Booker T. Washington Magnet is committed to creating a community of responsible learners that embraces excellence in education while serving the community, environment, ourselves, and our society.
I am a WINNER today and I will
Work Hard and do my best Improve daily and have a positive attitude Never give up on learning Notice the good in others Excel in all that I do Rise to all challenges Show respect for everyone and everything I am a WINNER Today!
The original Washington Elementary was built in 1949 and served twenty students. The current facility opened in August, 1989 and presently serves approximately 600 students Pre-K through Fifth grade. Booker T. Washington Magnet School prepares each student for academic excellence and civic responsibility. The school, parents, and community provide a challenging, innovative curriculum and nurturing environment that will teach discipline and respect for diversity. Washington Magnet School provides a firm foundation of skills in each subject area with additional emphasis on the areas of science, mathematics, and technology. Our hands-on learning laboratories offer our students weekly experiential learning opportunities. Our computer lab, computers in every classroom, SAFARI System in each classroom, and internet access throughout the building, offer our students immediate access to multi-modality instructionalopportunities.
Parents and community members are an integral part of the Washington community. The school’s PTA is very active and has won several awards for involvement. Guest speakers relate their experiences in science and related careers. Our Family Nights are well represented by parents, students and teachers. Parents and children are involved in solving math problems, conducting science experiments, hearing good literature and having an enjoyable time. Other
activities and programs are supported by our
Partners in Education
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Our Partners In Education Environmental Education Partnership Coalition *Arkansas Game & Fish Commission *Arkansas Forestry Association *Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality Trinity Episcopal Cathedral Parish The Little Rock Chapter of 100 Black Men of Arkansas Pi Omicron Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
Katherine Snyder, M.Ed., Principal Gregory Jones, Ed.S., Assistant Principal
Phyllis Ellis, Principal Secretary Carol Page, Attendance Secretary Donna Williams, Office Assistant
Booker T. Washington Magnet School Pre-K is an all day service to parents. The class room holds 20 children with a teacher/ paraprofessional ratio. Pre-K is monitored by the ECERS team to assure Quality Status each year. The early growth indicators are: 1. Group Behavior: learning to sit for storytime, forming a line, taking turns, working together, sharing,, and following directions. 2. Language Arts: letter recognition, letter sounds, verse and rhyme, stories, fingerplays, beginning manuscript skills.
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Math: counting, numerical recognition, sets, shapes, sorting and grouping.
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Music: singing with music, playing instruments, etc.
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Art: color recognition, holding crayons, pencils, and paint brushes correctly.
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Health and Science: foods we eat, dental health body parts, identifying animals and plants,
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Social Studies: me, my family, friends, community helpers, Christmas around the World, Black History
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Learning Centers: housekeeping, art, games, writing, listening,
books, blocks, computer, science, puppets and
The Booker T. Washington Magnet Kindergarten program builds a strong educational foundation for each student through balanced literacy: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, comprehension and vocabulary, innovative mathematics instruction (basic skills, reasoning, problem solving, algebraic thinking), as well as, comprehensive instruction in social studies and science. More mathematics and science support is given to the students through weekly sessions of one hour each in the math lab and science lab which are both staffed by certified specialists.
The educational experiences of kindergarten students are further enhanced by daily computer lessons in the classroom and 30 minutes per week in the computer lab where they are taught by an instructional computer specialist; in addition, to promote physical development, aesthetic development and enrichment, one hour each of physical education, music, and art is provided weekly by certified instructors. The kindergarten teachers challenge students in their areas of strength and support them toward further growth through whole class, small group, and individual instruction. At Booker T. Washington Magnet School, kindergarten students are always encouraged to reach their highest potential.
First graders are segmenting sounds, exploring long and short vowel sounds, being introduced to daily phonemic awareness activities, practicing using various reading strategies such as decoding, summarizing, asking questions, predicting and inferring. First graders are involved in daily writing exercises. Using a combination of hands-on experiences, workbooks, and math lab, the teachers work hard to instill the knowledge of number sense, time, money, algebra and problem solving.
Teachers, Specialists and Para-Professionals offer small group interventions to help our students in reading and math daily.
In second grade we give our students a strong foundation in reading, writing and mathematics to prepare them for the more complex material they will tackle in the upper grades. Areas of focus include: *reading fluency *sight word recognition *basic writing skills *addition and subtraction *telling time *counting money *multiplication (0-5) *problem solving
We also expand our students’ learning opportunities outside the classroom. Every year we organize the following activities for our children:
Field Trips *Black History Program in February *Quarterly awards ceremonies
The third grade teachers and students are really excited about learning at Booker T. Washington Magnet Elementary. We have been learning a lot of skills in literacy and math. In literacy, we have been acquiring skills to help us summarize nonfiction and fictional text. To be able to do this, we must be able to effectively take notes and identify major details. We have been studying multiplication and division using the methods of repeated addition, drawing arrays, using manipulatives, and drawing pictures to prepare them for fourth grade. In the following weeks, we will be identifying geometrical figures in 3-D and their features.
