Four Peninsula schools win achievement award

Four North Olympic Peninsula schools are included in the 401 statewide that earned the Washington Achievement Award this year.

Neah Bay Elementary School and Greywolf Elementary School in Sequim in Clallam County, and Chimacum High School in Jefferson County each earned the award for “high progress.”

Port Townsend High School earned the award for reading growth.

An award ceremony for the schools will be held April 28 at Spanaway Lake High School in Bethel.

Top schools

High progress awards are given to the top 10 percent of schools that made the most progress in combined performance in reading and math for all students, using the previous three years of data.

Reading growth awards are given to schools in the top 5 percent of the three-year average “median student growth percentiles” in reading comprehension.

The Washington Achievement Award recipients are the highest-performing schools in the state based on three years of academic data in the Washington Achievement Index.

“Honoring successful schools is one of the most important things we do,” said state schools Superintendent Randy Dorn.

“We know schools are doing great work and are getting better at serving all students every day,” he said.

“We may not be where we want to be, but we are making progress. These awards celebrate both achievement and growth.”

Schools may be recognized for being top performers in any of six categories: overall excellence, high progress, reading growth, math growth, extended graduation rate or English language acquisition.

Port Townsend High School

Port Townsend High School won the reading growth award for the second year in a row, showing a total of four years of continued improvement in the category.

“We’re really excited,” Principal Carrie Ehrhardt said.

The school used a strategy in which all subject materials became reading lessons, so history textbook readings also worked on vocabulary and notetaking skills, Ehrhardt said.

Chimacum High School

Chimacum High School earned the high progress award after the current junior class scored well on state exams in spring 2014, the third year in a row the school posted gains on the number of students who passed the state proficiency exams.

Teachers made two major changes to the curriculum, Principal Whitney Meissner said.

They made an effort to add more material where tests showed students were weak and aligned the curriculum for students in the eighth, ninth and 10th grades so that lessons from one year lead to the next year’s lessons, she said.

Meissner said she is seeing success across the board in every subject.

“It’s not just how well they can perform on a test on a single day,” she said.

Neah Bay Elementary School

Neah Bay Elementary School earned the high progress award.

The school has been named a distinguished school in some category each year since 2012.

“Our parents and community are extremely supportive. That plays a role,” Principal Alice Murner said.

Students are given the responsibility to use each day to learn and grow, and are given high expectations, Murner said.

“The kids are motivated. They want to do well,” she said.

Greywolf Elementary

Greywolf Elementary School in Sequim earned the high progress award after making a change in the master schedule to benefit students in the area of literacy, Principal Donna Hudson said.

The school’s target is to get every student reading at grade level by the third grade, Hudson said.

“It’s really hard work, but it’s paying dividends with our kids,” she said.

________

Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5070, or at arice@peninsuladailynews.com.

More in News

Poplars to be removed in spring

Boat Yard expansion part of larger project

Jeffco Aquatic Coalition launches pool survey

Results intended to inform design process

A snow-covered Mount Angeles is seen from Black Diamond Road a few miles south of Port Angeles. While the Peninsula has seen temperatures below freezing this week, a warming trend is expected by this weekend with highs reaching the upper 40s and overnight lows in the 30s. (Dave Logan/for Peninsula Daily News)
Winter snowscape

A snow-covered Mount Angeles is seen from Black Diamond Road a few… Continue reading

JoAnn declares bankruptcy; Port Angeles store to close

The Joann fabrics and crafts store in Port Angeles… Continue reading

Cheri Sanford of Port Angeles, right, hands a piece of metal debris to her grandson, Damien Millet, 9, after it was located with a metal detector and dug from the sand at Hollywood Beach in Port Angeles on Wednesday. They were combing the beach in search of whatever hidden treasures they could find. (Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News)
Beach combing

Cheri Sanford of Port Angeles, right, hands a piece of metal debris… Continue reading

Six Peninsula school measures passing

Sequim voters approve bond, levy

Port Townsend, Chimacum pass school levies

Funds will support facilities, supplies, transportation

Counties can collect up to $1.80 of property tax per $1,000 of assessed value, but they are only allowed to increase their property tax collection amount by 1 percent each year, excluding new construction, without voter approval.
Clallam already eyeing 2026 cuts

If county can’t raise revenue, it may cut employees, services

Port Angeles School Board to conduct community conversation

Port Angeles School Board members will be available to… Continue reading

After-school art program returns to Stevens Middle School

Let’s Make Art, a free after-school program at Stevens… Continue reading

Department of Licensing offices to be closed

PORT ANGELES – The Department of Licensing office of the Clallam County… Continue reading

Voters approving all Peninsula school measures

Sequim bond passing with required supermajority