[vc_row full_width=”stretch_row” content_placement=”top” bg_type=”image” css=”.vc_custom_1557428164713{margin-top: -50px !important;padding-top: 80px !important;background-image: url(http:\/\/cedarcrestacademy.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Cedar-Crest-Art.jpg?id=44844) !important;}”][vc_column css=”.vc_custom_1492880051605{padding-top: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 80px !important;}” offset=”vc_col-lg-3 vc_col-md-3 vc_col-xs-12″][vc_empty_space height=”40px”][vc_empty_space height=”40px”][vc_empty_space height=”40px”][vc_empty_space height=”40px”][vc_empty_space height=”40px”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”30px”]
challenging the mind, nurturing the heart<\/p>
Geeta Vyas and I, Gail Domingos, met while working for a large corporate early child program during the early 2000s. Together, we talked about the programs that currently existed and felt there was a gap within the industry that needed to be filled.\u00a0 During the height of the dot-com bust, we took a gamble that parents would see the benefits of our innovative program; one that meshes the concept of whole child and a play-based philosophy while at the same time providing an environment that gives children an opportunity to be academically challenged.<\/p>\n
On January 7, 2003 we opened our doors to one student, one additional staff and absolutely no marketing plan on how we would grow our program.\u00a0 For our first open house, we had the food, the fire truck, the balloons but not a single child showed up.\u00a0 Why would they?\u00a0 We never advertised the open house.\u00a0 We were teachers and we knew how to teach and educate, business and marketing was all together foreign.<\/p>\n
Back then we were the teachers, the cooks, the janitors, and the administrators.\u00a0 Gail would teach math while Geeta cooked the lunch, then Geeta would teach language arts while Gail did the dishes.\u00a0 It was tag\u00a0team teaching and it was fast paced, but the children were thriving and\u00a0so everything seemed like it\u00a0was coming together.\u00a0 We always kept the expectations high \u2013 for the children, for our staff, for our families and for ourselves, and every\u00a0time we felt it was too much, everyone rose to the occasion and made us feel that much closer as a school community.<\/p>\n
From the very beginning, we were very fortunate to enroll some wonderful children who loved and thrived in our program which, in turn, contributed to their parents\u2019 love, belief, and commitment in Cedar Crest.\u00a0 Parents kept referring other families to our program and we continued to grow our enrollment by 1-2 children each week.<\/p>\n
These parents were also the types of parents who were very involved in their children\u2019s school.\u00a0 Some of the events planned by these parents from these first years are still a tradition we continue today \u2013 our annual keepsake yearbook, the Parent Association, community outings, Parent Workday, Teacher Appreciation Week, and others.<\/p>\n
These events were laid in the ground by our\u00a0founding families.\u00a0 And many of the events taking place across all four campuses today also had their founding during Cedar Crest\u2019s first year \u2013 Thanksgiving Potluck, Trick or Treating, Winter and Spring Performances, Spring Art Show, Easter Egg Hunt, Mother\u2019s Day Spa, Father\u2019s Day BBQ.\u00a0 It also holds\u00a0true today as it was back then, word of mouth referrals continue to account for over 90% of our enrollment.<\/p>\n
Our second campus happened by chance.\u00a0 During one of the open houses, while there was a line out the door to tour the school, one of our volunteer dads, who happens to be a commercial real\u00a0estate agent, told us we should open a second campus.\u00a0 To which we replied, \u201cfind us a building\u201d and the rest is history.\u00a0 He found us a second, a third, and our fourth and final campus.\u00a0 And so we grew in 15 years from one student to over 550 students; from one staff to over 85 full-time staff; from a program serving only preprimary children to one that now encompasses an elementary program.\u00a0 Our roles have evolved from teacher to director to founding director to founder.\u00a0 But our commitment to education has remained unchanged.\u00a0 We still remain fully committed to providing the best program for our children and instilling a\u00a0love for learning that will last them\u00a0a lifetime.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”OUR SCHOOL” tab_id=”1494880037161-acbb5778-00681509064997059″][vc_column_text]OUR SCHOOL<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Cedar Crest Academy offers an academically enriching program for children age thirty months through fifth grade. \u00a0Our unique program prepares children to excel academically by providing an environment where learning is tangible, engaging and exciting. \u00a0Our staff is comprised of nurturing, experienced teachers who are trained in individualizing the curriculum to provide the best possible learning outcomes for our students. \u00a0Because we know learning does not end when the school doors close, our teachers strive to build strong relationships with parents in order to form a seamless transition from the home to the classroom. \u00a0We are committed to creating a stimulating, safe, and creative environment to ensure the children in our program develop to their fullest potential.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1627560851553{margin-top: 40px !important;}”]OUR CAMPUSES<\/strong><\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_wp_custommenu nav_menu=”567″][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”PHILOSOPHY” tab_id=”1494880037414-f9d4a7b6-8bc61509064997059″][vc_column_text]Our Philosophy<\/strong><\/p>\n Uniquely, we have curated a culture where highly capable children can access accelerated academics coexisting with a personal, rich social and emotional program, small class sizes and lots of fun! We\u00a0believe that learning is a lifelong process and our responsibility to the young learner is to provide the proper foundation from which she or he can grow and build – cognitively, physically, socially, emotionally, and creatively. \u00a0Our goal is to ensure that each child is well prepared to excel in the next phase of learning.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”ACCREDITATIONS” tab_id=”1509065120435-cb6253f1-17f6″][vc_column_text]Accreditations<\/strong><\/p>\n Cedar Crest Academy is actively pursuing accreditation with the Northwest Association of Independent Schools. \u00a0(NWAIS)[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][\/vc_tta_tabs][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row” css=”.vc_custom_1506688985976{background-color: #031f47 !important;}”][vc_column css=”.vc_custom_1480863659858{margin-top: 0px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;}”]