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Oregon Episcopal School

Coordinates: 45°28′27″N 122°45′22″W / 45.47417°N 122.75611°W / 45.47417; -122.75611
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(Redirected from St. Helen’s Hall)
Oregon Episcopal School
Address
Map
6300 SW Nicol Road

Portland
,
Washington County
,
Oregon
97223

United States
Coordinates45°28′27″N 122°45′22″W / 45.47417°N 122.75611°W / 45.47417; -122.75611
Information
TypePrivate, Boarding
Religious affiliation(s)Episcopalian
Opened1869 (as St. Helens Hall)
CEEB code380915
PrincipalDavid Lowell
Head of Lower School[5]
PrincipalAnn Sulzer
Head of Middle School[5]
PrincipalSarah Grenert-Funk
Head of Upper School[5]
Head of schoolThe Rev. Michael Spencer
Head of School[5]
GradesPre-K–12[1]
Number of students875 (2020–21)[6]
CampusSuburban, 59 acres (240,000 m2)
Color(s)Forest green, white, and Carolina blue    [7]
SloganMind Opening Since 1869
Athletics conferenceOSAA Lewis & Clark League 3A-1[2]
MascotAardvark
AccreditationNAIS[3]
NewspaperThe Dig[4]
Websiteoes.edu

Oregon Episcopal School (OES) is an American independent, coeducational, college preparatory, day and boarding school in the Raleigh Hills area of Portland, Oregon. It was preceded by St. Helen's Hall, a day and boarding school for girls established in 1869. OES was established in 1972 when the girls school merged with Bishop Dagwell Hall.

History

[edit]
St. Helen's Hall (1906)

Oregon Episcopal School (OES) was known as St. Helen's Hall at the time of its founding and was originally a boarding and day school for girls. It was established in 1869 in Portland, Oregon by the Rt. Rev. Benjamin Wistar Morris, Bishop of Oregon, and is "the oldest Episcopal school west of the Rocky Mountains."[8]

OES's original site at 4th and Madison is now the location of Portland's City Hall. The school moved several times during its first century to different locations in downtown Portland. It was located at 13th and Hall Streets before moving to its present location in the Raleigh Hills neighborhood of Portland in 1964. The Bishop Dagwell Hall was soon added, expanding the academic program to boys.

In 1972, St. Helen's Hall merged with Bishop Dagwell Hall to become Oregon Episcopal School.[9][10] Currently, the school serves children from prekindergarten through 12th grade and includes day-school and boarding programs.[11]

A number of facilities have been added over the years. Meyer Hall was built in 1996 as a new facility for Middle School students; the Drinkward Center for Math, Science and Technology opened in 2003; and in 2016 a 45,000-square-foot Lower School facility opened for Pre-K through 5th grade students. Today, approximately 870 students in Pre-K through Grade 12 attend OES.

Academics

[edit]

The Beginning, Lower, and Middle schools consist entirely of day students, but the Upper School includes a boarding program. Approximately one-fifth of the Upper School's student body resides on campus, and around three-fourths of those boarding students hail from outside the United States.[12][13]

In 2014, Oregon Episcopal School was ranked the best high school in the state of Oregon and the 13th best private school in the United States.[14][15][16] OES ranked #2 on Oregon's 25 Best K-12 Schools for 2018, according to the Portland Business Journal.[17]

Science Research

[edit]

OES's research-based science program has a long history of success in science research competitions. Over the years, many students have placed highly in prestigious competitions such as the Intel Science Talent Search, the Siemens Competition, the Davidson Fellows Scholarship, the Google Science Fair, the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, the Stockholm Junior Water Prize, the International Sustainable World Energy Engineering Environment Project Olympiad, the BioGENIOUS Competition, and the National Junior Science & Humanities Symposium. Since 1995, 19 students have been named Intel National Semifinalists and National Finalists with one senior National Finalist contestant placed 2nd nationally among 40 national finalists in 2003 and one senior National Finalist contestant placed 3rd nationally in 2004.[18][19][20] Since 2002, 36 students have been named Siemens National Semifinalists, Regional Finalists and National Finalists. In 2010, juniors Akash Krishnan and Matthew Fernandez placed 1st nationally in the team category and won the Siemens Competition.[21][22][23] Also in 2013, Ajay Krishnan was named the recipient of a prestigious $10,000 Davidson Fellows Scholarship, the top honor in the engineering category. He was also named a regional finalist in the Google Science Fair.[24][25] In 2021 OES's aerospace team beat 614 rocketry teams from across North America to win the American Rocketry Challenge.[26]

