Washington Elementary

The High Expectations workshops help parents to understand their role in their child's education. Parents learn what is expected of their child academically and how they can support their child at home. They also give parents the skills they need to nurture their children and create loving home atmospheres. This is an excellent opportunity for parents to receive the skills needed to ensure their child's academic success as well as learn how to access the school system in order to be a better advocate for your child and the other children at the school.

The Homework Club runs on Tuesdays and Thursdays in room 17 hosted by community volunteers MaryBeth Barloga and Dr. Margaret Walker. The club is from 3-4:30. Fourth and fifth grade students may receive help on their homework.

Reading Intervention classes (to be known as Reading Academy) for grades 1-3 will occur from 2:15-3  Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Students will be assessed during the first 12 days of school to determine their reading needs and if appropriate they will be placed in the Reading Academy. Reading intervention for Kindergarten is provided during their staggered time. Reading intervention for fourth and fifth grade will occur during the school day from 8:10-3PM.

The Resource Specialist works with students who have an identified learning disability. Parents/Guardians of these children meet at least annually with the teacher, resource specialist, and principal to determine areas of emphasis and specific goals and to assess progress. If you have a concern about this area, please contact the Resource Specialist.

A speech therapist is assigned to Washington School. The speech therapist works part-­time with students from all grades on an individual or small group basis. These students, who have diagnosed speech problems, are serviced both in the classroom and on a pullout basis as indicated by their diagnostic needs. Teachers and parents may refer students to the speech therapist for diagnostic purposes.

Although students are not screened for the Gifted and Talented Education program until 3rd grade, we recognize that somewhere around 5-­10% of our students are in that category. Speak with your child's classroom teacher to find out more details about the GATE program.

Students who speak a language other than English as their primary language are placed in classrooms with an English Language Development certified teacher and receive 30 minutes of English Language Development each day by a specially credentialed teacher.

In the main hallway, the school posts approved community resources for informational purposes only.

In partnership with Girls Inc. we have a counselor onsite for our students. If you have a concern about your child and would like your child referred for onsite services, please contact your child's teacher and she can make the referral. If we can not accommodate your child's needs in the services we have on campus, we can make a referral to Pathways main site located across the high school.

The new Parent Resource Room is set to open during the 2010-2011 school year. This will be a home base for our parent community where families can gather for formal and informal parent meetings and workshops. There will be computers with internet access for parent use and hours when staff or volunteers will be available to support families in a variety of different ways, including information about school and community programs, computer support, and homework help.