We added Buckman Elementary School to our list of top elementary schools in Portland because it’s a close-knit community that has a lot of fun after-school programs. 

We think that these programs are important and supplemental to a child’s learning and social skills. This will also help them develop new interests and skills that they could use in the future. 

They offer after-school classes, community gatherings, craft classes, family dances, social support, and more. 

Sometimes they have art nights where students can make art that they can also sell. The supplies for these events are provided by the school. 

Moreover, they also have events that the students’ families can participate in such as Loteria nights, which is Mexican bingo. There are exciting prizes provided to the winners for these. 

We were curious about what the parents of the students here had to say, so we reached out to them. When we met up with them, we asked them what the school was like. 

Most parents said that their kid was able to develop artistic talents at Buckham because of its great art department. 

We believe this place is perfect, especially for those who are budding artists or those who have a great interest in it. This is because they emphasize the importance of art and their art programs. 

However, we also learned that the students here make less academic progress compared to those in other schools. 

The scores they get on tests are high, but if you compare it to the progress they had last year, it’s a touch lower. 

Still, we believe that students who love art would benefit greatly from this school especially if they want to pursue this passion in the future. 

When we had a chat with some of the parents with children enrolled in Woodstock Elementary School, we found out several aspects of how they provide education. 

They give out challenging homework, activities, and resources that help with developing a child’s academic skills. Some parents also told us that sometimes, these activities are personalized per student. 

They also mentioned that there are more additional activities here for students. Although challenging, it seems like it’s not discouraging. 

This is because some students develop a love for subjects they did poorly in before. 

Woodstock Elementary School also pushes the study of Mandarin, which we think is quite handy. 

They use half a day teaching in English and the other half teaching in Mandarin so students are more immersed in the language. 

This is because they have a sister school in China which is the Suzhou Experimental Primary School. 

Aside from their academics, they also have a counseling program which we think is important for every student to have access to. 

The counselors mostly focus on a student’s academic life, social/emotional concerns, and career goals. 

While there were a lot of promising things we learned about Woodstock Elementary School, there were a few parents who told us that this school might not be the best for students with learning disabilities. 

This is because they don’t support those students as much as the other schools. These students also have more tendencies to become more of an outcast. 

Since we think that students with learning disabilities should be provided with the right channels for growth and learning, we thought this was something parents should consider. 

We hope that Woodstock Elementary School provides more quality education to students with learning disabilities. 

Other than that, we think that this is perfect for students who want help in achieving more academic success. 

They also have several programs that students would find to be important in the future. 

We think that exposing students to a great STEM program early on will open up more opportunities for a brighter future. 

That’s why we think that one of the good things about Creston Elementary School is its focus on advanced STEM coursework. 

We found that the principal was also able to collect numerous grants that help fund the training of the teachers. This helps them be more adept at teaching what this school aims to do. 

When we collected the thoughts of the parents regarding this school, a lot of them mentioned that the teachers are dedicated. 

Although we think that this is a general thing to have with teachers, it seemed quite impressive for numerous parents to mention it. 

This is because even during the start of the pandemic, they still ensured that the students felt connected with how they were taught. 

They were able to adjust quite fairly, which we think is truly commendable. 

Additionally, the school also has an active PTA, which the parents also loved. This is because they also have several programs that help those parents in need. 

We think that this helps develop a community that is built on compassion and camaraderie, which students will also be inspired by. 

However, we think that it’s important to point out that students with disabilities might not be getting the support they need in this school. 

This is because there’s a huge gap between theirs and other students’ test scores. 

All in all, we think that Creston Elementary School is worthy of recommendation because of its impressive STEM program. 

One of the reasons why we added Woodmere Elementary School to our list of top elementary schools in Portland is because of the safer environment for students. 

The parents with kids enrolled in this school mentioned that they truly appreciate how their kids didn’t experience bullying here. 

It’s important to note that some who mentioned this have children with special needs. 

We think that bullying should be addressed in schools more because it should never be tolerated. Schools should consider this as a problem because it affects the learning opportunities and mental health of the students. 

Moreover, there are also a lot of students here from low-income families. 

We think that this is because the school supports them by providing them with opportunities to help them continue their experience of quality education.

We also found this to be quite diverse compared to other schools. 

We thought this was important to add so that students of different races will see diversity as more of a strength rather than a divider. 

Another thing we love about this school is how it helps promote the business owned by a member of the Woodmere community. The school helps by adding them to the directory, so that other members could see it.

While we think their strengths are promoting diversity and building safer spaces, we think that their teaching methods might need to be improved. 

This is because a fair number of the students here have performance gaps compared to some other schools. 

However, if your main objective is to provide a more nurturing environment for your child and you can afford supplementary tuition outside of school, we don’t see why you can’t consider this school. 

After interviewing some of the parents whose children were enrolled here, most of them mentioned that their kids were able to make great friends there. 

While a school’s academic prowess is important, we think it’s also important for kids to have a great social environment to thrive. 

The students enrolled are racially diverse, which we think every kid should be exposed to so they could learn about different cultures. 

Additionally, this could bring in a better sense of security for minorities when exposed to peers of the same race. 

We think this is one of the reasons why students here display great progress compared to their previous year. 

It’s safe to conclude that Mill Park Elementary School supports its students’ academic growth using different tools and methods. 

Moreover, we also found the school supportive of helping the students with their careers with their career center. 

Having this easily available for students is important because they should have additional support aside from their families when thinking about their future. 

While a lot of parents said positive things about Mill Park Elementary School, some weren’t quite as happy. 

They said that their child wasn’t being more academically challenged because they weren’t being given stimulating complementary activities. 

There were also a few who said that the teachers can be quite rude if you have any concerns or complaints. 

We thought these were important things to note before you consider this school.

However, if diversity and progress are your top concern, Mill Park Elementary School is highly recommended.