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Catlin Gabel School

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Coordinates: 45°30′35″N 122°46′03″W / 45.509819°N 122.767373°W / 45.509819; -122.767373
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Catlin Gabel School
Address
Map
8825 SW Barnes Road

Portland
,
Oregon
97225

United States
Coordinates45°30′35″N 122°46′03″W / 45.509819°N 122.767373°W / 45.509819; -122.767373
Information
TypeIndependent private
Opened1957
HeadTim Bazemore
GradesPreschool–12[1]
Enrollment760[2] (2014)
Student to teacher ratio6.3:1[2]
CampusSuburban, 67 acres (27 ha)
Color(s)Royal blue and white   [3]
Athletics conferenceOSAA Lewis & Clark League 3A-1[3]
MascotEagles[3]
RivalOregon Episcopal School
AccreditationNAAS[4]
NewspaperCatlinSpeak
Annual tuition$29,700 (preschool and kindergarten) to $37,025 (high school)[5][6]
Websitewww.catlin.edu

Upper School Walkway

The quad during a snowfall

The Catlin Gabel School (Catlin Gabel, Catlin, or CGS) is a private preschool–12 school located in West Haven-Sylvan[7][8] in Washington County, Oregon,[9] with a Portland, Oregon postal address.[8] Annual enrollment is approximately 780 students from across the Portland metro area.

History

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With roots that go back to 1859, the school was formed by the 1957 merger between the Catlin Hillside School (founded in 1911 as Miss Catlin's School, named after the founder Ruth Catlin) and the Gabel Country Day School (originating as the Portland Academy, named after founder Priscilla Gabel).[10] The school had initially hoped to expand onto the Gabel school property, but lost it to eminent domain. Since the Catlin property was too small to support the school, Catlin Gabel purchased the Honey Hollow Farm in 1958, relocating the Upper School there in the fall. Nine years later, the Middle School relocated there, followed by the Lower School a year later, in 1968. The school sold the Catlin Hillside buildings to the Portland Art Museum for its art school. The buildings were later converted to a community center for the Hillside neighborhood.[11]

Catlin Gabel received a $3.8 million bequest from Howard Vollum (co-founder of Tektronix) in the late 1980s, growing the non-profit school's endowment.[10][12] In 2005, the Malone Family Foundation endowed Catlin Gabel with a $2 million grant for financial aid under its Malone Scholars Program.[13]

Students

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As of the 2020–2021 school year, there were 780 students.[14] The student body is divided into three groups: Upper School (grades 9–12), Middle School (grades 6–8), and Beginning and Lower School (preschool–grade 5).[15]

Each year between 2017–20, a Catlin Gabel student was named a U.S. Presidential Scholar, a recognition given each year to 161 high school seniors nationally for their accomplishments.[16][17][18][19]

Accreditation

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Catlin Gabel is accredited by the Northwest Association of Independent Schools.[20]

Student competition activities

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Catlin Gabel has a long history of science research competition success. Over the years, many students have placed highly in competitions such as the Intel Science Talent Search, the Siemens Competition, the Davidson Fellows Scholarship, and the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair.[21][22][23] As of 2023, school review website Niche ranks Catlin Gabel as the number one overall private high school and number one best high school for STEM in the state of Oregon.[24]

Since 2005, Catlin Gabel has operated a team called "The Flaming Chickens". The team competed in the FIRST Robotics Competition and qualified for the FIRST Championships Competition almost every year since its inception.[25] In 2020, Tiffany Toh, a member of The Flaming Chickens, was named one of ten Dean's List winners at the FIRST Robotics World award ceremony out of more than 90,000 students.[26]

A team of five Catlin Gabel students won the 2019 BPA Regional Science Bowl out of 114 regional teams, a win that sent them to the Department of Energy National Science Bowl in Washington, D.C., later that same year.[27]

Catlin Gabel has been a successful participant in the Oregon Mock Trial competition, and has often gone to the national competition.[28]

Since the founding of its chess club, Catlin's Varsity Chess Team has taken 1st in the Oregon High School Chess Team Association Championships three years in a row.[29]

Athletics

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The Catlin Gabel Eagles are one of the most successful small-school athletic programs in Oregon, having claimed 79 state championships since 1974.[30] The Upper School competes in soccer, cross-country, basketball, baseball, track, golf, swimming, skiing, women's volleyball, and tennis. The school also offers a robust Middle School athletics program.

