Category Archives: Family

A Portland preschool and childcare chain plans to open a location in a former administration building of Concordia University, on the corner of NE 30th Avenue and Ainsworth.

Pipster Prep owner Tessa Steinberg said the new school, at 5949 NE 30th Ave., is tentatively set to open in February.

Steinberg and her husband David Steinberg recently bought the singlestory 8,000-square-foot building and are planning a full renovation.

Steinberg said she’s most excited about bringing the outside in with skylights in the common areas and a roll-up door to connect indoor play with a new, large outdoor play space where a parking lot currently exists. “And a large bathroom with eight stalls will be SOOO nice,” she said

Steinberg said she is excited to see the architectural plans come to life. Most refurbished buildings limit design possibilities because of existing conditions that are hard to change. But the 1959 property is a “cement square” upon which she can make her design dreams come true. “This will definitely be our nicest location,” Steinberg said. “And the street is perfect. I love Ainsworth.”

Concordia will be Steinberg’s first location to provide care to children ages 1 and older. Her other four locations enroll children ranging in age from 2 or 3 to 5.

Steinberg, who until recently lived in Concordia, said she was inspired to expand her business into infant care after the birth of her son, as she struggled mightily to find care for him. “We are in dire need for more care in this area,” Steinberg said.

Even before the Covid-19 pandemic led to the shutdown of centers and dispersal of the workforce, a 2020 Oregon State University report prepared for Oregon’s Department of Education Early Learning Division labeled all 36 Oregon counties to be “childcare deserts” for children ages 0 to 2. A desert is defined as an area with more than three children for every one licensed child care slot. For parents, the lack of supply translates to high prices, wait lists and lots of frustration.

Concordia resident Adrienne Newton’s son Mason attends Pipster Prep’s Northeast preschool on Killingsworth Street. It has a long wait list, and it was Newton’s third try at finding the right place for her oldest son.

“When Mason walked into the classroom, he fell in love,” she said. “He got his ‘joie de vivre’ back. They think they’re having all this fun, but really, they’re learning. He’s so happy.”

Newton said she’s thrilled about the new location that will be just a few blocks from her house and is planning to send her youngest son when it opens. “I can walk Lucas to Pipster and Mason to Faubion [School],” Newton said. “It just fulfills my dream of having this little community so close.”

To learn more about Pipster Prep, visit PipsterPrep.com.

Leigh Shelton is the new lead ad representative for CNews. She loves raising her three children in Concordia and doing yoga nidra. For advertisement inquiries, contact Leigh at CNewsBusiness@ConcordiaPDX.org.

By Nancy Varekamp & Dan Werle | CNA Media Team

What began as a weekly visit to a “gnome tree” on Ainsworth Street has become an activity that is now spreading across Concordia and Portland.

Mark Soasey and three-year-old daughter Adya always stop to admire the gnome-size door within a nook of the tree’s roots. It’s adorned with little treasures from other admirers. Their visits not only add some fun to their walks, but also became an interactive pastime that affords social distance.

“My daughter would always bring a gift of her own to leave for the resident gnome,” he reported. Never seeing the miniature, fictional creature who lives inside doesn’t seem to deter her.

Mark and Adya began providing housing to more gnomes, along with treasure exchanges for children. Together, they have decorated five trees so far, and have identified several other pre-existing sites.

“Because of my experience in woodworking, fashioning the wooden doors with metal knobs was a fun and relatively easy project to work on with my daughter,” Mark reported.

Behind those doors, they leave notes to the gnomes they are certain live in each tree and/or greetings to Adya’s fellow gnome tree explorers. They also fill resealable plastic bags with shells, rocks, handmade jewelry and more – items designed to be exchanged with new gifts from each explorer who discovers them.

The duo makes the effort to respect the surrounding nature during construction of the gnome trees. “We avoid any larger holes that could be used as regular habitat for animals and/or for seasonal food caches,” he pointed out.

“Instead, we attempt to select a recess only large enough to house our treasure bag and accommodate a custom-made door.”

But they didn’t stop with nearby Fernhill Park, Alberta Park and the parking strips of Concordia. Mark created PortlandGnomeTrees.com to share DIY door-building tips, invite others to create gnome trees and maintain a map that identifies their locations across the city.

He hopes to hear about existing displays and/or treasure trees to add to the map, as well as new locations created by community members.

“The gnome and faerie trees have long since been established throughout Portland and were the key inspiration behind the development of this project,” he explained. “Our goal is to continue to expand the content of the Portland Gnome Tree Map.

“This is about engaging one’s imagination while exploring nature, and reinforcing creative thinking, sharing and giving,” Mark said. “It’s a means of showing respect to the resident gnomes and fellow participants.”

By Jennifer Allison

Summer seems to slip away so quickly, the air gets cooler, plants go to seed and school beckons our children. I’ve found a few things that have helped ease the transition back to school for my family.

Set up your rhythm: Design a routine that works around what is important in your day. It is easier for children, especially the younger ones, if there is a consistent rhythm to the day. When do you need to get up so there is enough time to get ready? Try to eat breakfast at the same time every school day, and after school be ready with a snack and activities to allow your child to relax and refresh before they take care of other responsibilities. Keeping it the same most days will help a child stay grounded.

Seek sustainable sleep: This is so important for your child. Sleep allows children to process what they take in during the day and integrate it, and it’s essential for a healthy immune system. Give your child a calming, consistent bedtime ritual, like brushing teeth, reading a story and lightly rubbing their feet or backs. This can bring children back into their bodies and get ready for sleep. Keep to a regular bedtime.

Support the transition: An anxious child who does not want to leave your side will do well knowing what to expect when they get to school. You can say something like, “Mommy will walk you to your classroom, and then I am going to give you a hug and I will see you at the end of the day.” Keep is short and sweet. Lingering only makes the parting harder for your little ones.

Jennifer is an early childhood educator at Gnome’s Home. Please visit  GnomesHome.org for more information on classes for children and adults.