Learn
Hands-on projects and stories spark curiosity and early thinking.
→Located with Deborah Messinger School of Dance inside the Faith United Methodist Church building.
27400 SE Stark St., Troutdale, OR 97060503-896-3936
A bright beginning,
made for moving.
Small-group preschool mornings filled with learning, music, dance and play, nurturing curiosity, confidence and kindness.
Ages 3–5
Tue & Thu · 10am-1pm
Oregon Recorded Program
Come on in
A familiar welcome for your child’s new routine.
Rising Stars meets inside the Faith United Methodist Church building, alongside Deborah Messinger School of Dance. The bright red door, warm lights, and friendly entrance give families an easy, comforting way to start the day.
27400 SE Stark St., Troutdale, OR 97060
What fills a morning
Big learning
happens in
little moments.
Move
Dance, music and creative movement build bodies, brains and big joy.
→Play
Open-ended play grows imagination, friendships and problem-solving.
→Our preschool
A small group, with plenty of room to grow.
Rising Stars is a creative arts preschool. Along with a regular preschool curriculum, our students enjoy dance, tumbling, drama, and music. It is a family-friendly, nurturing environment for your little one’s first school experience.
Our curriculum is designed as a thoughtful blend of play-based learning and kindergarten preparation. Students begin kindergarten with the skills they need to feel confident and ready for the years ahead.
Hands-on manipulatives, science concepts, and open gym time make room for active, imaginative learning throughout the morning.
Deborah’s Rising Stars Preschool is a Recorded Program with the State of Oregon Children’s Learning Division. Small classes support meaningful one-on-one attention throughout the day.
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10am-1pm. Optional Wednesday available for an additional fee.
Ask about enrollment →Tuition & savings
A bright start, with clear costs.
Choose the preschool rhythm that works for your family, then ask us about savings for dance and military families.
2 days per week
$175.00/month
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10am-1pm.
3 days per week
$250.00/month
Add Wednesday for another morning of learning, movement, and play.
Annual supply fee
$85.00
One supply fee, once each year.
Savings for your family
More to love about Rising Stars.
30% off an additional dance class for children enrolled in our preschool.
Current military personnel discounts are available. The amount varies based on your military family’s total tuition, so please contact us for the details.
Our approach
Ready for kindergarten, without rushing childhood.
Early literacy, number sense, science concepts, and fine-motor practice become more meaningful when children can explore them through real materials, conversation, and play. Small groups give children room to learn to focus, practice socialization, and work toward individualized goals at their own pace.
Music and movement are not an add-on here. They are part of how children build body awareness, attention, emotional development, joy, and confidence.
Care that feels personal
Known, respected, and loved.
Every child deserves to feel respected, safe, and loved like one of our own. We meet children with patience, listen closely, and celebrate the small moments that support personal growth and help them feel confident and at home.
Miss Tara has been teaching children ages 3–5 for more than 35 years. Whether she is teaching dance or preschool, she is loved by her students and their parents for the warmth, joy, and steady encouragement she brings to every child.
Warm
Children are welcomed into a consistent, caring rhythm with time to connect and settle in.
Creative
Art, dance, music, and imaginative play are woven into the day with intention.
Attentive
Small classes create more space for each child to be seen, heard, and encouraged.
For families
A rhythm children can settle into.
From the first welcome to the final goodbye, each part of the morning has a gentle purpose.
10:00am
Welcome & free play
Doors open for parent or guardian sign-in, then children settle in through play that supports motor skills, language, problem-solving, and friendships.
10:30am
Circle time
After clean-up, the group comes together for calendar time or an activity connected to the current project.
11:00am
Snack transition
Children take a bathroom break and wash hands before snack.
11:15am
Snack & free play
Children enjoy snack, then return to play and connection with friends.
11:30am
Small-group learning
A clean-up song brings everyone together for songs, movement, or another activity related to the day’s focus.
12:15pm
Lessons & stations
Children explore focused lessons and activity stations.
12:30pm
Getting ready for home
We begin our clean-up and going-home transition.
12:50pm
Pick-up begins
Parents and guardians come in and help their child get ready to go home.
1:00pm
Goodbye, friends
Families sign children out, share a farewell, and look forward to the next preschool day.
The practical details
Clear answers for a big family decision.
Rising Stars is for children ages 3–5. We meet Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10am-1pm in a full-year, part-time program. An optional Wednesday may be available for an additional fee.
We prefer children to be potty trained. If your child is almost there, we’ll work with your family on it. Current military personnel may qualify for a discount based on their family’s total tuition, and preschool families receive 30% off an additional dance class.
Questions are welcome. If you would like to talk through your child’s age, readiness, or preferred schedule, we would love to help.
Questions, answered
A few things families
often ask.
Who is Deborah’s Rising Stars Preschool for?
Deborah’s Rising Stars Preschool is a part-time program for children ages 3–5 who are ready for a small-group morning experience.
When does preschool meet?
Our preschool program meets Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10am-1pm on a full-year calendar. An optional Wednesday may be added for an additional fee.
What does tuition cost?
Tuition is $175.00 per month for 2 days each week or $250.00 per month for 3 days each week. There is a one-time annual supply fee of $85.00. Preschool families receive 30% off an additional dance class, and current military personnel may qualify for a tuition discount based on their family’s total tuition. Contact us for military discount details.
Does my child need to be potty trained?
We prefer children to be potty trained. If your child is almost there, we’ll work with your family on it.
For our preschool families
The Nothing Poem
When children come home
At the end of the day,
There’s a question they’re asked
As they scurry to play.
“Tell me, what did you do in school today?”
“Nothing. I did nothing today!”
Perhaps nothing means that I played with blocks.
Tied my own shoes, or found beautiful rocks.
Maybe the monarchs hatched today.
Or maybe I found a new friend to play.
Maybe today was the very first time
My scissors followed a very straight line.
Perhaps I learned a new song,
and sang all the words,
Or I touched a feather from the strangest of birds.
When you’re in preschool and your heart has wings,
“Nothing” can mean some wonderful things!
Author Unknown
Our gallery
Little hands, big discoveries.
Take a peek at the creativity, friendships, movement, and proud milestones that fill a Rising Stars preschool day.
Before the first day
A gentle start begins before the first day.
Our family guides offer warm, practical ideas for helping your child feel ready, comfortable, and cared for as their first school experience begins.
Read our preschool-prep guide →
Contact
Questions are welcome.
Ask about the program, schedule, or whether Rising Stars could be the right next step for your child.
Phone:
503-896-3936
Email:
info@deborahmessingerschoolofdance.com
Location:
27400 SE Stark St., Troutdale, OR 97060
Send a note.
We’ll get back to you as soon as we can.