Catlin Gabel's traditional athletic rival is Oregon Episcopal School, which is also based in Portland.[31]

Catlin Gabel School competes as a member of the Lewis & Clark League,[32] which comprises public and private high schools in the Portland metropolitan area, and operates under the supervision of the Oregon Schools Activities Association (OSAA).[33] With around 300 students in grades 9–12, the school was classified by the OSAA for the 2022–23 school year as Class 3A school for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 146 to 310 students in that grade range.[34]

Boys Soccer

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Catlin Gabel Boys Soccer program have made 20 appearances in the state championship game and claimed a share of 14 state championships (1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 2002, 2004, 2010, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021), which are the 2nd most in Oregon high school state history.[35] In 2016, the boys soccer team was honored by The Oregonian as the 7th best sports team in the state for that calendar year, out-ranking the Oregon Ducks Men's Basketball team and the Portland Thorns professional soccer team.[36]

Girls Soccer

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Girls Soccer is the most successful athletic program at Catlin Gabel. The Eagles girls soccer team became the state's winningest girls soccer program after claiming their 16th state championship in 2023. (1992, '94, '95, '96, '97, '98, '99, 2000, '01, '02, '03, '04, '10, '19, '21)[37]

In total, the Eagles have appeared in 22 girls soccer state tournament finals. Girls soccer also won the unofficial 3A title during the COVID-shortened season in 2021, when the OSAA decided not to sponsor state tournaments but athletic directors in different sports organized a series of season-ended culminating events across classifications.

Cross Country

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Catlin Gabel's cross country boys & girls cross-country programs have combined for 10 Oregon state championships, with Girls cross-country team having the distinction of winning the school's first state championship in any sport in 1974. Since then the girls team has claimed 7 more championships (2018, 2016, 2010, 2006, 2005, 2004, 1975), while boys cross country won 3A/2A/1A state titles in 2006 & 2014.

Tennis

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Both of the school's tennis programs last won state titles in 2022. The Boys Tennis team has claimed 13 state championships (1985, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2010, 2022) and have been state runner-up 9 times. The Girls Tennis team has won 6 state titles (1980, 2002, 2003, 2015, 2016, 2022) and have been state finalists 8 times (1996, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2019)[38]

Hedy Jackson, the Boys Head Varsity Tennis coach, is the only coach in Oregon state history to lead both boys and girls programs to state championships, doing so in 2002 and 2003 while coaching both teams concurrently. Jackson has the most state titles of any Oregon head coach in any OSAA sanctioned sport, with 14 in total (12 boys, 2 girls).[39] In 2022, Girls varsity tennis head coach Ron Bronson became the first African-American head coach to lead a high school tennis team to a state championship title in any classification in Oregon.

Catlin Gabel's indoor tennis courts, the first west of the Rocky Mountains, were built in partnership with local tennis enthusiasts in 1960 as a combination indoor court/gymnasium. A second court was added in 1966, and both are still in active use.

Track & Field

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Track & Field squads have combined for 10 state championships (7 girls, 3 boys) with the boys winning their most recent 3A championship in 2022, the last girls state title came in 2010.

Swimming

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The varsity swim teams began in 2013, despite Catlin Gabel's lack of a natatorium. Boys swimming has won three 4A/3A/2A/1A state titles, winning their first in 2015 with just four swimmers.[40] Girls swimming claimed their first-ever state championship in 2023.[41]

Sustainability

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All grades include an aspect of environmental and social sustainability. Grades one through five student projects include a worm farm and seedling starts for the campus garden. Middle school students research studies on topics including obesity, agribusiness, the global food supply-chain and the carbon footprint of food. The Upper School's PLACE Program (Planning and Leadership Across City Environments) uses urban planning to study sustainability.[42]

Since 2007, the school has instituted food services programs such as switching to washable dinnerware in the cafeteria and sourcing food from local farms within a 150 mile radius.[42] Within one year, the school reduced its landfill contributions by 32.49 tons, and in 2016, after realizing that their recycled plastic was making its way to landfills, two students convinced the school to stop selling bottled water.[43] In 2020, students and community partners removed 25 truckloads of invasive species from 2.5 acres of school property and planted over 2,000 native shrubs and trees.[44]

School traditions

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Some of the early traditions at Catlin Gabel included the beginning-of-the-year "Bacon Bat" picnic. Bacon Bat is an event involving games, competitions and a cookout with the intention of building school spirit.[45]

The first "Clean-Up Day" took place in 1937, and the school has continued that tradition since. Though the name of this tradition has been renamed to Campus Day, the central idea of taking care of the school's campus is still at the heart of it.[citation needed]

Additionally, in 1931 students first performed the play St. George and the Dragon, a tradition which continues to take place today.[46]