Students create and explore geometric shapes
Fourth grade classes are all engaged in Effective Literacy. Students read levelized books and write daily. Students work reading, writing and math problems focusing on ACTAAP preparation. Students also utilize in-depth vocabulary and reading comprehension skills.
The Fourth Grade Level Poetry Slam was held in December after a month long grade level poetry unit. Student poets were featured from every class. Students were also recognized for their hard work during the first nine weeks!
Recent studies of the American Revolution and Arkansas History have been of great interest to the students in our Social Studies classes. Students enjoy the hands-on fun-filled activities in math centered on algebra, geometry, numbers in operations, data and probability. All academic areas are integrated in Reading and Language Arts as students improve skills in reading non-fictional material.
Dr. Linda Watson, LRSD Superintendent gives Washington Fifth Graders a pep talk during her visit to campus.
Sports, Play, Active Recreation For Kids (Spark) was designed to supplement PE classes and provide a research based, field tested approach for all types of physical activity providers. Due to the success of the original study, the SPARK organization is dedicated to improving the quantity and quality of physical education activity for young people. Little Rock elementary teachers and middle school teachers started using this program in 2008.
Mr. Hallum and his Science Stuff
Mrs. Johnson discusses weather
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One hour hands-on lessons in well equipped labs with certified teachers with PLT, Wet, and Wild Training
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Variety of animals in the labs for the students to observe
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Arboretum with an outdoor classroom and a variety of native trees and shrubs which makes a perfect opportunity to observe the changes in the seasons
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Pond area that is home to a red-eared slider turtle and many birds in the area, including a pair of mourning doves
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Annually hatch chicks and butterflies
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Observe Earth Day, Arbor Day, and Green Week with conservation and environmental activities
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New Greenhouse
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Invention Convention Fair
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After school Science Club for 5th graders Many science adventures await your student at WMS
Arbor Day Tree Planting
Cooperative Groups with Partners in the Arboretum
Math Lab at Booker T. Washington Magnet Elementary school is a place for students to experience math in a variety of ways. The use of math manipulatives, open ended questions, and student discussion about problem solving strategies provides student an opportunity to work toward a strong understanding of math concepts taught at each grade level. Each kindergarten through 5th grade class spends one hour each week in the math lab, which supports the daily math instruction received in the classroom each day. Mrs. Rose Barnes, Math Specialist K-5, facilitates the students’ activities in the math lab. She has completed graduate course work in Math Education and has been with the Little Rock School District for 36 years Mrs. Patricia Goodman, Math Coach K-5, serves as a math instructional facilitator for Washington Magnet. She has completed graduate course work in Math Education and is currently pursuing a Master Degree in Educational Theories and Practice. She has been with the Little Rock School District for 10 years.
The Washington Elementary art room serves all students in grades K-5 for one hour each week. The curriculum is based on the Arkansas State frameworks for art and the Little Rock School district's art curriculum guide. Washington's art teacher Cynthia Phillips has 22 years of experience teaching art in the Little Rock District. She received her master's degree in art from UALR. Students are exposed to a wide variety of mediums such as paint (watercolor, tempera and acrylic), pastels, markers, pencils (colored and graphite), collage, clay, and paper mache. Liz Massey, a KTHV Channel 11 anchor and the star of "Fishin' With Liz", interviewed Washington's 5th graders while they worked on their Arkansas State Fish poster contest entries
Students are also encouraged to enter local art contests and Washington has had several winners over the years. Washington has had work accepted to the Young Arkansas Artists competition every year. In addition, student work is prominently displayed throughout the building throughout the year. Please feel free to come by the art room for a visit whenever you are in the building!
The mission of the Division of Special Programs in the LRSD and at Washington Magnet Elementary School is to assure that all students with unique educational challenges will attain their maximum academic, social, and emotional growth through a stimulating, challenging, and diverse curriculum in partnership with family, school, and community, therefore promoting acceptance and friendship. The mission statements encompass the promise of full educational opportunity for students with disabilities as mandated by federal and state legislation. They include the expectation that students with special needs will participate in the regular program as much as it is profitable for them and that professional support and resources will be available to help these students and the school's staff.
There are many special services available to students at Washington who qualify under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. These services include Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Speech and Language Therapy, Self-contained classrooms, Resource room services, and Indirect Services.
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The role of the Literacy Coach is to be a supportive, collaborative, consultant for teachers. Literacy coaches assist teachers in promoting essential understandings by providing specific literacy resources structured to enhance student learning and encourage parental involvement.
Barbara Griggs is the K-3rd Grade Reading First Coach at Washington. She has worked at Washington for 13 years. As the Reading First Coach, Barbara takes an active role in improving classroom reading instruction and intervention by:
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Providing K-3 teachers with support and feedback as they learn new practices and implement instruction. Sharing her expertise through training and in-class support. Demonstrating lessons and helping teachers refine instruction. Observing teachers’ practices and providing feedback, support, and ongoing assistance with Scientifically Based Reading Research (SBRR) strategies, programs, and assessments.
