North Beach Elementary School

Hi, this is the, proud Principal of North Beach Elementary School. If you are interested in coming to our school then please feel free to contact me. I will be happy to meet with you, give you a tour and answer your questions about our learning community this might help you gain a better sense of our school-wide plan, goals and support infrastructure along with a plethora of afterschool clubs for all students. I actually rated us 4/5 because we have a growth mindset and will not settle for complacency by thinking that we have nothing to improve on. Our Building Leadership Team read the book, Good to Great and the Social Sectors 2 years ago and this quote continues to drive many of our conversations today, Greatness is an inherently dynamic process, not an end point. The moment you think of yourself as great, your slide toward mediocrity will have already begun. Again, please feel free to contact me to schedule an appointment to see our wonderful gem in the north. All the best, Principal (since fall of 2010)
—Submitted by a teacher

The Pros: The PTA works hard to provide a lot of extras the budget won't support. PE teacher is awesome. The Cons: The principal is an ineffectual leader and I would be hard-pressed to say what he does with his days other than morning announcements. He does endear himself to the kids, so the kids like him and because the kids do, the parents follow along. If you have any concerns, though, he completely shuts down and you're on your own. The PTA pretty much runs the school, which isn't necessarily a good thing. The teaching staff is very hit and miss - some are amazing, dedicated and caring. Others are frazzled (not entirely surprising given the 25:1 classroom ratio) and snippy. Best advice is to speak to someone who has experienced multiple grade levels.
—Submitted by a parent

Wonderful neighborhood feel, great activities, art, pe and library. Hit and miss with great and well less than great teachers. Great parent involvement. Sadly, principal and most staff follow districts decades behind non-compliance of federal special education laws. Over the years, many families have sought legal assistance, ombudsman's assistance or left for private to get childs federally protected needs met. So if you have an "easy" cookie cutter kid it may be a good experience.
—Submitted by a parent

We are just completing our 4th year at North Beach. The addition of RJ Sammons as principal has made the school even better than when we started. There's a strong sense of community, a lot of parent involvement and you can tell that the staff really cares about the kids' growth. Even though my daughter tests into Lowell we're going to stay at North Beach because she is challenged and feels so comfortable.
—Submitted by a parent

Great News! Beginning with the 2010-11 school year, North Beach has a new principal, a young man who seems very enthused to be there. This has been great for staff, parents, and students, as for the previous 3 years the school had suffered under a principal who simply wasn't a good fit. We've got wonderful teachers who support innovative programs such as our "Walk to Math" and "Walk to Reading" blocks in which students leave their classroom to walk to the Math class or Reading class that best matches their current level and needs. This means a precocious kindergartner might go read with the 2nd graders. For math, if your kid is at grade level they go to one math class, if they are struggling, they walk to another, if they are advanced, they go study math with the older students. VERY innovative for a public school. Huge parental involvement too, and it is welcomed and used well by the teachers.
—Submitted by Grant Fjermedal, a parent

It's a small school, has a family feel, and has great teachers!!!!
—Submitted by a parent

Because it it large enough to have great resources and programs, but small enough that the principal knows every kid (and most of the parents) by name. We often have 100% PTA membership from year to year. Kindness and inclusiveness are core values along with academics. The 'gifted' program isn't all/nothing: kids who might benefit from advanced instruction in math but not English, etc., can still can access that advanced learning in that one area -- a side benefit of this is that you don't end up with a 'clique' mentality of the 'smarties' vs the 'regulars.' New science shows that that division actually hurts BOTH groups.
—Submitted by a parent

The dedicated staff and community of families working together to make the school the best it can be!
—Submitted by a parent

Without proper leadership a school does not thrive, teacher's settle for the status quo, and children get left behind. Once principal Morningstar left, this school has been struggling to find its momentum behind its leadership and failing. My child's first kindergarten year was under the leadership of Mrs. Morningstar and our year was stellar. Each year since has seen a steady decline in leadership and it is blaringly obvious when an issue arises. While academically I have nothing negative to say about the school, academics is not the only area of importance. I have been extremely disappointed in our last two years at North Beach (2007-2009) and will be sending my child to another school next year.
—Submitted by a parent

