For Curious Families – Upcoming Open Houses
- Sunday June 14, 2026 from 10:30-11:30am The address is 5705 SE Knapp St. (yellow house on the corner of SE Knapp St. and 57th Ave). Children are welcome! Pets are not. *Enter through the gate off of 57th (the gravel road). It’s a very casual setting, hosted by the owner and lead teacher (Meredith), and her children (one Sunflower alum age 6; one Mud Pies Preschool alum age 10).
For Existing Families – Remaining 2025-26 Closures
Thursday April 9, 2026 (Early Release Day 3:30pm) for Professional Development Retreat (Confirmed)
Friday April 10, 2026 – Closed for Professional Development Day
Monday May 25, 2026 – Closed for Memorial Day
Tuesday May 26, 2026 – Closed for Teacher Inservice Day
Friday June 19 – Closed for Juneteenth
July 6-10, 2026 – Closed for Summer Break
(NEW) Friday August 7, 14, 21, 28 – early August Friday closures at 4:30pm.
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2026-27 Closures/Schedule
In general we will follow PPS’s closure schedule, as follows. Note that we are a year-round program so we will be open during the summer! We’ll communicate community-building events — such as our monthly Pretzel Hangs and roughly quarterly Flashlight Nights — internally. 🙂 If you want a simplified version click here for a 1-page pdf.
- Thurs Sept 3 AND Fri Sept 4, 2026 – CLOSED for Teacher In-Service
- Mon Sept 7, 2026 – CLOSED for Labor Day
- Fri Oct 9, 2026 – CLOSED for Professional Development Day / ASQs
- *Thurs Oct 29 & Fri Oct 30, 2026 – OPEN (PPS is closed), and we’ll do our simple Halloween Event from 4:30-5:30pm!
- Wed Nov 11, 2026 – OPEN (PPS is closed)
- Mon Nov 23 & Tues Nov 24, 2026 – CLOSED and Parent Teacher Conversations (PTCs) on these days. We’ll try to organize it so that one teacher can tend your child while the other teacher(s) can connect with parents, because it feels ironic to have to find childcare to do a PTC. Childcare during your PTC to be confirmed.)
- Wed Nov 25, Thurs Nov 26 and Fri Nov 27, 2026 – CLOSED for 3-day Thanksgiving
- Mon Dec 21, 2026 through Fri Jan 1, 2027 – CLOSED for Winter Break (reopen Mon Jan 4, 2027)
- Mon Jan 18, 2027 – CLOSED for MLK Jr.
- Mon Jan 25, 2027 – CLOSED for Teacher In-Service
- Tues Jan 26, 2027 – OPEN (PPS is closed)
- Mon Feb 15, 2027 – CLOSED for President’s Day
- Mon March 22-26, 2027 – CLOSED for Spring Break
- Thu April 8 & Fri April 9, 2027 – CLOSED for Teacher In-Service
- Mon May 31, 2027 – CLOSED for Memorial Day
- Tues June 1, 2027 – CLOSED for Teacher In-Service Day (This day is unique to our schedule; PPS is not closed.)
- Fri June 18, 2027 – CLOSED for Juneteenth
- Mon July 5-9, 2027 – CLOSED for Summer Break
- (and onwards to the 2027-28 Calendar!)
- Thurs Sept 2 AND Fri Sept 3, 2027 – CLOSED for Teacher In-Service
*Full Day / Full Year Model:
- Full day is a minimum of 10 hours a day
- Program calendar is year round, September through August
- Up to 4 full weeks off during the program year
- 10 additional scheduled closure days for events like family conferences, teacher planning or professional development
- 11 Oregon State Observed holidays
What is a “Flashlight Night”?
It’s childcare, after-hours, with glow sticks. Here’s what happens. You pick up your child at the regular time (before 5:30pm). We take this time to reset the space with some special items. Then you drop them off *back* at Sunflower at 6pm with a) a flashlight, b) jammies, c) toothbrush and toothpaste. The evening fun begins. Parents go off to however they want to spend a couple of evening child-free hours. Meanwhile we have glowing fun at the school. We serve a dinner (think pizza and veggies), run around outside if the weather allows (whee, glow sticks and flashlights!), play games inside (whee, more glow sticks!). After helping children change into nighttime clothes (jammies, pull up/diaper/undies) and brush teeth, we snuggle down on cots and cushions for a gentle movie.
If It’s Snowing or Icy…
PLEASE NOTE: In general during snow storms we follow Portland Public Schools (PPS) Inclement Weather Information in terms of weather-related delayed openings and closures.
If It’s Smoky…
We’ve adopted the following guidelines using Air Quality Index (AQI) metrics as our guides. We use the AQI as gathered from IQAir, type in “97206” for the zip code, and look at the data collected at the three nearest stations (Brentwood Darlington “PurpleAir” station, anonymous; Southeast Flavel Street, “PurpleAir” station, anonymous; Portland Lane Middle School, “AirNow” station, Oregon DEQ). We use the highest reading from those stations.
- If the AQI outside is above 100, we will stay inside, limit the use of fans, and limit the opening of exterior doors.
- If the AQI outside is above 150 and your child is exposed to the smoke >10 minutes on your commute from home to school, please wear a head covering (a hat or scarf for their head to reduce the entrance of smoke into the building).
- If the AQI *inside* is above 100 for more than 15 minutes and not trending better, then we will potentially close as our space is no longer representing a cleaner or safer environment than other spaces.