Hamilton Elementary School
Welcome to Hamilton Elementary School!
- Hamilton Elementary School Website
- Continuous School Improvement Plan 2008-09
- Continous School Improvement Plan School Reporting Format & Schedule 2008-09
We welcome Port Angeles pre-schoolers through sixth graders to Hamilton Elementary School, 1822 West Seventh Street. If you have any questions, please call 360.452.6819.
Our Mission
We will ensure that all students continuously and measurably increase their academic and citizenship skills.
| Hamilton Statistics | 2007-08 |
2006-07 |
| Enrollment | 353 | 436 |
| Smallest Class | 22 | 19 |
| Largest Class | 29 | 27 |
| Average Class Size | 24 | 23 |
| Classroom Teachers | 17.5 | 23.7 |
| Support Staff | 1.9 | 1.9 |
| Administrators | 1 | 1 |
| Secretaries | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| Para-Educators | 13 | 11 |
| Custodians | 1 | 1 |
| Food Services | 3 | 3 |
| Volunteers | 75 | 75 |
| Avg. Annual Attendance | 93.37% | 94.0% |
| Suspended | 32 | 22 |
| Expelled | 0 | 1 |
| Students Promoted | 99% | 99% |
| Free/Reduced Lunch % | 56% | 52.3 |
| Title I/Lap | School-Wide | School-Wide |
| Special Education | 75 | 62 |
| Bilingual | 8 | 6 |
Reflections on the 2007-08 School Year
Hamilton Elementary continues to be a high achieving educational organization. WASL data for spring 2008 generated some notable results:
- Fourth grade writing achievement continues to improve modestly each year: Only one student scored at level 1, and there was no gender gap in fourth grade writing.
- Fifth grade science achievement rose by 18 points over the previous WASL.
- 44% of fourth grade students scored at level 4 in reading; no students scored at level 1 for the seventh consecutive year.
- 55% of fourth grade students met all three standards.
- Nearly half of fourth grade math students (49%) scored at WASL level 4: Level 4 math achievements increased or remained stable at all tested grade levels.
In addition, Hamilton experienced an increase in its community partnerships. New relationships were developed with the United States Coast Guard and Clallam County 4-H, and we look forward to the addition of volunteers from Park View Villas and Farmer’s Insurance in 2008-09 to our Hamilton community.
Plans for the 2008-09 School Year
Student Learning. Every year we are pleased to see more Hamilton students meeting our state’s standards. However, we won’t consider our job complete until all students are working at consistent high levels.
Writing. Hamilton’s K-4 program of writing instruction has produced improved results for the past three years. A priority focus will be extending opportunities for more developed writing pieces into 6th grade. We will likely be focusing on “Boy Writers” as a study this year. Using content studied in our social studies and science curricula also will provide opportunities for intermediate grades to focus on expository writing.
Reading. We will work as a professional staff to move specific strategies from our primary program into the intermediate grades at Hamilton. Our “Hawk Reading” program will continue to provide for more personalization of instruction. Students are re-grouped weekly based on skill levels. In addition, our Accelerated Reader program, a computer-based program in which students can test their comprehension, targets personal reading growth.
Math. Teachers are in the second year of the Port Angeles School District Bridges math curriculum adoption. Teachers will be identifying supplemental lessons to strengthen the math instructional core.
Science. A priority for us is maintaining the strong gains made this past year. We will work as a professional staff to move specific strategies from our intermediate teams throughout all grades at Hamilton. Science content is seen as an opportunity to continue gains in expository writing at our intermediate grade levels.
Professional Development. Like other Port Angeles schools, Hamilton seeks to develop a more comprehensive and formalized structure of interventions for students. We will be piloting universal screening tools as well as structured interventions for students who struggle. Our professional development will focus on how to accomplish these within a classroom as well in our school as a whole. We also intend to continue the use and full implementation of our FOSS Science Kit program.
School Climate. At Hamilton Elementary staff members are able and excited to provide for the needs of all kinds of students. The core of our belief is that students are best served in and around their assigned basic education classrooms as much as possible. This philosophy of including students in regular instruction with support, as much as possible, guides many of our student tutorial decisions. Our goal is to provide a continuum of opportunities from which students may benefit as their needs are identified. A visitor to Hamilton may see as many as 25 different small groups occurring at any given time to accommodate instructional needs. Title I resources, our partners from Park View Villas and the United States Coast Guard, retired teachers, parents, and other community helpers assist us with this task.
How Can You Help?
Every child deserves the opportunity to succeed. But not all children learn in the same way at the same time. The parents, friends of Hamilton students and our community are all instrumental in providing the additional support that makes learning at Hamilton motivating and rewarding. We need your support to continue our rich history of an elementary school that cares for kids and celebrates success. Please call us at 360.452.6818.
Use and Condition of the Building
Hamilton Elementary School is the third largest elementary school in the district, built in 1956, with modernizations and additions in 1978. The facility supports kindergarten through grade five classrooms, as well as outdoor fields for district and community recreation. The physical evaluation of this educational facility is rated 41.5% based on a January 7, 2008 study and survey by BLRB Architects. 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.