Mission

At Naches Trail, all students learn and succeed!

What Makes Us Special

Naches Trail provides many opportunities for students to learn and grow. We are proud of our school. We believe it is a team effort - staff, students and parents - that leads to student achievement. Naches Trail has high academic expectations, advanced technology, and a belief in a strong work ethic for students and staff. In addition, the school offers the Accelerated Reader program, Challenge program, choir, band, orchestra, student government, safety patrol, conflict management, library helpers and more.

Our results on assessment tests like the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) have been positive.

Community Connections

Naches Trail is a center for many community activities. It is used for after school in-service classes, Bethel Recreation practices, Brownies, Girl Scouts, PTA, Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts. The school also hosts a wide variety of Bethel Recreation games.

Parent and Community Involvement in Learning

We believe that education is truly a cooperative effort among parents, students, staff and the community. Parents and community members are encouraged to get involved in the educational process of our students. The PTA features a number of community activities highlighted by the fall and spring fundraisers, the spring carnival, and several Friday night family skate parties.

Raising Expectations and Standards

We have a strong emphasis on technology: staff meeting time for technology training, grants to create technology-rich classrooms, and the active use of technology throughout into the curriculum. Our efforts to boost student achievement include:

• Endorsement of Professional Learning Communities to look at data and discuss student learning.
• Emphasis on math and reading with current best practices in teaching and learning strategies.
• Emphasis on "pacing" in Everyday Math, Houghton Mifflin Communication Arts and FOSS Science gives all students equal access to curriculum.
• Updating our Emergency Response Plan.
• Connecting with University of Washington professors to support professional growth in mathematics.

Top-notch staff

Naches Trail has 45 classroom teachers. They average 13 years of teaching experience and 51 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

Naches Trail did not meet adequate yearly progress (AYP), as defined by the No Child Left Behind Act. Of the 36 areas measured, the school missed only 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.

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.