News Releases
Office of Governor Gary Locke
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - February 11, 2003
Contact:  Kirsten Kendrick, Governor’s Communications Office, 360-902-4136
Alt Contact:  Kim Schmanke, Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, 360-725-6015

Gov. Gary Locke, Superintendent of Public Instruction Honor Bremerton School as February ‘Reading School of the Month’

Gov. Gary Locke and Terry Bergeson, state superintendent of public instruction, today presented West Hills Elementary School in Bremerton with the “Reading School of the Month” award for February 2003.

“Reading is the key to all academic success,” Locke told West Hills students today. “No matter what you want to do when you grow up, you have to start by being a good reader. I am so proud of all the progress students at West Hills Elementary have made in reading.”

West Hills has made significant gains. The school went from scoring well below the state average in reading on the fourth grade WASL to exceeding the state average. Nearly 78 percent of the students at West Hills participate in the free or reduced lunch program.

“I am very proud of the accomplished young readers here at West Hills,” Bergeson told the students. “The ability to read well is a valuable skill. It allows you to experience all kinds of adventure as well as helps build the knowledge you will need as you pursue your dreams.”

Locke and Bergeson read “The Best Place to Read” by Debbie Bertram and Susan Bloom to an all-school assembly. They also presented an autographed copy of the book to the school.

The governor and the superintendent started the “Reading School of the Month” program in January 2002 to raise awareness about the importance of reading and learn how struggling schools made drastic changes to become exemplary reading schools.

Miss Washington 2002, Amanda Beers, also read to students and shared her success story. Beers, a 20-year-old Tri-Cities native, has a 50 percent hearing loss in both ears and has still become an accomplished, award-winning pianist. She was a finalist in the Miss America Pageant last fall.

Locke and Bergeson today also honored a Washington Reading Corps volunteer at West Hills. They presented a certificate of appreciation to 77-year-old George Best, who tutors fifth grade students for three hours every day. Locke and Bergeson praised Best for only missing five days of school in five years. The staff at West Hills prepared the honor as a surprise to Best.

Related Links:
- School of the Month
- Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
- Governor's Web site
- Miss Washington Web site


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