Chehalem Elementary School

The teachers have way too many days off. There are really only 8 months of school now. A lot of the work comes home unfinished and at the end of the year. Hopefully parents have time to help their kids finish......
—Submitted by a parent

I attended this school from 1999-2004, and I had a blast. Teachers I had were awesome, until I got a new music teacher my final year.

I have had the pleasure of having two children attend this school. Imho the teachers, office staff and janitors make the school. This years principal needs Donald Trump on the board...To say....:You're fired!! unprofessional, does the old do as i say not as i do. I really am thrlled we are transfering next year because she is driving this school furter into the abyss. I applaud the staff that is wonderful and concerned about he pupils. I dont think the principal even remembers her own name!!
—Submitted by a parent

If it wasn't for my child's teacher, I would have transferred him in October. The principal is incredibly unprofessional and does not follow district guidelines. Most of the staff is really lacking in people skills. We are looking for other alternatives for next year.
—Submitted by a parent

I see that no one has posted anything about Chehalem for a year. Beaverton School District faced a HUGE budget deficit for this school year and all schools were victim to cuts in budget. That being said, Chehalem has made huge efforts to keep that from effecting the students and classrooms. My son just started Kindergarten last month and I was very concerned because he is so much more advanced than the rest of his class. His teacher, Mrs. Rosenquist, deserves so much respect and appreciation for the work that she does in her classroom. She has made (and is making) a special curriculum for my son to keep him challenged and thriving. I have found that all of the teachers and staff really care and take pride in their school. The new Principal has some great goals for the year. We are very excited.
—Submitted by a parent

Well I think Chehalem is full of fakes who pretend to care.Except some teachers.They make promises they don't keep.That is what i have seen for the last 2 years.I fell the parents who work there don't give new parents any chance.I guess we all feel different.
—Submitted by a parent

We chose to support this school this year as our annual giving project. We found the staff uniformly to be involved, knowledgeable and caring. The school is clean, open, and friendly. And the library is exceptional. The children all seemed to be quite happy and enthasiastic about being in school. I would not hesitate to send my grandchildren to this school.

This is a nice school. Some teachers could improve.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter has been going to Chehalem since last fall. My stepsons used to go there from 2002-2004. This school had made extra effort to make sure class sizes are low (around 18) when other schools in the area are getting overcrowded. I think Chehalem gets a bad reputation because it has high student turnover due to many apartments in the area, and has lower test scores because of the non-English speaking student population. I think that in spite of that, Chehalem has produced well taught children with tolerance for others and our community. I would recommend Chehalem Elementary for anyone that would like their children going to a school that has a lot of parent involvement in the classroom.
—Submitted by a parent

I've have had 2 children atChehalem .. Principals.Mrs Boohr..Mr Don Martin. Both were very visual in the school .eg: Caffeteria,.Playground ,Hallways and classrooms.It is not in my personality to say. I find our new Principal 'not open door 'What I thought was for for all students and parents , for his office to be approachable and available.I find it the opposite. A dissapointed parent Geraldine Keele
—Submitted by a parent

My son attended kindergarten at Chehalem in the 2004-05 schoolyear and will be going there for first gradethis year. The school is safe, with many adults (teachers, aides, parent volunteers, office staff and administration) visible and interacting with students all the time. My son's teacher was outstanding. The teachers we met were all warm, but firm, and they really meet the children where they are and move them forward. My daughter will start kindergarten at Chehalem in autumn 2006 and we are thrilled. Though we had very positive experiences with the previous principal, we have already met the new principal and are delighted with his plans for the school and leadership style.
—Submitted by a parent

Chehalem Elementary is staffed with caring and professional educators. Like many other public elementary schools in Oregon, Chehalem faces many challenges that at times are difficult to overcome even by the most highly qualified teacher, specialist or administrator (i.e.: class size, children from poverty). In order to ensure student success a parent must become engaged in the education process and communicate weekly or as often as possible with those staff members that influence their child. Parents know their children best and can be of grate support to the staff by sharing information about their child as well as by making sure that time is spent on homework and reading on a daily basis. Chehalem s academic programs are strong and they focus on quality teaching and learning. However, children will have a much higher rate of academic success when parents become engaged in their education program.
—Submitted by a parent

As with all elementary schools, there are quality teachers, and then there are less than quality teachers. At Chehalem, a parent is subjected to some teachers who are more concerned at median level teaching and not to the individual growth of each child. As parents, we have experienced our child start out as accelerated and digress to average or below due to the lack of teaching skills, teacher organizational skills, and teacher communication skills. Overcrowding of classrooms is certainly a concern, but only the best teachers are able to create an adequate learning environment for the children. The office staff is exceptional and very helpful. The library is wonderful and packed with books. The principal is very visible and available, but doesn't handle parent complaints well. The school is clean and posted with many pieces of children's artwork.
—Submitted by a parent

I totally disagree with the previous review and i hope that other parents don't base their opinions on the experiance of this parent. I have had two children attend their entire elementary education in the past 5 years. The teachers are excellent with the children, attending to their needs and making sure that each child has a chance to grow individually. The principal as well as the administrative staff is caring and quickly addresses issues about safety and quality of education. The school has provided my child with new computers, a book club, and community activities to enhance her learning. Last year, our children were even able to perform a musical, complete with lighting, wardrobe, soundsystem...And all children, including special needs children were included. It really showed me that chehalem and its faculty are the picture of successful education, community leadership and family involvement. Please support the educators there.
—Submitted by a parent

This school is not a good place for a child that has physical needs. The staff doesn't know how to handle the needs of a disable child. They have very poor communication with parents, they take what a 5yr old says and act on it as if it was a fact. This school is only about money and what make their day easier. I had to take my child out of their school mid year to get her to a school that can accomidate her needs. This school is a headach and has made us do the run around to many time then i care to count. I also will be calling the school board on this.
—Submitted by a parent