Graham Hill Elementary School
Encyclopedia
Graham Hill Elementary School is an elementary school located in the Seward Park
neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, USA. The school serves students from Pre-K (3+ yrs) through 5th grade as part of the Seattle Public Schools
district.
By the mid-1950s, the post-war population boom in this area of south Seattle necessitated additional elementary school capacity. The school opened its doors as an annex of Brighton in 1957 in portable buildings set up at the site of the original Brighton school. That year it housed K-2 students and an additional grade was added each successive year until the school was a full K-6.
By 1960, the school had grown to the point where it could break the connection to Brighton and hire its own principal. Construction had also begun on a new brick building, which was completed in 1961. This newly independent school was named Graham Hill School. The name was chosen to honor Walter Graham, who originally settled this area in the mid-1850s, and as a nod to its location at the top of the ridge separating Lake Washington from the Rainier Valley. The school is not related in any way to the British racing driver
of the same name.
The school became a K-5 school in 1988, when the school district
moved 6th grade students to middle schools.
In 2004 work was completed on a $4.8 million expansion which added a new wing containing classroom space and a library expansion. This additional space was needed to replace portables, which had once more been employed. The current school encompasses 55037 sq ft (5,113.1 m²) on a 4.51 acres (18,251.3 m²) site with a total of 22 classrooms.
not considered "racially imbalanced" by a recent Seattle Times study. 73% of the school's population is non-white – about equal to the proportion in the school's ZIP code.
meets the fourth Tuesday of every month of the school year, at 6:30 pm. A very active group, the PTA sponsors fundraisers throughout the year to support a variety of events. The PTA also supports ongoing programs and capital improvements. The Graham Hill PTA maintains a discussion list, has a blog, and regularly contributes to the school wiki
.
Seward Park, Seattle, Washington
Seward Park is a neighborhood in southeast Seattle, Washington just west of the park of the same name. The park itself occupies all of Bailey Peninsula, a prominent, forested peninsula that juts into Lake Washington...
neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, USA. The school serves students from Pre-K (3+ yrs) through 5th grade as part of the Seattle Public Schools
Seattle Public Schools
Seattle Public Schools is the school district serving Seattle, Washington, USA. Its headquarters are in the John Stanford Center for Educational Excellence.-List of schools:...
district.
History and physical plant
The first school at this location was opened in 1901 as BrightonSchool. Brighton operated here for four years before moving to the site of the current Brighton Elementary school a few blocks away. The original building was used intermittently over the next couple of decades as an annex to Brighton—it was referred to as Brighton Beach or Little Brighton. The old schoolhouse was removed in 1943 and the site became a public playfield.By the mid-1950s, the post-war population boom in this area of south Seattle necessitated additional elementary school capacity. The school opened its doors as an annex of Brighton in 1957 in portable buildings set up at the site of the original Brighton school. That year it housed K-2 students and an additional grade was added each successive year until the school was a full K-6.
By 1960, the school had grown to the point where it could break the connection to Brighton and hire its own principal. Construction had also begun on a new brick building, which was completed in 1961. This newly independent school was named Graham Hill School. The name was chosen to honor Walter Graham, who originally settled this area in the mid-1850s, and as a nod to its location at the top of the ridge separating Lake Washington from the Rainier Valley. The school is not related in any way to the British racing driver
Graham Hill
Norman Graham Hill was a British racing driver and two-time Formula One World Champion. He is the only driver to win the Triple Crown of Motorsport — the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Indianapolis 500 and Formula One World Championship.Graham Hill and his son Damon are the only father and son pair both to...
of the same name.
The school became a K-5 school in 1988, when the school district
Seattle Public Schools
Seattle Public Schools is the school district serving Seattle, Washington, USA. Its headquarters are in the John Stanford Center for Educational Excellence.-List of schools:...
moved 6th grade students to middle schools.
In 2004 work was completed on a $4.8 million expansion which added a new wing containing classroom space and a library expansion. This additional space was needed to replace portables, which had once more been employed. The current school encompasses 55037 sq ft (5,113.1 m²) on a 4.51 acres (18,251.3 m²) site with a total of 22 classrooms.
Academic program
Graham Hill is one of only two schools (and the only elementary school) in its districtSeattle Public Schools
Seattle Public Schools is the school district serving Seattle, Washington, USA. Its headquarters are in the John Stanford Center for Educational Excellence.-List of schools:...
not considered "racially imbalanced" by a recent Seattle Times study. 73% of the school's population is non-white – about equal to the proportion in the school's ZIP code.
The PTA
The Graham Hill PTAParent-Teacher Association
In the U.S. a parent-teacher association or Parent-Teacher-Student Association is a formal organization composed of parents, teachers and staff that is intended to facilitate parental participation in a public or private school. Most public and private K-8 schools in the U.S. have a PTA, a...
meets the fourth Tuesday of every month of the school year, at 6:30 pm. A very active group, the PTA sponsors fundraisers throughout the year to support a variety of events. The PTA also supports ongoing programs and capital improvements. The Graham Hill PTA maintains a discussion list, has a blog, and regularly contributes to the school wiki
Wiki
A wiki is a website that allows the creation and editing of any number of interlinked web pages via a web browser using a simplified markup language or a WYSIWYG text editor. Wikis are typically powered by wiki software and are often used collaboratively by multiple users. Examples include...
.