Ocean Avenue Elementary School
About the School
School Mission: At Ocean Avenue Elementary School, a rigorous, inquiry-based curriculum helps our children develop into independent and creative thinkers, persistent learners, and internationally-minded citizens who are prepared to act with compassion and insight in a globalized society.
Ocean Avenue Elementary School serves 345 students in grades K-5 in the Portland Public Schools. It is one of 7 elementary schools in the Portland School District.
Ocean Avenue School believes that students should be knowledgeable, principled, and courageous young people who promote a healthy and more peaceful world. The building is LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified, with sustainable design features such as ample natural light, a roof garden for natural cooling, and wind-and-sun-powered outdoor sculptures.
About the School:
Ocean Avenue Elementary School serves 345 students in grades K-5 in the Portland School District. The student population is 61% White, 24% Black, 8% Hispanic, 6% Multiracial, and 2% Asian, including 44% receiving free or reduced lunch. No information is available about the percentage of ELL students, but 12 languages are spoken by students at this school.
Key Takeaways
Ocean Avenue is an IB (International Baccalaureate) elementary school. The IB program focuses on inquiry-based, transdisciplinary, and student-centered learning. The program stresses appreciation for different cultures and languages, which is referred to as “internationalmindedness,”
Students study the same six overarching principles at each grade level by completing six-week units on each of the following:
Who we are.
Where we are in place and time.
How we express ourselves.
How the world works.
How we organize ourselves.
Sharing the planet.
The intentional placement of signage was very thoughtful and intentional, from a chart in the main hallway showing what each grade level was studying to the multiplication facts on the stairs. The building was also well-designed, with hydroponics, composting, dimmable lights, and calming paint colors.
Community meetings are held regularly in the gym, and focus on specific aspects of school culture while also celebrating other cultures.
There was a focus on outdoor education, student inquiry, and the multicultural community.
Detailed Summary
The school follows the IB (International Baccalaureate) model, which is an inquiry-based, transdisciplinary, and student-centered program. The IB program incorporates transdisciplinary themes so that students can see the connections between subjects.
Students in all grades focused on the same overarching questions, with content fitting into these major themes. Students in each grade completed six concept-based units of inquiry, based on the following themes:
Who we are.
Where we are in place and time.
How we express ourselves.
How the world works.
How we organize ourselves.
Sharing the planet.
School-wide vocabulary was prioritized - common language and themes were used throughout the school.
The IB program also focuses on “Internationalmindedness”, meaning learning other languages and becoming aware of other cultures. It requires students to learn another language starting at age 7. All students at this school learned Spanish. Students were also encouraged to share their native languages and cultures.
The signage and decoration in the school was very intentional. For example, multiplication facts were on the staircases and there was a hand-painted banner reading, “You are loved.” Teachers really thought about what they wanted to put on their walls. Hallways were decorated by theme (mountain, forest, ocean), paint colors were soothing, and the lights were all dimmable.The building was designed to be energy efficient and collaborative.
In the front hallway, there was a chart of the essential questions, showing how each grade would cover that essential question, which unit they were currently working on, and which ones they had finished. It was really helpful and concise, but it also wasn’t on the teacher’s plate - it was done by the IB coordinator.
The IB coordinator had a great sense of what teachers were doing and where they were. It seems like there are lots of discussions about curriculum so that everyone is aware of what others are doing.
Teachers at the school are proud of the work they’ve done. “They’ve never worked so hard but they’ve never felt so proud.”
When Ocean Avenue made the decision to become an IB school, it was voted on by the staff and community after looking at several models. Staff members were asked to try it for a year, and after a year, every staff member stayed.
The school has two hours of dedicated PD time every Wednesday
There is a strong focus on community - community meetings are held regularly in the gym, with efforts to bring other cultures into these meetings. There is a deep sense of appreciation for other cultures among staff and students.
Students in grade 5 do an exhibition, where they explore a topic of interest to them and complete a long-term culminating project. Students are assigned to “advisors” (other staff members) according to their areas of interest.
A lot of planning and restructuring went into planning units based on guiding questions and figuring out how to include the content within these six-week units.
There was a very intentional effort to connect to the local environment and community. They had a 0.5 outdoor teacher position, and each grade went outdoors regularly to work on projects.
Student choice and student voice were evident. For example, there was a music class where students created their own rhythms; a poetry wall where students created as many poems as possible. The excitement that students showed in filling this wall was palpable.
Lunch began with five minutes of quiet time, where students did not talk to each other. After that, students were allowed to talk. Composting was part of the cleanup routine. Second lunches were offered if students were still hungry.
Environmental awareness and social activism were major themes throughout the school through the outdoor education program, studying the local Native American history, and projects such as the fifth grade’s Action for Change.
The rooms were filled with comfortable chairs and flexible seating, making it a comfortable place to learn.