One of the most common[clarification needed] traditions has been the recitation of the School Chapter, a tradition dating back to 1935 for ninth graders to memorize I Corinthians 13 in their English classes.[47]

The school's annual Rummage Sale began during World War II and ran for 65 years, with the first event raising over $8,000. The event grew so large it was eventually moved to the Portland Expo Center. The last event was held in 2009.[10][48][45]

Faculty sexual assault and misconduct allegations

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Beginning in 2017, several former students began writing about sexual abuse by faculty on social media. Coinciding with the Me Too movement, the number of accounts increased, prompting the school to commission an investigation in October 2019.[49]

The investigation issued a report on November 11, 2019. It found that at least 21 Catlin Gabel faculty had taken advantage of their positions at the school in committing various degrees of sexual impropriety. This ranged from the rape of a 6th grade student to generally inappropriate behavior and relationships between faculty and students that went back as early as the 1960s and was recorded occurring as recently as 2016.[50] In December 2019, the Washington County Sheriff's Department opened a criminal investigation of the school.[51] In January 2020, The Oregonian documented allegations by over 15 former students from age 21 to 61.[49] Six more former students sued the school in April 2020 saying they were fondled, groped, and sexually abused by former teachers Richardson Shoemaker, Robert Ashe, Art Leo and Sam Crawley.[52] A total of 16 former students have filed suit against Catlin Gabel.[53]

