Portland Oregon

Portland is big on livability, big on visit-ability, and is very accessible.

Maybe you’ve heard that the city of Portland, Oregon, has been proclaimed as North America’s “Best Big City,” according to Money magazine. One visit will explain why. Come take a first-hand look at the region’s natural beauty, its bustling local scene, our seasonally focused dining and our welcoming accommodations – much of which can be accessed via the region’s convenient and eco-friendly light-rail system. You’ll soon understand why so many visitors flock here year-round.

Lincoln High School

Lincoln High School, known as Lincoln, is a public high school located in the Goose Hollow neighborhood of Portland, Oregon, United States.

With an initial enrollment of 45 students, the school was established in 1869, making it one of the two oldest public high schools west of the Mississippi River (the other is San Francisco’s Lowell High).^[4] It was originally named Portland High School; the name was changed to Lincoln High School in 1908. The school once occupied the five-story building now housing Portland State University’s Lincoln Hall.^[5]

In 2006, the school was one of seven in Oregon ranked among America’s 1,200 best high schools (based on Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or Cambridge test scores) by Newsweek.^[6] In 2008, Lincoln was voted 2nd out of all 261 of the public high schools in all of the state of Oregon, having the School of Science and Technology from the Beaverton School District in 1st place.^[7]

Lincoln is a part of the International Baccalaureate (IB) program, and has averaged roughly 38 successful IB diploma candidates over each of the past three years from 2009.^[8]

St. Mary’s High School

St. Mary’s Academy is Oregon’s oldest continuously-operating secondary school. A nationally recognized school of excellence, St. Mary’s is an established Catholic all-girls college preparatory high school that readies students for the future. We invite you to review our Profile of Distinction.

With a 150-year tradition of educating young women, St. Mary’s continues to serve a diverse school community and offer a challenging academic program which fosters the development of the whole person. St. Mary’s is large enough to provide a wide variety of experiences yet small enough to focus on the individual needs of each and every student.

In a nurturing and supportive environment, the faculty and staff challenge students to exceed their potential and provide them with skills, strength, and resources to meet those challenges.

St. Mary’s twelve pioneer Holy Names Sisters’ vision for the future, determination, and spirit of sacrifice made it possible for St. Mary’s to shape the lives of more than 10,000 young women since 1859.

Harvard Graduate School of Education research found young women attending an all-female high school exhibit greater educational and personal gains than in co-educational schools.

St. Mary’s provides a solid spiritual foundation through its four-year religion curriculum, campus ministry program, retreats, and service opportunities. The curriculum provides students with an understanding of human development, Catholic Christian theology, world religions, ethics, and social justice.

The Campus Ministry Department sponsors activities that nurture spiritual growth and development. Students are encouraged to actively participate in all-school masses and weekly liturgies. Staffed by St. Mary’s faculty and alumnae, the Junior Encounter and Senior Metanoia focus on improving relationships between self, others, and God. These spiritual retreats provide a time for reflection and valuable insight for making life decisions.

The St. Mary’s family of students, parents, faculty, and staff work together to give time, talent, and service to the greater Portland community. Programs such as Hands Full of Heart, Holiday Food Baskets, tutoring at St. Andrews Nativity School, serving the homeless at St. Francis Dining Hall, and elderly outreach with Friends Across Generations exemplify St. Mary’s call to service.

St. Mary’s – unlike other private schools – does not require its students to take part in community service projects. By making service voluntary, St. Mary’s encourages students to see service as part of their lives not as an obligation to receive their diplomas.

Designed to meet the needs of young women in today’s challenging and diverse world, St. Mary’s offers a variety of opportunities to explore and give back to the community.

St. Mary’s is an environment rich in values and grounded in the Catholic tradition where each young woman can develop her individual potential. The liberal arts curriculum is designed to provide a comprehensive and world-centered academic program focused on preparing students for higher education.

St. Mary’s urban setting in downtown Portland enhances the school’s curriculum with unique access to enriching educational and cultural opportunities. Situated within a few blocks of Portland State University, Portland Art Museum, Oregon History Center, Multnomah County Central Branch Library, and the Portland Center for the Performing Arts, St. Mary’s draws upon a wealth of resources which complement the classroom experience.

Students at St. Mary’s discover that education is the result of study, hands-on experience, and a personal desire to seek out knowledge and new challenges.

With a faculty dedicated to each individual student, teacher advisors follow academic progress and social development throughout each student’s education at St. Mary’s.

Honored three times with the U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon Schools Program award, St. Mary’s represents the highest standards of teaching, curriculum, student activities, and service in the nation.

St. Mary’s Academy views athletics as an extension of the classroom where students learn the values of hard work, determination, and cooperation, while developing their talents as athletes. As a member of the Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA), St. Mary’s competes in nine 6A level sports – cross country, soccer, volleyball, basketball, swimming, golf, tennis, and track & field – in the Mt. Hood Conference. St. Mary’s Blues teams also compete in four club sports – alpine and nordic skiing, lacrosse, and dragon boat racing.

