About
Welcome to Salmon Bay K-8 School
Located in Ballard, Salmon Bay School is an alternative K-8 Seattle Public School.
Salmon Bay’s faculty and administration work hard to accomplish our mission of empowering compassionate, creative and independent thinkers.
Specialists in the arts, physical education, library and literacy enhance Salmon Bay’s ability to implement a whole child approach to education that balances the academic, physical, and social/emotional needs of our students.
Salmon Bay is a school where teachers know their students, and students feel connected to their teachers and to each other.
Introduction
We are excited to introduce our school to you.
We pride ourselves on offering a warm, caring environment where children can develop in their own unique way and where supportive adults work to ensure each child will be successful every day.
At Salmon Bay, we place your child on a path for academic and social success by helping students develop the skills required to be academically prepared, socially competent, and individually confident of their contributions.
We offer a small school environment with a dedicated and dynamic staff committed to helping all students grow into their potential.
Our distinctive traditions include:
- Emphasis on the Whole Child: We come together to sing every Friday, strive for an active curriculum and opportunities for movement, provide for weekly art classes and move outside of the classroom through field work. Each grade participates in an outdoor camp experience, culminating in 5th grade with a 4-day trip to Islandwood. Teachers use Responsive Classroom and Ruler to help students work through problems and create a connected community.
- Hands on Learning: We believe learning happens within and beyond classroom walls.As a staff, we collaborate with community members and our grade-level colleagues to bring curriculum to life.For example, 5th grade students participate in the Making History Project simulating the development of cultures, our 4th grade students curate multi-disciplinary museum exhibits on Washington History and 2nd grade students create maps of the world along with reading and research about the global community.
- Student and Family Supports: At Salmon Bay our counselors work with both individuals and groups to support a positive school-wide climate.Our volunteer coordinator helps families “plug-in” to the school with their time and talents, and we have a rich menu of afterschool programming (e.g., drama productions, hip-hop, coding, ultimate Frisbee, and more).
- Winter Enrichment Program (WEP): Each year, we set aside 6 Fridays in January and February to explore and learn in an entirely different context. This year, our middle school students are participating in Photography, Wilderness Exploration, Indoor Recreation, Cooking, Skiing/Snowboarding, Fused Glass Art, Fashion Sewing, or Tour of Seattle. Elementary students selected classes led by guest artists and faculty ranging across many interests e.g., Magic, 3D Printing, GarageBand, Mural Painting, Marimba, Break Dance, and Cooking.
We know that we are at our best when a strong family-school partnership exists, and we are committed to working with and for you in the service of student learning and growth. Please reach out to us if we can be helpful in answering your questions.
Mission and Vision
We Empower Compassionate, Creative and Independent Thinkers.
Vision
At Salmon Bay
- We plan for the active engagement of all students by providing multiple ways to access and express learning.
- We teach social skills and emotional intelligence to create a safe school community and promote responsibility for each other.
- We grow and build confidence through hands-on classroom and field-based learning experiences.
- We investigate authentic problems that deepen our understanding and curiosity about the world.
- We engage in the work of social justice by examining identity, building knowledge and developing skills to challenge inequities.
Enrollment
Option School Geographic Zone | Transportation Area
Salmon Bay is an Option/Choice School. No students are automatically assigned to Salmon Bay K-8. If you wish to enroll a student at Salmon Bay you will need to submit your choice application form during Seattle School District’s open enrollment period.
Enrollment preference is given to siblings (first) and students within Salmon Bay’s geographic zone (second). All remaining spots are assigned based on a lottery.
You can find more information on the option school enrollment process on the Seattle School District’s School Choice page.