Dragonfly Preschool is a preschool in a sunny home in Northeast Portland in the Irvington neighborhood. We have a nurturing learning community where each child's unique abilities and interests are valued and supported. Through a play based curriculum we help each child become a confident, joyful, lifelong learner. Our days are filled with art, music, dramatic play, dance and nature. Our schedule includes ample time for free play, as it promotes friendship, problem solving, and discovery of the world. Our structure allows for flexibility to develop according to children's interests and passions. Dragonfly Preschool teaches a love for learning and wonder for life's experiences.


Dragonfly Preschool values all races, religions, ethnic origins, or family compositions.

Our Teachers:

Dragonfly Preschool is state certified and Eco-Healthy.

Maia Pillot ("Maia" instead of pronouns) has been a preschool teacher for almost 10 years. Before that Maia worked in various music teaching settings and still teaches music lessons (guitar, piano, and ukulele) when not teaching at Dragonfly. Maia loves working with young children and witnessing the joy and wonder they experience each day. Maia has been bringing music to Dragonfly students for three years. Maia has a B.A. in Sociology from Grinnell College.

Maia writes and records original music, plays tennis, and enjoys 1000-piece puzzles.

Lisa Wernick (she/her) has worked with youth of all ages and especially loves the energy of preschoolers. She has a BA in Psychology with an emphasis on Infant and Toddler Cognition and her master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction in Early Childhood Education. For the last 14 years she has loved spending her days with Dragonfly students and learning with them each day.

Lisa enjoys farmer's markets, playing games with her children, reading, and finding great picture books.

Brittany Coll (she/her) loves working with children of all ages and has worked with them in a variety of settings. When not at Dragonfly, she works with elementary school students at an after school program and runs a summer program in downtown Portland. She is excited to bring her knowledge of children's yoga to Dragonfly students.

Brittany enjoys yoga, cooking, reading, and catering to her amazing cat, Mitch!

We are a state certified preschool and have been teaching students since 2009.  We have a small mixed-aged classroom of 13 students and two teachers.  This ratio allows for us to meet each child's individual learning goals.

Dragonfly Preschool welcomes children aged 2.5  to 5. Children may still be wearing diapers. Our school day begins at 9am and ends at 1pm. Tuition is divided into ten equal payments regardless of missed days due to illness, vacations or holidays. We typically start with a new cohort of students in September and finish our school year in mid June.  We can add students year round as space allows.  We have optional summer camps that are not part of our regular preschool enrollment schedule.  A non-refundable annual enrollment and supply fee of $200 is due at time of enrollment. Children bring snack and lunches from home to allow for individual dietary preferences and needs.

In 2023, 100% of our students were fully vaccinated.


​​​​Dragonfly Preschool 

2837 NE 10th Avenue 
Portland, OR  97212

​​​Please email for more information and to schedule a tour!

dragonflypreschool@gmail.com  

Please email for more enrollment information and to set up a tour.

dragonflypreschool@gmail.com

An example of our daily activities:

9:00-10:00 – Arrival and Free Play
Children say goodbye to parents, greet their friends and teachers and choose an activity. Free play includes dramatic play and dress up, art, building activities, and sensory fun (play dough, sand, water, etc). The days’ activities will change according to the theme currently being explored and children’s interest.

10:00-10:20 – Clean up and Snack

Families provide snack to accommodate their child's dietary needs.  During snack we share stories, read books, and create community.

10:20-10:40 – Morning Circle
Our morning circle time includes music, sharing, books, calendar time and learning activities relevant to our theme.

10:40-11:00 Quiet Reading and Bathroom Time

11: 00-11:45 Outside Time
Children enjoy time in our fenced-in backyard play area and go on walks.  In extreme weather, our outside play will be supplemented by other gross motor activities including dancing, obstacle courses, and playing with our parachute.

11:45-12:30 – Lunch and Show and Tell
Children bring their lunches from home. During lunchtime we have Show and Tell and story time.

12:30-1:00 – Afternoon Activity
Our afternoon activity is our time for puzzles, writing, and drawing as we transition to going home.

1:00 - Goodbyes
Children say goodbye to their friends and teachers.