Catharine Blaine K-8 School

Why Choose Blaine?

Catharine Blaine’s Vision Statement

The staff, families, and community of Catharine Blaine K-8 School envision a creative, student-centered school environment. We encourage every child to develop a love of learning, to appreciate diversity and to reach his or her highest potential intellectually, socially, physically, and emotionally.

Catharine Blaine K-8 School

Principal: Heather Swanson heswanson@seattleschools.org

2550 34th Avenue West Seattle, Washington 98199 

Office: 252-1920 Fax: 252-1921

24-hour Attendance Line: 252-1924

Text Box: We Share Your Goals You want the best for your child—and so do we. At Catharine Blaine K-8 we encourage every student to develop a love of learning, to appreciate diversity, and to reach his or her highest potential intellectually, socially, physically, and emotionally. By offering a challenging, well-rounded academic program blended with a variety of dynamic enrichment opportunities, we believe we can make success happen for each and every one of our students. K‑8 Model We start small. At Catharine Blaine we strive to limit our three kindergarten classes to 20 students each, providing an outstanding teacher/student ratio to launch your child’s academic career. The small class size pays off, too. At the conclusion of the 2005-2006 school year, 88 percent of our kindergarten students were reading at grade level or above as measured by the Direct Reading Assessment (DRA). Catharine Blaine also offers the only middle school program in Magnolia. Our K‑8 structure allows us to nurture and support our students in a personal, in-depth way for nine years. Continuity in curriculum, facilities, staff members and programs means a seamless transition from elementary school to middle school at an important point in your student’s academic career. It is a unique opportunity to prepare for the rigors of high school by adjusting to a set of teachers and changing classrooms throughout the day in a familiar, supportive environment. Catharine Blaine is the kind of school where the principal knows every student by name, from kindergarten through graduation. Excellent Staff and Administration The staff at Catharine Blaine is a highly dedicated, well-trained group of academic professionals. The majority of our teachers have advanced degrees in education and are specialists in their fields of instruction. Our administrative team brings their combined expertise in leadership, curriculum, and instruction to bear on all collaborative efforts with staff and families. Click here to find pictures and bios of our entire staff. Parent and Community Involvement Blaine K‑8 benefits from a tremendously supportive volunteer community and PTA. Parents, grandparents, caregivers, and community members volunteered countless hours last year, doing everything from tutoring to working in the classroom to creating fundraisers for enrichment programs. We enjoy strong collaborative relationships with the Magnolia business community and civic groups such as the Magnolia Rotary Club, which each month honors Students of the Month at Blaine. Academics Plus Our strong academic curriculum emphasizes reading, writing and mathematics at all grade levels. We also offer an inquiry-based science curriculum, developed by the National Science Foundation, which begins in kindergarten and continues through eighth grade. The entire curriculum is integrated across subjects, using the Washington State Grade Level Expectations to guide our instruction. Differentiated instruction at Blaine means that each child is challenged at his or her individual level. This contributes greatly both to student achievement and to individual confidence and self-esteem. On the 2005-2006 WASL, our third graders scored 92% in math, one of the top scores in the district, and 85% in reading. Our sixth graders posted an 87% in reading, placing them in first place in the Seattle School District. To view the latest achievement data, please click here: http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/schoolguide/wasl.php?order=&sort=reading&search=&wasl_district_id=17001&wasl_grade_level=6 The following special programs and services enhance the strong academic foundation at Blaine: Our full-time Literacy Specialist allows us to work closely with any student who needs extra help to meet standards for reading and writing. To meet the needs of all students, our teachers use differentiated instruction to both challenge and broaden the academic experience for all students. Blaine enjoys the benefit of having a full-time counselor on staff, available to help students from kindergarten to grade eight. Our middle school program offers leadership classes that create in-school and off-campus internships and service-learning opportunities that help strengthen civic responsibility. Our EXTEND program provides advanced learning options for students in grades 5-8. Similar to differentiated instruction, EXTEND is designed to encourage advanced students to fulfill their academic potential by choosing a higher degree of academic rigor. We are also developing a pilot program to offer advanced learning opportunities for grades 1-4. The Blaine special education teachers and support staff provide specially designed instruction for students who qualify for special education services. The staff includes specialists in reading, speech and language, and occupational/physical therapy. Our middle school inclusion program meets the academic and social needs of middle school students who have moderate developmental disabilities and/or health impairments. For more information on Blaine’s special education program, click here.

Enrichment Programs

Offered year-round, general music (grades K-4), instrumental music (grades 4-8), and visual arts are all celebrated here, due in large part to support from our PTA.  We celebrate every year with a two annual concerts, combined with an evening of the arts that allows us to showcase the work that our students produce.  Field trips at every grade level are designed to complement classroom instruction, and after-school clubs and classes serves a broad ranges of interests including chess, math, science, skiing, foreign languages, debate, jump-rope, and unicycle. Please click here for more information about activities at Blaine.

 

A Community School

Catharine Blaine K-8 is uniquely located in the heart of Magnolia.  Our campus boasts large, light-filled classrooms and spacious hallways. The playground offers two playscapes and plenty of room to run and burn off energy. We’re right next door to the community swimming pool (where second and third graders take swimming in the spring), soccer and softball fields, and the Magnolia Community Center, which offers outstanding before- and after-school childcare as well as pre-school options.  The Magnolia branch of the Seattle Public Library is only two blocks away, and all the amenities of the Magnolia Village business district are within easy walking distance.  Blaine is truly a part of the community landscape, providing a familiar, safe, and comfortable environment for your child. We hope you choose Blaine for your child and that you and your family become a part of our wonderful K-8 community.

Blaine School is proud to be a part of Successful Schools in Action (SSIA), a new educational nonprofit that includes the seven public schools on Queen Anne and Magnolia, K-12. These schools include: Coe Elementary, John Hay Elementary, Lawton Elementary, Catharine Blaine K-8, McClure Middle School, the Secondary Bilingual Orientation Center (SBOC), and the Center (High) School. SSIA schools are working collaboratively together to share resources and information in order to broaden and enhance the academic achievement, social development, and civic awareness of all students.  We are also forming partnerships with individuals, businesses, nonprofits, and other neighborhood groups in the community to create opportunities for students to actively participate in their neighborhoods, as well as for community members to participate in our schools. To learn more about Successful Schools in Action please visit their website at schoolsinaction.org

Blaine’s Transformation Plan

View trends, goals and administrative objectives here