LearningView Ridge provides the following academic programs and resources to support the achievement and growth of all elementary students at the school:
- Writing
Writing is deeply valued at View Ridge. Through the Writers in the Schools Program, we are fortunate to welcome Kathleen Flenniken for a second year as our Poet in Residence. Ms. Flenniken is a well-known Seattle poet whose recent collection of poems, Famous, was named a Notable Book of the Year by the American Library Association, among other honors.
WITS is a unique program which brings professional writers to public schools to inspire through reading, writing, and performance. WITS writers-in-residence work with teachers to allow students the opportunity to create, present, and receive peer feedback on their writing. Writers-in-residence are professional, published, creative writers who live in the Puget Sound region.
In addition to our Poet in Residence, View Ridge teachers draw upon a number of other writing resources. Our staff has received intensive training in the Lucy Calkins Writer’s Workshop model. Writer’s Workshop emphasizes various units of study that focus on “small moments,” personal narratives, fiction, revision, and author’s craft. In the summer of 2008, many of our staff attended a Writer’s Workshop training through the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project at Columbia University.
- Math
View Ridge uses the Everyday Mathematics curriculum the adopted by the Seattle Public Schools. All Seattle Public elementary schools are implementing Everyday Mathematics. Click here for a parent guide to Everyday Math, and here and here for fun Everyday Math games for your student. For more information on math in the Seattle Public Schools, see the District's math website.
Our teachers develop mathematical thinking and understanding through the use of games, manipulatives, real-life problem-solving, whole-group and small-group instruction, multiple methods for basic skills practice, and home-school communication and partnership.
- Science
Science and technology go hand in hand at View Ridge. Students use electronic resources for science research. In addition, classroom teachers increase conceptual understanding using inquiry-based multi-disciplinary kits available from the District, a program that originated through a National Science Foundation grant.
Students have many opportunities for direct, hands-on learning during science classes. Whether classes are growing seedlings or using View Ridge’s research-quality microscope, students gain new perspectives as they explore.
This year, View Ridge is fortunate to begin planning and constructing an outdoor classroom, geared toward student engagement in the natural environment. After View Ridge teachers proposed this unique teaching tool, View Ridge’s PTA provided funding for the plantings, research stations, and environmental features.
Click here for more information about science education in the Seattle Public Schools.
