Mt. Tabor Preschool was created in 1951. Originally named the Mt. Tabor Mother’s Club, it began as a small effort by a group of neighbors to give their children something to do away from home a couple of times per week. At first, the mothers taught the children in a room at Glencoe Elementary School, but after a few years, the school began hiring teachers and moved to its current location in the basement of Mt. Tabor Presbyterian Church at SE 54th and Belmont Avenues.

The concerns of those early mothers were no different from those of parents today-to offer their children an opportunity to interact with other children, to begin developing the skills necessary for success in school, and to just let kids be kids. The school has traditionally offered a gently structured environment in which children could explore and learn at their own pace. That tradition, based on the Piaget model, is still in place today.

A cooperative preschool is organized and administered by the parents and operated under the direction of professional teachers. Its success depends upon the cooperative efforts of all members. A co-op operates most effectively when parents and teachers work together, pooling their knowledge and resources in the best interest of the children.

Parents are an integral part of the school, as they have been since the school’s earliest years, giving their time and talents by serving as officers or on committees, as parent-teachers in the classroom, by participating in fundraising activities and by attending monthly general meetings. Parents of enrolled children are members of Mt. Tabor Preschool, Inc. Mt. Tabor Preschool is a member of Parent Child Preschools of Oregon (PCPO).