Elementary School

TASIS Portugal is the newest campus in the TASIS family of schools, founded in Switzerland in 1956 by educator and entrepreneur M. Crist Fleming and financially supported by the nonprofit TASIS Foundation. Our longstanding traditions, combined with a genuine love for children and their unique qualities, make TASIS Portugal a nurturing environment where your child can thrive, play, and learn.

TASIS (Switzerland) holds the distinction of being the first American boarding school in Europe, and all TASIS schools maintain the tenets on which it was founded: culture, wisdom, truth, and knowledge, symbolized by the tower, the lamp, the sun, and the book. These values are integrated into our daily instruction, and we regularly celebrate students who embody these ideals during our school assemblies.

At TASIS Portugal, we strive to cultivate compassionate, inquisitive, and capable global citizens in partnership with parents. I invite you to discover more about our special community with a visit to our campus.

Go Knights!

Keith Chicquen

Founding Headmaster

A World-Class Education on A Beautiful Campus

Our beautifully designed campus showcases TASIS Portugal as a modern international school that harmonizes with the enchanting, historical Portuguese architecture of Sintra. With vibrant indoor spaces and expansive outdoor areas for recreation, our state-of-the-art facilities enhance the learning experience. From the sunlit Learning Commons enclosed in glass to classrooms adorned with natural and sustainable materials, we have carefully constructed the School to cater to the evolving needs of our students.

Elementary School At A Glance

Nationalities
School Wide

358

Elementary School Students

Languages Spoken
School Wide

“My dreams have always been filled with beautiful buildings situated in beautiful settings spread around the world and always inhabited by hundreds of beautiful young creatures.”

Founder M. Crist Fleming, 1988

World Class Facilities

Learn more about our campus

Partnership with Parents

At TASIS Portugal, we believe that raising confident, caring, and curious individuals is a collaborative effort between parents and the school. Your support in developing good habits at home is crucial for your child’s successful education. We encourage parents to be actively involved and maintain regular communication with teachers. Many of our parents volunteer in the school, and we take pride in our active TASIS Parent Association (TPA) and the strong social community that has developed among our families outside of school.

Learn more about the TPA

Four Houses, One Family

The house system at TASIS Portugal is an integral part of the school community. From Elementary to High School, students are sorted into one of four houses: Regaleira (Dragon), Pena (Kraken), Monserrate (Griffin), and Mouros (Pegasus).

In addition to providing structure for students as they grow, the house system offers opportunities for leadership and a chance to connect with peers, which strengthens the overall school culture and community.

Inspiring Teachers

Teachers’ Kindness Mural: Our teachers embody excellence, inspiring kindness and fostering growth in our students.

Great schools share two common attributes: an outstanding curriculum and exceptional teachers. From a pool of hundreds of applicants, we carefully selected and hired only the finest teachers. They possess strong backgrounds, excellent credentials, including advanced degrees, and a dedication to becoming the best teachers they can be.

Keith Chicquen, Headmaster

A Safe & Inspiring Place to Learn & Play

A true global community, TASIS Portugal is comprised of students and teachers from 60+ nationalities. TASIS Portugal teachers are highly trained, experienced professionals with a love for education and culture. They personalize their instruction within each grade level, and every student’s progress is closely monitored. Our campus is safe and secure, equipped with an advanced, closed-circuit camera system, and staffed with friendly and attentive security guards. Our students wear comfortable, tailored uniforms that promote pride in appearance while encouraging individual expression. Each day brings new opportunities to play, learn, and grow.

Care in the Classroom

Every TASIS Portugal elementary school classroom is capped at 24 students, and children in first through fourth grades have two adults to support their needs. This ratio allows our teachers to effectively track student development and gain a better understanding of a child’s strengths and passions, while keeping classrooms at an optimal size for diversity and social development. Our unique model enables our teachers to be exposed to different methods of instruction and to learn from and assist each other daily.

As the oldest students in elementary school, Grade 5 is a transitional year between elementary and middle school. Grade 5 students enjoy the benefits of having a homeroom teacher for Language Arts, History and Geography, Math, and Science, similar to the elementary school structure. Additionally, they have the opportunity to take foreign language electives, as seen in middle school, as well as participating in elementary specialist classes. Grade 5 students also experience increased responsibility and independence, including the chance to represent their Houses as Junior House Captains.

Renowned Curriculum. Proven Success.

Our elementary school curriculum is renowned for its breadth, depth, and challenging nature. It is designed to foster a student’s respect and love for learning, while nurturing strong foundational skills that serve as a springboard for future academic pursuits. We also prioritize character development and instill core values in our students. At TASIS Portugal, elementary school students are immersed in a vibrant, diverse, and joyful environment that offers countless opportunities for growth and exploration.

Core Knoweldge

Core Knowledge

We firmly believe in the power of a coherent, cumulative, and content-specific curriculum, which is why we have adopted the Core Knowledge (CK) Curriculum at TASIS Portugal. This exceptional curriculum encompasses language arts, history and geography, science, art, art history, and music, providing students with a rich and comprehensive educational experience. The fundamental principle of the CK Curriculum is that knowledge builds on knowledge. With a solid foundation of shared knowledge, students can achieve greater reading comprehension, critical thinking skills, problem-solving abilities, and improved test scores.

