Middle Schools Options

Most middle schools advise parents to start their research by September of fifth grade. The process should start with collecting information, scheduling tours and noting due dates.

Public middle schools

Many TIS graduates go on to public middle schools, particularly those schools which are continuation programs for the district’s partial-immersion programs. Depending where you live and where the school is located, public middle schools may require transfer paperwork and/or special permission to attend. Answers to questions about admissions and transfer policies can differ, so be persistent.

Admission to language immersion programs generally requires language proficiency tests which may include an interview with the 6th grade teacher and writing samples.

Portland Public Schools has many language options for middle schoolers.  Click here for information on PPS language options and Q&A about enrollment (document effective October 2011).

Beaverton Public Schools also has many language options in particular the International School of Beaverton (ISB) for grades 6-12: www.beaverton.k12.or.us/isb/, (503) 259-3800. ISB opened in September 2006 with a focus on the International Baccalaureate (IB) program. ISB offers World Language classes in Japanese, Mandarin, and Spanish. Sixth graders explore two of the three languages offered at ISB. 7th grade students will take the high school level world language classes to prepare for the MYP assessments in 10th grade and the IB assessment in 12th grade. Students will study the same language in grades 7 through 10.

Students who enter ISB with prior language proficiency will be assessed to determine their present level. These students will be placed in a language class according to proficiency rather than grade level. There are no core subjects currently being taught in any language other than English. The school does offer a Spanish Language and Literature Class to Native Spanish Speakers at the middle school level.

Private middle schools

Many TIS graduates go on to private middle schools with advanced language programs or flexibility to move children ahead in language. Application deadlines are often in February, although they may be earlier. Many schools require items which you must start planning for in the fall:

  • Teacher recommendations (start early – for your teacher’s sake)
  • SSAT (Secondary School Admission Test, similar concept to the SAT, see www.ssat.org)
  • Parent & student interviews
  • Shadow day: the 5th grader “shadows” a 6th grader as an opportunity for the applicant to evaluate the school and vice versa
  • Application fee
  • Proficiency tests if the child is seeking advanced placement in language or other subjects

Following are examples of some Portland-area middle schools that may offer advanced language options for TIS graduates. Please contact the schools directly for their most current information. They are listed in alphabetical order.

Catlin Gabel School (CGS – private)
8825 SW Barnes Road, Portland, Oregon 97225
www.catlin.edu, 503-297-1894
Grades: PreK – 12

Basics
Catlin Gabel is a nationally recognized progressive independent day school for preschool through 12th grade. 185 students are enrolled in the Middle School (grades 6-8) where teachers build transforming relationships with each student, honoring each child’s innate capacities, encouraging exploration, welcoming questions, and always presenting new intellectual and creative challenges to our young scientists, storytellers, artists, and athletes. This combination of rich content and catalytic method forms bold learners who become insightful questioners, responsible thinkers, and inspired action-takers for life.

Approximately one-third of the 6th grade are new students to Catlin Gabel.

Language options
Catlin Gabel offers French, Spanish & Chinese to Middle and Upper School students. Students entering the school at any point in the Middle School can enroll in a language class, and Catlin Gabel strives to place each child appropriately. Global travel is an opportunity in both the Middle and Upper school language programs. Catlin Gabel also offers a Global Education initiative that enriches the community with international and cross-cultural opportunities.

Gilkey International Middle School (GIMS – private)
8500 NW Johnson Street, Portland, Oregon 97229
www.faispdx.org, 503-292-7776
Grades: 6 – 8

Basics
The Gilkey International Middle School, part of the French American International School (FAIS), is a welcoming community of about 150 students and 20 teachers; and provides a student-centered learning environment where academic rigor takes place within inviting and nurturing social interaction. FAIS is an IB World School accredited by PNAIS as well as the French Ministry of National Education.

Advanced language options for TIS students
Gilkey provides partial language immersion programs in Mandarin Chinese and Spanish in addition to French and German, as well as an English-based program for students with no previous foreign language experience. Students entering sixth grade with previous immersion experience take their language at an advanced level as well as social studies in the immersion language. Students from all tracks are mixed in classes where English is the language of instruction. All students begin a third language in grade six which they continue to study until the end of grade eight. Beginning and advanced languages are taught exclusively by native speakers of the language, and all teachers are certified to teach in the US, in Europe, or in Asia.

Many TIS graduates attend / have attended Gilkey.

Northwest Academy (private)
1130 SW Main Street, Portland, OR 97205
www.nwacademy.org, 503.223.3367
Grades: 6-12

Basics
Northwest Academy, located at the corner of SW Main St. and SW 12th Ave., is an independent school for students grades 6-12. NWA partners rigorous, challenging academic curricula with diverse training and experience in the arts, including theater, dance, music, and visual arts. For more information or to schedule a visit, contact Lainie Ettinger, Director of Admissions, atlettinger@nwacademy.org.

Advanced language options for TIS students
Northwest Academy now offers a Spanish language class for students with near-native proficiency. The class is specifically geared toward the language needs of TIS students. There are plans to offer a similar class for Mandarin students in 2012-13.

The school also offers many levels of classes for students wishing to pursue a second or third language.

Several TIS graduates attend / have attended Northwest Academy.

Oregon Episcopal School (OES – private)
6300 SW Nicol Road, Portland, OR 97223
www.oes.edu, 503-246-7771
Grades: PreK – 12

Basics
Founded in 1869, OES is an independent school for Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12 located in the Raleigh Hills area of southwest Portland.  OES has a boarding component in grades 9 – 12 with students from the USA, Asia, Africa, Europe and South America living on campus and enriching our school community.  OES students are actively engaged in the learning process with collaborative, hands-on activities emphasizing inquiry, creativity and real world applications.

Sixth grade is one of OES’s traditional entry points with about one quarter of the 6th grade class consisting of new students.

Language options
Middle and Upper School students can choose to study Spanish, Mandarin or French.  New 6th grade students coming from language immersion programs are given language evaluations. If the student demonstrates appropriate language proficiency, the school will place him/her in a more advanced class.  Alternately, that student could start to learn a new language with the other 6th grade students.  OES provides beginning level through Advanced Placement (AP) language classes. OES offers 8th grade language trips to Spain, China, and French-speaking Canada. In the Middle and Upper Schools, language exchange programs and other international experiences are available.

Several TIS graduates attend/have attended OES.