School facts: Astor

5601 N YALE
Portland, OR 97203

View a map of the surrounding area

Phone: 503-916-6244
Fax: 503-916-2605
E-mail: jwalden@pps.k12.or.us

School-created web pages: http://www.astor.pps.k12.or.us

Grade levels: K-8
Principal: John Walden

Programs vary from year to year. This year, we will continue Chess For Success, as well as the boys\' and girls\' volleyball and basketball teams.

The Vermont Hills Family Life Center will be holding before and after school daycare.

Our community partners include SMART, NikeGo, Chess For Success, Junior League and Peninsula Child Center.

Early intervention and prevention are emphasized at Astor Elementary, where everyone is a partner in helping students succeed.
To maintain low class sizes, especially in the primary grades, our staff allocation is focused on the classroom.
Conflict Manager program provides training for students to learn conflict resolution skills and to help resolve difficulties with peers.
A reading partners program encourages students at different grade levels to work together and build skills.
Classroom computers, the Internet and a computer lab allow students to research, write and learn using instructional technology.
A holistic approach to learning focuses on the entire child, including family concerns and nutritional, social and medical needs. A variety of teaching methods target students with different learning styles.

Visual math, a concept-based, hands-on, problem-solving approach to learning, helps students develop thinking skills.
Reading Recovery addresses the needs of first-grade developing readers in an intensive, early intervention approach.
Astor\'s whole language focus uses a unit/thematic approach to reading and writing across the curriculum.

Students\' different learning needs are met through the use of various teaching styles.
14 classroom teachers, 1 Learning Center (Pull-out Special Education) teacher, 1 Life Skills classroom teacher, 1 half-time ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher, 4
educational assistants, 1 part-time bilingual ESL educational assistant (Spanish speaking).

Families offer support through the PTA and Astor Site Council.
Fundraisers are conducted by the PTA to support the school and student activities.
Helping Hands is a PTA task force that meets weekly to do \"make it\" kinds of tasks for teachers.
Family involvement helps students succeed and is strongly encouraged.
Family members help coordinate school activities and assist with health screenings, volunteer in classrooms and the library and accompany students on field trips.

Title I provides additional help for students who need extra support in building skills; also includes a parent education component.
SMART (Start Making A Reader Today) brings volunteers from local businesses and the community to Astor.
Reading Recovery is available to Astor\'s first grade students to provide intensive one-on-one instruction in reading.
School staff members work to provide instructional opportunities for TAG (Talented and Gifted) students as individuals, with age peers and intellectual peers.
The Learning Center provides support and remedial services to students identified as learning disabled.
This will be the first year in our transformation to a K�8 school as we add sixth grade to our program.

Enrollment statistics
Updated in the late fall of each year

Report cards and AYP Scores
Oregon Department of Education school report cards