Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of school is Catlin Gabel?
Catlin Gabel is a progressive independent day school, serving approximately 700 boys and girls in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. Catlin Gabel offers an exceptional program with excellent teachers, a balanced curriculum with strong academics, relevant and meaningful learning, a respect for individual differences, and a focus on positive contributions to the community.
How is the program organized?
Catlin Gabel is made up of four divisions: Beginning School which is grades preschool and Kindergarten, Lower School which is grades 1 through 5, Middle School which is grades 6-8, and Upper School which is grades 9-12. The Lower School is organized by homerooms and “specials” including modern language (French, Spanish, or Japanese), physical education, library, technology, science, art, music, and woodshop.
How many students attend Catlin Gabel School?
Catlin Gabel serves approximately 700 students: 55 students in the beginning school, 200 students in the lower school, 180 students in the middle school, and 265 in the upper school.
Where is Catlin Gabel School?
Catlin Gabel is located on 54 wooded acres in Southwest Portland next door to St. Vincent Hospital near the intersection of Highways 217 and 26.
When was Catlin Gabel School Founded?
In 1957 the Catlin Hillside School and Gabel Country Day School merged to become the Catlin Gabel School. Gabel Country Day's roots date back to 1859 and The Portland Academy. Catlin Hillside School originated as Miss Catlin's School in 1911.
What does Progressive Education mean at Catlin Gabel School?
The Catlin Gabel School was founded on progressive education principles. During the early twentieth century, Ruth Catlin was among educators and philosophers such as John Dewey in the U.S., Maria Montessori in Italy, and Rudolf Steiner in Germany, who were shaping new ways of thinking about teaching and learning. Basic to our approach is the notion that education extends beyond mastery of academic skills to a larger purpose of enabling individuals to participate effectively as positive citizens in a global future. We achieve this aim by ensuring that learning is an active and interactive process, meaningful and related to the students own experiences. We build an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect so students and teachers can learn from each other through discussion, interaction, and collaboration. We provide age-appropriate challenges that stretch emerging capabilities, recognizing and honoring students’ unique styles and pace in learning, and raising self-awareness of each students own learning and thinking processes and his or her own progress.
What is an Independent School?
Independent schools are private, pre-collegiate learning institutions, each with a unique mission. They are nonprofit institutions governed by independent boards of trustees and funded through tuition, charitable contributions, and endowment income. Independent schools uphold high standards of educational quality and are publicly accountable to parents, communities, and the agencies that accredit them.
Why do families send their children to independent schools?
The quality of the educational experience is one of the leading reasons that families select independent schools. Described by the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), the U.S. Department of Education conducted the National Educational Longitudinal Study (NELS), and confirmed that larger percentages of students in independent schools are enrolled in advanced courses than in public, parochial, and other private schools. NAIS students, do twice as much homework as their counterparts, watch only two-thirds as much television, are significantly more likely to participate in varsity or intramural sports, and are more likely to agree that students and teachers get along well, discipline is fair, and teaching is good.
Is Catlin Gabel School accredited?
Catlin Gabel is an accredited member of the Pacific Northwest Association of Independent Schools (PNAIS). The PNAIS accreditation program is recognized by the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) and the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools (NAAS). Accreditation is maintained through an ongoing eight-year cycle of self-study, peer review by an accreditation visiting team, follow-up reports, and annual reporting. More information about independent schools and accreditation can be found at www.pnais.org/admission/parents.aspx and www.pnais.org/schools/faqs.aspx.
How is Catlin Gabel governed?
Catlin Gabel is a non-profit institution governed by a twenty-four-member elected Board of Trustees and several ex-officio Board members. The Board of Trustees set policy for the School and review the School’s implementation of its policies. For more information please see
www.catlin.edu/about/trustees.
What is the Catlin Gabel School Mission and Philosophy?
The Catlin Gabel School Mission and Philosophy statements can be found at www.catlin.edu/about/mission and www.catlin.edu/about/catlin.
To receive admission and application materials, please use our online Request for Information form.
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