The Core Knowledge Curriculum® outlines the precise content that every child should learn, ensuring a seamless progression of knowledge from one grade to the next. At TASIS Portugal, we are dedicated to delivering this curriculum effectively by providing essential classroom resources, extensive professional development opportunities for our teachers, and a collaborative community that fosters the best possible learning outcomes for all students. To uphold our high standards, we have a CK Curriculum Specialist employed by the TASIS Foundation who works with all TASIS Schools.

Our curriculum not only cultivates cultural literacy but also allows for teacher creativity and innovation within the specified content. While teachers have the flexibility to deliver the subject matter in their unique ways, the curriculum provides a structured framework that ensures continuity and progression from year to year.

Singapore Math

Singapore Math at TASIS Portugal

We have adopted the highly acclaimed Singapore Math approach, widely recognized as one of the most effective methods for teaching mathematics. Developed and utilized by the country of Singapore, which consistently produces top-performing pupils in math and science on global assessments like PISA and TIMMS, this approach has gained popularity worldwide. It is designed to cultivate problem-solving skills and foster a deep understanding of numbers and mathematics, rather than relying on rote memorization or procedural routines. Implementing the Singapore Math curriculum requires continuous teacher training and represents a departure from traditional methods used in many schools.

Next Generation Science Standards

The Next Generation Science Standards guide students in developing a deep understanding of core scientific concepts, the scientific process, and the evaluation of scientific evidence. The focus is not solely on content knowledge but also on understanding the practices of scientists and engineers — our curriculum introduces students to science skills and content through captivating phenomena. Each unit begins with a thought-provoking big question, which is then explored through a series of smaller questions. Throughout the unit, students engage in hands-on experiments, digital simulations, close reading and questioning, and class discussions to uncover the answers. The phenomena chosen are relatable and designed to spark students’ interest, drawing on their own life experiences and personal interests to actively participate in each class session.

Specialist Classes

A Journey into the World of Portuguese

Being a true global citizen means understanding cultures that are different from your own. There is no better way to achieve this than by learning another language and immersing oneself in the traditions, celebrations, food, and daily life of its speakers. In our elementary school, we offer differentiated levels of Portuguese instruction to provide our students with an excellent pathway to fluency and understanding, based on World Readiness Standards for language acquisition, cultural understanding, and lifelong learning.

Flexing Muscles and Imaginations: PE

Our PE program fosters curiosity, critical thinking, and skill development through a wide range of sports. Students explore a variety of activities, gaining competence, confidence, and teamwork. Based on national standards, our curriculum nurtures motor skills, knowledge, and emotional intelligence. It promotes active living, self- management, and lifelong physical activity while ensuring fun for all. PE is integral to a child’s growth, health, and development, paralleling core subjects.

Coding: The Language of Computers

Preparing students for their future means equipping them with the skills to navigate the ever-changing world of technology. Our children are growing up in a time when the internet, computers, artificial intelligence, and advanced electronics are omnipresent. Therefore, we allocate time to teaching them the art and science of coding, as well as engaging them in the excitement and learning opportunities of robotics. We also instill in them the values that will guide their ethical and safe use of technology.

Skill and Strategy: Chess

Chess is more than just an ancient game; it encompasses sport, science, art, and discipline. Besides being a great deal of fun, chess helps young people develop confident decision-making, visual memory, spatial reasoning, and concentration. Children who learn chess at school also gain sportsmanship values and boost their self-esteem. Chess is the ultimate game of strategy and can be enjoyed for a lifetime.

Exploring the World of the Arts

At TASIS Portugal, students explore music through singing, dancing, and playing various instruments. They develop foundational skills as tuneful and rhythmic individuals, setting the stage for further musical study. Concerts and assemblies offer opportunities to perform diverse repertoire. Our teachers employ research- based best practices, drawing from methods like Kodály, Orff, and Gordon. Music integrates with other subjects, fostering creative expression and emotional connection through sound and movement. We believe in the potential of all students to succeed as musicians and express their creativity through music.

Visual Arts

We value exposing children to inspiring art, including paintings and music. They explore different art forms, learn artistic methods and terminology, and discover renowned artists and masterpieces. Our approach encompasses creative expression, historical context, and analytical understanding within the Core Knowledge framework. Emphasizing creativity and active participation, we empower children to communicate their ideas, emotions, and judgments through the arts. This knowledge fosters appreciation and effective expression.

Performing Arts

Our performing arts program offers a variety of opportunities for students to perform vocally, musically, dramatically, and in dance. Students extend and connect with their classroom learning by dramatizing historical events or enacting plays from their lessons. We foster a school culture that values the performing arts, inspiring students to explore their interests and providing a space for all to participate. We want children to feel comfortable expressing themselves through the arts and discovering the ways they feel most creatively inspired.