Welcome to Washington Elementary! We are so glad you are interested in learning more about our great school. We find it a special place to work and learn. Washington has a rich history of providing creative and rigorous instruction for students. Our school’s past includes Integrated Thematic Instruction and Multiage Instruction, both of which provided a foundation to our philosophy of developing the whole child. Currently, our school offers many innovative approaches to engage students and teachers in collaboration, communication, and creativity.  Our classrooms are built to be learning communities we call ‘learning centers’ in which students and teachers have flexible use of space and furniture to create environments in which grade level peers can work together in small groups, pairs, or individually with a variety of peers and adults.  Working in a learning center allows our teachers to work interdependently towards our goals and develop the strengths and contributions of each teacher.

As a faculty, we have many goals for inspiring and cultivating students who will make an impact beyond the walls of their classrooms. To begin, using the acronym for P.A.T.R.I.O.T.S. we have created a Patriots’ Promise which includes 8 specific life and employability skills we believe help students succeed in our school and beyond. Our instruction develops students into critical thinkers who can collaborate and communicate over projects that are relevant to real world problems, STEM challenges that promote design thinking, and rich co-curricular opportunities to develop passions and talents.  Our approaches have earned us the Reward School Designation given by the Tennessee Department of Education to schools who demonstrate excellence in performance and growth, the Tennessee Behavior Support Projects Bronze Level Model of Demonstration School, and most recently the Tennessee STEM School Designation by the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) and the Tennessee STEM Innovation Network (TSIN).  

As our school leader, I have had many years of experience as a teacher, early childhood director, associate principal and principal in Kingsport City Schools. This has allowed me to consider the many ways our schools and the individuals in them impact children and families both academically and socially. We look forward to working closely with your family and welcome you to Kingsport City Schools and Washington Elementary.