FAQs

Cathedral School is a fully accredited Catholic School by the Western Catholic Education Association.

Cathedral School has one classroom per grade level, Pre-Kindergarten through Eighth grade. Class size averages 20 students in Pre-Kindergarten; 26 students per class, Kindergarten through Second grades; 28 students in Third and Fourth grades; and 30 in Fifth through Eighth grades. Due to our downtown location our community of families come from throughout the Portland Metropolitan area.

Students receive instruction from specialists in Spanish, Physical Education, Art, Library, and Music. Technology is integrated into classroom instruction.

Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 3:10 p.m.

Tuesday, 8:00 a.m. to 2:15 p.m.

Cathedral School offers an extended care program on-site. Morning care begins at 7:00 am and aftercare is open until 5:30 pm.

Generally, extended care is open on early dismissal days. Extended care is closed on all non-school days. This includes teacher professional development days and holidays as well as Christmas, Spring, and Summer breaks.

More information on Extended Care can be found here.

Hot lunch is available for purchase on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays. Milk is available for purchase for the year as well. More information on Hot lunch can be found here.

Cathedral students attend Mass as a school at St. Mary’s Cathedral on Fridays. School Masses are planned by students. Mass begins at 8:30am and students sit with their buddy.

The reward of service is intrinsic. As Catholics, our whole lives are designed to be a dynamic relationship with the living God. God is focused outward, and when we connect to Him we become like Him and focus outward ourselves. Service to the community is a manifestation of this outward focus.

All classes at Cathedral School are responsible for one service project annually. Among our annual service projects are volunteering at the Providence Center for Medically Fragile Children, holding a fall food drive as well as volunteering at the Oregon Food Bank, collecting toiletries for the Blanchet House, collecting Sugar and Spices for the Blanchet House, a Macaroni and Cheese Drive for the Portland Police Sunshine Division, and coin and diaper drives for the Mother and Child Education Center.

In addition to celebrating Mass with the school, our pastor visits our classrooms on a regular basis. Maintaining a strong school-parish relationship is as equally important to our clergy as it is the students and staff of Cathedral School.

In order to foster a school environment where all students feel connected, comfortable, and part of an inclusive school community, all students are paired with a “buddy” from another grade. For example, eighth grade students are paired with the kindergarten students. Buddies sit together at Mass, have joint classroom activities, and occasionally attend field trips together.

Cathedral School graduates attend the Catholic College Preparatory high school of their choice.

Technology is integrated into classroom instruction Pre-Kindergarten through Eighth grade. Cathedral School is one-to-one with iPads with keyboards. In addition, a portable class sets of MacBook Airs are available for use.

Parents are active partners in the education of Cathedral students. Cathedral School parents participate in a variety of activities throughout the school.

The Cathedral School Parent Association sponsors a number of events throughout the year. Some are community building in nature; these include the Back-to-School Family BBQ and Grandparents/Special Friends Breakfast.