The Emergent Multilingual Learner Advisory Council (EMLAC) advises the principal and school on programs and services for Emergent Multilingual Learners. The EMLAC is made up of parents and staff. All parents of Emergent Multilingual Learners are encouraged to attend the bi-monthly meetings.

The Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) program currently serves students in third through sixth grade in two different classroom settings. Students who qualify for GATE through a standardized identification process in second grade have the choice of a cluster model or self-contained magnet classroom. The GATE program is housed at Washington school, but it is an SBUSD program that serves all qualified students across the district.

Our GATE vision includes preparing students for the global environment by experiencing academic and social-emotional growth that is appropriate for their varying potentials. Teachers and students focus on developing thinking skills, making connections, solving problems, and communicating ideas effectively in oral, written, and visual formats. 

GATE teachers have a dual focus on the academic and social-emotional needs of GATE identified students. Academically, GATE students have alternate ways of engaging with content. To address this, they adapt and accelerate the grade level standards, offer additional rigor through depth and complexity, and incorporate opportunities for choice, logical thinking, and real-world application. Additionally, teachers support the unique social-emotional needs of GATE students, particularly how they perceive and react to the world around them.

In 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2013 Washington School came in first place overall in theSouth Coast Mathematics Superbowl (second place in 2011 and 2014). Washington School has been a consistently strong competitor in the math superbowl for many years.

This event was created 32 years ago to promote the study of mathematics and to honor the outstanding math students in Santa Barbara County.

On May 1, 1982, the first South Coast Mathematics Superbowl was held in Porter Hall, on the Westmont College campus. One hundred and twenty students, representing ten schools, participated in the event. The annual event soon outgrew Porter Hall, and was moved to the Santa Barbara County Education Office. In May of 2001, the Superbowl was moved to Warren Hall at the Earl Warren Showgrounds to accommodate even more schools.

The California Education Code requires the School Site Council to develop a Single Plan for Student Achievement. The purpose of the Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) is to create a cycle of continuous improvement of student performance, and to ensure that all students succeed in reaching academic standards set by the State Board of Education. The Washington School Site Council will serve as a forum where school staff, parents, and students can discuss a variety of issues that affect student performance at Washington Elementary School.

We now have a school garden as another bonus that our school provides to the students. The collaboration of the school district, school staff and parent volunteers created this special space for vegetables to grow and for students to explore. We are proud to have transformed an unused blacktop area into a garden full of edible plants that will help instill the passion for all of us to learn the benefits of a garden.

We broke ground in the Fall of 2011 and thankfully our dedicated volunteers constructed beds and added special soil along with many extra details so we can start our garden with the highest standards. The district had cut the asphalt for each garden box and provided a new fresh water line along with three hose bibs so our garden would not use the normal grey water irrigation that is used on the playing fields. We intend for this garden to be used as an educational tool where the teachers and students can have a growing space to introduce gardening into their curriculum.

We are grateful for community businesses and donors that contributed to our garden.

• Agromin
• Hayward’s Lumber
• Brummet Family
• Augie & Anthony Trejo, Roofers
• Wildcat alumni

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What’s growing at the Wildcat Garden

They picked their lettuce, spinach, broccoli leaves, and other items and made salad tacos, using the larger leaves and adding smaller veggies to the inside. They squirted some orange slices on top for a dressing. Many students had more than one “taco.”

The students are growing a variety of crops such as lettuces, peas, beets, radishes, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, peppers, Swiss chard, cabbage, bok choy, spinach, cilantro, carrots, onions, potatoes, beans, cucumbers, squash, melons, arugula, and much more. Many of the classes have had a salad party. Just in two months students have picked 8″ carrots they grew from seed. Some students have seen the benefits of ladybugs, eating off the aphids from some of the vegetables.

The enthusiasm for gardening is amazing and many times we need to remind students to not pick everything so other students can also taste their harvest.

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Volunteer opportunities

Parents volunteer to help out with garden time in their child’s classroom and we also have volunteers come out during the lunch period so students can visit, water their beds and make observations. We continue to add new garden “tools” and welcome volunteers to pitch in any help they can offer. Our garden shed is almost finished and we hope to add a better composting area along with an area to propagate plants soon. Any parent interested to learn more can contact Julia Hazard Peyton at jhazard@cox.net or Aira Harris at hazellharris@cox.net.

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Garden Heroes

• John Peyton is our garden engineer. He built the garden boxes and modified the garden shed to be more durable and to withstand all the elements. He has spent many weekends at our school and he never compromised the quality of his work.
• Julia Peyton is our garden expert with a degree in horticulture. She understands the best recipe to help our garden grow. She has also been instrumental with the construction of the beds as John’s partner. She is truly dedicated and committed to help our garden succeed. Julia has also been the mentor for many teachers and other parents.
• Aira Harris is our garden motivator. She has helped the teachers establish their gardens and to get more volunteers involved in the garden. Aira has inspired students to not only learn in the garden but to use the garden as an opportunity for teamwork and a positive place for students to thrive.
• Martee Andresen is our Master Gardener. She has developed a sophisticated garden program with her son’s classroom. Martee is eager to use the garden as an educational tool and is ready to mentor others to learn more about gardening.
• Jenni Pace is our garden rookie. Jenni wanted to learn more about gardening as her daughter is an avid gardener. She has initiated many garden activities with her children’s garden beds. She asks many questions and is not shy about working in the garden.
• Jennifer Brummet is our garden pioneer. Jennifer started the after-school garden program and worked around the school grounds, adding plants and removing weeds. She continues to garden working with all the 5th grade classes.
• Jim Bell, Kris Brodie, Bonnie Barabas, Elizabeth Palme, Mark Sherman, Sharon Partee, and Jayna Jones are garden educators who help out with their child’s classroom garden.
• Chris Blair, Mark Sherman, Danny Castagnola, Nick Svenson & Craig Harris have helped dig dirt and move parts of the shed on the weekends.