Academic Championships

[edit]
  • Oregon Style Cross‐Examination Debate: 2016[27]
  • Oregon Battle of the Books: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015[28][29][30][31]
  • Speech and Debate: 2018, 2021[32]

Facilities

[edit]

OES's 59-acre campus lies in the hills of Southwest Portland. Facilities include:

  • Meyer Hall: Built in 1996 for Middle School students. Topped by a "green" roof with soil and plants in 2006.
  • Drinkward Center for Math, Science and Technology: Opened in 2003. Serves as a facility for STEM related fields in the Upper School.
  • Bishop Dagwell Hall: This is OES's fine arts building. This building was the boys school at OES that later merged with St Helens Hall in 1960 to form OES.[33]
  • Lower School: The 45,000-square-foot facility for Pre-K through 5th grade students was completed in 2016. The design earned a Portland Architecture Award in 2018.[34]
  • Fariss Hall: This building was the old OES lower school, but due to the new lower school building being constructed in 2016 Fariss Hall is now a shared space with three main areas. This building was initially slated for demolition after the lower school was constructed, but due to the need for more space this never happened. These are:
    • EC3 Design Center: Founded in 2017 this facilities mission statement is to cultivate curiosity and creativity while collaborating with peers. This facility is used by the whole school and is composed of three rooms: Think (lounge), Make (Maker space) and Move (used for performance arts).
    • Fariss Hall Athletics: Fariss Hall athletics is composed of an exercise gym and a dance studio.
    • Lower School: Some lower school classes are still held in parts of Ferris Hall.
  • Jackson and Rodney Houses: Founded in 1963 these are OESs two student dormitories. As a boarding school OES houses 60 boarding students.[35]
  • OES Athletic Center: Opened in September 2021, this 41,905 square-foot building can hold the entire student body and faculty. The newly expanded space includes two full-size gymnasiums: one named after alumnus and former athletic director Kris Van Hatcher and the other named after the Morissette family, donors to the athletic center.[36] The athletic center houses the physical education and athletic departments, in addition to serving as a multipurpose venue for the entire school community. Interior finishes include polished concrete floors and a stair screen made of clear-vertical-grain cedar. Exposed, glue-laminated columns and beams are made of Douglas fir. The athletic center is designed to be energy efficient, featuring passive cooling strategies and limited mechanical cooling.[37]

Accreditation & Memberships

[edit]

OES is accredited by the Northwest Association of Independent Schools, and is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools, the National Association of Episcopal Schools, and the Association of Boarding Schools.[38][39][40][41]

Athletics

[edit]

OES has a long tradition of sports, competing under the supervision of the Oregon Schools Activities Association. The school has claimed over 65 championships since 1983.[42] Upper School teams include basketball, soccer, lacrosse, volleyball, fencing, tennis, golf, cross country, track and field, and ski racing. Middle and Lower School students also compete in a variety of team sports.[43]

Oregon Episcopal School's traditional athletic rival is Catlin Gabel School.[44]

Mascot

[edit]

OES's official mascot is an Aardvark, chosen by the student body to replace their previous mascot, a falcon. At one time an eagle was also a mascot at the school.[33]

In 2013, the mascot placed second in the West in USA Today's High School Sports' Best Mascot competition.[45]

State Championships

[edit]
  • Men's lacrosse: 2004, 2009, 2017, 2018, 2023[46]
  • Women's lacrosse: 2017[47]
  • Men's soccer: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2022 [48]
  • Women's soccer: 1993, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018[49]
  • Women's volleyball: 2006[50]
  • Women's cross country: 1988, 2023[51]
  • Men’s golf: 2019, 2022, 2023[52][53][54]
  • Women's golf: 2019, 2022, 2023[52][53][54]
  • Men's tennis: 1983, 1984, 1993, 1994, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018[55]
  • Women's tennis: 1984, 1985, 1986, 1993, 1995, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2023[56]
  • Men's basketball: 2020[57]

