chester h. thompson elementary - bethel school...
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2006-2007 Annual Report
Chester H. Thompson Elementary
ContaCts
303 159th Street EastTacoma, WA 98445
Address
(253) 683-5800
Phone
Suzanne Gayda
Principal
Amber Barker
Secretary
489
Enrollment
MissionThe mission of Thompson Elementary is to
nurture the physical, creative, intellectual, and emotional growth of all who enter our doors. Independence, thinking, respect, and pride are developed in a child-centered environ-ment. Thompson nurtures success!
Thompson is a place where:
• The atmosphere is safe for students, parents, teachers, and businesses to work together to produce healthy, productive members of society.
• Staff, parents, and community contribute to both social and academic learning to help students succeed in a changing world.
• Students use technology as a tool for learn-ing and research.
• Students use a variety of methods to de-velop skills, problem solving strategies, and confidence in reading, writing, and math.
What Makes Us speCial
Opportunity makes us special! Students
have the opportunity for all-day kindergarten,
Take Home Reading, MESA (Math Engineer-
ing Science Achievement), and extra algebra
classes. Sixth graders go to science camp;
other classes go on field trips or have in-class
visitors. We offer Tae Kwon Do, choir, and
lunch time players.
Raising expeCtations and standaRds
We have been very successful raising stu-
dent achievement at Thompson. We analyze
the data on Learning Improvement Days and
make decisions by grade level about what to
focus on or highlight. Our students are great
at analyzing fictional texts. We continue to
work on vocabulary and comprehension of
non-fiction.
Teachers meet weekly to discuss strategies
for teaching reading. In math we are using
a new series called Everday Math, which we
believe will lead to greater student success.
Foss Science, Step Up to Writing, and Six Trait
Writing also help us to meet standards in the
classroom.
paRent and CoMMUnity involveMent in leaRning
We have wonderful volunteers at Thomp-
son. Each year we have more than 100 volun-
teers at Thompson working with students in
the classroom, volunteering to work at special
events, and chaperoning field trips. Our PTA
has worked hard to improve our school. The
community actively uses our school. Groups
include: Boys and Girls Club, Pierce College
(GED courses), Bethel Rec and the scouts.
Wasl ResUlts
3rd grade TE District State
WASL 2007
Math 65 66 69
Reading 70 69 71
4th grade TE District State
Math 39 50 58
Reading 73 73 76
Writing 46 48 60
5th grade TE District State
Math 36 52 59
Reading 56 68 72
Science 18 27 36
6th grade TE District State
Math 30 42 50
Reading 57 65 68
3rd grade TE District State
WASL 2006
Math 38 58 64
Reading 46 65 68
4th grade TE District State
Math 43 55 59
Reading 79 83 81
Writing 43 56 60
5th grade TE District State
Math 54 49 56
Reading 79 73 76
Science 21 30 36
6th grade TE District State
Math 18 44 50
Reading 49 64 67
deMogRaphiCsEthnicity TE District
adeqUate yeaRly pRogRess
Thompson did not meet adequate yearly
progress (AYP), as defined by the No Child
Left Behind Act. AYP is determined primarily
by year-to-year student achievement on the
Washington Assessment of Student Learning
(WASL) in reading and mathematics.
Each year individual schools and the
school district must “raise the bar” in gradual
increments so that by 2014, 100 percent of
students achieve proficiency in each subject
area.
Thompson met AYP in 93 percent of the
categories, but did not meet AYP in reading
and math for special education students. We
are implementing a wide variety of interven-
tion strategies to help all students learn to
their full potential.
top-notCh staffThompson has 31 classroom teachers. They
average 13 years of teaching experience and
74 percent have a master’s degree. They are
joined by a wonderful support staff who have
students’ best interest in mind in all that they
do.
Bethel sChool distRiCt
Bethel School District serves about 17,500
students in 15 elementary schools, five junior
highs, three comprehensive high schools, one
alternative junior high/high school, and an
online academy. The district has won national
awards in technology and communications,
as well as state awards in professional devel-
opment, energy conservation, and the arts.
In addition, five district teachers have earned
“Washington State teacher of the Year” in the
last 25 years -- more than any district in the
state.
The Bethel School District covers 202-
square miles in south Pierce County. The area
is one of the fastest growing in the Puget
Sound region. In 2006, district voters passed
both a four-year levy for operations and a
$175 million bond to build new schools.
As part of the first phase of the bond, two
elementary schools and one junior high are
scheduled to open in September 2009.
In 2006-2007, the district’s budget was $146
million, about 80 percent of which went to
salaries and benefits. About 1,050 certificated
staff and about 1,000 classified (support) staff
work for the district. Tom Seigel joined the dis-
trict in 2001 as superintendent. He previously
worked in Boulder, CO as a superintendent.
Prior to his work in public education, Seigel
served in the U.S. Navy for 25 years, complet-
ing his military career as a Commander.
American Indianor Alaska Native: 2.0% 3.5%
Asianor Pacific Islander: 10.7% 9.3%
Black: 18.8% 11.2%
Hispanic: 14.5% 9.6%
White: 54.1% 66.4%
FrEE &rEducEd Lunch: 60.2% 35.4%