Featured School of the Week: Tucker Maxon School

From our friends at Tucker Maxon School

Tucker Maxon School is one of Portland’s best options for an outstanding independent Preschool to 5th grade education.

They focus on communication, academic excellence, and social and emotional intelligence. Tucker Maxon staff is dedicated to helping students reach their full potential in school and in life through meaningful relationships in small classrooms (8:1 student-to-teacher ratio) and a close-knit school community. Children learn strong communication and critical thinking skills through personalized, integrated curriculum in a safe and nurturing environment. At this time, ¾ of the student body have typical hearing, while ¼ are hard-of-hearing. This model is a wonderful way to teach all children to be strong communicators, and empathetic and kind people.

The academic week includes daily PE, and weekly art, music, and STEM classes. Each classroom is equipped with a sound-field system to assist students in hearing the teacher’s voice – which aids literacy development in children. Every elementary school student has access to Chromebook computers for classwork and projects, and LEGO robotics. Every classroom has a Smart Board with related curriculum in math, science, and reading. In 2018, the school installed 128 solar panels on its roof and incorporated a renewable energy curriculum for elementary students. In fact, Tucker Maxon was named one of the 100 Best Green Workplaces in Oregon in 2019. They provide services such as literacy and dyslexia support, the SMART program (Start Making a Reader Today), a school library, and one-on-one tutoring.

Their facilities include an elementary school building, preschool building, huge playground space, tree house classroom, full-size gym with a rock climbing wall, organic garden, fruit orchard, outdoor greenhouse, observational beehive, goats, and chickens. Tucker Maxon School is serious about science. Students hatch eggs in classrooms and release salmon fry into the Willamette River each year. They also learn to design items to print in our 3D printer.

Extended Care is offered both before and after school, and all grade levels enjoy frequent field trips. Elementary students do a month-long cultural study of a different country every year, culminating in a performance and celebration of the music, food, and art of that country. Students enjoy opportunities to perform at annual events like Annual Preschool Family Night, Spring Concert, Art Show, and Oregon Play, as well as Literacy Night and STEM Fair. Other school traditions include the Annual Halloween Harvest Festival, Thanksgiving Feast, and End of Year Picnic. With a strong focus on academic excellence and a wide-range of afterschool electives (ASL, Chess, Science, Sports, etc), Tucker Maxon gives its students a strong foundation to build on for future success.

This school has been teaching children to succeed and be happy for over 70 years. Founded in 1947, Tucker Maxon is a school “Where Every Child has a Voice.” Visit Tucker Maxon today and see why this is such a one-of-a-kind school!

“Tucker Maxon truly is Portland’s best kept secret. If parents knew about this school, they would send their children nowhere else.”

–Tricia Berry, former parent