Four schools on the North Olympic Peninsula are among the top 5 percent of improving schools in the state.
Clallam Bay High and Elementary, Neah Bay Junior/Senior High, Roosevelt Elementary and Crescent schools received the 2017 School of Distinction Award, sponsored by the Center for Educational Effectiveness.
The accolade recognizes improvement in English and math among elementary and middle schools and an upward trend of high school graduation rates over five years.
Clallam Bay School, which serves kindergarten through 12th grade, now serves 128 students — 66 percent of whom fall below the poverty line. Its graduation rates have improved from 80 percent in 2013 to 94.74 percent in 2017.
Now, four banners will adorn the walls of Clallam Bay School’s gym — the 2017 award alongside others in 2007, 2008 and 2009.
Clallam Bay is one of six schools that received its fourth award this year, according to a news release.
Principal Kris Hanson attributed the school’s success to “good quality staff working together with students and parents.”
Fourth grade and eighth grade students deserve special recognition for passing the state test in fourth-grade math and eighth-grade English and science, according to a news release.
“The students are excited, and so is the community,” Hanson said.
Clallam Bay will celebrate the honor at a ceremony at 1:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 27, in the gym at 16933 state Highway 112.
Now, the Neah Bay Junior/Senior High School can boast two School of Distinction awards, adding to its 2010 honor.
Principal Jennifer Sikes chalked the win up to the monitoring system that tracks the middle and high school students’ progress.
“When you check in and find out what each student is learning, no one is falling through the cracks,” she said.
“No student is an invisible learner,” Sikes added. “All are successful.”
Its graduation rates improved from 78.2 percent in 2013 to 89.3 percent in 2017.
Neah Bay will hold a ceremony on Nov. 22 when Greg Lynch, superintendent of Educational Service District 114, presents staff and students with a certificate.
Roosevelt Elementary School serves 496 students from kindergarten to sixth grade. Its English and math scores improved from the 46th percentile in 2013 to the 69th percentile in 2017.
Port Angeles School District Superintendent Marc Jackson and Chuck Lisk, assistant superintendent of teaching and learning, broke the news — albeit of the happy sort.
“The mood was joyful,” communications director Patsene Dashiell said of the Monday meeting.
“Your work over the last five years in the areas of ELA and math has not gone unnoticed,” Principal Michelle Olsen told her staff. “This award is a tribute to your tireless pursuit of helping all students be successful learners.”
Beyond teachers, Olsen named other players in the distinction: school lunch staff, custodians, paraeducators, office staff, the nurse and support staff.
“We can’t give our best instruction without having a clean and bright space for students,” she said. “We can’t give our best without our office helping behind the scenes for family and health support. We can’t give our best without our lunch crew serving up healthy breakfasts and lunches. We can’t do our best without partnering with parents and our Roosevelt Parent Teacher Organization.”
The Port Angeles School Board will celebrate with Roosevelt during a special presentation at a Jan. 4 board meeting.
Winning the School of Distinction award in three consecutive years — 2015, 2016 and 2017 — is evidence of the Crescent School’s steady progress, Superintendent/Principal Dave Bingham said.
The high school’s graduation rates improved from 71.6 percent in 2013 to 90 percent in 2017.
“We’ve been showing a little improvement each year,” he said. “I think it’s proof that we are a very committed staff to student learning and special needs.”
In particular, Bingham attributed its after-school programs with certificated teachers on Tuesdays and Thursdays, as well as Saturdays, to the success of high school students who need additional support.
The Crescent School will receive its banner when Greg Lynch, superintendent of Educational Service District 114, presents it at a Dec. 14 board meeting.
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Reporter Sarah Sharp can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56650, or at ssharp@peninsuladailynews.com.
