Athey Creek Middle School

My daughter is in her second year at ACMS, and she's grown to love it. And I agree. Her teachers are all experienced, well-knowledged people. However, the cliques at Athey are another thing entirely. Children are catty and rude, as well as entirely inappropriate, and the teachers and staff don't see it going on. As a child, I was picked on, and thank goodness that my daughter is much more popular than I was, but it's horrible, especially since when I listen to other people (Who do not attend ACMS) tell stories about what they've heard from it, I feel like my heart is breaking. Bullying needs to get cracked down on. Other then that, she's having fun, doing well, and has a bucketload of friends. What more could a parent want?
—Submitted by a parent

I am a student here and i really like it, it is very open and the teachers are very nice.
—Submitted by a student

I'm an 8th grader at athey, i love athey but i have to admit 6th grade was awfully stressful. The amount of work was unbelievable and the teachers didn't relate too well. But there are some beyond amazing teachers, and I've learned a lot, and I also feel like I'm well prepared for high school, 8th grade is great :)
—Submitted by a student

I am a former student at Athey Creek in the 7th grade, and I think it is a great school. The library and overall layout of the school is amazing! Although, I thought that 6th grade was a huge disappointment. The amount of homework was unbelievable, I could not keep up with it. In fact, I'm sure who could! It was beyond excessive. And the teachers really weren't that supportive. However, 7th grade so far is really fun. The 7th grade teachers are extremely helpful and nice and the amount of homework is just right. I'm not sure but i've heard 8th grade is harder with much more homework...this school confuses me a bit but overall its a nice school. I can definitely tolerate it.
—Submitted by a student

Athey has served me and my little brother well. We both enjoy school here. The teachers turn into friends quickley most the time, and the school has execelent school sports and clubs. I could have not asked for a better middle school
—Submitted by a student

This school apparently performs well on state testing, but in my experience, academic quality is actually disappointing. The testing that is done is 'adaptive' and children retake the test repeatedly if they get low scores, so it does not really show what they know. My son managed to pass the state tests but in reality understood very little, especially in math, and needed a lot of extra help at home to get through homework. The homework load is excessive in 6th grade and then drops to almost nothing in 7th grade, so it's hard for a parent to see what he is really learning. Although the staff and the principal are very open to communication about my children, curriculum decisions are made at district and state level and parents have little say.
—Submitted by a parent

We have been so happy with our daughter's educational and extracurricular experiences while at Athey Creek. The staff supports students, taking an interest in their lives, in and outside of the classroom. The arts and athletics programs are the best, thanks to the dedicated teachers in charge!
—Submitted by a parent

my son is in the aim program and he loves all his teachers and assistants. They make the class fun and educational! The other teachers- maintream are great too! Athey school rocks!
—Submitted by a parent

This school is amazing. I did extensive research on school districts before relocating to the Portland metro area and could not have asked for a better middle school environment for my daughters. The teachers are teamed up so they are aware of your student's needs and strengths. Classroom environment is encouraging, grades are posted on-line in a timely fashion, the students are safe, and they even like the cafeteria food!!
—Submitted by Jackie, a parent

We researched the schoold districts thoroughly when we decided to relocate to a better school district. Athey Creek came out high on our research and it hasn't let us down. High academic achievement, young enthusiastic staff, large parental involvement. Although we have seen a reduction in cirriculum provided, they still offer great drama, art, music, and foreign language departments. West Linn is a largely upper middle class with tremendous athletic programs offered outside the school system, including top notch clubs in volleyball, laCross, soccer, baseball, and football.
—Submitted by Mark, a parent