Graham Hill Elementary

Schools honored by state
By JESSICA BLANCHARD
P-I REPORTER

Graham Hill Elementary Principal Chris Morningstar knows what works
for her students: Focused reading groups, after-school tutoring,
regular testing and community partnerships.

But the school’s success, she said, is largely due to the dedication
of the teachers and staff. “It’s a concerted effort,” she said. “We
just work hard.”

The Seward Park neighborhood school became one of the first in the
state to get a Learning Improvement Award and be recognized as
a “School of Distinction” by the state superintendent Wednesday.

To be selected, a school had to meet the 2007 targets on the
Washington Assessment of Student Learning in reading and math and be
able to show strong academic improvement over six years. This was the
first year the awards were presented, with 86 schools chosen from
among the nearly 2,500 in the state.

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