Classes

Kindergarten

Preschool

Meet Our Teachers

Meet Our Teachers

Linda Romanowski is a masterful sculptor of learning environments for children that offer rigorous academic opportunities within a playful context. She listens intently to the ideas and passions of children, brings these ideas together in collaborative inquiry, and builds scaffolds that differentiate instruction to meet the needs of every child. She has researched and implemented the very best educational practices to design a Kindergarten program that is child-centered, academically rigorous, and developmentally appropriate. 

Linda Romanowski is holds a Masters of Education in Reading from the University of Arizona, a BA in Elementary Education from Purdue University, and her Oregon Teaching License. In both 2009 and 2013, Linda was awarded the Parent Cooperative Preschools International District Award for dedicated service to the cooperative preschool movement. Linda was also the recipient of the 2018 PCPO Robin Garthright Bunster Award. Linda routinely participates in workshops, classes, and conferences to refine her craft. In 2010 she completed the Mentor Teacher training program at the Opal School.

Linda brings over 20 years of teaching experience into our classroom, and knows well the minds, hearts, and imaginations of young children. She is masterful at developing strong relationships, fostering independence and self- regulation in young children, building deep and authentic problem solving experiences, and facilitating peer conflict resolution.

Linda began teaching at Cedar Hills Kindergarten & Preschool in 2002. She has taught the Threes, Fours, and Kindergarten classes. She is a gifted parent- educator, providing parents with effective tools to support each child’s literacy, numeracy, and language development. She believes the cooperative philosophy builds a strong foundation for lifelong learners and provides a nurturing space for children and parents to grow together.

Lora received her undergraduate degree at the University of Oregon. She subsequently attended San Francisco State University where she received a teaching credential with a bilingual, cross-cultural, language and academic development emphasis. Her continuing education has focused on language development, music, and movement with children. She is a Positive Discipline trainer.

Lora began teaching at Cedar Hills Kindergarten & Preschool in 2004 as the Threes class teacher. She has two sons who attended cooperative preschools in Portland, where she fell in love with the parent cooperative model.

When Lora is not teaching, she makes time to parent, cook, read, play banjo, practice yoga, garden, experience the great outdoors, and travel.

Justine, our newest teacher, joined us in the Fall of 2023. Although new to CHKP, Justine is definitely not new to teaching or to co-op schools. A co-op kid herself, her 35 years teaching children and parents at co-op schools in California earned her a Lifetime Achievement Award. Her own three children and two grandchildren were also co-op kids. Justine believes that co-op schools are magical places where we all ~ children, parents, and teachers ~ can learn to be our best selves.

Justine holds a BA degree from University of the Pacific and an advanced Early Childhood certificate from San Juaquin Delta College, and continues to learn through trainings and conferences every chance she gets. In addition to teaching, Justine has developed several positive discipline curricula, and offers classes and workshops on child development, best educational practice, and parenting. She is passionate about doing it right for kids, honoring childhood, treasuring individuals just as they are, and helping parents to better understand their own children’s gifts and struggles.

Justine is known for her playful nature, her rich child-centered (and often messy) curriculum, her love of science and nature, and her passion for teaching children to be kind.