Barbara also assists teachers and administrators use assessment data to conduct instruction and professional development.
Deborah Winston is the Reading Recovery Specialist at Washington Magnet School. She has worked in the Little Rock School District for the past 4 years. She has been dedicated to improving literacy skills for children for 31 years. What is Reading Recovery? Reading Recovery is a highly effective short-term intervention of one-to-one tutoring for low-achieving first graders. What are the goals of Reading Recovery? The goals of Reading Recovery are to promote literacy skills, reduce the number of first-grade students who are struggling to read, and prevent longterm reading difficulties. Who receives Reading Recovery? The intervention is intended to serve the lowest-achieving (bottom 20%) first-grade students. How is Reading Recovery done? Reading Recovery supplements classroom teaching with one-to-one tutoring sessions, generally conducted as pull-out sessions during the school day. Individual students receive a half hour lesson each day for 12 to 20 weeks with a specially trained Reading Recovery teacher. As soon as students can meet grade-level expectations and demonstrate that they can continue to work independently in the classroom, their lessons are discontinued, and new students begin individual instruction.
The library media center at Washington Basic Skills/MathScience Interdistrict Magnet School is certainly a WOW! The spacious, open, and well arranged environment allows groups of varying sizes to meet in the main room of the library media center. The walls are beautifully decorated with murals depicting scenes from favorite books and scenes that illustrate the thrill of reading. These murals were hand-painted by our building art specialists. Other displays and bulletin boards creatively illustrate library skills, reading motivation, and current events. The library media staff includes one full time specialist, one half-time specialist, and one full time media clerk. The staff is dedicated and committed to providing the leadership, collaboration, technology, and access to materials that will encourage/develop a life long love of reading and learning. All students have access to the library media center via Free Flow and weekly library classes. The library staff and teachers collaborate to plan lessons that teach skills needed for students to
Our students participate in the web-based Accelerated Reader program administered through the library media center which promotes independent reading, vocabulary development, reading comprehension, and personal goal setting. Student successes in Accelerated Reader are recognized in several ways. Each week the class at each grade level with the most AR points is awarded the AR Banner. Students work individually to achieve reading certificate levels during each nine weeks and to achieve point, book level, and test score average goals for the school year. A spectacular celebration is held at the end of the year to celebrate student success in Accelerated Reader. Each year the library media center hosts a Scholastic Book Fair to introduce to students new book titles and to give them an opportunity to purchase books and other educational materials. This is always a fun, festive, theme-based event for the whole
Cleon Staggers is the Washington Magnet Gifted and Talented Specialist. She has a BA Degree from Philander Smith College and a Masters Degree from UALR in Gifted Education. She is responsible for K-2 Enrichment as well as 3rd - 5th Grade Gifted and Talented instruction. She has been teaching at Washington Magnet School for 20 years. Washington Magnet’s gifted and talented program is designed to challenge students who have unique needs, abilities and talents through a variety of learning approaches, including enrichment, and a qualitatively differentiated curricula. We offer school-wide quiz bowl competitions for grades two through five in the spring of each year. We provide other activities, which include: Fifth Grade Challenge, Spelling Bee, History Day and Thematic Projects.
Mrs. Staggers assists a student as she completes her original Mystery Story
Washington Magnet School students are proud to be annual participants of the Delta Classic 4 Literacy Spelling Bee.
The Washington Magnet School Student Council is an energetic student-run organization whose members represent the qualities and character of academic excellence. The council contributes significant opportunities for the student’ s cultural, social and academic enrichment. The Mission of the Booker T. Washington Student Council is to: • Foster good citizenship among its members and those they Represent •
Encourage respect between all individuals at Washington
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Involve all students in sharing ideas to enrich student life
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Plan activities that extend the learning environment beyond the school’s academic curriculum
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Help all students in the school work together
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Give all students an opportunity to practice leadership skills 2009-2010 Student Council Candidates
The BTW Technology Department is always filled with excitement and learning! At Washington Magnet School, technology is an integral part of daily learning. We use Compass Learning to help reinforce the daily classroom curriculum. Students also use Microsoft Publisher and PhotoStory to publish writing from the classroom. They use PowerPoint to create multimedia projects. Students also utilize the internet to conduct research. Digital cameras, printers, projectors, flash drives and tons of educational software are all part of the priceless experience that our students are afforded through our Technology Department.
Barbara Griggs LRSD Teacher of the Year 2008-2009
Harriett Newton Washington Magnet School Teacher of the Year 2009-2010
Marilyn Johnson LRSD Mentor of the Year 2008-2009
Thank You For Stopping By! Please call or stop by our main office to schedule a tour!
This publication was produced by
BTW Technology Department Shantail Miller, Technology Specialist Tamela Holmes, Technology Assistant Rhonda Williams, Technology Assistant Booker T. Washington Magnet School 2700 Main Street Little Rock, AR 72206 501.447.6700 Phone