Good parent involvement and community. There are some great teachers there who really care and some great support staff in the PE dept and a great new resource center counselor who has been very proactive. The parents within the community are also very active. Two major complaints would be the relatively new principal's lack of ability to deal with the parents involvement and concerns and the repetitive nature of some of the math homework which is skewed for testing purposes - lot's of repetition and learning to do it as fast as possible.
—Submitted by a parent

I sent my daughter to North Beach for kindergarten - 3rd grade and it was a rather miserable experience for her. We were initially attracted to the school because it was within walking distance and it had 'Spectrum', a public gifted education program, in place. The Saxon Math worksheets were not satisfactory at all, and the staff was not willing to accomodate any different programs for her and the other 'Spectrum' students. I sincerely hope that the math and gifted classes supposedly in place have greatly improved.
—Submitted by a parent

Our kindergarten experience at North Beach has been quite different. While there are homework packets every week, we've never received anything 9 pages. There is an understanding that the homework is meant to reinforce the work of the week, however we've never felt any pressure to accomplish everything in the packet and if we did, a quick discussion dismissed that pressure. For our child it has been a great year and has really helped him develop a love of math, science, music, and socialization. His experience with the teachers and principal have been great.
—Submitted by a parent

North Beach has a great feel, lots of parent involvement, principal seems strong. The Kindergarten program, however, is joyless. There is such a focus on test scores at the expense of any choice time, games, or learning centers. It is direct instruction and worksheets all day long with a 9 page homework packet each week. I hope the other grades are more balanced. So far school hasn't been very much fun.
—Submitted by a parent

North Beach reading & math programs are excellent. Several parents transferred their children here to take advantage of a free, high quality public education. Principal involvement is great. Our teachers our dedicated, involved & it is obvious they love what they do. Our school has 100% PTA participation. We have several on-site clubs, a chorus, a drama group & a published newspaper. My son is so proud to be a 'math wizard'. He struggles with reading & receives regular tutoring during the school hours. No need for outside tutoring at this school! My son is so happy here that he can't wait for the PTA general meetings so he can go back to school. This school knows how to have fun too... Bingo nights, Sock Hop, Cake decorating contest & cake walk, Science Fair, Arts & Crafts Fair, just to name a few. My son & I are so happy here!
—Submitted by a parent

North Beach is one of the best schools in the Seattle School District in my opinion. My daughter has had the same academic approach and rigor at all grade levels and has benefited tremendously from the consistency and high academic standards. The parent involvement is exceptionally high and contributes to the great atmosphere. There are numerous extracurricular activities including drama, chess, science, art, and japanese. We love North Beach!
—Submitted by a parent

It being a small really helped my daughter who was a bit shy. Principal knows everybody personally and greets them. In class rooms, each child is given close attention, and will be given more advancenced contents if she/he excells in any particular subject, which I thought was great.
—Submitted by a parent

North Beach is a small school with committed parents and great academics including a spectrum program. During school hours journalism, art, music, spanish and technology are offered. After school drama, chorus, art wizards, mad science,and chess are offered.
—Submitted by a parent

We have a Kindergartner currently enrolled at North Beach Elementary in Seattle Washington. This school ranks in the top 3 public Elementary Schools for academic (WASL) test scores. The teachers are fantastic. The school definitely exceeds our expectations for a public school in our neighborhood. Our child is exceding our highest expectations with regard to how much she learns there everyday. We are very pleased at the variety of programs (music, art, phys ed, etc.) that are available to her beyond the basic academic learning. The school newspaper gets especially high marks from everyone both inside and outside the school. Parent involvement at NB is extremely high. It is part of the community.
—Submitted by K Parent K Parent, a parent

The quality of education at NBE exceeds all of my expectations for a public or private elementary school. Both my 3rd grader and kindergartener are excited to go to school everyday and have developed a joy of learning. I can see that the academic instruction beginning with kindergarten has built a strong foundation in my third grader. In math class he is already learning elements of algebra. The parent/staff community and our new principal has created a warm and inspired atmosphere for my children to learn. I can't imagine sending my children to any other school.
—Submitted by a parent