Seatack Elementary School

Virginia Beach, VA

Katherine R. Everett, Principal

Dr. Sheila S. Magula, Superintendent

Seatack Elementary School, which is Title 1 Schoolwide, was the first school in the Virginia Beach City Public School division to become a single-track year-round school. The change in calendar was prompted by Seatack because its Virginia Standards of Learning scores were lower than nearly all of the district schools that compared demographically.

Not willing to accept that performance, within three years of implementing a year-round program, Seatack had not only surpassed the district’s comparative schools, but had moved to the top third of all 56 elementary schools in their divisions.

Parents and community have always been an integral part of the Seatack family. However, their support and involvement has increased by 60% since seeing their children excel in the year-round environment.

There has been a dramatic increase in participation in student activities outside of school time such as Saturday SOLympics and Writer’s Workshop, as Seatack students have become more involved in their own education.

As a result of their success, Seatack has become a very vocal advocate of the balanced calendar. They presented in April 2005 at the National School Board Association Conference here in San Diego on the topic: “Closing the Achievement Gap Year-Round.” Their story has inspired other schools in Virginia Beach to come on board as year-round schools.

Mrs. Everett in her letter the NAYRE School of Merit Committee wrote: The title of Year-Round School of Merit is coveted because it signifies the ongoing success, not only of an individual school, but of the entire community in the background supporting and cheering as that school attains and even surpasses its goals.”