The Washington Elementary School mascot is the Explorer, a person who searches out new places and experiences and along the way adds to his/her life skills. In Grade 4 our classes spend a year of learning with one goal in mind: applying the things we learn to our fourth grade theme, Discovering Washington State.

We study Native Americans who were the first people in what is now Washington State. The Native American Heritage Kit on loan from the local library helps in this enjoyable task. Black History Month gives an opportunity to learn about African Americans who contributed to our state's prosperity.

We learn about the geography of our state and the rest of the world through a program called GROW and laminated desk sized Washington State maps which help teach children map skills.

 In science we study rocks and electricity. The important skills of measurement help us with day to day tasks and special projects. Volcano and earthquake study is important if you live on the Pacific Rim. In the spring the Weyerhaeuser Corporation provides us with a field trip to the Boise Creek Trail behind the sawmill east of Enumclaw. We learn about old growth forest and tree farms and the ecosystem of the forest.

In order to be a healthy Washingtonian we learn about our heart, take part in Positive Action activities to remind ourselves of how special we all are, study drugs and their effect on our bodies, and learn from our nurse about human growth and development.

Reading and writing are very important parts of our program. We write stories, reports, and articles. Drama is also a fourth grade favorite.

We use computers in our classrooms to learn math, facts, practice problem solving, and write stories.