Roots School & Makery
Our Vision
A great learning space for children is a safe, supportive, and loving environment. The educational style at Roots School & Makery will provide students with a back-to-the-basics approach to life and learning where creative endeavors, play-based and hands-on learning, problem-solving, and character development are a focus. Children will be directly involved in the essential processes of daily life such as food preparation, picking up after themselves, and sowing the garden. Roots School is a screen-free program.
At Roots School, we believe…
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Children are precious and must receive care from adults who are capable and caring - whose values enable them to be excellent role models.
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Children should experience numerous positive learning milestones, leading to an increased sense of competence and independence. At Roots, we do not believe in doing things for the children that they are capable of doing themselves.
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Children’s inside and outside play is extremely vital to healthy physical development, acceptable social skills, and cognitive growth. Teachers, drawing upon their training and experience, must create an appropriate educational environment that carefully guides children from one developmental and cognitive level to the next.
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Our school philosophy is that early childhood should be a time of fun, warmth, security, exploration, and discovery. Preschool children are creative and receptive and our program strives to nurture these qualities in each child.
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Our purpose is to provide a safe, wholesome environment based on developmentally appropriate guidelines and solid growth and development knowledge, thereby encouraging the social, emotional, physical, and intellectual growth and development of each child.
Roots School & Makery consists of two separate programs. We offer a year-round childcare/preschool program for children ages 1-5. The Makery provides experiences throughout the year for children ages 6-12. Makery classes are offered in the form of summer classes, after-school classes, or class sessions during the school day for children in the homeschool community.
Meet Our Team
Angela Bansen
Director
Angela received a bachelor's degree in Human Development and Family Sciences with an Early Childhood Education focus from Oregon State University and also a Master's degree in the Arts of Teaching from Concordia University in Portland. From there, she taught grades K-2 for the Hood River County School District for 15 years. Angela grew up on a dairy farm. The many life lessons she learned in her youth taught her the great value in children learning rich life skills at an early age- such as resiliency, independence, and how to be a contributing member of a group. Angela has two awesome children of her own.
Angela Hunter
Assistant Director
After receiving her bachelor’s degree at Boise State and an early career at Sprint, Angela has spent the latter part of her life working with children. She worked as an Instructional Assistant for Hood River County School District for 14 years. This is when ‘The Angela’s’ met and became fast friends. Angela has a knack for meeting kids right where they are and figuring out just what they need. She is continually inspired by her own two grown children.
Enrollment
Children ages 5 & under are eligible for enrollment at Roots School. School hours are 8:00-2:00 Monday-Friday. Aftercare is offered for children in all classes from 2:00-4:00 for $9.50/hour.
1-2 years
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5 days/week (M-F)
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$1350/mo.
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4 days/week
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$ 1150/mo.
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3 days/week (M/W/F)
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$ 875/mo.
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2 days/week (T/TH)
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$ 585/mo.
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3-5 years
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5 days/week (M-F)
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$1215/mo.
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4 days/week
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$ 1030/mo.
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3 days/week (M/W/F)
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$ 790/mo.
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2 days/week (T/TH)
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$ 550/mo.
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A yearly registration fee of $300 is due at the time of registration for all families. This fee is non-refundable and secures your child’s spot at Roots School.
The first month’s tuition will be due at the time of enrollment for families new to Roots School.
Waitlist Policy
Does getting on the waitlist mean my child is guaranteed a spot at Roots School?
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Being on the waitlist does not guarantee enrollment, rather it expresses your firm interest in joining Roots School. Our waitlist operates as a tentative pool in which we choose families to enroll for open spaces. There are many factors we take into account when enrolling new students, such as start date, age, gender, schedule preference, and availability.
When will my child be enrolled if I join your waitlist?
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If and when we have a space that meets the needs of your family/child and the timing works for all involved, you'll be offered a tour to visit and learn about our school. At that time, the director will discuss enrollment opportunities and the subsequent process. As noted above, we typically have more interest in enrollment at Roots School than we have space available. Please only submit ONE waitlist request via the contact us form on our website with the understanding that there is a chance your child may not be enrolled.
How do you decide who is able to enroll at Roots School?
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Our waitlist is ever changing and growing. Spaces available are based on the amount of children that graduate from Roots and move on to kindergarten at the end of each school year. Occasionally there are other changes made over the course of the year when a family moves or otherwise ceases enrollment. Priority of the available spaces go to siblings of families that are already enrolled and staff members with childcare needs. This narrows down the spaces available. Once we've enrolled current families and staff members' children, we reach out to families in our waitlist pool.
2024-2025 School Calendar
These dates subject to change
September 3
First day of School
October 11
No School – Staff Work Day
November 11
No School – Veterans Day
November 27 - 29
No School – Thanksgiving
December 23 - January 3
No School - Winter Break
January 6
First Day of School 2025
January 20
No School - MLK Day
February 17
No School – Staff Training
February 18
No School – Presidents Day
March 24 - 28
No School - Spring Break
April 21
No School - Staff Work Day
May 26
No School - Memorial Day
June 13
Last School Day
TBA
Summer Closures
*** Please Note ***
No after care on November 26, December 20, March 21 and June 13