The International School

As a new family to the school, we are able to compare with where we were before. In short, TIS is amazing! The administrative staff is helpful and welcoming, and the teachers have gone above and beyond to help us adjust, catch up, and soar. Thank you!

We are so grateful to be at The International School! The immersion experience has been amazing – after about a month in the Spanish Kindergarten classroom, our son was speaking and understanding a surprising amount of Spanish (even talking in Spanish to strangers). The IB program has been instrumental in motivating him to learn at deep levels, and he is doing work in core areas that astounds me (and I am a former educator). He has loved experiencing PE, art, music, and library time weekly, and the things he is learning in these classes greatly interest him (even though he was not necessarily interested in some of these subjects before). His teacher has gone out of her way to form a very strong, positive relationship with him, and this has translated into an ease and confidence in the classroom that I would not have necessarily anticipated so early but am very pleased to see. Beyond the classroom, the school community is vibrant, which was evident to us on day one, when we attended a playdate for new families. The location is a bit odd but the school goes out of its way to provide families with opportunities to connect. On some days off (inservice days), the school organizes community service opportunities, which we really appreciate. We toured many competitive private schools in the area, and we couldn’t be happier to be at The International School!

With our youngest now at the age that his sister started TIS (the International School), I do regret that we have moved away from Portland since there won’t be an opportunity for him to follow in her steps. The International School was a wonderful experience and I can understand why some parents that I spoke to had specifically moved to Portland for the education.
It was a warm environment filled with language (she was in the Spanish tract) and exemplary teachers for the time she was there in PreK and LowK. She had Maestra Jossie and her fluency was amazing. She also had a sweet classroom of friends and I did love the fact that the admission was on a first come and first serve basis as opposed to some of the complicated applications I had to fill out when we were considering private school for her when we moved.
Unfortunately, career ended up moving us away from Portland but if we hadn’t relocated she would still been happily attending.

My children attended the Spanish preschool program for 4 year olds so my review is from that perspective. My daughter attended in the 2008 school year and my son in 2010 and we’ve seen a tremendous improvement in that time. There has been a number of upgrades in the facilities as well as more of an investment in the teaching staff. My son’s teacher, Abby was terrific. She kept the children engaged and motivated while still maintaining order in the class. Both of my children left TIS with a strong foundation in Spanish that continues to serve them well in the PPS immersion program.
Many parents are quite involved and there is a strong sense of community at TIS. I hope they continue to improve their facilities, I think it’s a solid program.