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Lake Washington School District
Discovery Community School
12801 84th Ave. N.E., Kirkland, WA 98034 | 425 936-2704
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About Us
DCS was founded in 1994 by parents in the LWSD to create a cooperative learning environment for their children while maintaining the benefits of a district run curriculum. The approximately 72 students work at their own levels of academic readiness.

Kids make a totem pole in music class.The DCS program embraces the following values:

  • Belief in the importance of community
  • Respect for self and others
  • Personal responsibility
  • Cooperative spirit
  • A high level of parent involvement
  • Safe and supportive learning environment
  • Small school
  • Multi-age classrooms

DCS Values
The school's success relies on a commitment of 65 volunteer hours annually from each family in the DCS community.

Parent volunteers support the school by providing classroom enrichment, organizing field trips, coordinating community events, or serving in leadership positions. In addition, parents and staff attend monthly community meetings to stay informed and connected.

Extensive parent involvement creates an enriched experience for the students, comprised of frequent hands-on and multi-age team activities, field trips and classroom explorations, community outreach, and other special events, including an annual overnight camp.
 

DCS Offers Three Classrooms

  • Youngers (1st and 2nd grade)
  • Middles (3rd and 4th grade)
  • Olders (5th and 6th grade)

DCS/Carl Sandburg Shared Campus
DCS students enjoy all the benefits of a sharing a campus with Carl Sandburg Elementary School. These include library, music, physical education, and computer lab in addition to special education, after school programs, and special events.

DCS/Sandburg Campus consists of two main buildings and several portables. The upper building houses DCS, the administrative offices, gym, library, and Sandburg grades K-3. The lower building houses Sandburg grades 4-6, a music room, and is where the DCS Community Meetings are generally held. The portables house DCS and PTSA storage, music class, , and LWSD extended care program.

Annual Report
The annual Progress Report to the community recaps the school year's highlights, and reports a bevy of district statistics, including test scores, graduation rates, enrollment figures, budget details and more.

2009 Washington Achievement Award Winner Washington Achievement Award
Discovery Community School was recognized in 2009 with a Washington Achievement Award for Language Arts. These are awarded collaboratively with the State Board of Education (SBE) and based on the school Accountability Index. To find out more about the award, go to the Office of Superintendant of Public Instruction website. [external site]

Discovery Community School was honored at an annual ceremony hosted by the SBE and OSPI.

2009 Washington Achievement Award Winner
 From left to right

Randy Dorn, Superintendent of Public Instruction;

Monica Engquist, Discovery Community School Olders Teacher;

Mark Blomquist, Discovery Community School & Carl Sandburg Elementary Principal;

Carol Fletcher, Discovery Community School Middles Teacher; and

Dr. Chip Kimball, Superintendant of Lake Washington School District.

 

 What Parents Say...

 

I appreciate the DCS community because the kids and parents genuinely support each other, creating a very safe, comforting environment.

Pauline T.
 

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The Lake Washington School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, gender, marital status, creed, religion, honorably discharged veteran, military status, sexual orientation including gender expression or identity, the presence of any sensory, mental or physical disability, or the use of a trained guide dog or service animal by a person with a disability, in its programs and activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. Complete policy statement
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