Mount Hood Disaster

[edit]
Main article: 1986 Mount Hood disaster

One of the worst climbing accidents in U.S. history occurred in May 1986 when seven sophomore students and two faculty froze to death while climbing Mount Hood while participating in an adventure program required by the school. Of the four survivors, three had life-threatening injuries, and one had his legs amputated.[58] The OES disaster spurred the development of the Mountain Locator Unit, an inexpensive transmitter which helps searchers find climbers in distress.[59] OES participates in a day of service in observance of the disaster each year on the second Wednesday of May.[60]

Notable alumni

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Oregon School Directory 2008-09" (PDF). Oregon Department of Education. p. 139. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 26, 2011. Retrieved 2009-05-28.
  2. ^ "Oregon Episcopal School". Archived from the original on September 28, 2009. Retrieved June 24, 2009.
  3. ^ "Oregon Episcopal School - Northwest Association of Independent Schools".
  4. ^ "The Dig". Retrieved 20 January 2017.
  5. ^ a b c d "Leadership – Oregon Episcopal School". www.oes.edu.
  6. ^ [1][dead link]
  7. ^ "Auction – Giving to OES – Oregon Episcopal School" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-20. Retrieved 2010-05-18.
  8. ^ [2][dead link]
  9. ^ "History of OES". Archived from the original on October 18, 2009. Retrieved November 25, 2009.
  10. ^ "A Brief History of OES". Oregon Episcopal School. Archived from the original on 2015-02-10. Retrieved 2015-02-09.
  11. ^ "Fast Facts". Archived from the original on June 5, 2009. Retrieved November 25, 2009.
  12. ^ "BOARDING - OES". www.oes.edu. Retrieved 2024-05-30.
  13. ^ "OES At a Glance - OES". www.oes.edu. Retrieved 2024-05-30.
  14. ^ "The 25 Best Private High Schools in America". Business Insider. Archived from the original on 2016-05-20. Retrieved 2015-04-15.
  15. ^ "Oregon's top private schools? Oregon Episcopal, Catlin Gabel, St. Mary's, new report says | OregonLive.com". November 8, 2014. Archived from the original on 2014-11-08.
  16. ^ "2022 Best Private High Schools in America". Archived from the original on 2016-07-29. Retrieved 2016-03-14.
  17. ^ "Exclusive: Oregon's 25 Best K-12 Schools for 2018". www.bizjournals.com.
  18. ^ "Science Project Highlights | Oregon Episcopal School". Archived from the original on 2014-11-08. Retrieved 2014-11-08.
  19. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-09-28. Retrieved 2014-11-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  20. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-11-08. Retrieved 2014-11-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  21. ^ "Science Project Highlights | Oregon Episcopal School". Archived from the original on 2014-11-08. Retrieved 2014-11-08.
  22. ^ Owen, Wendy (7 December 2010). "Oregon Episcopal School duo wins national Siemens math, science, technology competition". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2010-12-07.
  23. ^ "Student Highlights - Vinay Iyengar | Oregon Episcopal School". Archived from the original on 2014-11-08. Retrieved 2014-11-08.
  24. ^ "Davidson Fellows 2013". www.davidsongifted.org. Retrieved 2020-10-08.
  25. ^ "Ajay Krishnan". scholar.google.com. Retrieved 2020-10-08 – via Google Scholar.
  26. ^ "Results". The American Rocketry Challenge. Retrieved 2021-09-08.
  27. ^ "2016 Speech State Championships" (PDF). OSAA. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  28. ^ "2012 Winners – Oregon Battle of the Books". Oregon Battle of the Books. January 20, 2024. Retrieved 2024-01-31.
  29. ^ "2013 Winners – Oregon Battle of the Books". Oregon Battle of the Books. January 20, 2024. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
  30. ^ "2014 Winners – Oregon Battle of the Books". Oregon Battle of the Books. January 20, 2024. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
  31. ^ "2015 Winners – Oregon Battle of the Books". Oregon Battle of the Books. January 20, 2024. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
  32. ^ "OSAA Speech Championships" (PDF). Oregon Schools Activity Association. January 25, 2024. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  33. ^ a b "Basic Oesian*". Archived from the original on April 15, 2007. Retrieved May 24, 2007.
