Shorewood Elementary School students led by music teacher Margie Paynton sing it loud and proud: “When I build up my knowledge, I can go to any college!” The “Shorewood Pride” song, to the tune of “She’ll be Comin’ Round the Mountain,” is just one bit of evidence of the college-going culture budding at this elementary school that feeds into Cascade Middle School and the Evergreen high school campus.

On a bulletin board down the hall, staff members have posted memorabilia from the colleges they attended to get conversations about college started. Beginning later this month, sixth graders will meet every Friday with Principal Deborah Holcomb in a class where they will explore career options, learn about college entry requirements, investigate scholarship opportunities, and create a plan to get to college. The culminating activity will be a college fair where students will share information on a college or university they have researched with parents and invited guests.

Shorewood pride shows up in many ways here. Certainly, staff, students, and parents are proud of their beautiful new facility that opened just a year ago to replace an aging building. Student-made Shorewood Pride posters line the walls. Third grader Mayleen Transon puts it this way: “I’m proud to be a Shorewood student because I get to show my smart thinking in math to others.”

Math is a hot topic at Shorewood. With math scores flat, the school is focusing special attention on math achievement. This year, students in grades four through six are getting 40 additional minutes of math instruction. The school math specialist is working with teachers to develop strategies that will boost students’ math proficiency. A strategy that has been successful already is the after-school math club. Students who participated saw a 15- to 20-point increase in their Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) scores last year.

Recently, Shorewood staff dreamed up a fun way to combine math and nutrition, at a Math and Market Night that drew 300 families. Shorewood’s on-site nutritionist Joe Carlton, funded by a Food Sense grant, worked with intermediate students to measure and package fruits and vegetables to “sell” at Market Night. Students completed fun math and nutrition-themed activities with their parents, then used Shorewood Bucks to purchase fresh produce to take home. In the process, kids learned real life lessons about budgeting and buying.

Last spring, Carlton helped students plant a garden of tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, turnips, and pumpkins. “Students were thrilled when they returned in early September to see our giant pumpkins overflowing their garden space and tomatoes everywhere,” says first-grade teacher Jenny Kroon. “Most of us had no idea those two plants would be so prolific!”

Shorewood has seen a significant shift its population over the past five years. Once a primarily white middle class neighborhood, Shorewood now is much more diverse, with 61 percent students of color. More than half of the students qualify for free and reduced price lunches.

“Our vision for students at Shorewood is to have both personal and academic success,” says Principal Holcomb. “Celebrating our cultures and experiences together has helped to strengthen our academic program and ensure that all students receive the best education possible.”

“As the needs of our population have shifted over the last few years, and with no increase in funding, we have had to think outside the box and be very creative in our efforts with our existing resources,” says Holcomb. A new reading instruction strategy called Response to Intervention is showing promise among students in the primary grades. In addition to moving struggling first and second graders dramatically closer to grade level, the new strategy has also pushed first graders who were reading at grade level up toward the second grade benchmark.

Holcomb shares credit for the school’s success with parents and the PTA. “Our journey of continuous improvement has tremendous support from our PTA,” says Holcomb. “Shorewood wouldn’t be Shorewood without our amazing PTA and parent volunteers!”

Shorewood parent Molly Ajeto, mother of third and fifth grade sons, praises the Shorewood staff for embracing every student and helping each one to succeed academically and personally. She says family involvement is highly valued here. “This is my family’s sixth year at Shorewood. We love the sense of community that we feel here,” says Ajeto. “The school is a very welcoming place to be.”

Photo caption: With Principal Holcomb looking on, Mayleen Transon welcomed school board members at a recent board meeting held at Shorewood Elementary.