Principal's Message

Welcome to BASE!

It is with joy and excitement that I have the privilege to serve the BASE community as the principal. 2024-25 will mark my third year as principal of BASE. BASE is an incredible place to explore, learn and grow as a human being. Students and staff are learners at BASE. We are first and foremost a school that follows the EL Education model to put into action our District Promise: Belong - Believe - Achieve. We combine EL Education and AVID Schoolwide with Project Lead the Way curriculum to lead students through their education journey. Our students experience Crew every day, which forms the foundation of building positive relationships and equips students with social and emotional learning supports, self advocacy skills, and a network of peers that work together to row the boat throughout their time here. Crew is the main driver of Belonging at BASE. We are proud of our unique model program and strong College and Career Readiness focus through our three CTE Pathways: Biomedical Sciences, Computer Science and Information Technology, and Engineering. BASE graduates are well-equipped to pursue their dreams post-high school.

Expeditionary Learning has a maxim: We are not passengers on this journey. We are Crew!

BASE prides itself on our sense of community. As part of the EL Education, AVID and PLTW focus, students find a learning environment where it is safe to explore, make mistakes and learn from them as they prepare for life after high school. We implement the Three Dimensions of Student Achievement through the EL Education model: Mastery of Knowledge & Skills, Character and High Quality Student Work. 

Mastery of Knowledge & Skills: In additional to the board-adopted curriculum that all Beaverton School District schools use for our classes, our BASE middle school follows the PLTW Gateway curriculum for many of our middle school Pathway classes that focus on biomedical studies, computer science & technology and engineering to prepare students to complete their chosen Pathway(s) in high school. Our BASE high school students follow the PLTW Gateway curriculum in their high school CTE Biomedical and CTE Engineering Pathways. The Computer Science & Information Technology Pathway utilizes a couple of PLTW classes in addition to classes created specifically for BASE in this CTE program. We utilize AVID Schoolwide to integrate the skills our students need to succeed at BASE and beyond in all classes. Yearly, our capstone students in our Pathways have the opportunity to showcase their work ~ a favorite experience of many in our community. Every student at BASE must complete at least one CTE Pathway to Capstone by graduation. Pathway courses are required in every students' schedule each year. Additionally, BASE students experience Expeditions (EL Education model) which engage students in the content deeply. These in-depth experiences are unique to BASE. Our students engage in field work as part of these Expeditions. In 2023-24, BASE had over 65 out-of-the building experiences that allow our students do conduct research, visit with industry experts or explore the learning targets outside of the physical building. Parents are highly encouraged to sign-up to volunteer at BASE as a field work volunteer. We cannot offer these out-of-building experiences without chaperones.

Character: The BASE staff values character development equally to the acquisition of content knowledge and skills. First and foremost, students will experience a supportive community that celebrates and embraces diversity. We celebrate the learning process that culminates in Passages at the end of each school year where senior students present their work and educational journey to a panel. We follow the EL Education Crew model. Students meet daily in Crew and graduate with their Crew.

High Quality Student Work: Following the EL Education model, we work with our students towards the creation of expectional work. Our goal is that all major assignments/projects are developed with the three attributes in mind: complexity and authenticity first and then expectations and support for craftsmanship. We strive to provide student-created final work for audiences outside of BASE to connect to and help our community.

Please join us at one of our Open Houses. Enrollment at BASE is solely determined by lottery draw from applications received in the fall Options Application process through the Beaverton School District. We hope you will apply! The only requirement to admissions is a completed application.

We look forward to meeting you!

Diane Fitzpatrick

Principal, BASE