Notable alumni

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References

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  1. ^ "Oregon School Directory 2008-09" (PDF). Oregon Department of Education. p. 139. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 26, 2011. Retrieved May 28, 2009.
  2. ^ a b "Catlin Gabel School". National Center for Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences. Archived from the original on December 24, 2014. Retrieved December 24, 2014.
  3. ^ a b c "Catlin Gabel". www.OSAA.org. Retrieved November 18, 2017.
  4. ^ http://www.northwestaccreditation.org/schools/Oregon.pdf[permanent dead link‍]
  5. ^ "Tuition and Financial Assistance". Catlin Gabel. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
  6. ^ Crombie, Noelle (March 11, 2021). "No charges in Catlin Gabel sex abuse scandal, Washington County DA concludes". The Oregonian.
  7. ^ "2020 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP: West Haven-Sylvan CDP, OR" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved March 24, 2024. - Compare to addresses and school attendance boundary maps.
  8. ^ a b "Home". Catlin Gabel School. Retrieved March 24, 2024. 8825 SW Barnes Road Portland, Oregon 97225, USA - Despite the "Portland, Oregon" address, it is not in the City of Portland. The City of Houston stated: "The U.S. Postal Service establishes ZIP codes and mailing addresses in order to maximize the efficiency of their system, not to recognize jurisdictional boundaries."
  9. ^ Manning, Jeff (August 12, 2022). "Catlin Gabel, facing new questions about school abuse case, seeks to block document release". The Oregonian/OregonLive. Retrieved September 11, 2023. [...]inside the Washington County private school[...]
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Kaye, Ted (January 24, 2023). "Catlin Gabel School". The Oregon Encyclopedia.
  11. ^ "Hillside Community Center". The City of Portland. Retrieved January 9, 2018.
  12. ^ "Catlin Gabel School". Charity Navigator. 2021. Archived from the original on April 30, 2021. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
  13. ^ "Malone Scholars Program". Malone Family Foundation. Archived from the original on August 19, 2022. Retrieved July 23, 2017.
  14. ^ "About Catlin Gabel". Catlin Gabel School. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
  15. ^ "Beginning and Lower School". Catlin Gabel School. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  16. ^ "161 Students From Across the Country Named 2017 U.S. Presidential Scholars". U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  17. ^ "161 Students From Across the Country Named 2018 U.S. Presidential Scholars". U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  18. ^ "161 Students from Across the Country Named 2019 U.S. Presidential Scholars". U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  19. ^ "U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos Names 161 Students as 2020 U.S. Presidential Scholars". U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  20. ^ "Catlin Gabel". Northwest Association of Independent Schools. Archived from the original on September 14, 2015. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
  21. ^ Navas, Melissa (March 17, 2010). "Catlin Gabel School student finishes in top 10 of Intel Science Talent Search competition". The Oregonian/OregonLive. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
  22. ^ "The Oregonian 2015 Academic Achievers: Valerie Ding". The Oregonian/OregonLive. 2015. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  23. ^ "Intel ISEF 2010 Grand Awards Ceremony" (PDF) (Press release). San Jose, California: International Science and Engineering Fair. May 14, 2010. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  24. ^ "2024 Catlin Gabel School Rankings". Niche. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
  25. ^ "About Us". Team 1540 | The Flaming Chickens. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
  26. ^ "Dean's List Winners". FIRST. August 1, 2023. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
  27. ^ Sparling, Zane (February 24, 2019). "Catlin Gabel topples Westview at Regional Science Bowl". Portland Tribune. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
  28. ^ Allyn, Bobby (March 12, 2011). "Catlin Gabel School takes state mock trial title for second year; not all participants have attorney ambitions". The Oregonian/OregonLive. Retrieved February 16, 2015.
  29. ^ "Two Oregon students named Presidential Scholars". The Oregonian/OregonLive. May 22, 2019. Retrieved March 20, 2021. [Seth Talyansky] co-founded Catlin Gabel's Chess Club and served as co-captain of the school's Varsity Chess Team, which won the Oregon High School State Team Chess Championship for the past three years.
  30. ^ "OSAA Records of Champions". Oregon School Activities Association. February 24, 2023.
  31. ^ Suzuki, Toshio (November 22, 2009). "OES edges rival Catlin Gabel for fourth title in five seasons". The Oregonian/OregonLive. Retrieved November 18, 2017.
  32. ^ Catlin Gabel School, Oregon School Activities Association. Accessed February 25, 2023.
  33. ^ OSAA Full Member Schools, Oregon School Activities Association. Accessed February 25, 2023.
  34. ^ OSAA School Classifications and Districts, Oregon School Activities Association. Accessed February 24, 2023.
  35. ^ OSAA Boys Soccer State Championship Game Summary, Oregon School Activities Association. Accessed February 25, 2023.
  36. ^ Sheldon, Corey (January 30, 2017). "A countdown of the 16 best Oregon sports teams of 2016". The Oregonian/OregonLive. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
  37. ^ OSAA Girls Soccer State Championship Game Summary, Oregon School Activities Association. Accessed February 25, 2023.
  38. ^ Arnold, Geoffrey C. (May 22, 2022). "Catlin Gabel sweeps Class 4A/3A/2A/1A tennis team titles". The Oregonian/OregonLive. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  39. ^ "OSAA Archives". OSAA. 2024.
  40. ^ Tawa, John (December 25, 2020). "Fledgling swim team makes waves with state titles, camaraderie". OSAAtoday. Oregon School Activities Association. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  41. ^ Streng, Nick (February 20, 2023). "Catlin Gabel sweeps boys and girls swimming titles at 4A/3A/2A/1A state championships". The Oregonian/OregonLive. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  42. ^ a b Shawn, Eric; Zaninovich, George (May 9, 2010). "Caitlin Gabel Food –– a focus on food". The Journal of Sustainability Education.
  43. ^ Marmion, Natali (June 1, 2016). "Kids doing good stuff: Banning the bottles at school to help the environment". KATU.
  44. ^ Mace, Erik (March 12, 2020). "Catlin Gabel Habitat Restoration". Neighbors For Smart Growth. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
  45. ^ a b Koranne, Advay (March 9, 2020). "A brief history of Catlin Gabel School and its traditions". CatlinSpeak. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
  46. ^ "Performances". Catlin Gabel School. Archived from the original on September 18, 2020. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
  47. ^ Holliday, Annika (December 9, 2019). "Reflections on the School Chapter's relevance today as an evolving tradition". CatlinSpeak. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
  48. ^ Effinger, Anthony (November 28, 2020). "Tektronix Planted the Silicon Forest. Tami Newcombe Plans to Keep the Trees Growing". Willamette Week. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
  49. ^ a b Manning, Jeff (January 11, 2020). "Catlin Gabel's dirty secret: Former students go public for first time about private school's dark side". The Oregonian/OregonLive. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
  50. ^ "Summary Of Key Factual Findings From Investigation Of sexual Misconduct At Catlin Gabel School" (PDF). Catlin Gabel School. December 11, 2019. Retrieved December 11, 2019.
  51. ^ Manning, Jeff (December 20, 2019). "Catlin Gabel sex abuse scandal escalates as sheriff's office opens criminal investigation". The Oregonian/OregonLive. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
  52. ^ Manning, Jeff (April 29, 2020). "Six more former Catlin Gabel students claim they were sexually abused by their teachers". The Oregonian/OregonLive. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
  53. ^ "6 more ex-Catlin Gabel students claim sex abuse by teachers". Associated Press. April 29, 2020. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
  54. ^ "Portland Rites Of Interest". Statesman Journal. Salem, Oregon. August 9, 1945. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
  55. ^ "Distinguished Alumni Awards". Catlin Gabel School. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
  56. ^ "Advice to the Class of 2018". Catlin Gabel School. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
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