest in my child and every child at the Strawberry Patch. She knew his likes and dislikes, his strengths and weaknesses, and made him feel special and valued. She celebrated his individual achievements, and ensured that the daily activities stretched him and allowed him to shine. If Jeanine had a special favorite or a special challenge among her students, I never knew it--in her classroom, it seemed it was always a 10-way tie for first place. She is truly a remarkable person, and we feel fortunate that our son had such a great start to his school years in her school.
I would be happy to recommend Jeanine VanSise and the Strawberry Patch to any parents seeking a safe and loving environment for their children."
Talbot ridgeway
Miss Jeanine and the Strawberry Patch are fantastic! My oldest son attended the Strawberry Patch for the first two years it was in Eugene, and I feel like it helped set him up socially, creatively, and academically for his future education adventures. Miss Jeanine is wonderful and caring, and the structure of the preschool is very nurturing to the minds of the children. Having the responsibilities of tending to the garden and chickens was a huge hit. The kids loved watching the changes of the birds from chicks to hens, and collecting the eggs every day is always exciting.
I highly recommend the Strawberry Patch to anyone needing care for their little ones. The new location is great, in historic Irvington, and Portland is lucky to have Miss Jeanine here with us!
Sky
What a wonderful preschool experience Day has had at The Strawberry Patch! The level of comfort and security, the balance of learning and play, the celebration of just being silly and being a kid, the joy of having friends and treating each-other with kindness and respect, the encouragement of creativity and initiative, the thoughtful involvement with nature and its wonders-all these things and more Day has shared and enjoyed in your magical environment. We feel so lucky that Day got to be "4" at The Strawberry Patch, and we can't wait for her little brother to have the same experience when he turns "3". Thank You!!
stacey
We could not be happier with our experience with Jeanine and the Strawberry Patch Preschool. Jeanine is warm, nurturing, and has created a welcoming academic environment for preschoolers. Our daughter matured so much emotionally, academically, and socially while enrolled here and we are sad to have to leave the Strawberry Patch. Jeanine does an amazing job at fostering friendships and caring in the school. We are leaving with the sense that our daughter not only learned how to make friends, but how to love and care about her friends and treat them all as individuals. She has learned so many new problem solving and conflict resolution techniques that we had never seen her use before and it is really quite amazing. From an academic standpoint, other parents we know have been surprised at the kinds of things Jeanine has taught the children at the Strawberry Patch. She understands well that children love to learn and does not hesitate to introduce material that might be challenging to them. Our daughter always seemed to be gently challenged to learn things and was always surprising us with new knowledge about fractions, space, and even geology. We would recommend Jeanine and the Strawberry Patch Preschool to absolutely every parent with a preschooler. You will find a warm, friendly, and academically strong environment for your child to thrive in.