The Marylhurst School in Oregon City, OR

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Telephone:	+1 503-650-0978
Website:	www.themarylhurstschool.org
Address:	1232 Linn Ave, Oregon City, OR, 97045
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:	1.5 miOregon City Transit Center 1.8 miClackamas Community College 2 miOregon City
Categories:	Elementary Schools Preschools

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Today

Today	9:00 am – 5:00 pm Open now
Local time (Oregon City)	1:04 PM Tuesday, June 24, 2025

Business hours

Monday	9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Tuesday	9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Wednesday	9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Thursday	9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Friday	9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Saturday	–
Sunday	–

Description

Specialties

Marylhurst is a 41-year-old school housed in the historic Barclay Building of Oregon City. Preschool and K-6 primary grade programs feature an emergent curriculum, 6:1 teacher-child ratios, Spanish dual-language classes, enrichment programs in art and science, before and after-care, and parenting workshops. The primary grade expansion will roll out with a 1^st/2^nd grade blend in 2012, a 3^rd/4^th grade blend in 2013, and a 5^th/6^th grade blend in 2014.

History

Established in 1986.

The Marylhurst School is steeped in the progressive model of education. At the vanguard of early childhood education, from its earliest design as the lab school on the campus of Marylhurst University, the school seeks to honor the developmental time of childhood. Mary Anne Doty directed the school’s move from campus to its current location in the historic Barclay School of Oregon City during the summer of 1986.

The school is built on the foundational philosphy that the work of the young child is to make meaning through play. Today, this philospy endures, expressed through the creative implementation of academic endeavor and the compassionate nature of social engagement.

Meet the Manager

Sheila W.

Manager

Sheila Walker will be continuing her role as Director, after leading us through a wonderful journey last year with kids, parents, and staff. Her smiling presence graces the whole school each day, and the kids love her classroom visits.

Sheila has been with The Marylhurst School community since 1994. She has over 15 years of experience with Early Childhood Education and has taught at The Marylhurst School for the last 10 years.

Sheila holds a Bachelor of Arts in Theater and Education and has taught Theater to all ages of children for over 25 years.

Before teaching at The Marylhurst School, Sheila was an active parent and board member at our school, where both of her children attended. Now in her role as Director, Sheila is furthering her commitment to The Marylhurst School children and families.

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5 reviews of The Marylhurst School

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Mama H.

Place rating: 5
Portland, OR

I have two very different elementary school age children at the school. The school has been fantastic in how they consistently meet the needs of not only my children but every child in the classroom. Every learning style is honored and kids are free to learn in the best and most comfortable way for them whether kintically, visually, orally, logically or a combination thereof. The classroom activities are flexible to take advantage of the learning that is going on right then and there. There are days where the kids become so energized around math that the rest of the schedule is cleared for them to keep going with the lesson and run with it to it’s logical end point. The progress reviews (in lieu of report cards) are invaluable and hold pages upon pages of great information that is quite useful. The administration is fantastic and has been very helpful when for some reason we’re late getting the kids or one of my kids is sick and I need the other one walked out to the car, etc. It is a welcomed change from our prior Waldorf school where we were treated more like a number than part of an extended family. We are very happy at this school.

A S.

Place rating: 5
West Linn, OR

As a parent, Marylhurst offers a strong emphasis on community and a student/teacher ratio that is better than any school in the area. Their teachers are some of the most dedicated that we’ve ever been around.

Jody S.

Place rating: 5
Portland, OR

Marylhurst has been the perfect place for my two children to kick start their life long journey to learn, play, explore and become a part of a community. The staff and teachers are caring, empathic, understanding and creative. Whether it was my son’s 3 year old Robins class or my daughter’s kindergarten class, I felt confident that my children were being educated, were being played with, and were safe.

Robert P.

Place rating: 5
Oregon City, OR

Marylhurst understands human development. If children are free to explore and learn through following their interests and joys, they grow into older children and adolescents who do increasingly well in all academic subjects. Most adults do not understand children, but Marylhurst does.
Put simply, children need to play in mud now to do calculus later. That does not mean the children at Marylhurst do not study academic subjects – they just do it in an engaging way.
Philosophy/Curriculum: Children are free to move about the classroom at appropriate times. Pursuing their interests («emergent curriculum») promotes self-esteem, good citizenship (identifying feelings, being kind to others and compromising, working in groups), and intellectual ability.
Before starting first grade this fall, our daughter’s homework over the summer was to build an ecosystem (science), play dice and card games for addition, subtraction, and multiplication, and take photographs from the point of view of an ant (social communities). The children are respected and honored, and they accomplish amazing things.
Individualized Attention: Every class has at least one teacher and one assistant (several classes have two teachers plus an assistant), so the adult-child ratio is low (usually 9 to 1 or fewer), which is the number-one predictor of student success at school at every level. The school’s «Bee Hive» before– and aftercare program has engaging learning activities and relationships of its own.
Structure: Every class has a schedule of activities each day. For example, a class will do thirty minutes of exploration, then circle time, then an academic subject made fun, then lunch or recess.
I can’t thank Marylhurst enough for providing my children the freedom, nurturing, and intellectual engagement with the world around them that children and adults need to thrive. I wish all education were like this, up to and including university.

K W.

Place rating: 5
Lake Oswego, OR

We drive all the way from Lake Oswego to Oregon City so my son can attend kindergarten here. It’s such a wonderful place! The teachers are amazing, and the kids get a lot of individual attention. Most importantly, my son really feels at home there and his confidence has risen. He is learning so much but in a fun way where all the kids are involved. The communication we get from teachers and staff is great. In fact, they encourage parent involvement and have always been great about listening to concerns and asking for feedback. At Marylhurst School I feel he’s getting a top-notch private education without the snootiness of some other private schools in the area. We feel very lucky to have found this place.

The Marylhurst School

Oregon City, United States