About TIS

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The International School provides a warm multicultural environment where children are fully immersed in Spanish, Japanese or Chinese language and culture. Children become fluent in another language, at home in other cultures, and engaged in math, science, social studies and arts.  The International School is Portland’s first International Baccalaureate elementary school. It was founded in 1990 and today educates over 460 students from age 3 through 5th grade.

Why parents choose The International School
We know that you have many schools to choose from, including some other language programs. Here are the top reasons why parents choose The International School (TIS):

  • Total Immersion
    At TIS, children spend the vast majority of their day hearing and using their target language. As a result, our students achieve a higher level of fluency than students in partial immersion programs. Our students also get daily instruction in English language arts starting in first grade.
  • International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IB-PYP)
    Our students learn a rigorous curriculum – math, science, social studies, and language arts – taught in Spanish, Japanese or Chinese. They learn through the challenging IB-PYP method, developing questions about central idea and using age-appropriate methods to find answers to their questions. With the IB, children learn to solve problems, collaborate, and take responsibility for their learning. Click here to learn more about the IB.
  • Small Classes
    Children get the attention they deserve with no more than 19 students per class (average class size is even smaller)..
  • Native-level Fluency
    All TIS teachers have native-level fluency, allowing children to learn native accents, speech patterns and expressions.
  • International Cultures
    The cultures of our international faculty inform every aspect of TIS life. Our students experience Chinese, Japanese, Hispanic and American cultures thriving individually and working together. TIS students learn to truly appreciate and communicate – beyond mere words – with people of other cultures.
  • Art, Music & P.E.
    Art, music and P.E. are critical parts of our curriculum. They are taught by professionals who are elementary school teachers and specialists in their fields.
  • Diverse Environment
    The TIS community is diverse in every dimension. Families and staff of all races, religions, persuasions, and circumstances feel at home at The International School.

See the current issue of TIS News, a three-times-per-year publication for the TIS community. See it here or click on the link below for the issue you would like to see.

Click here to see our Mission, Values and Vision

See stories about TIS graduates, teachers, learning and events in The TIS News: