Oh what a Merry Christmas. The month of December has brought great news for Bridgeport and the greater surrounding area. Bridgeport Elementary received notice that we were one of six schools to receive the 2004 Washington State Academic Achievement Award. This award brings along with it a check for $15,000 to be used toward professional development. This follows on the heels of last weeks announcement of our selection as a 2004-05 Washington State Title I Distinguished School that awarded $2,500.

The Washington State Academic Achievement Award honors those school and improvement teams that have significantly raised student achievement in mathematics and/or reading through an identifiable strategy, which can serve as a state model. The successful school mathematics and reading strategies and products developed by teacher teams will be showcased at state conferences and on OSPI’s web site (http://www.k12.wa.us/EducationAwards ) and/or published in a guide book of case studies showing effective practices. The purpose of this award is to honor the work of successful Title I school teams while providing model strategies to assist other schools. Consideration was given to those schools which exhibit the Nine Characteristics of High Performing Schools and whose teachers, in a collaborative effort, produced highly effective strategies for student improvement in mathematics and or reading.

The Title I Distinguished School Award honored two Title I schools in the state that exhibited exceptional student performance for two or more consecutive years and made the most progress in significantly closing the achievement gap between student groups. Bridgeport Elementary received exemplary notice in the areas of curriculum and instruction, opportunities provided for all children to achieve, coordination with other programs, professional development, and partnerships with parents/families/communities.

These two state awards are a culmination of enormous effort on the part of our students, teachers, administration, and community. The students are putting in the extra to get the job done, from 7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Learning is taking place in every corner of Bridgeport Elementary School, says principal Scott Sattler. “Success breeds success,” as the high school receives the 2005 National Title I Distinguished School Award and the school board received the 2004 Washington State School Directors Diversity award for the second time in five years. Bridgeport School District continues to build on their successes and meet their mission to Leave No Child Behind.