Kate Wenzl
Principal

Dry Creek Elementary Statistics

	2006-07	2005-06
Enrollment	364	376
Smallest Class	16	10
Largest Class	22	22
Average Class Size	18	16
Classroom Teachers	20.8	23.3
Support Staff	1.9	1.9
Administrators	1	1
Secretaries	1.5	1.5
Para-Educators	13	12
Custodians	1.5	1.5
Food Services	2	2
Volunteers	100	100
Avg. Annual Attendance	99.6%	91.94%
Suspended	50	35
Expelled	0	0
Students Promoted	98.8%	99%
Free/Reduced Lunch %	55.6%	55.80%
Title I/Lap	School-Wide	School-Wide
Special Education	86	94
Bilingual	3	4
Highly Capable	n/a	n/a

Reflections on the 2006-07 School Year

At Dry Creek Elementary School, we are working to provide all students with a rigorous and relevant curriculum in a caring, academic climate. This past year our WASL student scores demonstrated the following achievements:

• 3rd grade reading scores increased 68.1% to 83.1%. Last year’s 3rd grader improved 68.1% to 77.3%, meeting standard on 4th grade WASL in reading!
• 3rd grade mathematicians increased 55.3% in 2006 to 69.5% in 2007 in geometric sense. Our fifth grade increased from their fourth grade score by 30% to 81%!
• 4th grade writer’s improved content, organization, and style from 36.9% to 55.8%, as well as increased their overall scores from 44.8% to 50% meeting standard.
• 4th grade math content probability/statistics increased over 20%; Native American students’ math increased 13%!
• 5th grade mathematicians improved their scores over 15% from 4th grade; 66.7% met standard. Females increased from 51.5% in fourth to 71.9% in 5th.
• 100% of 4th grade readers with special needs met standard! Their scores also increased in math by 10%.

Plans for the 2007-08 School Year

Student Learning. The learning targets for Dry Creek students are reading, writing, math and science, with renewed teaching focus on individual student strengths and challenges. Our first step is data collection and analysis to develop an understanding of celebrations and challenges. Data drives instructional decisions.

Reading. As a staff, we have focused on instructional strategies for developing reading comprehension skills and will continue to strengthen these strategies for students. We are implementing systematic phonics instruction and guided reading with supportive literature at all instructional levels with a variety of fiction and non-fiction materials. All students will have instructional time in the Dragon Plan reading room!

Writing. We will continue professional development for the new Sitton, Caulkins and Fletcher curriculum for classroom learning.

Math: New Bridges (K-5) and McDougal Littell (6th) math curriculum will be implemented. We will utilize time for grade level meetings to continue honing our math skills.

Science. Staff members are pursuing ways to implement learning through the use of methods such as investigations and science inquiry. FOSS science kits instruction will be used in this endeavor.

Professional Development. At Dry Creek we are improving student achievement in reading, writing, math and science, and also improving our school learning environment through professional development. This approach will guide our learning improvement. Staff learning happens best when it is:

• Focused on student achievement
• Based on real student work
• Includes colleagues working in collaboration

As a professional community, Dry Creek teachers participate in building professional development so that we can provide instruction that is also research based. We recognize that successful remedial strategies need to be at the student’s instructional level and provide incremental steps to build proficiency.

School Climate: We emphasize personalized small group and individual instruction. Each student is an individual, and research confirms that increased adult-student contact reinforces student learning. Our strategies make possible a wide range of programs that support students in small, flexible groups.

How Can You Help?

Every child deserves the opportunity to succeed. We know that not all children learn in the same way at the same time. The parents, friends of Dry Creek students and our community are all instrumental in providing the additional support that makes learning at Dry Creek motivating and rewarding. We are always looking for more volunteers, so that every child has an adult advocate for his or her personalized support. This will allow us to continue our rich history of an elementary school that cares for kids and celebrates success. Please call us at 360.457.5050.

Use and Condition of Building

Dry Creek is the fourth largest elementary school, rebuilt in 1996. The facility supports kindergarten through grade six classrooms, as well as outdoor fields for district and community recreation. The physical evaluation of this educational facility is rated four on a four-point scale based on a March 5, 2001 study and survey.

Facility Use and Conditions Report available at the Port Angeles School District office.

For more information on Port Angeles School District’s Report Card go to: reportcard.ospi.k12.wa.us.