By Pat Jenkins
The Dispatch
“A commitment to change for all kids” has earned a 2017 School of Distinction award for Eatonville Elementary School.
This year’s recipients of the award, which goes to schools statewide whose students have made the most improvement in reading, English and mathematics, were announced this month. Eatonville is one of two schools in south Pierce County that made the grade. Thompson Elementary School in the Bethel School District is the other.
The award, which was created in 2007, is presented by several statewide educational organizations, including the Association of Washington State Principals, the Washington State School Directors Association (school boards), and the Washington Association of School Administrators.
Schools of Distinction are recognized for their academic gains in state testing over five-year periods. Put another way, the success at Eatonville Elementary, which has about 390 students, “involved several hard years of identifying best practices and implementing innovative ways to reach each child,” said Eatonville School District superintendent Krestin Bahr.
Eatonville Elementary’s staff exposed students to STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) through programs such as robotics, coding and outdoor kindergarten. Field trips to performances of the arts, including symphonies and “Nutcracker,” were also part of an overall effort “to reach each child,” Bahr said.
Bahr credited every school staff member for their “commitment to change for all kids” and for “committing to the improvement that defines” a School of Distinction. She also thanked “parents and families who have been so supportive.”
Thompson Elementary’s selection this year as a School of Distinction comes one year after three other elementary schools in the Bethel district – Evergreen, Centennial and Spanaway – became repeat winners of the award.
The Thompson and Eatonville selections were announced by Puget Sound Educational Service District (PSESD), one of nine such regional agencies around the state that provide curriculum and administrative support for their local school districts. John Welch, PSESD’s superintendent, said schools deserve their recognition for “the difficult and important work that (becoming a School of Distinction) takes. We salute the students, families, educators and communities for their successes and for setting a high bar for us all.”
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