We live in San Francisco and are relocating to Portland next summer. Our kids are currently in private school but we are struggling with the cost and we would like to try public school. I am writing to see if people have recommendations for neighborhood schools and also any feedback on Access Academy, Winterhaven and Sunnyside Environmental School. We like urban living and are interested in living in the city (probably the northeast neighborhoods), not in Lake Oswego or Beaverton.
A bit about our kids, in case that helps:
We have a 7.5 year old who was tested before kindergarten (as part of an admissions process). He had exactly average processing speed but VCI scores in the 140s and performance scores in the high 120s. He was anxious during the test and refused to finish parts of the test but still scored in the 99th percentile. The administering psych doesn’t think his scores were accurate but we don’t think he’s profoundly gifted, either. He has Tourettes and suffers from anxiety. He struggles with handwriting a bit - and also with writing stories/essays. His math and reading levels are above grade level but it’s hard to judge how much because his school claims it differentiates but doesn’t do any out of level testing. I believe his reading is at least 3-4 grade levels above his classmates’. He is an enthusiastic student and highly creative. He is completely obsessed with science and engineering. He is also very good at complex math/logic puzzles (his dad is a mathematician and they are very alike). He is introverted and has experienced difficulty connecting with other kids but does have a couple of friends. When he was younger he participated in a social skills group and the psych there said he would do best if he had an appropriate (gifted) peer group.
Our five year old just started kindergarten. We’ve never had him tested but he seems even more precocious than this brother because he doesn’t seem to struggle with anything. He taught himself to read as a four year old, seems to pick up math intuitively, is pretty good at chess and has excellent visual-spatial skills. As a two year old he could do lego sets for 5-7 year olds and by the time he was four he could do any lego technic set by himself. He especially loves art and spends hours every day drawing elaborate, finely detailed drawings. He is social and outgoing.
Our kids are in a private school that we like. It is project based with an emphasis on STEAM and social/emotional skills. Our kids are happy but I don’t think my oldest child is being challenged. My youngest is being challenged but that’s because we got him into kindergarten early and he’s a year younger than most students.
We are looking for a school where our kids will be academically challenged and where they can find peers who share their interests. Ideally, the school would also have a good social/emotional curriculum and rich arts program, too.
We intend to apply to Access Academy but I haven't been able to learn much about students' experience there. I’m also not sure how difficult it is to actually get a spot, assuming our kids qualified for admission. Winterhaven also looks like a potentially good fit, as it seems similar to our current school. Does anybody here have any direct knowledge about these schools? Also, if we got into a neighborhood school like Alameda, Laurelhurst or Beverly Cleary, how would a moderately gifted, creative kid do in one of those schools? Are there any other schools/neighborhoods we should consider?
I'd appreciate any insight or feedback you can give. Thank you!
