Arbor Heights Elementary School

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Arbor Heights Elementary
Arbor Heights Elementary School
Location
3701 SW 104th Street
Seattle, WA 98146

Information
Principal Dr. Carol Coram
Enrollment

323 (2006-07)

Type Public
Established 1948
Information (206) 252-9250
Homepage

Arbor Heights Elementary School is a k-5 school in the Seattle School District. It is located in the southwest corner of Seattle, Washington, in a residential neighborhood known as Arbor Heights. Enrollment will be 323 students for the 2006-07 school year.

Contents

[edit] History and physical plant

The school was built in 1948. In the summer of 2002 there were major seismic upgrades and roofing replacement. In 2005 there were significant improvements to the heating, air, and water quality of the school. The school is situated on a 4+ acres, with an extensive playground and playscape. In the fall of 2006 the playground will be officially named after Jackie Keegan, longtime administrative assistant and playground supervisor at the school.

[edit] Academic program

Academic achievement of every student is the primary focus of all staff. Students participate in music and physical education on an alternating daily basis. The school publishes a monthly student newspaper, distributed in hard copy and available online in pdf and podcast. Archives date back to October, 1994, and the Newsletter bills itself as “The oldest continuously published elementary school student newspaper on the Internet”.

[edit] Special events

Salmon tank at Arbor Heights
Salmon tank at Arbor Heights

Every spring the school holds a Young Authors’ Conference, where each student publishes a book. The school participates annually in a salmon release program, hatching and releasing fry in the local Fauntleroy Creek. Every year the school participates in an artist in residence program. In the spring there is an alternating science or art fair. The school has a kiln, and students regularly participate in creating clay projects. The school holds an annual carnival in the spring. All-school service learning projects have included a Kids for Cans food drive, Katrina coin drive to benefit the Humane Society, and a blanket drive for the Union Gospel Mission in Seattle.

[edit] Technology

The school has a computer lab, 3-5 student computers per classroom, and 50 laptops available to classrooms for special projects. The school uses the Windows operating system exclusively. Each teacher has a computer in the classroom, and each staff member has a laptop for use at home and at school. The emphasis on the use of technology is in integration with core academic subjects.

[edit] The web site

The school was the ninth elementary school in the world with a web site, with a launch on August 14, 1994. A screenshot of the home page was featured in The Road Ahead by Bill Gates. The home page was originally known by the byline “Home of the Earth Day Groceries Project”. It has been continuously located at www.halcyon.com/arborhts/. In 2003 it acquired the www.arborheights.com domain. Recognizing the future of the web, in 2006 the school launched a wiki at arborheights.wikispaces.com

[edit] Community partnerships

The school houses a before/after school YMCA day care program. It also offers an Art Wizards after school art program. The school has partnered every year since 1993 with the local Safeway grocery store in The Earth Day Groceries Project, with students decorating grocery bags for distribution to the public on Earth Day. In the 2005-06 year the school collaborated the local Tully’s with five “Writers’ Night Out”, where Arbor Heights students shared some of their best writing with the public. This program will continue in the 2006-07 school year. For several years the school has collaborated with Macy's in the Pen Friends and Young Achievers programs.

[edit] The PTSA

The Arbor Heights PTSA meets the third Thursday of every month of the school year, at 7:00 pm. A very active group, the PTSA sponsors fundraisers throughout the year to support a variety of events: Friday Popcorn, Dads & Donuts, Grandparents Day, Teacher Appreciation Week, Volunteer / Staff recognition - Golden Acorn Award, Bingo Night, Bowling Night, and a Spring Carnival. The PTSA also supports ongoing programs and capital improvements such as The Grassy Knoll, Instrumental Music, Artist in Residence, Transportation for fifth grade camp, U-Wired computer tech support, and more. The Arbor Heights PTSA maintains a discussion list, has a blog, and regularly contributes to the school wiki.

[edit] Contact information

Arbor Heights Elementary School
3701 SW 104th
Seattle, WA 98146
Phone (206)252-9250 Fax (206)252-9251
Dr. Carol Coram, Principal
ccoram@seattleschools.org

[edit] References

[edit] External links