Principal's Message

At Sumas Elementary we are committed to helping all students reach their full academic potential by providing high-quality curriculum and instruction in a safe and supportive learning environment. We are committed to ensuring the success of all our students.  Included in this report is information for our community about our improvement efforts to provide our students with a quality education that will enable them to be successful in the twenty-first century.
 

Our School

We appreciate the continued support of our parents and community as we partner to provide the very best educational opportunities for all our students.  We are very proud of our school and our students and we are dedicated to excellence. Sumas has a family feel to it that is supported by our caring community.  We work as a team to support each of our student's learning needs.

We believe early intervention makes a difference.  We provide a Head Start Preschool on-site as well as a developmental preschool program.  This summer we offered a jump start to incoming Kindergartners not yet experiencing preschool.  All incoming Kindergartners and their families are invited to a Ready for K intro which gives families a great experience into the day in the life of a student at Sumas Elementary.  We are reaching out to families to create a connection between home and school all along their child's learning experience.

The focus at Sumas Elementary is on the whole child.  We value using best practices in instruction and use our learning time as a staff to hone these skills.  We have quality teachers who are passionate about meeting students where they are academically and helping them show growth.  All the while, students are learning how to communicate, problem-solve, and self-regulate their emotions while working with others.  This takes practice and support.  Staff continue to develop their skills and strategies to help each child be college-, career-, and citizenship-ready.

Each November we hold student-involved conferences, where the student, teacher, and parent meet to share progress and set goals for the year.  We encourage communication between the home and school, reinforcing to the student that we are working together to provide the very best education.

Student Demographics

We serve a wonderfully diverse student population which enhances the quality of education available for everyone.  Our student attendance for 2017/2018 was about 94%, and we averaged about 18 students per class.  Please click here to view the most current demographic data provided by the Office of Public Instruction (OSPI).   

Facilities

Sumas Elementary School is home to preschool through grade 5 students, approximately 290 students.  Our small school continues to grow and as a result, we now have 5 portables which contain 7 classrooms in addition to our main building. 

2017-2018 School Improvement Accomplishments

• Continued implementation of after-school programming and partnerships which included project-based, academic support and other enrichment opportunities. 
  • Club de Lectura for our Spanish-speaking elementary students and Nooksack Valley High School mentors   
  • Academic support small group classes in math and literacy
  • We partner with Food Sense to offer healthy eating learning opportunities both during the day and after school
  • Partnership with the YMCA to offer after-school programming
  • Partnership with WWU for Compass to Campus mentoring program which brought about WWU students to mentor and support 5th grade students throughout the year during the day and grade 1 support after school.
• Continued emphasis on the education of the whole child
• Music instruction for all students
• Physical Education for all students
• Character Building class for grades 1-5, kindness theme embedded in instruction in all grades, classroom environments that support self, co, and group regulation using problem solving and restorative practices that are a common language throughout the building
• Watch D.O.G.S. - Dads of Great Students program successfully implemented to promote greater involvement of dads of our students.
• District-wide grade-level monthly planning meetings during early release days for staff professional development.  These days gave teachers time to meet to plan units, align instruction, review assessments, and collaborate on essential building and district improvement efforts.  
• Building focus on foundational math learning and looking at student work in a timely way allowed us to improve our students understanding of math
• Building focus on the implementation of Lucy Calkins's reading curriculum aligned our reading and writing instruction and deepened our understanding of the trajectory of reading across grade levels.
• Welcomed parents and the community into our school by hosting various community events over the course of the year:  Game Night, Bakers and Books, Reptile Man, Spring Arts and Crafts Fair, Curriculum Night, Ice Cream Social, Potlucks, Hispanic Parent Nights, PTO, Ready for K, Bookfairs, picnic lunch, monthly assemblies to honor student growth, etc.

2017-2018 School Improvement Activities

The staff of Sumas Elementary is fully committed to continuous professional development and providing research-based instructional practices for all students.  We commit to...

• increased student achievement in reading, writing, mathematics, and science as measured by the number of students meeting the standard on designated grade level and state assessments.
• implement professional development around best math practices, new math curriculum, and use of the Common Core standards. 
• developing cycles of learning in areas of our teaching practice that we need to improve to help enhance the instructional performance of all our teachers. 
• Support nurturing environments in every classroom that support self, co, and group regulation so all students thrive.

Opportunities for Parents and Community

We believe that for students to learn and develop their potential, it is essential that families and schools enter into an ongoing partnership. Parents are welcomed and encouraged to participate in a variety of ways and activities.

We welcome all parents to our Parent Teacher Organization. We will help you find an activity or venue that you would like to support or be involved in that matches your time constraints.  We appreciate your support in any way you can share it.

Parents are invited to attend regular Coffee with the Principal meetings to learn about the curriculum, school news and information, and new programs. This is a casual forum for parents to bring questions, concerns, or ideas to the attention of the principal.  Parents are also encouraged to communicate with teachers and to actively participate in their child’s learning.

Volunteers are welcome!  There are many ways you can volunteer.  We will help you find an avenue that works best for you.  Please pick up a volunteer packet with Mrs. Dewaard at the main office. 

2017 - 2018 Building Budget Expenditures

Certificated Staff Salaries 7%

Classified Staff salaries     4%

Benefits                            2%

Supplies                           74%

Contracts                         9%

Travel                               4%

Capital Purchases             0%

Sumas Elementary School OSPI Report Card 

Open HERE to receive the most current statistical data provided by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, including MSP results, student demographics, and more.