Many of the state’s finest female athletes developed their skills while at St. Mary’s. The all-female environment allows girls to thrive in the spirit of competition. Many former St. Mary’s student-athletes are now coaches and share the pride, inspiration, and commitment to the winning history of the school.

St. Mary’s Academy has won 15 OSAA state championships in five different sports. In addition, the Blues have won four academic state titles, twice winning the OSAA POWERADE Scholar Athlete Award for having the highest percentage of graduating seniors earning a 3.50 cumulative G.P.A. and a varsity letter in a 6A OSAA sanctioned sport. At the conference level, St. Mary’s teams have earned 53 titles, 41 as members of the Metro League and twelve in the Mt. Hood Conference.

At St. Mary’s teamwork, leadership, personal growth, and social opportunities are encouraged both on and off the playing fields.

Lakeridge High School – Lake Oswego, OR

Lakeridge High School, located in Lake Oswego, Oregon, serves grades 9-12 in the Lake Oswego School District 7j. It is among the few public high schools in Oregon to receive a distinguished GreatSchools Rating of 10 out of 10. 

This school has an average Parent Rating of 4 out of 5 stars, based on reviews from 22 parents.

City-data.com school rating (using weighted 2007 test average as compared to other schools in Oregon) from 0 (worst) to 100 (best) is 100. Read more: http://www.city-data.com/school/lakeridge-high-school-or.html#ixzz0a1I1zVQb

Pioneer Courthouse Square

The block was originally bought in 1849 by Elijah Hill, a shoemaker. He paid $24 and a pair of boots. Later the Portland School Board purchased the site and opened Central School in 1858 and was Portland’s first real schoolhouse. It was moved to an adjoining street in 1883 to make way for the Portland Hotel which occupied the site from 1890-1951. The elegant hotel was torn down and for the next 30 years the site was a parking lot. In 1979, the City acquired the block from Meier & Frank Company who donated $500,000 toward creating an open space. In 1980, a national design competition was held to select a design team. The winning team was led by Portland architect Will Martin, who died in a plane crash not long after the square was dedicated. Located across from its namesake, the historic Pioneer Courthouse, Pioneer Courthouse Square officially opened April 6, 1984, sharing Portland’s birthday 133 years before.The Square’s features include the Waterfall Fountain, built of granite; sixteen columns with classical pillars topped with carved yellow roses on which crawl pink-and-green spotted bugs; and two brick amphitheaters which provide seats for events. Other pieces of artwork include Tom Hardy’s sculpture of three racing horses and J. Seward Johnson’s Allow Me, a bronze statue of a man holding an umbrella. A signpost lets visitors know how far they would have to travel and in which direction to reach sights such as Walden Pond or Moscow’s Red Square. And every noon, the Weather Machine performs, forecasting upcoming weather by displaying one of three metal figures amid a show of mist and flashing lights. Helia, a golden sun, indicates a clear, sunny day; Blue Heron predicts mist, drizzle, and changeable weather; and fierce, open-mouthed Dragon forecasts storms. This whimsical machine also tells the temperature.

Visit the Pioneer Courthouse Square website at www.pioneercourthousesquare.org.

Eastbank Esplanade

The Eastbank Esplanade has been an important part of the long-term vision for downtown Portland. Early city planners included the park in the 1988 Central City Plan. At the direction of City Council in 1993, work began on developing a master plan to guide the design and construction of the Eastbank Esplanade. The City formed a citizen Eastbank Riverfront Project Advisory Committee (PAC) to provide project oversight to City staff. The PAC included members of adjacent neighborhoods, the Central Eastside Industrial
Council, landowners, river and environmental enthusiasts, and long-time parks activists. Hargreaves Associates, landscape architects based in San Francisco, was selected as the lead consultant.

Completed in January 1994, the Eastbank Master Plan described an esplanade with docks, piers, overlooks, a plaza for festivals and gatherings, floating walkways, fountains, public art, and connections to the neighborhoods and Portland’s bridges. The Esplanade would connect the east and west sides of the Central City around its central feature – the Willamette River. Construction of the Esplanade began in October 1998 and was completed in May 2001.

The Esplanade was named after Mayor Vera Katz in November 2004 to honor her vision and leadership for Portland – which included support for the construction of the esplanade. A bronze sculpture of the mayor by Bill Bane was installed on the plaza at the south end of the esplanade in June 2006.

Pittock Mansion

Once the private home of Henry Louis Pittock, founder of The Oregonian newspaper, this 22-room house was built in 1914. The mansion sits 1,000 feet above sea level and commands a view of five mountains in the Cascade Range. It is an outstanding architectural achievement, combining fine plasterwork, cut and polished marbles, cast bronze, and superbly crafted hardwoods and paneling. The house is completely furnished with antique furniture and objets d’art appropriate to its 17th, 18th, and 19th century French and English designs. Website