We are a community of Love and Intention
The people that choose to be at Gateway — whether families bringing their children or adults working as teachers and administrators — share a common set of values and beliefs about what’s important in life and how we want to raise and educate children.
School Traditions
Ofrenda
Every year Elementary School students build an Ofrenda to celebrate their loved ones.
Grandfriends Day
Grandfriends get a glimpse into the classroom and share a meal with their student.
Step Up and Graduation
The year ends with a Step Up Ceremony and 8th Graduation that includes a speech by each graduate.
Friendship Lunches
On this special day friends are treated to a lunch made especially for them by a classmate.
First Friday Assemblies
Students, teachers, and parents gather every month to enjoy music and special presentations made by each class.
Salad Feast
Students make salad using produce they harvest from the Life Lab garden.
Celebration of Learning
Families visit classrooms to explore student work and celebrate their learning journey together.
Talent Show
Students audition and showcase their talents in front of the school community; including fellow students, staff, and families.
Fall Festival
A fun-filled event featuring seasonal activities, games, and crafts, all with a festive fall theme.
Gateway Stories
![Music and Laughter]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1657571494/gatewayscorg/mghc6mzytlfdq1w6z8k4/Marimbas-400x400-EMC_0434.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1657571494/gatewayscorg/mghc6mzytlfdq1w6z8k4/Marimbas-400x400-EMC_0434.jpg","width":400}])
Music and Laughter
Walking around Gateway School’s campus you can hear music and laughter pouring out of the Music room. You can catch strains of songs played on our Zimbabwean-style Marimbas, which were hand-built especially for Gateway in Oregon last year.
![Using literature and current events to teach Social Justice issues]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1657570748/gatewayscorg/bb8tk98eosughcmbv9kh/Rachel-400x400-1.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1657570748/gatewayscorg/bb8tk98eosughcmbv9kh/Rachel-400x400-1.jpg","width":400}])
Using literature and current events to teach Social Justice issues
By Rachel Sattinger, a 4th-grade teacher at Gateway School
![Neighborhood Nectar Corridor]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1657569808/gatewayscorg/kef685mdoxzbssxzgcwi/Nectar-Corridor-400x400-IMG_7361.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1657569808/gatewayscorg/kef685mdoxzbssxzgcwi/Nectar-Corridor-400x400-IMG_7361.jpg","width":400}])
Neighborhood Nectar Corridor
What do cherries, blueberries, pumpkin pie, and chocolate all have in common? They all need pollinators! That’s one of the reasons why Gateway School’s 5th grade students planted a California native pollinator-friendly garden in Life Lab.
The Gateway Difference: Whole Child Approach | Gateway Families Association