  34. ^ Libby, Brian (November 7, 2018). "Allied Works, Waechter, Fieldwork and ZGF lead Portland Architecture Awards winners". Portland Architecture. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
  35. ^ "OES Boarding Brochure" (PDF).
  36. ^ Flipsnack. "FINAL Summer 2021 OES Magazine". Flipsnack. Retrieved 2021-09-08.
  37. ^ McKnight, Jenna (2023-09-12). "Hacker references nearby woods in revamp of Portland school". Dezeen. Retrieved 2024-02-08.
  38. ^ "Oregon Episcopal School - Northwest Association of Independent Schools". nwais.org. Retrieved 2024-02-08.
  39. ^ "NAIS Bookstore". my.nais.org. Retrieved 2024-02-08.
  40. ^ "Search Results For Company: NAES". National Association of Episcopal Schools. Retrieved 2024-02-08.
  41. ^ "Oregon Episcopal School". BoardingSchools.com. Retrieved 2024-02-08.
  42. ^ "OSAA - Records of Champions". www.osaa.org. Retrieved 2024-02-08.
  43. ^ "Athletic Teams - Oregon Episcopal School". www.oes.edu. Retrieved 2024-02-08.
  44. ^ Suzuki, Toshio (2009-11-22). "OES edges rival Catlin Gabel for fourth title in five seasons". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2024-02-08.
  45. ^ 28 March 2013
  46. ^ "OHSLA Archives". Oregon High School Lacrosse Association. April 2023. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
  47. ^ Vance, Miles. "Lake Oswego girls beat Oregon Episcopal 13-3 to win state championship". Pamplin Media Group. Retrieved 2020-06-17.
  48. ^ "OSAA Boys Soccer Championships" (PDF).
  49. ^ "OSAA Girls Soccer State Championship Game Summary" (PDF). Oregon School Activities Association. January 30, 2024. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
  50. ^ "Volleyball State Championship Match Summary" (PDF). Oregon School Activities Association. January 30, 2024. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
  51. ^ "Girls Cross Country State Championship Summary" (PDF). Oregon Schools Activities Association. January 30, 2024. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
  52. ^ a b "OSAA 2022 Oregon State Golf Results".
  53. ^ a b "OSAA 2019 Oregon State Golf Results" (PDF).
  54. ^ a b "OSAA 2023 Golf" (PDF). Oregon Schools Activity Association. January 25, 2024. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  55. ^ "Boys Tennis State Championship Summary" (PDF). Oregon Schools Activities Association. January 30, 2024. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
  56. ^ "Girls Tennis State Championship Summary" (PDF). Oregon School Activities Association. January 30, 2024. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
  57. ^ "OSAA Boys Basketball Championships" (PDF).
  58. ^ "Mt. Hood – Episcopal School tragedy". www.traditionalmountaineering.org. Archived from the original on May 10, 2016.
  59. ^ "Oregon HB2509 mandates electronic signaling devices on Mt. Hood—Climbers' Views". October 19, 2007. Retrieved 2008-03-08.
  60. ^ "News Detail - OES". www.oes.edu. 2020-05-12. Retrieved 2023-11-26.
  61. ^ "Obituary: Alma Francis Fields". The Oregonian. Portland, Oregon. August 23, 1968. p. 1.
  62. ^ "Peter – 40 – Male – Portland, Oregon". 29 December 2008. Archived from the original on 29 December 2008. Retrieved 20 January 2017 – via www.myspace.com/9086625.
  63. ^ "The free-flying Betsy Johnson: Steve Duin column". The Oregonian. February 5, 2022. Archived from the original on April 18, 2022. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
  64. ^ Dunn, Steve (2016-05-07). "A twist of fate leaves musician Patrick Lamb wondering why he was spared Mt. Hood tragedy". KATU. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
  65. ^ "Top Teen Scientists Honored At Intel Science Talent Search". www.intel.com. March 11, 2003. Retrieved 2024-01-08.
  66. ^ "Untitled". The Oregon Daily Journal. Portland, Oregon. April 19, 1914. p. 45. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
  67. ^ Brandon, Steve (April 1, 2005). "Cradles will rock: At Oregon Episcopal School, nearly half the male student body turns out for lacrosse". Portland Tribune. Archived from the original on February 6, 2012. Retrieved May 3, 2014.
  68. ^ "Ben Westlund | Willamette Week | April 26th, 2006". Archived from the original on May 13, 2010.
  69. ^ "Alumni Awards". Archived from the original on July 4, 2007. Retrieved July 30, 2007.
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