Mission

Evergreen Elementary School provides learners of all abilities, styles, and aspirations, the thinking, technical, and social skills needed for lifelong success in a diverse, competitive, and rapidly changing world. Using a team approach, we provide innovative instruction using research-based strategies. Evergreen works in partnership with its families and community to create an environment that fosters a high level of student achievement.

Parent and Community Involvement in Learning

PTA fundraising events paid for field trips. Read to Succeed program involves families reading together, and Partners in Print supports a family literacy program.

We appreciate all that our parents do for us. It's a great partnership!

What Makes Us Special

• Evergreen is a part of America's Promise with five core qualities: Caring Adults, Safe Places, Healthy Start, Marketable Skills and Opportunities to Serve.
• We belong to the Alliance for Youth of Pierce County.
• Our school is the north end English Language Learner location. We have 21 diffferent languages spoken in our school.
• The Early Head Start program is located at Evergreen with children from birth to three years of age.
• We have two Independent Learning Classrooms with exceptional children.
• There are four all day kindergarten classrooms at Evergreen.
• We have a partnership with the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department Basic Food and Nutrition Program for the 2008-09 school year.
• Parent-Child Take Home Reading Program (K-2)
• Parent-Child Take Home Math Program (1-2)
• Read to Succeed: Family reading program with awards and recognition for quality reading time as a family.
• Partners in Print: A family early literacy program for parents and children, pre-school to second grade. Staff members provide training for parents in how to select books and read with their children. During the sessions, they are given an opportunity to practice together.
• We have Thanksgiving Baskets and a Christmas Giving Tree: Food baskets and gifts are provided to families and children (donated by staff, parents, community members, and local organizations).
• We host Literacy, Math and Multicultural Family Events and have an ongoing food bank.

Raising Expectations and Standards

At Evergreen, highly qualified teachers work closely together and use state standards to guide their teaching. Our Student Learning Improvement Plan focuses on literacy, math, parent involvement, and technology. Evergreen has a school-wide Title I program that benefits all students. Well-trained paraprofessionals assist teachers in providing individual and small group instruction to support students in gaining high-level reading skills. We also provide early literacy training to parents through our Partners in Print program.

Community Connections

Our building is used by many community organizations including the Boy Scouts and Bethel Recreation. Our PTA organizes events for the community including family nights, health and safety fairs, a carnival, a March of Dimes walk-a-thon and book fairs.

Top-notch Staff

Evergreen has 40 classroom teachers with two of those teacher being Nationally Board Certified. They average 13 years of teaching experience and 60 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.

Adequate Yearly Progress

Evergreen 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.

We believe in the potential of each and every child and will do all we can to help students succeed.

Bethel School District

Bethel School District serves about 17,500 students in 17 elementary schools, five junior highs (with another opening its doors in 2010), 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 development, 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 (temporarily housing Spanaway Lake High School) were opened in September 2009.

In 2007-2008, the district's budget was $158 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 district 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, completing his military career as a Commander.