Elementary School

Personalized approach

Frequently referring families to Park Academy, I count on Park's remarkably ignited, highly qualified staff for positive personalized approaches to assessing and re-assessing each student's strengths and challenges followed by innovative educational techniques drawn from many disciplines.

Dr. Judith Belk

2019-02-04T22:00:31-08:00

Dr. Judith Belk

Frequently referring families to Park Academy, I count on Park’s remarkably ignited, highly qualified staff for positive personalized approaches to assessing and re-assessing each student’s strengths and challenges followed by innovative educational techniques drawn from many disciplines.

Thank You

Having teachers and staff that actually cared about me and challenged me to set and achieve goals made all the difference. I was lost, they helped me find my real self.
Malachi Simnitt

Malachi
Graduate, Class of 2018

2016-03-14T15:19:08-07:00

Malachi
Graduate, Class of 2018

Malachi Simnitt
Having teachers and staff that actually cared about me and challenged me to set and achieve goals made all the difference. I was lost, they helped me find my real self.

Positive Impact

As soon as Malachi started at Park we began to see positive changes in him, his confidence began to grow.  For the first time, he actually like going to school. His academic and reading performance greatly improved after just one year. Park helped him recognize his potential by highlighting his strengths and encouraging him to keep trying.

Angie,

Parent of Graduate

2016-03-14T15:19:18-07:00

Angie,

Parent of Graduate

As soon as Malachi started at Park we began to see positive changes in him, his confidence began to grow.  For the first time, he actually like going to school. His academic and reading performance greatly improved after just one year. Park helped him recognize his potential by highlighting his strengths and encouraging him to keep trying.

Who We Serve

Park Academy offers a unique experience for students in grades 3-5 whose learning styles are not complemented by a traditional academic setting. Our students are highly capable, but may struggle with:

  • Dyslexia / Language Processing Difficulties
  • Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)
  • Executive Functioning / Organization
  • Memory Processing and Processing Speed Difficulties

Our Approach

We are dedicated to providing a safe and supportive atmosphere for all students. Our low student-to-teacher ratios allow us to create a family-like environment among students, which, in turn, creates a supportive network among peers. Our on-site school counselor provides responsive counseling services, such as social and emotional coaching, problem-solving and organizational skills.

Park Academy’s curriculum mirrors the Oregon State Standards with accommodations and adaptations that make growth and proficiency attainable for our students. Core classes are held in the morning and are designed with dedicated staff working with small class sizes, allowing students to explore their unique learning styles and discover their strengths. Our reading program is based on Orton Gillingham (OG) interventions. Most of our classes are taught by our trained reading staff, allowing students to receive repetition and reinforcement of specific modalities and interventions across the curriculum. Core classes include:

  • Language arts
  • Social studies
  • Math
  • Science
  • Physical Education (P.E.)
  • Small reading groups with no more than a 3:1 student-teacher ratio

Lower SchoolPark Academy also believes that enrichment in education is critical to a well-rounded education for our students. After lunch, students will have enrichment classes such as art, music, and theater. Our enrichment courses are designed to empower students and engage them in creative expression, collaboration, and critical thinking.

Currently, the enrichment classes for our Elementary Program are:

Art (Gena Fields)
Students explore different mediums of art and creative expression.

Music (Melissa Carroll)
Students learn the principles of music through song, chant and beginning instruments.

Theater (Alisha Christiansen)
Students explore the basics of stage presence, production and blocking.

Student participation in these classes is dependent on student need, staffing, schedule, and grade level. Physical education is considered a core class for elementary students at Park Academy.

Assistive technology is integrated throughout the curriculum, along with other necessary accommodations that support learning, growth, and measures of proficiency. Typical assistive technologies used in the elementary school classrooms include:

  • Audiobooks and dictation software
  • Google Chromebooks
  • Google Classroom
  • Online Gradebook

When surrounded by supportive teachers and peers, students begin to regain their self-esteem and confidence, boosting their overall academic performance. Park Academy’s highly adaptive, strengths-based curriculum allows students to better understand their challenges, advocate for their needs, and ultimately reach their full potential.

For more information about who we serve, scheduling a tour, or the application process, contact Lucy Davis, Admissions Coordinator at 503.594.8777 or via email.  You may also visit the How to Apply page of our website. Some questions may also be addressed on our FAQs page, or this blog post by Craig Lowery, Head of School.