Mission

We provide the opportunity for students to become responsible citizens, to contribute to their own economic well-being and to that of their family and community, and to enjoy productive and satisfying lives.

We use the Grade Level Expectations and our adopted curricula as guideposts to inform instruction and to monitor student learning. As a result of our instruction, all students will demonstrate mastery of Washington State's Essential Academic Learning Requirements. In addition, we assertively identify and support students who might require additional assistance to reach mastery.

Parent and Community Involvement in Learning

During the 2007-2008 school year, parent volunteers logged about 3,500 hours tutoring, helping with clerical work, and performing other useful tasks. Thank you, volunteers!

Community Connections

Graham Elementary staff members are service oriented and passionately believe our school belongs to the community. The YMCA uses our school to offer before and after-school activities for children of working families. In addition, local organizations use classrooms to provide monthly parenting workshops, science courses for students and other family oriented activities.

Raising Expectations and Standards

Graham's teaching staff uses Washington State's Essential Academic Learning Requirements as a guidepost to develop rigorous learning experiences that challenge each student to reach his or her full potential. We monitor student progress through classroom-based and state-mandated assessments to identify strength areas for celebration and deficit areas for focused intervention.

What Makes Us Special

We take great pride in innovative programs that influence achievement and reward excellence in academics, leadership and citizenship.

Every student is expected to complete Weekly Reading Logs documenting 100 minutes of reading each week. Students eagerly anticipate Monday morning announcements when completed Reading Logs are randomly selected for primary and intermediate grades. The winners and their classmates receive special prizes donated from local businesses.

Our monthly B.E.S.T (Building Everyone's Self-Esteem Together) program is conducted entirely by student leadership teams to recognize and celebrate achievement. At Graham, we believe in each other and utilize our strengths as a team to help students achieve.

Top-notch staff

Graham Elementary has 42 classroom teachers. They average 10 years of teaching experience and 59 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

Graham Elementary did not meet adequate yearly progress (AYP), as defined by the No Child Left Behind Act. Of the 36 areas measured, the school met all but one benchmark. 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. Graham met the benchmarks in each category for all student sub-groups.

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.