Pre-K and Kindergarten
Your child's early years are the blueprint for lifelong adventures and discoveries. In our Pre-K and Kindergarten programs, we create a nurturing environment where kids can explore, make friends, and learn the fundamentals to become lifelong learners!
Choose between 3 days a week or 5 days a week for Pre-K. Kindergarten is a full 5-day adventure! After-school care is available from 3-5pm, for those who need extended childcare into the afternoon.
Our teachers create a safe space for every child to shine bright and thrive! They're not just educators, but expert nurturers of cognitive, emotional, and physical growth!
In addition to the exciting things we learn every day, our specialized teachers are like adventure guides who help even our littlest Pre-k and Kindergarten students explore the worlds of technology, music, movement, and art!
Engaging weekly masses, dedicated community service, and faith-based learning help students develop a deep understanding of the importance of kindness. Watch as your child blossoms into a confident community friend, all while gaining a real love for the amazing variety and colorful stories that make up our world.
Tech Trailblazers
Get ready for some tech-tastic fun! Every week, our youngest learners dive into super cool technology classes. With smart boards in every classroom and age appropriate learning apps our young students build skills that will make coding and tech skills a breeze later on.
The Arts
Every week, we have super fun music and art classes that make learning an adventure and ignite creativity. The power of music and art goes beyond the canvas and notes, fostering imagination, self-expression, and a deeper connection to thoughts and feelings.
Literacy Foundations
In our Pre-K and Kindergarten programs, we lay the essential foundations for literacy by immersing young learners in the exciting world of early reading.
Students learn to recognize letters, their sounds, and numbers. Through engaging small group activities and collaborative class projects, we steadily build a robust bank of letter and number knowledge, ensuring that our students are well-prepared for the adventure of reading in Kindergarten.
We're proud to have a dedicated Learning Coordinator, certified in the Orton-Gillingham approach, who provides invaluable support for students facing reading challenges, ensuring that every child can progress with confidence.
Our commitment to fostering a love for reading extends beyond the classroom. We hold weekly library classes, allowing students to explore a world of books and enabling them to check out their favorites to enjoy at home.
Furthermore, we're thrilled to have been recognized by Scholastic for six consecutive years, securing the title of the "Best in State" for the most minutes read. This accomplishment underscores our unwavering dedication to nurturing a lifelong passion for reading from the earliest stages of education.
Science and STEM Projects
We believe in igniting a passion for learning that sparks curiosity and creativity. In the coming year, students will be immersed in the captivating world of science and STEM.
Early learners turn into budding engineers, constructing amazing structures and brainstorming ingenious solutions to real-world challenges. They explore diverse and wondrous wildlife and plant life from every corner of the Earth and unravel the secrets of motion and movement, from the tiniest particles to the grandeur of the cosmos.
Service in The Spotlight
At Holy Cross, service, compassion, and communication take center stage.
This year, our students will embark on a beautiful service journey with our neighbors at the St. Vincent De Paul food bank, right next door to our classroom. We're excited to introduce "Birthday Bags" to brighten lives all year round. These special bags are filled with everything needed to bake and decorate a cake, complete with birthday napkins, candles, and more. It's our way of spreading joy and making sure every special day is celebrated!
But it doesn't stop there. At Holy Cross, we're passionate about fostering strong communication skills. We believe that effective communication is the key to success in school and life. In our warm and welcoming classroom, your child will practice these skills daily, not just with their peers but also with our dedicated teachers. Whether it's during recess, PE, or our exciting Discovery time, we're here to help your child express their thoughts, ideas, and feelings with confidence.
Faith Formation
At Holy Cross, we are proud of our Catholic identity. We have weekly Mass as a school, and pray in our classrooms. We have religion class every day as part of our curriculum.
Parents ask whether they need to be Catholic to attend Holy Cross, and the answer is no. We welcome families of all faiths and beliefs. Parents that are not Catholic or religious have commented on how they appreciate that their children are learning to be kind and caring to others and are excited about the various service projects we do to help our community, even at this young age.
Weekly PE Builds Skills, Improves Focus
Even at their young age, Pre-K and Kindergarten students have twice weekly immersion in the world of sports and movement through Holy Cross's dynamic PE program, where children build a solid foundation for physical activity and teamwork that will serve them well as they grow.
Our Pre-K and Kindergarten Team
Catholic Education Is Affordable
Holy Cross is a life-changing, unforgettable experience for your child. They will form friendships that last forever and excel academically, spiritually, and in extracurricular activities. They graduate with a lasting foundation that prepares them to excel throughout their grade school years and on to high school college, and beyond.
Holy Cross helps families afford the gift of education through assistance with applying for financial aid, scholarships and other tuition assistance.
It is very important to us to help all families that want a Holy Cross education for their child. We never want finances or other barriers to stand in the way. Please reach out - we have been working tirelessly to make sure every family has support available where needed.
Deb Voker
Business Manager
dvolker@archdpdx.org
503-289-7130
Hear from our families!
Holy Cross is jewel among Portland schools. When I took my son to visit his Pre-K class before enrolling, he was immediately and spontaneously welcomed by a class filled with the sweetest kids. As the year pressed on with the advent of COVID, we saw how lucky we were. The teaching through the pandemic has been outstanding as has been the communication and organization. My child is now in Kindergarten and the teaching quality continues to be excellent with a teacher who genuinely loves the children. Critically, the school is my partner in shaping my child's character along with a strong set of core values. My kiddo embraces kindness and thoughtfulness, is excited about reading, math and science and is having so much fun. The school leadership has created a strong sense of community among staff, students and parents that is welcoming to all. We LOVE being a part of it.
Charli T.
Holy Cross is a wonderful school. I’ve been so impressed by the dedication of the teachers and leadership, especially during the pandemic. Our daughter is loved and nurtured at Holy Cross, as well as academically challenged and enriched. We love that Holy Cross has a family-like, down-to-earth atmosphere. When we joined the school 3 years ago, we felt immediately welcomed and included. Holy Cross has plenty of opportunities for service projects, extracurricular clubs, sports and fun community events. There is so much to love about Holy Cross!
Brittany S.
